Have you had your flu shot?

Please get a flu shot if you haven't yet. Flu shots are available from your doctor and from the following locations:


VIP TrailerOngoing Clinic
3177 Ocean View Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92113
Flu vaccine is available on a walk-in basis, Monday through Friday, from 8-11am and 1-3pm. Closed weekends and holidays. No appointment is needed, but if desired, appointments can be made online at: https://onlineappts.hhsa-sdcounty.org/.

Please note that currently, due to shipping delays, the Center has a limited selection of flu vaccines. Please call 619-229-5400 before going to verify availability.



South Region Public Health CenterOngoing Clinic
690 Oxford St., Suite H
Chula Vista, CA. 91911
Flu vaccine is available on a walk-in (first come, first served) basis Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, from 8 a.m-4 p.m., and Thursday from 8 a.m.-Noon, or until clinic capacity is reached. Closed weekends and holidays. No appointment is needed, but if desired, appointments can be made online at: https://onlineappts.hhsa-sdcounty.org.

Please note that currently, due to shipping delays, the Center has a limited selection of flu vaccines. Please call the Center at (619) 409-3110 before going to verify availability.

Stomach Aches

Stomach Aches







One of the most frequent complaints of students in the health office is a stomach ache. There are many reasons for a stomach ache, including excessive gas, indigestion, anxiety, and stress.

If you come to see me for a stomach ache I will likely ask the following questions:

• how long have you had the stomach ache?
• did you eat today? what did you eat?
• any nausea or vomiting?
• diarrhea?

I will take your temperature and check a few other things to make sure the pain is not due to something serious such as appendicitis or intussusception (telescoping of part of the gut).

99.9% of the time (in my unscientific research), stomach aches are nothing to be concerned about, they will go away with time. There is no medicine that I can give students at school for this. I can offer use of the bathroom and rest. Most likely, I will not send you home.

Often the cause is not eating (hunger), or eating junk food instead of nutritious food.

Do you need help? Dial 2-1-1

A wealth of resources is at your finger tips. Dial 211. English or Spanish available all of the time. Other languages possible, too.

Serving the entire population of our region, 2-1-1 San Diego connects people with community, health and disaster services through a free, 24/7 stigma-free phone service and searchable online database. Using the power of technology and innovation, we connect people to the help they need.                            

Need help getting MediCal or other insurance? Dial 211.

Need help reuniting with your family after a natural disaster? Dial 211.

Need help finding mental health services? Dial 211.

Need help finding a place to live? Dial 211.

Need help finding a job? Dial 211.


Also available online at http://www.211sandiego.org/

Flu Vaccine Myths Debunked

MYTHS ABOUT FLU AND FLU VACCINE Don't let these myths fool you into skipping the flu vaccine:
MYTH: The flu shot gives you the flu.
No, it can't. The influenza viruses in the shot are inactive and not infectious.

MYTH: It’s better to get the flu than the flu vaccine. No, having the flu is worse. Flu is a potentially dangerous infection. It can make you very sick and cause you to miss work, school and other activities. For high-risk groups such as children, seniors, and people with chronic health conditions like heart disease or diabetes, the flu can lead to severe complications such as bronchitis or pneumonia, resulting in hospitalization and even death.

Most people get the flu shot without any problems. Minor side effects can be get soreness, redness or swelling where the shot was given; fever (low grade); and aches. Serious reactions to the flu shot are rare.

MYTH: You don’t need to get the flu shot if you got one last year. No, you need flu vaccine every year. You need to get it every year because vaccine protection wanes over time. Also, even if any of the viruses in this season’s vaccines are the same as last year’s, you can still get sick this season, because the immunity you developed from last year’s vaccine may have declined since then.


PROTECT YOUR HEALTH DURING FLU SEASON AND ALL YEAR LONG: WASH YOUR HANDS!
In addition to getting flu vaccine, there's a step you can take to reduce your chances of getting and spreading the flu: handwashing! In fact, washing your hands often is a good way to protect your health all year long, not just during flu season. Many everyday objects and surfaces we touch have lots of germs on them, and if you touch your eyes, nose or mouth after touching them, you can expose yourself to all sorts of germs.

When you wash your hands, use plenty of soap and warm water and wash for at least 20 seconds (about the time it takes to sing "Happy Birthday" twice).

Get a flu shot!

Southwest Raider family,

Cold and flu season is here. As always, take precautions to prevent illness: plenty of sleep, excellent nutrition, and exercise. Something else you can do to prevent the flu is a flu vaccine.

These People Are at High Risk of Complications From Flu

• Children,
• Seniors,
• Pregnant women, and
• Those with heart conditions, asthma, diabetes, immune system disorders and certain other health problems.

If these people get the flu, they are more likely to get seriously ill with complications like pneumonia and need hospitalization. In addition, their chances of dying from flu-related complications are higher than other people.

Also, people at high risk for flu-related complications should contact their doctor immediately if they start to develop flu-like symptoms so that they can be evaluated for antiviral drugs, which work best if given within 48 hours after symptoms appear.

Here is more about the 2015/2016 flu season from the CDC website:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/flu-season-2015-2016.htm


You can get a flu shot at your doctor's office as well as at many sites throughout San Diego.

South Region Public Health CenterOngoing Clinic
690 Oxford St., Suite H
Chula Vista, CA. 91911 Flu vaccine is available on a walk-in (first come, first served) basis Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, from 8 a.m-4 p.m., and Thursday from 8 a.m.-Noon, or until clinic capacity is reached. Closed weekends and holidays. No appointment is needed, but if desired, appointments can be made online at: https://onlineappts.hhsa-sdcounty.org.

Please note that currently, due to shipping delays, the Center has a limited selection of flu vaccines. Please call the Center at (619) 409-3110 before going to verify availability.



ONE-DAY FLU VACCINE CLINICS

Free Flu Vaccine Clinic in Chula Vista
Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.Chula Vista Public Library
365 F St.
Chula Vista, CA 91910 Free flu vaccine for 6 months and older.


Free Flu Vaccine Clinic in El Cajon
Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.Ronald Reagan Community Center
195 E. Douglas Avenue
El Cajon, CA 92020 Free flu vaccine for 6 months and older.
Clinic Flyer in Spanish
Clinic Flyer in Arabic


Free Flu Vaccine Clinic in Linda Vista
Friday, Oct. 9, 2015, from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.Bayside Community Center
2202 Comstock Street
San Diego, CA 92111 Free flu vaccine for 6 months and older.


Free Flu Vaccine in Fallbrook Saturday, Oct. 10, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fallbrook Health Fair at the Fallbrook Fire Station
315 E. Ivy St.
Fallbrook, CA 92028Free flu vaccine for 3 years and older. Flu vaccine will not be available for children less than 3 years of age.


Free Flu Vaccine Clinic in Mira Mesa
Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2015, from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.Mira Mesa Senior Center
8460 Mira Mesa Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92126 Free flu vaccine for 6 months and older.


Free Flu Vaccine Clinic in OceansideFriday, Oct. 16, 2015, from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.Crowne Heights Resource Center
1210 Division Street
Oceanside, CA 92054 Free flu vaccine for 6 months and older.


Free Flu Vaccine Clinic in Logan Heights
Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.Logan Heights Library
567 S. 28th Street, San Diego, CA 92113 Free flu vaccine for persons 6 months and older.


Free Flu Vaccine Clinic in San Marcos
Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.San Marcos Civic Center
3 Civic Center Drive, San Marcos, CA 92069 Free flu vaccine for 6 months and older.

Cold and Flu Season Approaching

Cold and Flu Season is Approaching. Get ready! Here are some tips to help keep you healthy this cold and flu season.

1. Get a flu shot. It's the number one thing you can do to prevent the flu. Ask your doctor for one or look for flu clinics being run throughout San Diego. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has a site where you can find a clinic near you http://vaccine.healthmap.org/

2. Wash your hands -- a lot. No matter what line of work you’re in, if you come in contact with people who are contagious, you have to wash your hands over and over, says Alan Pocinki, MD. Pocinki practices internal medicine at the George Washington University Hospital in Washington, DC.

It sounds so simple, but soap and water are the constant companions of doctors and nurses. To completely get rid of viruses from your skin, you need to scrub hard for 20 seconds or more. A good way to time yourself is to sing "Happy Birthday" twice while scrubbing the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails. It doesn't matter if the water's hot or cold -- the very act of scrubbing will physically remove the germs.

3. Avoid getting close to people who are sick. For example, don't shake hands.
“Doctors tend to be very cautious about hand shaking,” says Terri Remy, MD, medical director of Medical Associates at Beauregard in Alexandria, VA. “Just explain, ‘To keep transmission of colds and flu down, I’m not shaking hands. But hello! Nice to meet you!’ They understand.”

4. Keep your surroundings clean. Arlington, VA, massage therapist Amanda Long asks clients to stay home if they feel bad. But to be safe, she sanitizes doorknobs and light switches between sessions. It's a practice she swears by.

5. Try to keep up a healthy lifestyle. It's important to look after your own health, says Ardis Dee Hoven, MD, an internal medicine and infectious disease specialist in Lexington, Ky., and president-elect of the American Medical Association.

“Do all the things we all should be doing on a daily basis anyway,” says Hoven. “Get adequate rest -- which people underestimate -- get good nutrition, don’t smoke, and keep your allergies controlled, because if they’re out of control, then your upper respiratory tree is already inflamed, which sets it up to more easily acquire a virus.”

Hot hot heat

It's gonna be hot this week! Included below is the information letter sent to everyone in the Sweetwater Union High School District who needs to know.

You can do a lot at home to prepare for this heat, too. Drink lots of water. Your urine should be very light yellow. If it's dark or foul smelling, you need to drink more water.

Have your students carry a water bottle at school. I often see students with headaches and the biggest reason for them is lack of water. Drink up!

Margaret McLean RN, BSN, PHN
School Nurse
________________________________________________________________________________

Heat advisory warning for San Diego County is in place for the rest of the week beginning on Monday 9/8/15, please read and forward this information to your site PE teachers, athletic coaches, and after school program coordinators for appropriate precautions:

Please visit the following link for additional information and precautions http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/basic_info/sun-safety.htm

Sites are encouraged to use cautionary measures the rest of the week due to the hot weather pattern in the South Bay.  It is expected to reach the high 80s by early afternoon and may possibly reach 90 degrees in some areas of Chula Vista, Otay Mesa, Imperial Beach, and National City.

▪80 – 89.9 º F                                    Caution Level

▪90 – 99.9º F                                     Extreme Caution Level

▪100º F or Above                              Danger Level

Immediately begin mitigating the effects of excessive heat for any students or staff in an area of the school that is at or above the “caution” level by doing the following:

Caution Level – encourage loose-fitting, lightweight clothing; encourage wide brimmed  hats and sun screen (SPF 30 or higher) during outdoor activities maintain adequate fluid intake (encourage students to bring water bottles and take frequent water breaks; increase room ventilation (open windows / doors, use fans); decrease physical activity (less strenuous) in PE classes and after school programs.

Extreme Caution Level – all of the above and move students / staff to cooler areas of the building, as often as necessary, to avoid being in the above 90º F areas for longer than 60 – 90 minutes at a time.  (During PE class- limit running activities.  Afterschool programs / sport activities held outside should be adjusted appropriately; limit conditioning and time in the sun.  Increase number of water breaks and close monitoring of student-athletes and possibly changing practice times).