Get Ready

Flu Fridays: So, what causes the flu?

2012-01-27T11:10:00.001-05:00

Happy Flu Friday! Today we’re going to talk about what causes the flu.

You may have heard that flu is caused by a virus. You may even know that there are different kinds of flu viruses out there, like “H1N1” and “bird flu.” But do you know the difference between them? Let’s take a closer look at the influenza virus so that you’re prepared when flu is in the news.

A virus is a tiny (way too small to be seen with the human eye) infectious particle. Viruses need to get inside other living things to reproduce, so they don’t just infect humans. Viruses are found inside animals, plants and bacteria as well. Viruses come in different shapes, and each type of virus acts differently once it gets inside the host.

There are actually three types of viruses that cause the flu. They’re called influenza A, influenza B and influenza C. Scientists have found that influenza C usually causes a mild respiratory infection that is usually not very serious.

Influenza A and B are the typical causes of the “flu season” that happens every winter around the world. These two types of flu viruses cause more serious illness in humans, so let’s talk more about them.

Influenza virus image, courtesy
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

When seen under a microscope, influenza A and B viruses usually look similar — imagine a round ball covered in spikes. The “spikes” are proteins that stick out from the surface of the virus. There are two types of proteins on the influenza virus: H, which stands for hemagglutinin, and N, which stands for neuraminidase.

These protein spikes do two things in your body:

They help the virus stick to the cell it wants to attack.
They help your immune system recognize that something has invaded your body.

If you have been infected with the same type of flu before — or if you got your flu shot — the H and N proteins are like a “caller ID” for your immune system. Your body knows exactly what to do to help you fight off that type of the flu. If it’s a type of influenza virus with Hs and Ns that your body has never seen before, it’s harder for your immune system to fight it off. This is why some strains of the flu make us sicker than others.

Here’s why viruses like the ones that cause influenza are hard to fight: Viruses can change their protein “spikes” so that the human body doesn’t recognize what’s infecting it. Influenza B viruses change their spikes (also called mutation) somewhat slowly. But influenza A can mutate very fast, and there are many different types.

Because influenza A viruses change so quickly, we give them different names based on their proteins. In 2009, you might remember the “swine flu” outbreak was also called H1N1. (Yes, those are the same H and N proteins we talked about earlier!) This was a version of influenza A that hadn’t been seen in humans for many decades, and scientists were worried that it would cause a lot of people to become very sick, very quickly. Luckily, even with over 1 million cases in the United States, the H1N1 pandemic was not as deadly as originally feared. (Read more about the 2009 H1N1 pandemic from CDC.)

Quickly mutating influenza A viruses are also the reason that CDC recommends getting your flu shot on a yearly basis — because there are different strains of the flu virus every year. This season’s flu shot includes protection against influenza B as well as the H1N1 and H3N2 strains of influenza A.

If you haven’t gotten your flu shot yet for the 2011-2012 season, it’s not too late! You can read more about the vaccine, and find out where to get your shot, at Flu.gov.

Thanks for joining us for our first-ever Flu Friday! Remember, if you have any flu questions, email us at getready@apha.org.

Workplace preparedness: What businesses can do to prepare for disasters

2012-01-25T14:36:00.001-05:00

Did you know that 65 percent of businesses in the United States don’t have a plan for disaster preparedness? That’s what we learned last month when we sat down with Bob Boyd to record the latest episode of our Get Ready Report podcast.

Boyd is president and CEO of Agility Recovery, a Charlotte, N.C., company that develops disaster preparedness plans for the workplace. He says that typically only the largest companies he’s worked with have developed plans to protect their employees, customers and their financial future in case of emergencies — but he believes that all businesses need to plan for disasters. Boyd says that a workplace preparedness plan will help companies “overcome any kind of interruption, whether that’s a hurricane or a burst pipe,” as he explains in our interview.

Even owners and employees of smaller businesses can take steps to be prepared for emergencies — and, Boyd says, these steps won’t cost a lot of money or time. In fact, he provided Get Ready Report listeners with five quick steps “that any business can take” to be prepared.

And the best part is, these steps are free — and so is our podcast! So, what are you waiting for? Listen to our Get Ready Report episode right now!

You can also read the full transcript of our interview with Boyd or the shortened Q&A version.

And don’t forget to check out all of our great podcasts!

Announcing a new feature just in time for flu season: Flu Fridays!

2012-01-20T11:57:00.000-05:00

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last week that flu activity in the United States is picking up, with the flu season expected to peak in February or March and last until May.

In light of this, we’re announcing a new weekly feature via APHA’s Get Ready Blog — Flu Fridays! Join us every Friday for the rest of the 2012 flu season, where we’ll be dealing with everything flu: From just the basics, to breaking news about new types of the flu, to tips on how to cope if you end up sick this year (we hope that doesn’t happen!).

And don’t worry — we’ll still have regular posts about non-flu related emergency preparedness.

If there’s something you want us to answer in a Flu Friday post, or if you have a burning question about the flu, email us at getready@apha.org.

You can also help us track the flu from your computer by signing up for Flu Near You! After you sign up, we’ll email you once a week and ask how you’re feeling. The info will help pinpoint where flu cases are occurring. You can even report whether someone else in your household, such as your child, has flu symptoms.

Get ready to enter our Get Ready Scholarship competition!

2012-01-18T12:35:00.001-05:00

APHA is thrilled to once again offer its Get Ready Scholarship. In its fourth year, the competition is open to full-time students at the high school, undergraduate and graduate levels.

In the United States, 2011 was a year filled with disasters: Extreme temperatures in the South, devastating tornadoes and flooding in the Midwest and a rare earthquake and hurricane in the Northeast (in the same week, no less!). Combined with the many salmonella outbreaks and the listeria outbreak in cantaloupes, last year certainly taught us we must be prepared for emergencies.

It is in this spirit of preparedness that we challenge high school seniors, undergraduate students and graduate students to write essays for our Get Ready Scholarship. We’ll award two $500 scholarships in each category — that’s a total of six winners! Each winner will also receive a free APHA membership for one year.

Check out the essay topics for this year’s contest on our Get Ready Scholarship page, and then get ready to write! APHA will accept submissions starting Feb. 6 and the deadline closes March 26 — or until 300 submissions are accepted in each category. That means the deadline could close early, so be sure to prepare your essay soon.

For complete rules, check the Get Ready Scholarship Web page.

To see a list of previous winners, and read parts of their essays, check out our Get Ready Scholarship past winners page.

Happy preparing!

APHA congratulates winners of Get Ready Day event contest

2012-01-13T15:00:00.000-05:00

Last month, APHA announced the winners of its Get Ready Day event contest for school-based health centers. APHA, in partnership with the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care asked school-based health centers to hold an event during National Preparedness Month, which takes place every September.

Participants were encouraged to be creative when planning events that would raise awareness about preparedness in their schools and communities. Three school-based health centers were selected to win cash prizes for their events. The winners are:

First place: North Shore-Long Island Jewish Student Health Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., where students created posters raising awareness about the flu and held a hand-washing dance party (to the tune of “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO!).

Second place: The Metro Community Provider Network’s school-based clinic at Stein Elementary in Lakewood, Colo., which held a scavenger hunt and then used the items to teach students how to create an emergency stockpile.

Third place: Youth Empowered Solutions in Raleigh, N.C., where students held a Get Ready “tweet-a-thon” using Twitter to raise awareness about the importance of getting a flu shot.

Congratulations to the winners, and to everyone that held Get Ready Day events. And don’t forget to mark your calendar for our next Get Ready Day, which will take place Sept. 18, 2012!

Photos courtesy North Shore-Long Island Jewish Student Health Center; Metro Community Provider Network clinic at Stein Elementary School; Youth Empowered Solutions.

Get Ready Mailbag: Can people with egg allergies get vaccinated for the flu?

2012-01-06T10:18:00.000-05:00

Q: I’ve heard that the flu vaccine contains eggs. Does that mean that people with egg allergies can’t get the vaccine?

First things first: Yes, the flu vaccine does contain egg protein. That’s because the flu vaccine virus is grown in eggs. (The virus grows well in eggs, which are readily available.)

In people with egg allergies — which is a pretty common food allergy — exposure to eggs can cause an immune system reaction. So that’s why your health provider asks you if you have an egg allergy before giving you your flu vaccination each year.

But having a mild reaction to eggs doesn’t necessarily mean you should automatically skip the flu shot, according to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. This summer, the committee, which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, released new recommendations on flu vaccinations for people with egg allergies.

According to the committee, people who have had only a mild reaction such as hives after exposure to eggs may be able to receive the flu vaccine, as long as certain procedures are followed. For example, the committee said that such vaccinations should be carried out by providers familiar with egg allergies and that people getting the vaccine should be observed for at least 30 minutes afterward for signs of reaction. The recommendations don’t apply to the nasal flu vaccine, as it hasn’t been studied as much as the shot.

In short, if you have an egg allergy, you should talk to your health provider about whether you are a good candidate for the flu vaccine and what the risks are. Flu season is here and cases have been reported around the nation, so now’s the time to think about getting a flu vaccine. (It’s not too late!) And as always, don’t forget to tell your provider about any past reactions — egg-related or otherwise — before you get your vaccination.

Resolve to be Ready in 2012

2011-12-30T20:56:00.002-05:00

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has declared over 100 federal disasters in 2011 alone. This year we have seen the impact of tropical storms Maria and Lee, Hurricane Irene, wildfires in Texas, flooding, tornadoes, and even an earthquake that hit the nation’s capital. Even the media has put the threat of pandemics in the headlines with Warner Bros. Picture’s Contagion.

FEMA has outlined ways to keep your family, home, and workplace prepared for any type of disaster. Emergency preparedness is a new year’s resolution that will be easy to maintain with three easy steps:

Make a family emergency plan

The holidays are the perfect time to discuss a family emergency plan. Having an outline of what to do during a chaotic time such as an emergency is the best tool you can be equipped with. You may want to include emergency contact information and places to go during a time of emergency. Don’t know where to start? Visit the Ad council to create your own family plan.

Get an emergency supply kit

Emergency supply kits are useful for both the home and the workplace. Making sure all the necessary items are in place PRIOR to a time of disaster puts you in the best position to combat the emergency. APHA’s Get Ready campaign offers a stockpile checklist in English (PDF) and Spanish (PDF).

Be Informed

Location is a factor that determines the risk for disaster and emergency. It is important to know what disasters and emergencies threaten your area and community specifically. Not only is the environment a threat, but disease and sickness are too. Keeping up with vaccines is another preparedness strategy for the unknown. You can also call the closest chapter of the American Red Cross for emergency information that applies to your community. Knowledge is power: know what you’re up against and prepare yourself and your family for the best chance of survival during an emergency.

Give the gift of blood and improve preparedness

2011-12-23T15:41:00.002-05:00

Give a gift this holiday season that’s free, easy and saves lives: Donate blood.

In 2012, 4.5 million Americans will need blood, and for many recipients, it’s a matter of life and death. Blood shortages can make the need worse. Such shortages could be avoided if just 1 percent more Americans donated. One donation can help save the lives of up to three people.

After disasters such as hurricanes or other wide scale emergencies, health and emergency groups often put out calls for blood donors because of the sudden increase in need. Giving blood before a disaster strikes helps your community be more prepared.

Here are some tips for how you can help:

• Make an appointment with an organization such as the American Red Cross or find a blood center. They are often found at schools, companies, places of worship or community organizations.

• Before you arrive, drink extra water. You need to have fluid in your body or you might not feel well after giving blood. A couple of glasses of water will do the trick. Bring a list of medications you’re taking and a form of personal identification.

• Bring a friend. Going with someone will make the process more enjoyable, and if they donate, that’s potentially more lives saved.

• Make giving blood a new holiday tradition. With friends and family gathered together over the holidays, it’s an ideal time to encourage others to give blood.

Overall, just remember to relax. Donating blood is safe and healthy. Donating blood is one of the most important things you can do to help ensure the health and safety of your community. And it’s one of the greatest gifts you can give.

Don’t let your holiday celebrations turn to disaster: Preventing fires

2011-12-16T14:03:00.000-05:00

For most people, the holidays are a time of family, celebrations and fun. But nothing puts an end to holiday merriment quicker than a house fire.
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, almost 129,000 fires occur in December that require the fire department to come, with 72 percent of structure fires occurring in residential buildings. Oftentimes, holiday decorations play a role, as does home heating and cooking fires from holiday meals. And because some seasonal observances, like the lighting of the Hanukkah menorah or Kwanzaa kinara, involve candles, open flames add to risks.

Surprisingly, cooking fires top the list for holiday-related fires, causing 41 percent of them, says the U.S. Fire Administration. Cooking fires increase around Thanksgiving and peak in December. On any day in December, the percent of cooking fires is at about 3 percent. But such fires increase to 4.7 percent on Christmas Eve and 5.3 percent on Christmas Day.

New Year’s Eve and Day are also a risky time for fires. About 6,400 fires occur on an average New Year’s holiday, with 28 percent caused by fireworks. Cooking, heating and open flames are other common causes — and not a great way to start the new year.

Another holiday fire risk is a common decoration: The Christmas tree. As the saying goes, “A wet tree is a safe tree.” It may not be the most festive of holiday clichés, but it’s an important one.

A dry Christmas tree will fully ignite in a matter of seconds, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and within 40 seconds, “flashover” will occur. Flashover is when an entire room becomes covered in flames, depleting oxygen and engulfing a room in deadly, toxic smoke.

Here are some quick tips for preventing holiday fires:

• When cooking, never leave food or equipment unattended. Keep combustible items like cookbooks, oven mitts or wooden spoons away from heat sources.

• Keep children away from holiday candles, fires and fireworks. The proportion of deaths caused by children playing with fire jumps to 26 percent in December.

• Never use candles to decorate a Christmas tree. Keep candles inside a one-foot circle away from anything combustible.

• Keep your live tree watered. Don’t place it close to a fireplace or lamps. Make sure your wiring is safe, and turn off tree decorations at night or when you’re not home.

• Keep space heaters and electrical wires away from combustible items.

• Double-check that all of your fire alarms are working and have batteries, and keep a fire extinguisher at home.

For more holiday fire safety tips, visit the Federal Emergency Management Agency website.

Congratulations to the winners of APHA's 2011 Get Ready Video Contest!

2011-12-09T15:34:00.000-05:00

APHA's Get Ready campaign announced the winners of its 2011 video contest in December. Three winners were named in the contest, which challenged students to raise awareness of emergency preparedness.

The video contest was open to U.S. students in sixth through 12th grades. Students were asked to produce a short original video that highlights an aspect of preparedness, such as creating an emergency kit or having an emergency plan. Entries were judged on creativity, originality, quality, overall appeal and success in conveying the importance of preparing for an emergency. The three winners took home cash prizes for their entries, with the top video earning $500.

“The goal of this year’s contest was to equip our next generation of public health advocates with the tools and knowledge they need to prepare their community for disaster,” said Alan Baker, MA, APHA’s interim executive director.

The winners were:

• First place: Lena Rutherford, a ninth-grader from Golden, Colo. Rutherford’s video highlighted three steps in being prepared: having an emergency supply kit, having an emergency plan and knowing the risks in your community.

• Second place: Bethany Wallach, an eighth-grader from Fort Mill, S.C. Wallach’s video highlighted common natural disasters to be ready for, such as hurricanes, tornados and power outages

• Third place: McKay Olson, a 10th-grader from Burlington, Wy. Olson’s video focused on being ready for natural disasters such as flooding and blizzards by having first aid kits and accessible drinking water.

Congratulations to our winners and to all of the students who entered the contest! Watch the videos now via the Get Ready website.

Get Ready Mailbag: Can I get sick from germs on my cellphone?

2011-12-02T13:21:00.000-05:00

Welcome to another installment of the Get Ready Mailbag, when we take time to answer questions sent our way by readers like you. Have a question you want answered? Send an email to getready@apha.org.

Q: I know that dirty keyboards and doorknobs can pass along germs, but what about things like cellphones and iPods? Should I clean them, too? How often?

A: Dirty keyboards and doorknobs are just two of the sneaky culprits that can pass germs on to others. When a sick person coughs or sneezes and then touches objects, they can transmit their germs when others touch those same surfaces. Viruses such as flu germs can live on a surface for two to eight hours, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Bacteria can present problems, too. While many are beneficial — think human digestion and soil decomposition — some can cause disease. They live most everywhere, including on your skin and in your body. In fact, more than 300 types of bacteria typically exist in a human mouth — a healthy one!

We are constantly coming into contact with germs, and usually they do not make us sick. But sometimes, if we’ve not been vaccinated against or exposed to a virus, or are not used to a certain type of bacteria — or if its population has grown too large — our immune systems are unable to fight off infection, and we end up feeling lousy.

Now think about all the places your cellphone, portable MP3 player or other mobile device goes: from the bottom of your gym bag and the cup holder in the car to a park bench and a table in a fast food restaurant. Ever text or take a call in the bathroom? That’s a lot of icky places. Mixed with the sweat and oil from your skin, and maybe a little spit, that thing is going to be dirty! And on top of that, things we carry on our person, like cellphones and iPods, tend to stay warm from our body heat. Bacteria love warmth and moisture. Given those conditions, they could grow and multiply more readily.

So to answer your question, yes! Cellphones and portable MP3 players can get germy. Keep yours clean and safe by wiping it down with rubbing alcohol, hand sanitizer or an antibacterial wipe every few days. And think twice about where you use it, where you place it and who you share it with.

Holiday travels: Don’t get sick when you travel overseas

2011-11-25T13:00:00.003-05:00

With the holiday season now upon us, it’s important to reflect on your health and safety when traveling. Thanksgiving is typically the heaviest-traveled U.S. holiday, and kicks off the holiday travel season. While taking trips can be fun, it can also come with increased risk for diseases and illnesses, especially when visiting other countries.

Each year, thousands of Americans travel abroad to visit relatives or simply to get away. With this in mind, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ecommends that people taking trips plan ahead and check for government recommendations on international travel immunizations well before leaving the country.

Having at least a basic understanding of what to look for and what to do if illness occurs is an important part of planning for trips. No one wants to get sick on a trip, but it’s important to be proactive. General symptoms to keep in mind include headache, fever, diarrhea and extreme fatigue.

If you feel sick while overseas and have access to the Internet, the Department of State’s Doctors and Hospitals Abroad website can help you find health care resources in the country you’re visiting. Remember to follow up with your primary doctor once back in the states.

Many illnesses can be avoided by following these simple tips:

• Wash your hands before eating, after using the restroom or petting animals and after handling food.

• Wear insect repellant for mosquito and tick protection.

• Only eat and drink water that has been properly handled or treated.

When traveling, remember to be proactive, be prepared and be protected — the three “Ps” of safe and healthy travel. Safe journeys!

Photo courtesy iStockphoto

Antibiotics save lives, but only when used properly

2011-11-18T13:07:00.000-05:00

It’s Get Smart About Antibiotics Week, a week dedicated to promoting appropriate antibiotic use. Antibiotics save lives and help fight illness. But in recent years, we’ve seen growing biological resistance to antibiotics due to their overuse and misuse. This is a major problem.

An antibiotic is a medicine that kills bacteria or stops it from spreading. It treats bacterial infections, not viral infections. So if you have a cold or flu symptoms, antibiotics won’t work. Plus, taking antibiotics when they are not needed increases your risk of getting an infection later that resists treatment.

If you are prescribed antibiotics, talk with your health provider about antibiotic resistance. Take it exactly as your doctor tells you, and complete the course even if you begin feeling better. If you don’t take all the pills and you stop treatment too soon, some bacteria may survive and re-infect you.

Get Smart About Antibiotics Week, Nov. 14-20, aims to educate people, raise awareness about this growing health problem and provide tips for ensuring their safe use. Many organizations are participating in this effort, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work campaign, along with partners such as the American Public Health Association.

APHA’s Get Ready campaign offers a range of resources to help you stay safe and prevent the spread of disease. Simple things like washing your hands and knowing what materials to have on hand when dealing with emergencies can help you avoid getting sick.

Knowing the facts and staying healthy are the greatest weapons against bacterial infections. Get Smart About Antibiotics Week is a important way to help make sure you, your family and friends play it safe.

Do you have it in you? Enter the APHA Flu Near You Challenge today!

2011-11-11T13:00:00.021-05:00

Today’s guest blog is co-authored by John Brownstein, PhD, and Mark Smolinski, MD, MPH. Brownstein is an assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and co-founder of HealthMap, an online disease tracking tool. Smolinski is director for global health threats at the Skoll Global Threats Fund.

On Oct. 30, attendees at APHA’s 139th Annual Meeting were given a special treat after a screening of clips from the movie “Contagion.” The APHA Flu Near You Challenge was announced to a capacity crowd at a session featuring distinguished panelists Georges Benjamin, MD, FACP, FACEP (E), executive director of APHA, and Larry Brilliant, MD, MPH, president of the Skoll Global Threats Fund.

The Flu Near You Challenge, online at http://www.aphafluchallenge.org/, invites APHA members to leverage their social networks to recruit dedicated users to help track the flu on Flu Near You, the nation’s first online, crowdsourced, open flu symptom surveillance system. A total of $150,000 in cash and other awards will be available during the challenge. The more people you recruit and the more weekly surveys they submit, the better your chances of winning a cash prize or award!

During the Annual Meeting, more than 200 APHA members stopped by the HealthMap booth in the Expo Hall and registered for the challenge. By the end of the meeting, more than 550 APHA members had registered, either in person or online. One lucky challenge registrant was the winner of an iPad at the meeting’s closing session on Nov. 2.

Recruiting Flu Near You users is easy. For tracking and recruiting purposes, each entrant receives a unique personalized link and a widget that can be pasted into emails and posted to social media platforms. Entrants can recruit anyone who resides in the U.S. and is at least 13 years of age to become a Flu Near You user. Users simply have to complete a weekly survey that takes just 10 seconds to fill out. Participating in Flu Near You is voluntary and all displayed data will be anonymous.

To see how you’re stacking up against other APHA members taking part in the challenge, watch the online challenge leaderboard. Remember that you can count your own Flu Near You surveys toward your individual and group prize total, so don’t forget to fill out your first survey ASAP.

Stay tuned for more tips and tools as well as updates on additional prizes. Do you have it in you? Don’t wait to join the APHA Flu Near You Challenge today!

Visit the APHA Flu Near You Challenge website for full details, including rules and regulations and frequently asked questions. APHA is also now accepting applicants for its Flu Near You Fellowship.

Photo: From left, Smolinski and Brownstein at the launch of APHA’s Flu Near You Challenge at the Annual Meeting

APHA’s Get Ready campaign says Set Your Clocks: Check Your Stocks with the time change on Nov. 6

2011-11-04T14:18:00.000-04:00

Think back to the last emergency you experienced: It might have been one of this year’s many earthquakes, or a storm, hurricane or wildfire. You may have lost power, or have been forced to evacuate. When you pulled out your emergency supplies, were they all there and ready to be used?

For many people, the answer to that question is “no.” With the busyness of everyday life, it’s easy to forget about those things you only need once in awhile.

But when an emergency or disaster strikes, the last thing you want to find is that your stockpile of batteries has corroded, or that all your flashlights have gone missing. An emergency is not the right time to be running out to the store, and which in some cases, may put you in danger.

That’s why you should use this weekend’s clock change as a reminder to refresh your emergency supplies. When daylight saving time ends this Sunday and you go to change your clocks, take some time to check your emergency supplies as well. That’s the message of the Get Ready: Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks campaign.

Set aside a few minutes to see that everything you need is in your stockpile and that nothing has gone bad or leaked, such as food and water. Every American should have at least three days of food and water stored at all times, including one gallon of water per person per day. Your stockpile should also have basic supplies such as flashlights, batteries, a radio and first aid supplies. Other items, such as a battery-operated cellphone charger and lanterns, are also useful. Check out this Get Ready checklist (PDF) to see what you need to add to your supplies.

The Set Your Clocks: Check Your Stocks website is full of information you can use to build your emergency stockpile, or to encourage others to do so. Resources include PDF fact sheets on why it’s important to have emergency supplies, budget stockpiling, stockpiling for pets and water stockpiling.

You can even add your organization’s logo to the fact sheets and share them at community events.

Taking a few minutes this weekend to set your clocks and check your stocks can save you a headache or even worse later and keep you and your family safe. (And don’t forget to check your smoke alarm batteries!)

Trick or treat: Remember to wash your hands

2011-10-28T12:00:00.000-04:00

Trick-or-treating is a tradition for millions of Americans, but ghosts and goblins aren’t the only things you should prepare for. Have you ever thought about the number of people you come in contact with in just a few hours on Halloween?

Parents may be spooked about allowing their children to receive candy from strangers, but the dangers lurking from germs should be considered as well. Hand-washing is an important step to ensure a happy Halloween, especially now that flu season has arrived.

Children and adults should wash their hands both before and after trick-or-treating. Washing your hands is the best way to protect yourself and your family from scary germs, especially as winter and the holiday seasons approach. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has tips on when and how to wash your hands properly for the best results. You can also learn more about soaping-up by visiting the Get Ready campaign’s hand-washing Web page to read frequently asked questions on hand-washing or to download one of our many hand-washing fact sheets in English or Spanish. You can even pass them out to trick-or-treaters.

Here are some additional tips to keep in mind this Halloween:

• Carry and use hand sanitizer while trick-or-treating for added protection.
• Remember to cover your mouth when sneezing, preferably by sneezing into your elbow.
• Wash your hands before opening and eating your treats.

These simple steps can help you and your family enjoy a happy, healthy Halloween.

Tips for using social media in times of emergency

2011-10-21T17:22:00.001-04:00

Facebook. Twitter. Texting. Social media has increasingly become a part of everyday life for many. But these tools can also be important during emergencies, from natural disasters to emergencies at home.

During a crisis, you can reach a lot of contacts and emergency providers by tweeting or posting on Facebook. You can keep them updated about how you’re doing and what you need. This is especially important if you can’t get to a phone, or if your phone lines are down or overloaded, but wireless still works as can happen during a disaster. Or maybe you are by a computer but can’t physically get to the phone, as happened to one man with muscular dystrophy during a house fire. He asked a fellow online gamer to call 9-1-1 on his behalf.

The communication can also go both ways. Relief workers can use social media to provide real-time updates on their work and local conditions or to provide advice, like how to care for your pets during a crisis or whether you should shelter in place.

Here are a few other ways to consider using social media to get help in an emergency:

• You can get emergency updates such as text messages if you “like” FEMA or your local emergency management agency on Facebook.
• If you text FOLLOW FEMA, or your local agency, to Twitter at 40404, you can get text message updates from anyone you’re following without a Twitter account.

• You can use GoogleMaps to create and share an evacuation route and meeting place with family and loved ones.
• By uploading photos or videos of the emergency, you can affect the response. As Macon Phillips, director of new media at the White House and volunteer during Hurricane Katrina, said during a meeting of the America Red Cross, “One person can take a photo. One person can post a message…and it changes all our understanding of a situation immediately.”

And, of course, you should subscribe to the Get Ready Blog, Twitter and podcasts for ongoing preparedness tips.

¿Esta usted preparado para enfrentar desastres?

2011-10-14T16:36:00.006-04:00

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month today's blog entry is an article by María-Belén Moran a Public Affaires Specialist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She is also a Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication Trainer. To read the article in English, you can use an online translator

Imagínense que acaba de perder la electricidad en su vivienda, ya sea por un temblor, un tornado,la explosión de una fábrica, o una bomba. ¿Ahora que va a hacer? ¿Va a salir de su vivienda o quedarse en ella? ¿Tiene una linterna? ¿Velas? ¿Fósforos? ¿Una radio que funcione con baterías? ¿Tiene baterías? ¿Ud. o alguien en su familia toma medicamentos que necesitan refrigeración? ¿Si usa lentes, los tiene a la mano? ¿Tiene mascotas?

Toco madera, pero si un desastre ocurre sé que mi familia va a querer estar informada. En caso que la tecnología falle tenemos una radio a baterías en nuestro kit de emergencias. También tenemos linternas y baterías extras. Durante el verano hubieron lluvias muy fuertes en el estado de Georgia, donde vivimos, y pasamos muchas noches en el sótano. Tomamos agua, cenamos galletas con atún y mayonesa y verduras de lata. Lo que si nos faltó fue algo dulce de postre, así que desde entonces quiero poner chocolates en el kit, pero parece que la necesidad de chocolate es siempre una emergencia en casa. Otra cosa que debo añadir son juegos para distraernos así como una tarjeta para llamar al extranjero.

El tener un plan para emergencias nos ayuda en esas primeras horas en el que no sabemos muy bien que pasa, que pasará y por cuanto tiempo. Vivimos en una zona enla que pueden ocurrir tornados y sabemos que cuando escuchamos las sirenas tenemos que ir al sótano. Igual la incertidumbre no desaparece, pero como tenemos un plan, no hay órdenes conflictivas sobre que es lo que tenemos que hacer en ese momento.

Existen muchos recursos para ayudarlos a planear para las emergencias que puedan ocurrir en la región donde vive, como la de la Asociación Americana de Salud Pública (APHA) y su campaña de Get Ready. Es recommendable que también se familiarize con los planes de su ciudad. Acuérdese que los rescatistas van a enfocar sus esfuerzos en las zonas más afectadas y en los pobladores más perjudicados. Usted puede ayudarles a cumplir su heroica misión evitando que su familia se convierta en víctima.

Taking steps to protect your child’s health

2011-10-07T16:54:00.000-04:00

Earlier this week, Child Health Day was marked around the nation. The celebration is a good reminder that we can all help kids live a lifetime of good health by promoting things like safety and disease prevention.

One way to help kids live a healthy life is through preparedness, including getting ready for infectious diseases such as the flu. Flu season is just around the corner, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all children ages 6 months and older be vaccinated annually. The Get Ready campaign offers free fact sheets on why it’s important for your children and teens to receive their vaccinations.

Many drugstore and grocery stores now offer flu shots in their pharmacies, or you can use Flu.gov’s free online locator to find a flu clinic near you. Kids can also stay disease-free through regular and thorough hand-washing.

It’s also important to help kids be prepared for disasters and emergencies. Disasters can be scary for children, so it’s key to prepare them in advance for things that might happen. Check out the Get Ready campaign’s free child-level fact sheet for preparing kids for disasters or download our fact sheet aimed at parents.

Let’s help our kids get a safe and healthy start to life.

Get Ready mailbag: How can I stay healthy at high school?

2011-09-30T12:44:00.001-04:00

Welcome to another installment of the Get Ready Mailbag, when we take time to answer questions sent our way by readers like you. Have a question you want answered? Send an email to getready@apha.org.

Q: I’m in high school. Everyone seems sick right now and I don’t want to catch it. What should I do?

A: When you share a campus with the same people for eight or more hours a day, it seems inevitable that you’ll end up sharing their germs, too. It’s easy to assume that if everyone around you in class is sneezing that it’s only a matter of time before you will be also. In fact, almost 22 million school days were lost last year because of colds. But, luckily, there are a few “dos and don’ts” you can follow to stay healthy at school.

On the “do” list:
• Wash your hands. The surfaces in a school — desks, doorknobs, keyboards, lunch tables, gym lockers — are touched by hundreds of hands each day, making them perfect places to pick up germs.

• Get your flu shot. If 22 million seemed like a big number, consider the fact that 38 million school days were lost last year because of the flu. Getting your yearly seasonal vaccine is a simple way to stay healthy during flu season.

• Try not to touch your eyes, nose or mouth — they’re the places where germs most often enter your body.

On the “don’t” list:
• Use someone else’s makeup. It’s an easy way to land a case of pinkeye, also known as conjunctivitis.

• Share drinks — or food, or lip balm, or anything else that goes in or around another person’s mouth. And on that note, be careful who you kiss!

Use common sense. That, along with good hygiene, should help protect against any sickness that’s infected your classmates. And finally, remember the golden rule and help others out if you do become sick by covering your mouth and nose when you sneeze, throwing away used tissues and staying home from school.

Text messages, feeds and podcasts to help keep you safe during an emergency

2011-09-23T17:11:00.000-04:00

“There’s an app for that.” Sound familiar? With all that can be added to a cell phone or mobile device — from games and news updates to social networking and shopping apps — many of us can have a hard time taking a break from the screen.

But here’s some good news for those of you who are just a little too attached to your device: Your cell phone habit may be what keeps you safe during a disaster.

Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched its new emergency text messaging service to cut down on the time it takes for health and safety information to reach you and your family. The service features a list of 14 pre-written messages for situations ranging from storms to prescription drug problems to post-emergency cleanup. Each message comes with a short set of instructions, followed by a number to call and a link to more information. In the case of a power outage, for example, you can expect to see this:

“Keep generators 25 ft outside door/window. Don't grill inside. Fumes can kill. More info from CDC 800-232-4636.”

The text messages are available for download by state and local health agencies, which then send them out through their existing emergency message systems. In order to receive these messages, check with your state or local health authority to see if the service is available in your community, and make sure to register your phone number to receive updates.

For those of you who aren’t quite so attached to your cell phones, don’t worry. The messages are also available as podcasts and YouTube videos.

You can also subscribe directly to CDC’s emergency response and preparedness Twitter feed and the Get Ready campaign’s Twitter feed to get timely tips sent to your phone.

Your mobile device isn’t just for checking sports scores and connecting with friends. It may also be what helps keep you safe when disaster strikes.

School-based health centers help students, communities be prepared

2011-09-20T09:55:00.000-04:00

Does your child’s school have a school-based health center? With more than 1,900 centers located on school grounds nationwide, chances are pretty good it does. School-based health centers are a great community resource, providing easy access to health services and information. More than 2 million kids and teens visit such centers each year.

School-based health centers are also a resource during health emergencies such as disease outbreaks. In 2009, when there was an outbreak of H1N1 flu that was making many Americans sick, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that vaccines be provided on school campuses as a way to reach more kids quickly. The recommendation worked! Many school-based health centers that already provided routine flu vaccinations were easily able to give federally subsidized vaccines to students. In states like Maryland and Alabama, school-based health centers helped distribute vaccines to area schools. With their link to kids and teens, school-based health centers were able to help students stay healthy and not miss classes.

School-based health centers can also play a role in preparing for natural disasters. The U.S. Department of Education recommends that schools develop plans that spell out what to do in the case of a natural disaster or other emergency. Having a school-based health center work hand-in-hand with school staff to design and help launch an emergency plan can benefit students, schools and the community.

This year on Get Ready Day, Sept. 20, APHA’s Get Ready campaign encourag school-based health centers to hold Get Ready events. In fact, the school-based health center that has the best activity can win $500 from Get Ready. Now’s the time to start planning your event!
To learn more about school-based health centers, check out APHA’s Center for School, Health and Education or the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care.

Mark your calendars for Get Ready Day, Sept. 20, 2011

2011-09-09T14:39:00.000-04:00

It is that time of year again — when you, your family and your community have an opportunity to get ready for public health threats and emergencies. As we all know, disasters can strike at any time so here are some tools to help you prepare and make Get Ready Day on Sept. 20, 2011, a success.

There are many ways to get involved. Hold an event such as a preparedness fair, set up a booth on campus or distribute fliers in your community. No time for an event? Add a link to your website, sign our pledge or enter our Get Ready video contest. We have plenty of planning tips to help you get started. And we have lots of fact sheets, handouts and other resources to support your efforts, including a Get Ready Event Guide.

Not only is learning about how to prepare for emergencies important, but it can be fun too. Check out our Get Ready Games Guide made especially for kids. Educate yourself, loved ones and your community about emergency preparedness while figuring out brain teasers, connecting the dots, solving a crossword puzzle, competing in a memory game and more. Try them out and tell us which one is your favorite by commenting below.

Tell us about your activities via the Get Ready Calendar. Then after your event, share what you learned. Take pictures of your Get Ready Day activities or of you and your friends playing your favorite Get Ready games, and share the photos on APHA’s Flickr pool.

Preparing for emergencies may not be all fun and games, but keeping it enjoyable sure can help.

Good luck, have fun and prepare well!

Get Ready campaign offers tips to help seniors prepare for emergencies

2011-09-02T13:00:00.003-04:00

Having preparations in place to get through disasters is important for everyone — but it becomes especially critical when you are older and may need special assistance because of impaired mobility or health.

The Get Ready campaign asked Jim Judge, a member of the American Red Cross’ Scientific Advisory Council and chair of its Disaster Health Subcommittee, for insights on how older Americans can stay safe and healthy during an emergency. Here are a few of his tips:

• Decide your shelter plan: Depending on the type of emergency, you may decide to “shelter in place,” staying put in your home until the situation passes. For seniors, however, a safer bet might be a special needs shelter, which is a community-operated facility with medical staff and equipment on hand. Some of these facilities may have services to transport people with wheelchairs or other mobility issues.

• Personalize your emergency kit: Make sure that you have extra glasses, hearing aids and batteries or other items that you may need to see yourself through the emergency.

• Get informed: Check out your local American Red Cross chapter and look up the emergency management services your community offers.

• Communicate with your senior living facility: All assisted-living communities and nursing homes are required by law to have an emergency plan. If you live in such a facility, ask to look over their plan to learn about their evacuation procedures and their preparations for food, water and medicine in case of disaster.

For more tips on senior preparedness, download a PDF of the free Get Ready fact sheet on the topic, which is available in English or Spanish.

Read the interview with Judge on the Get Ready website, or listen to it as podcast.

Double threats of earthquakes and hurricane mean it’s time to get ready

2011-08-26T16:34:00.000-04:00

If you live on the East Coast this week, then you’ve become acquainted firsthand with Mother Nature’s bad side. With an earthquake on Tuesday and a hurricane threatening East Coast states in recent days, millions of Americans are taking a closer look at their emergency plans and wondering what they need to do. Here’s a quick rundown.
First off: Hurricane Irene. The National Weather Service issued hurricane warnings and watches yesterday for East Coast states stretching from North Carolina to New Jersey. Some areas have started to evacuate.

If you are threatened by a hurricane:
• Evacuate. Don’t put your life or your family in danger. Fill your car with gas at the first report of a possible storm or hurricane. Look up evacuation routes and shelter locations beforehand and be ready to go.
• If you don’t already, have an emergency supply kit ready with flashlights, medications, batteries, a radio, hand sanitizer, toiletries, cell phone charger, among other needs. (PDF)
• Don’t forget food and supplies for your pets. (PDF)
• If you have time, cover your home’s windows and doors with boards or heavy tape.
• Reach out to elderly neighbors to see if they are okay and have a way to evacuate.
• Watch out for flooding. Bring a map in case you have to take an alternate evacuation route.

While the attention now is on Hurricane Irene, earthquakes were the topic of conversation earlier this week, following the 5.8-magnitude earthquake in Virginia on Aug. 23. But it’s not just the East Coast that’s been rumbling. California, Colorado and Peru have had their share of earthquakes as well this week.

For those of you who aren’t used to all this ground shaking, here are a few quick tips:
• If you are near windows, glass or anything that might fall, move away when the shaking starts. If you are in bed when an earthquake occurs, stay there. If you are outside, move away from buildings and streetlights.
• That old advice to take shelter in a doorway is out of date. Emergency officials now advise that you should “duck, cover and hold” during an earthquake. Find something sturdy to hide under, crawl underneath and stay put until the earthquake is over.
• After an earthquake, check for gas leaks and shut off the main valve if you find one.
• Be ready for aftershocks, which often occur in the days after a quake.

For more information, download one of these preparedness fact sheets from APHA’s Get Ready campaign. And remember, you don’t have to wait for an emergency to get ready.

• Hurricanes: English PDF Spanish PDF
• Earthquakes: English PDF Spanish PDF
• Power outages: English PDF Spanish PDF
• Food and water safety during a disaster: English PDF Spanish PDF

Get Ready campaign holding contest for school-based health centers

2011-08-19T23:29:00.000-04:00

For many people, back-to-school brings to mind images of new textbooks, supplies and a last-minute dash to finish up summer reading homework.

But here at the Get Ready campaign, we like to think that back-to-school preparedness means a whole lot more, such as being ready for emergencies and disasters. As such, we’re calling on school-based health centers to raise awareness of emergency preparedness among students via our new Get Ready contest.

For this year’s Get Ready Day, which takes place on Sept. 20, we’re inviting all school-based health centers to hold a preparedness event and then tell us what they did. We’ll choose the top three centers with the best events and award prizes of $500, $250 and $100.

Co-sponsored by the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care, the contest is open to all U.S. school-based health centers.

Just as there are many ways to get ready for emergencies, there are just as many ways to create a Get Ready Day event at your school-based health center. Here are a few ideas:
• Hang fliers on preparedness inside the health center or around the halls.
• Encourage students to take part in APHA’s Get Ready Day video contest.
• Hold a preparedness information fair and give away fact sheets and other materials from the Get Ready campaign.

For more ideas, check out the contest website, or come up with your own! Events can take place on Get Ready Day or any time during September, which is also National Preparedness Month.

After your event is over, write up a description of what you did, including the goal of the event, who organized it, how many people it reached, what it accomplished and your contact information. Photos and artwork are encouraged! Send us (getreadycontest@apha.org) your submission by Oct. 10.

And remember: While Get Ready Day is just 24 hours, emergency preparedness is important 365 days of the year!

Students: Get Ready for APHA’s Video Contest.

2011-08-15T09:24:00.000-04:00

How would you motivate your family, friends and classmates to get ready for an emergency? APHA’s Get Ready campaign wants students to turn their answers to that question into a short public service video on emergency preparedness. APHA will be awarding $850 in prizes for the best entries in its first Get Ready Video Contest.

The contest, which is open to students in grades six through 12, encourages budding filmmakers to create a video on any of the topics covered by APHA’s Get Ready campaign. For example, videos may address preparing for tornados, earthquakes or other natural disasters. Additional ideas include getting ready for flu or a disease outbreak, assembling an emergency preparedness kit or preparing for an emergency at school.

Video contest submissions will be accepted starting Sept. 1 and end Oct. 14. Videos can be up to a minute long and creativity is encouraged. Make sure to read the complete rules and regulations before you send in your video. All participants must sign a release form.

Even if you aren’t a future Sofia Coppola or Steven Spielberg, you can get involved emergency preparedness in other ways. Consider holding a Get Ready Day event at your school on Sept. 20 as part of National Preparedness Month. Ideas and tips for holding an event are available online now!

National Immunization Awareness Month: No time like the present to get up to date on your vaccinations

2011-08-05T15:56:00.002-04:00

Almost no one likes getting a shot, but no one enjoys getting sick either. So as you prepare for school, work or another daily activity, take the time to make sure your day will be a healthy one. There’s no better time than the present.

August is National Immunization Awareness Month, the perfect opportunity to make sure that you and your loved ones are protected. To get started, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website to get schedules for when infants, children, adolescents and adults should get recommended immunizations. Then verify if any other vaccines are required by employers, schools or other officials in your state.

CDC has many resources to answer parents’ questions about vaccines and address common immunization myths. If you’re planning any travel abroad, find out which vaccines you’ll need before visiting other countries.

Certain vaccines are not for everyone. If you have a health condition, allergy or illness, check to see if a particular shot is right for you. Of course, you should consult your doctor as well.

If you do not have health insurance or cannot afford a vaccination, look for a federally funded health center in your area. Additionally, certain children may be eligible for free vaccinations through CDC’s Vaccines for Children Program. Learn if your child qualifies, where to get the immunizations and what vaccines are covered.

The spread of disease can depend on how many people are immunized. Getting your immunizations is important to ensure that you and your whole community stay healthy!

New fact sheets from Get Ready just in time for National Preparedness Month

2011-07-29T13:10:00.001-04:00

With both Get Ready Day and National Preparedness Month just weeks away, now is the time to start gathering materials to use at your preparedness events.
Luckily, APHA’s Get Ready campaign has you covered. The campaign offers more than 50 fact sheets on everything from natural disasters to hand-washing — and almost all of them are also in Spanish.

Even better, the Get Ready campaign debuted more than two dozen new free fact sheets in recent weeks on timely preparedness topics. The PDF materials are perfect to hand out at community events, on campus or at work — or to share with those you care about.

Fact sheets from the Get Ready campaign also offer a perk you won’t find many other places: Personalization with your logo. The campaign provides easy-to-follow instructions on how to add your logo using Word or Acrobat.

The new fact sheets focus on topics such as:

• Natural disasters: Disasters such as volcanoes, landslides, tornadoes, hurricanes and tsunamis are hard to predict. So these new fact sheets tell you how to get ready in advance. They’re a great addition to the other Get Ready fact sheets on disasters, such as heat waves, floods and winter storms.

• Personal preparedness: Everyone needs to take responsibility for their own safety. That means avoiding infectious diseases spread by mosquitoes, staying safe at large events and knowing what to do if there is a nuclear or radiological disaster. Two of the new fact sheets are aimed just at seniors and schools.

• Indoor preparedness: Disasters and emergencies often happen while you’re inside, so several of the new fact sheets address that setting. Check out the fact sheets on home disasters, safe buildings, sheltering in place and food and water safety for tips.

Get Ready Day is Sept. 20 and National Preparedness Month will be observed throughout September. Head to the Get Ready fact sheet page now and make plans to raise awareness in your community!

Only you can prepare for wildfires

2011-07-22T10:15:00.000-04:00

In the wise words of Smokey Bear, “only you can prevent wildfires.” Smokey and his catchphrase have helped teach generations of Americans about fire safety, still an important task as every year more than four out of five wildfires are caused by people. Knowing how to prevent and be prepared for a wildfire can help keep you safe.

Wildfires can occur anywhere, and often at a moment’s notice, so it’s important to be prepared. At the same time, it is helpful to know if your area is prone to wildfires or at high risk, such as living in an area with a lot of plant life or somewhere that has severe droughts.

At home, you can take steps to reduce your risk of wildfires by clearing plants from around your house; cleaning your gutters, roof and chimney; and using flame-resistant materials on your roof. There are also steps you can take if you know a fire is approaching, such as moving materials away from the house that may burn and shutting off the gas.

Firefighters battle a wildfire in Florida in
1998. (Photo by Liz Roll, courtesy FEMA)

Because wildfires are so unpredictable, it’s important to plan ahead. At home, you should install smoke detectors on every floor and regularly change the batteries to make sure that they are working. In addition, place emergency phone numbers by every phone in your home and program them into your cellphone.

It’s also important to discuss an evacuation plan with members of your household about where and how you will meet if there is a fire outbreak. Have an emergency preparedness kit on hand with essential supplies such as a three-day supply of water and nonperishable food, a flashlight and a battery-operated radio. This way, if there is an emergency, you will be ready to leave right away. Never ignore an advisory to evacuate if local authorities issue one.

If you are trapped inside your home during a wildfire, stay inside and away from outside walls. Close doors, but leave them unlocked. If you are in a car near a wildfire, it’s best to stay in your car. Roll up your windows, close the vents and drive slowly.

For more information on how to prevent wildfires and how to handle them if they occur, check out the American Red Cross or Ready.gov websites.

Prescription drugs during a disaster

2011-07-15T11:21:00.000-04:00

When it comes to getting through a disaster, there are a few basic things that everybody needs — food supplies, water, a place to stay.

But for many people, those three things aren’t enough to safely weather an emergency. Another lifesaving basic, medicine, is often hard to come by during a disaster, turning an already bad situation into something more dangerous.

Luckily, a new program called Rx Response is working to solve that problem, acting as a central point of communication for governments, response teams, pharmacies and patients to make sure that prescription medication stays available and accessible in times of emergency.

Rx Response doesn’t deliver medicines to patients or write prescriptions, instead, the program helps “minimize barriers hindering the supply of medicines.” It also offers tools to help you get your medicine during a disaster.

For example, in the event of a disaster, the Rx Response site activates its pharmacy status reporting tool, which includes a searchable map of pharmacies in your area, color-coded to show which are reporting problems and which ones remain open. Live reports during a disaster show how medical supplies in your area are affected.

The program’s website also includes a form that you can use to print your own wallet-size card that lists your prescriptions. Keep this in a place that’s easy to reach for when you might suddenly need it, and consider sending a copy to a friend or relative as well.

There are other steps you can take to keep yourself and your family supplied with disaster essentials. Stock up on over-the-counter medicines and first aid supplies for your emergency kit and include extra doses of prescription medicines as well.

Remember, one of the biggest parts of staying safe is staying healthy — in any situation!

Lyme disease: What everyone should know

2011-07-08T13:19:00.002-04:00

Today’s guest blog is by Monica Gaidhane, MD, MPH, who is associate editor of the International Journal of Collaborative Research on Internal Medicine & Public Health and a member of the Virginia Public Health Association.

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that is transmitted to humans by the bite of blacklegged, or deer, ticks. About 20,000 cases are reported annually in the United States. Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania reported some of the highest number of cases in 2008.

People infected with Lyme disease often complain of several symptoms, although not everyone will have them all. One of the first signs of infection is a circular rash called erythema migrans, commonly known as the bulls-eye rash. It appears in about 70 percent to 80 percent of infected people and begins at the site of a tick bite. Infected people may also complain of fever, fatigue, headache and pain in the muscles and joints. If left untreated, an infected person may show severe symptoms, including loss of muscle tone on the face — known as Bell’s Palsy, severe headache, neck stiffness, dizziness and shooting pains.

Lyme disease can be successfully cured with antibiotics if treatment is given early in the course of illness. However, a small number of infected people can have some symptoms that can last from months to a few years. Hence, it’s important to avoid getting bitten by infected ticks and preventing infection.

Some prevention tips include:

• Avoid traveling or extensive exposure to known tick habitats, such as wooded, brushy or grassy areas.

• Take extra precautions in May, June and July, when infected ticks are most active.

• Call your local health department about tick-infested areas to avoid.

• Use insect repellents.

• Wear appropriate clothing and check your skin and clothes for ticks every day.

• If bitten by a tick, remove them by grasping them firmly with tweezers as close to the skin as possible and lifting gently. Ideally, ticks should be removed within 24 hours.

• Apply pesticides to control ticks around your home.

• Although deer are not infected when adult ticks feed on them, they are important in transporting ticks and maintaining tick populations. Construct fences to discourage deer from entering your property.

So whether you are hiking, camping or just strolling in the park, remember to protect yourself from tick bites to remain Lyme disease-free.

Photo credit: Public Health Image Library

Bring on the heat! How to stay safe this summer

2011-07-01T16:07:00.008-04:00

Picnics, swimming and barbecues are a few of the activities summer brings. But it also brings heat. While a hot, sunny day may be welcome (with enough sunscreen, of course) extreme heat can be uncomfortable and sometimes deadly.

In fact, heat is the No. 1 weather-related killer, causing about 350 U.S. fatalities a year. Even though summer has just started, some parts of the country have already experienced record-setting hot days.

When temperatures hit their peak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests:

•　taking care of seniors, infants and children, and people with chronic medical conditions who are more likely to get heat stress;

•　staying in air-conditioned places as much as possible, such as shopping malls, public libraries and heat-relief shelters sponsored by your local public health agencies; and

•　drinking cool, non-alcoholic beverages and increasing your fluid intake.

Before heading outside, always check the forecast. The National Weather Service issues advisories about excessive heat, including a heat outlook that warns of the potential for an excessive heat event in the next three to seven days. In fact, the forecast for the upcoming Fourth of July weekend is that many parts of the East and Midwest U.S. will have temperatures in the 90s.

APHA’s Get Ready campaign has a free fact sheet with even more tips on getting ready for heat waves in English or Spanish that you can read and share in your community.

Staying informed and using common sense can help you make the most of your summer. Better yet, take the time now to know the dangers of extreme heat and get ready for a heat emergency before the sizzle starts.

Graphic courtesy iStockphoto

Take time to create a household emergency preparedness plan

2011-06-24T14:00:00.001-04:00

Nature has taught us that we never know when to expect the next hurricane, earthquake or tornado. Recent disasters serve as a reminder of how important it is to have a household emergency preparedness plan.

If you haven’t created a household plan, now is the time to put one together. Make sure you are aware of the potential disasters that could occur where you live and how they can affect your household.

Your household emergency preparedness plan should include:
• Contact numbers, including an out-of-town contact, in case phone service is unavailable in your area.

• A designated meeting location in case you and your household are separated.

• An emergency stockpile, including food, water, batteries, flashlights and other supplies. If you have already prepared an emergency stockpile, take time to replace any items that have expired.

• Evacuation routes and maps.

To make things easier, you can create and print a Comprehensive Family Emergency Plan, compliments of the federal Ready campaign and Ad Council.

Do you have a stockpile in place in case of a public health emergency? Let us know via the Get Ready Poll, on our blog now!

Help dad stay safe this Father’s Day

2011-06-17T12:36:00.000-04:00

Father’s Day is right around the corner, on Sunday, June 19. Instead of the usual shirt and tie, why not try a new gift idea? You can help dad and the rest of the family stay safe from emergencies by creating or purchasing a disaster preparedness kit.

Emergency preparedness kits are perfect for the home, car or office and can be uniquely tailored to the threats in your community. Emergency preparedness kits can be purchased from local retailers, from the American Red Cross or online, and can cost from $20 to $60 or more, although individual items in the kits may cost as little as $1.

If you want to show dad how much you love him by making your own kit, visit the Federal Emergency Management Agency or Ready.gov websites for a list of items to include, or download a stockpile checklist from APHA’s Get Ready campaign (PDF). Basic emergency preparedness kits include a flashlight, radio, batteries, personal hygiene items, nonperishable food, a can opener and water. It is a good idea to include blankets and gloves too. The general rule of thumb is to have enough food and water to last at least three days.

Training materials, books, DVDs, radios and first aid kits also make great gifts that can be purchased from the American Red Cross and others. Or dad may enjoy receiving a T-shirt or hat from APHA’s Get Ready campaign.

A national holiday since 1972, Father’s Day is slated as a time to honor dads and to recognize the importance of fathers. Show him how much you care by helping him and your family stay safe.

Preventing disasters and emergencies at home

2011-06-10T16:00:00.001-04:00

Whether you live in a sprawling mansion or a one-room studio, Dorothy said it best, “there’s no place like home.”
Homes are places of security, but sometimes danger is lurking around the corner. June is Home Safety Month, which makes it the perfect time to assess your home and prepare your family for a disaster. It’s also a time to reflect on ways to make your home a safer environment. With the right equipment and planning, many of the disasters and emergencies that happen at home can be prevented.

Home safety is a serious issue. According to the National Fire Protection Association, four out of five U.S. fire deaths in 2008 occurred in the home. But taking small steps has a huge impact. Having a working smoke alarm cuts the risk of death from a house fire by 50 percent. Being prepared is important to keep your family safe at home.

Planning ahead may seem like a long, hard task. But, fear not, the Get Ready campaign has created a free home safety fact sheet in both English and Spanish to help you. Download the fact sheet for useful tips on how to make your home a safe haven and learn about the dangers of fires, radon and carbon monoxide. Share these preparedness pointers with those in your community and encourage them to assess their homes for safety.

For even more great information, the Home Safety Council and National Safety Council have additional useful tips on keeping your home safe.

Remember: June is a kickoff to home safety, but it’s vital to practice safety all year long!

Photo Courtesy: iStockphoto

Preparing for a zombie invasion, and attracting interest in preparedness

2011-06-03T18:05:00.000-04:00

We all know it’s important to be prepared for emergencies like tornadoes, winter storms and earthquakes. But what about a zombie apocalypse? Turns out there is quite a lot of interest in the subject.

On May 16, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted a blog entry on preparing for a zombie invasion, attracting more than a million page views in just a few days. The Zombie Apocalypse Preparedness Guide, originally posted on the Public Health Matters Blog, was so popular that the server crashed and the post was relocated. Major news outlets such as CNN picked up the story, sending even more people to the guide.

Posted by U.S. Assistant Surgeon General Ali Khan, the zombie guide uses a light approach to emergency preparedness, noting that readers might scoff at the likelihood of a zombie invasion “but when it happens, you’ll be happy you read this, and hey, maybe you’ll even learn a thing or two about how to prepare for a real emergency.”

Public health workers will be happy to know that if hordes of reanimated corpses do begin lurching through the streets, “CDC would conduct an investigation much like any other disease outbreak” and “provide technical assistance to cities, states or international partners dealing with a zombie infestation,” according to the blog post.

Amidst the references to classic zombie movies and possible zombification causes, the post provides honest-to-goodness real-world emergency preparedness advice, such as the need to plan an evacuation route, identify emergency contacts and pick a meeting place for your family. Sound advice, whether you’re dealing with the advance of the brain-eating undead or with an approaching hurricane.

“People who read the blog actually are going out to get an emergency kit and make an emergency plan,” Khan was quoted as saying in an article published by the Wall Street Journal. “This has been off the charts.”

The zombie guide has inspired widgets, badges and other Web tools that fans can use. It even spawned a video contest, details of which will be posted on the CDC website.

It just goes to show that couching emergency preparedness advice in a fun way can attract more attention than the standard staid format. (But as a regular Get Ready Blog reader, you knew that already, right?) And when a high-profile government agency uses such an approach, it can reach a much broader audience.

Do you know how to prepare for a hurricane? Now’s the time to get ready

2011-05-27T16:35:00.000-04:00

In preparation for hurricane season — which is just around the corner — this is National Hurricane Preparedness Week. Now is a great time to brush up on practical tips and best practices when it comes to hurricane readiness.

For starters, it’s good to know if you are at risk. In the United States, people who live along the East and Gulf coasts are more at risk of hurricanes than the rest of the country. More than 1.8 million homes along those coasts are at high risk of hurricane damage, according to a report released this month. Hurricane season in the Atlantic region, which is where most of the hurricanes that affect the United States travel from, runs June 1 to Nov. 30.

Weather officials are constantly on the watch for new hurricanes. Once a hurricane forms, officials estimate the path it will travel and the intensity of its winds. Meteorologists rank hurricanes based on the speed of the winds. Category 5 is the most destructive, with winds greater than 155 miles per hour.

To be ready for a hurricane, you will need emergency supplies for you and your household. Make sure you have at least a three- to five-day supply of water and nonperishable foods. Include prescription medicines, baby supplies, pet supplies and any items for special medical needs. Make sure you have a battery-powered radio and flashlight in case you lose power. You will need to stay informed of any weather alerts, especially if an evacuation is required. Place an emergency kit in your car, so supplies will be accessible in case you need to evacuate.

Familiarize yourself with evacuation routes in advance and decide where you will stay once you evacuate. If you know a hurricane is a possibility, make sure your car has a full tank of gas and set aside some cash, in case power knocks out ATMs. Never ignore warnings to evacuate.

For more hurricane preparedness tips, check out the new Get Ready fact sheet on hurricane preparedness, available both in English and Spanish. You can even add your own logo to the fact sheets and share them in your community.

Photo courtesy: iStockphoto, choicegraphix

What you need to know to be ready for a flood

2011-05-20T11:01:00.001-04:00

Devastating floods in many U.S. states have displaced thousands of people in recent weeks and damaged homes and businesses. For some of the areas affected, this isn’t their first time experiencing a flood. Communities located near bodies of water or in low-lying areas are more prone to flooding and can experience cyclical floods. But floods can happen in unexpected places.

With that in mind, now is a good time to plan ahead for a potential flood where you live. Planning ahead for flood-related emergencies can be the difference between staying safe and watching everything that matters to you washed away in a matter of hours. Here are some tips to remember:

• Know your community’s evacuation plan in case of flood, including shelter locations, evacuation routes and emergency alert systems.

• Stockpile one gallon of water per day per person in your home, and maintain at least a three-day supply. If there is a flood, your community’s water system may be contaminated.

• Store non-perishable food, diapers and mediations in waterproof containers and make sure to store a portable first aid kit, waterproof gloves and boots, insect repellant and a battery-powered radio.

• If your home is built in a flood-prone area, elevate the furnace, water heater and electrical panel. Also, consider buying flood insurance and keeping important documents in elevated sections of your home.

If a flood is likely in your area, stayed tuned to your local radio or television station for evacuation instructions and or guidelines. When evacuating your home remember the following tips to help minimize damages and injuries:

• Time permitting, move all essential items to an elevated and secure location.

• Turn off electricity and unplug appliances as well as gas and water supplies.

• Don’t drive through moving water, flooded areas or deep crevasses, as your car may be swept away.

After a flood, you’ll need to take special precautions when cleaning up your home, such as taking care around electricity, avoiding mold and throwing away perishable food.

For more tips on planning for and staying safe during floods, download the Get Ready campaign’s floods fact sheet, which is available in both English and Spanish.

Photo: U.S. Customs and Border Patrol workers conduct welfare checks on people who have been cut off by the flood waters in Kindred, N.D., on April 15. By Michael Rieger, courtesy Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Make a donation to Stamp Out Hunger and help prepare your community

2011-05-12T15:59:00.000-04:00

When your postal carrier drops by this Saturday, she or he will be ready to pick up more than just mail. Saturday, May 14, is the national Stamp Out Hunger food drive, during which postal carriers pick up food donations that are set out next to U.S. mailboxes.

Held annually since 1992, the Stamp Out Hunger food drive collected 77.1 million pounds of food donations during the 2010 event, making it the nation’s largest one-day food drive. The event is organized by the National Association of Letter Carriers, with support from the U.S. Postal Service, Feeding America and other sponsors.

To take part, just leave a sturdy bag containing non-perishable foods, such as canned vegetables, pasta, rice or cereal, next to your mailbox before your mail comes on Saturday. Food items should be in non-breakable containers, such as boxes and cans, and should not be expired.

Statistics show that your donation will matter: As of 2009, more than 50 million Americans live in “food-insecure” homes, meaning that they don’t have enough food for themselves and their families. But making a donation to Stamp Out Hunger can do more than fill empty bellies in your community. Food banks play an important role in community preparedness, because they are often where people turn to for assistance after a disaster or emergency.

If you’re not sure whether your postal carrier will be taking part in the food drive Saturday, contact your local post office. You can also help out online: For every person who joins the Stamp Out Hunger Facebook cause and pledges to donate food, the Campbell Soup Company will donate one pound of food — up to 1 million pounds — to Feeding America. For more on the food drive, visit the event website or Twitter.

How to get ready for tornadoes

2011-05-06T16:29:00.000-04:00

The recent devastating tornadoes across the South led to the loss of hundreds of lives and left thousands homeless or injured. The tornadoes capped off a bout of wild weather, during which the National Weather Service reported more than 600 tornadoes in April alone, breaking a 36-year-old record. With another month or two of tornado season to go, it’s important to be familiar with the warning signs of tornadoes and prepare for such severe weather emergencies.
Tornadoes are nature’s most violent storms and can strike with little or no warning, destroying entire neighborhoods in just minutes. A new tornado fact sheet (PDF) from APHA’s Get Ready campaign can help you learn what to look for and how to prepare. Here’s some tips to follow:

• Know the danger signs: A dark, often greenish sky; large hail; a large, dark, low-lying cloud — particularly one that is rotating; and a loud roar, similar to a freight train, are all possible signs of an impending twister.

• Be prepared: Know your community’s tornado warning system and make a plan with family members. Prepare your household by picking a room where people and pets can be safe. Ideally, the space should be in a basement, underground shelter or interior room with no windows. Have an emergency stockpile close by. You can create your own emergency kit by following the Get Ready campaign’s Emergency Preparedness Stockpile Checklist, available in English and Spanish.

• If you suspect a tornado is on its way, take action. At home, school or work, go to your designated shelter area. If you’re caught outdoors, immediately walk to a nearby building. It that’s not possible, get in your vehicle, fasten your seat belt and drive to the nearest shelter. If you see flying debris while driving, pull over and park. As a last resort, stay in your car with the seat belt fastened and lower your head below window level. If you’re outdoors without a car or a nearby building, lie flat in a ditch or low-lying section of land. Cover your head with your hands to protect from flying debris.

• Once it passes, stay safe. Check household members for injuries. Watch for debris, fallen electrical wires and damaged gas lines. Do not try to reenter damaged buildings and wash your hands regularly during clean up.

Tornadoes and severe weather emergencies can strike with little warning. Knowing the signs and being prepared may make all the difference to help you stay safe.

Visit http://www.redcross.org/, call 1-800-RED-CROSS, or text the word “REDCROSS” to 90999 to make a contribution to U.S. tornado victims.

Congratulations to the 2011 Get Ready Scholarship winners!

2011-04-29T17:12:00.000-04:00

Six students have been chosen as the recipients of the American Public Health Association’s annual Get Ready Scholarship.

The scholarship, which is awarded in conjunction with APHA’s Get Ready campaign, encourages high school, undergraduate and graduate students to recognize emergency preparedness as a public health issue. Hundreds of students from across the nation applied, but only six were chosen.

Drum roll, please. The winners are:
• Katherine Double: Bear Creek High School, Lakewood, Colo. (High school level)

• Amy Miller: Yukon High School, Yukon, Okla. (High school level)

• Alex Ghenis: University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, Calif. (Undergraduate level)

• Katelyn Somers: University of Maryland, College Park, Md. (Undergraduate level)

• Alana Massey: Yale University, New Haven, Conn. (Graduate level)

• Leanne Piña: University of Texas, Houston, Texas (Graduate level)

Each of the winners receives a $500 scholarship for school-related expenses and a one-year APHA membership. Winners were determined through an essay contest on various topics ranging from planning a successful Get Ready Day event and assessing their university’s emergency plan to discussing the role of social media as a tool for emergency preparedness.

“We are very pleased that for the third straight year, we have been able to not only help educate these dedicated students about the importance of emergency preparedness in their own communities, but also to provide financial assistance that will allow them to further their education,” said Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP, FACEP (E), executive director of APHA.

Excerpts from the winning entries can be viewed online.

Are your infant’s shots up to date? April 23-30 is National Infant Immunization Week

2011-04-22T10:53:00.000-04:00

It’s often said that a baby’s smile is contagious. Who can resist a cute little baby face? When babies smile, we are assured that they’re happy, healthy and safe. That’s why we strive to keep them smiling. And that begins with protecting them from diseases through routine vaccinations.

April 23-30 is National Infant Immunization Week, organized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Celebrated since 1994, the week draws attention to the many benefits of vaccination and reminds parents to make sure their children’s shots are up to date.

Vaccinations are particularly important for infants, as children’s immune systems are most vulnerable during their infancy. Health officials recommend that infants receive a series of vaccinations for diseases such as measles, mumps and the flu, a full list of which can be found online or at the doctor’s office. Falling behind on vaccinations can be dangerous, as a 2009 outbreak of whooping cough in California showed. During that outbreak, 10 infants died and 8,000 people became sick.

The recommended series of childhood immunizations prevents about 10.5 million cases of infectious illnesses annually and 33,000 deaths just in the United States, a study found. So it’s important that infants don’t miss out.

Parents who worry about being able to pay for their children’s vaccinations can call 800-232-4636 toll-free to find a facility that provides immunizations through the Vaccines for Children Program, which provides vaccines at no cost to children whose parents can’t afford them.

Promotional materials for National Infant Immunization Week, including posters, proclamations and certificates, are available on the event website. The CDC site also provides an online schedule that parents can create for their child as a reminder.

The next time you look on a baby’s face, keep the National Infant Immunization Week slogan in mind: “Love them. Protect them. Immunize them.” That way, your baby will keep smiling for years to come.

Looking back at this flu season

2011-04-15T15:30:00.000-04:00

May is just around the corner, and that means the end to the “official” flu season in the United States. That doesn’t mean we’re all now safe from the flu — flu cases are still occurring in every state and are widespread in New York and Maine — but it does mean the peak of cases has likely passed.
So now that the season has ebbed, it’s a great time for health officials to look back and see how things are going on the flu front. While official end-of-season evaluations aren’t in, there are some good findings in weekly U.S. surveillance reports. As of April 9, 91 flu deaths among children had been reported for the season, compared to 282 last flu season. Surveillance also shows 5,700 reported flu-related hospitalizations this season, compared to more than 7,500 last season.

Why the change? One possible reason is the H1N1 virus. The virus, which reached pandemic levels in 2009, was included in this season’s flu vaccine formula and therefore more people may have been protected. Cases of the virus have also waned worldwide, and it’s no longer considered a pandemic. H1N1 flu hasn’t disappeared, however. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that during the most recent week data was collected, 28 percent of U.S. flu cases were typed as the 2009 H1N1 influenza A strain.

The flu season news is not all good: Overall deaths from flu and pneumonia have been above the “epidemic threshold” for at least 11 weeks, with 8 percent of all deaths from a 122-city surveillance system linked to the two diseases. Drug resistance is also a continuing concern for health officials, who are monitoring flu virus samples for evidence of increasing resistance to drugs commonly used to fight the flu.

What this all means for next flu season is uncertain, as flu seasons are notably unpredictable. Annual U.S. deaths during the past four decades have ranged from 3,000 a year to 49,000 a year. So no matter what the final numbers for this flu season show, it’s important that once the new season rolls around this fall that we all line up again for our flu vaccinations.

Simple devices can help prevent disasters at home

2011-04-08T14:50:00.002-04:00

There’s no place like home, the old saying goes, and for most of us, it rings true. That’s why when a disaster happens at home, such as a fire, it can be particularly devastating. To keep our homes safe and sound — as well as those who live inside them — it’s important to have the right equipment.

Smoke alarms: According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, four out of every 10 home fire deaths occur in homes without smoke alarms. Install smoke alarms on every floor of your home, including the basement, and particularly near rooms in which people sleep. If you use battery-powered smoke alarms, make sure you replace the batteries regularly. Test all smoke alarms monthly to ensure they are working properly.

Fire extinguishers: Make sure your home has a fire extinguisher. For the home, a multi-purpose extinguisher that can be used on all types of home fires is the best choice, according to National Fire Protection Association. The group recommends an extinguisher that is large enough to put out a small fire, but not too heavy that you can’t lift it.

Carbon monoxide detectors: Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can cause sudden illness or death when inhaled. Common sources include improperly adjusted gas appliances, furnaces, wood-burning stoves and fireplaces. To detect dangerous levels of carbon monoxide in your home and reduce the risk of poisoning, purchase a carbon monoxide detector. Batteries in carbon monoxide detectors should be replaced twice a year.

Radon test kits: Radon is a naturally occurring colorless, odorless gas that, when inhaled at high levels, can lead to lung cancer. Radon can seep into your home through cracks in the foundation and is usually found within lower levels of homes and in basements. Low-cost, do-it-yourself radon test kits are available in hardware stores. You can perform either short tests — two-90 days — or long tests — more than 90 days. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency can tell you the right method of testing and acceptable levels of radon for your home.

By properly using these simple, low-cost devices in your home, you can help prevent a disaster. For more tips about living injury-free, visit APHA’s National Public Health Week website.

Fire safety at work: Staying safe and injury-free

2011-04-01T20:03:00.001-04:00

If a fire were to start while you were at work, would your company or office be ready to get everyone to safety? A minor fire in the workplace can quickly turn into a disaster. But a few precautions can help you reduce risks and protect you and your co-workers.
First, employers should make sure all employees are aware of the location of the emergency exits and fire extinguishers and that they know how to use them. Staff members should also know the fire evacuation route and where the safe meeting place is located. If your workplace has workers who are disabled, elderly or will need assistance when evacuating, make sure they are a part of your evacuation planning. If your business serves customers, such as a store or restaurant, incorporate evacuating the public into your planning. Regular fire drills are a must.

Before a fire occurs, it’s also a good idea to take some time and see if things are ship-shape around your workplace. Make sure exit lighting isn’t burned out and that stairways aren’t blocked. Be sure to check on fire extinguishers regularly to ensure they are not expired or have not been tampered with.

If a fire alarm goes off when you are at work, don’t wait to see if it’s a drill — exit immediately. If there’s smoke, crawl underneath it to reach the nearest exit, and cover your nose and mouth with a cloth. If you reach a closed door, use the back of your hand to feel the bottom, middle and top. If it is hot, do not open it; find another exit. When you have safely exited the building, do not re-enter until you receive the all-clear.

By being prepared and following evacuation advice, you and your co-workers can be better protected from injuries during a fire. Preventing injuries is the focus of this year’s observance of National Public Health Week, which has a theme of “Safety is No Accident: Live Injury-Free.” The event, to be held April 4–10, offers tips and guidance to help you promote living injury-free at home, at work, at play, on the move and in your community.

Emergencies remind us why we should keep a food stockpile

2011-03-25T16:48:00.000-04:00

The recent emergencies in Japan devastated communities, forced many residents to flee and many others to shelter in place. Closer to home, the National Weather Service forecasts that almost half of the United States is at risk for spring flooding. These crises are stark reminders of the importance of being prepared and having an emergency food stockpile at the ready. But are some foods better to pack in your emergency kit than others?

When stocking a food supply kit for an emergency, it is easy to end up over-packing and adding just about everything but the kitchen sink. So think carefully when loading up your kit. Ask, are these foods I will eat? Will they expire soon? Am I accounting for any food allergies? Have I packed for my pets?

It’s best to choose low-sodium foods when preparing your kit. Foods high in sodium will make you thirstier and you will end up drinking more of your water supply. If you love pretzels, opt for those with no salt. They might not be as tasty, but it will save water in the long run. Many foods today offer a low-sodium version so take note of the packaging when choosing products.

Here are some foods that are low in sodium or come in a low-sodium option:

• Pudding cups
• Canned vegetables and fruits
• Crackers and pretzels
• Peanut butter
• Jelly
• Hard candy
• Granola bars
• Trail mix

FEMA has a disaster supplies checklist that you can print out and use when preparing your stockpile. APHA’s Get Ready campaign also offers a grocery shopping list along with some handy recipes.

When preparing for the unexpected, be sure you have a supply of food at the ready. And remember to plan for family members with special diets or allergies such as infants, ill or elderly loved ones, and pets. Stick to low-sodium options when possible. And before you close up your kit, don’t forget to throw in a manual can opener and utensils. When you’re hungry and in the dark, you’ll be glad you did.

Get Ready Mailbag: Can my pets make me sick?

2011-03-18T15:30:00.000-04:00

Q: I am the lucky owner of Douglas and Evie, and world’s sweetest dog and cat. They are very dear to me and I love them like crazy. But sometimes I wonder, can my pets make me sick?

A: Being a pet owner can be so rewarding, and you’re not alone in your love for them. And studies have shown that owning pets can make people happier and healthier. A National Institutes of Health study of people who’d suffered heart attacks showed that dog owners were more likely than their non-dog owner counterparts to still be alive one year later.

But kisses and happiness aren’t all your pets can give you. Cats, dogs, small mammals and even reptiles can carry bacteria and parasites that can make humans ill.

Rabies is probably the best-known disease that can be transmitted from animals to people. Dogs and cats can be infected with rabies if they’re bitten by a wild animal, such as a raccoon, and can then infect humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Keeping pets up-to-date on their rabies vaccinations will help prevent the spread of the disease, CDC says.

Other diseases that can be transferred from animals to people include Lyme disease, which can be transmitted by a tick that a dog may carry in from outside, and several types of worms, which can be present in dog and cat feces.

Pregnant women who own cats need to be especially careful about toxoplasmosis, a disease that can affect fetuses and cause serious problems, including miscarriage. CDC advises pregnant women not to handle cat litter and, if possible, to have another person clean out the cat’s litter box just to be safe. Another tip? Keep your cat inside. Cats that go outdoors and eat mice or other small animals are more likely to catch the disease.

Finally, while dogs and cats might be among the most popular pets, they’re not the only animals we keep in our homes, nor are they the only ones that can harbor disease. Parrots and parakeets can carry a bacteria that can cause psittacosis, which can be inhaled when bird droppings enter the air. If you have a bird, keep an eye out for symptoms, which can include fever, chills, headache, muscle aches and a dry cough.

And small reptiles such as lizards, snakes and turtles often have salmonella bacteria on their skin. CDC advises that people wash their hands well after coming in contact with reptiles.

Pets bring great joy into our lives. By taking some basic steps to keep your animals healthy, you’ll also be helping protect yourself.

Tsunamis a risk along coasts, beaches worldwide

2011-03-11T11:57:00.000-05:00

APHA and the Get Ready campaign extend their sympathies to people affected by today’s earthquake and tsunami. To help, see the bottom of this blog.

This morning’s earthquake in Japan and the ensuing tsunami are a tragic reminder of the consequences of such disasters. The tsunami, which has had devastating effects in Japan, has impacted countries thousands of miles away, from the United States to Costa Rica to New Zealand.

Tsunamis are rare, especially here in the United States, but are not unheard of. In 1964, a tsunami that started after an earthquake in Alaska caused 10- to 20-foot waves along the California, Oregon and Washington coasts, killing 15 people.

That’s why its always best to be prepared. If you live on or are visiting a coastal area, be aware that you could be at risk.

Familiarize yourself with the signs of a tsunami, which commonly occur following an earthquake. If an earthquake occurs far away, coastal residents can have hours to evacuate. But if an earthquake occurs near the coast, there may not be much time for official warnings. That’s what happened in 2004, when a quake off the coast of Indonesia triggered a massive tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people.

So if you are at the beach or coast and feel the earth shake, move immediately to higher ground — do not wait for a tsunami warning. Listen to the radio, tune into the news and follow instructions given by emergency personnel. Always, always heed warnings to evacuate. In fact, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with evacuation routes long before a tsunami occurs, even if you are just visiting an area. If you live in a coastal area, check to see if your community has a tsunami plan, or is part of the federal Tsunami Ready preparedness program.

The U.S. Geological Survey is a good resource to check to see if a tsunami has been recorded or is on the way. For forecasting, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has up-to-date warnings.

Your best bet? Realize that the risk of a tsunami is real, and remember to think ahead when heading to the coast, wherever you may be.

International relief and charitable organizations are accepting donations to help people affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, including Global Giving. To donate to Red Cross quake relief, text redcross to 90999 to make a $10 donation. For information about people missing in the earthquake or tsunami, see the American Red Cross website.

Daylight saving time begins March 13: Use the reminder to check your emergency supplies

2011-03-11T09:41:00.001-05:00

It’s just three months into the calendar year, and the federal government has already made eight major disaster declarations. From severe weather and storms to flooding and mud flows, such events show that you can never really be sure when the worst will happen.

That’s why it’s so important that you have emergency supplies ready year-round — before a disaster occurs. When you’re sitting in the dark without power or can’t wash your hands because the water is out, you’re going to be thankful for those supplies that you’ve set aside.

It’s a message that’s often repeated, especially by us here at the Get Ready campaign. But if you’re like a lot of people, you may not have gotten around to putting your stockpile together. Or even if you have, you may not have checked on it lately to make sure your batteries are still fresh, or that your food hasn’t gone bad. A friendly little reminder would help, right?

Luckily, that’s where the Get Ready campaign comes in. Twice a year, when it comes time to change the clocks for daylight saving time, the Get Ready: Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks campaign is here to remind you to pay attention to your stockpile. To help you out, we’ve created free materials that tell you why you need a stockpile, what to include in your supplies and more.

Visit the Get Ready: Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks webpage to download the info, available in both English and Spanish, and follow these tips to get started:

• Set aside a three-day supply of food and water at home for emergencies, and don’t touch it. For water, you will need at least one gallon per person per day.

• Make sure your stockpile has all the basics, including flashlights, batteries, a radio, first aid supplies and a manual can opener. Battery-operated lanterns and cell phone chargers are a plus.

• To stockpile on a budget, pick up one or two items each time you go to the store. Or visit a bulk grocery store and split your supplies with a preparedness buddy.

• Don’t forget your pets when creating your stockpile. They will need their own food and water supplies.

And since we are doling out the reminders, one last one before we go: After you’ve reset your clocks and checked your emergency supplies — and reminded your friends and family to do so as well — don’t forget to check and change the batteries in your smoke detectors.

Read APHA's press release on the importance of replenishing emergency stockpiles when you spring forward for Daylight Savings Time

Reading with kids can help them prepare for emergencies

2011-03-04T15:51:00.004-05:00

Stop, drop and roll! Reading and reciting those three simple words in childhood helped many of us understand what to do if our clothes caught on fire. A scary prospect indeed, especially for a kid. But it gave us a lifelong tool with which to respond during a time of emergency.

Reading with children can not only help kids perform better in school and have a healthy self-image, it can also help them understand what to do in case of an emergency and how to live healthier, safer lives.

Many communities and schools celebrated Read Across America Day this week on March 2 — the birthday of beloved children’s author Dr. Seuss. It helped spread the importance of reading with children.

You see, young children and early readers can’t do it alone — they need to read with you. Consider spending time with children in your family or community to help them become stronger readers. The National Education Association offers some tips to help you engage children in reading in fun ways.

And while you’re reading, think about using some of the many child-friendly safety and preparedness resources available. There are stories on a whole range of topics such as how to use 911, hygiene and hand-washing, disaster preparedness and even how to perform CPR.

APHA’s Get Ready campaign offers even more. “Anita’s Story” is a quick and fun read about a young girl and her family preparing for a winter storm. APHA’s Get Ready Kid’s Guide helps young readers learn about flu prevention. And the Get Ready campaign offers easy-to-read fact sheets about hand-washing in English and Spanish, and one for

preschoolers, also in English and Spanish.

This is just a start. Your local library or bookstore will have many other options to consider.

There’s no doubt that reading with children can help prepare them for life. While you’re at it, take an extra step to help them learn important lessons about staying safe and healthy and the importance of preparing for emergencies.

Image courtesy of Microsoft Clipart Gallery/Corbis

Mono and teens: More than just hype

2011-02-25T16:21:00.000-05:00

Mono. For some adults, just hearing the word brings back parental warnings on the dangers of teen makeout sessions and straw sharing.

There’s a reason why many of us hear about mono, officially known as mononucleosis, during our teens: It’s more common in that age group. Most of us carry the Epstein-Barr virus, which causes mono, and become infected with it at least once. However, the virus doesn’t usually cause symptoms or just seems like a cold. But in teens and young adults, the virus leads to infectious mono 35 percent to 50 percent of the time. Hence the warnings many of us remember from a younger age.

Symptoms of mono include fever, sore throat and swollen lymph glands. It’s spread by prolonged contact of saliva, such as kissing. Mono usually clears up in about one or two months, but at times it can last longer.

There’s no vaccine or cure for mono, but you can relieve the symptoms by drinking fluids, gargling with warm salt water to ease a sore throat, getting plenty of rest and taking acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain and fever.

To prevent catching mono, follow a few simple tips. Wash your hands frequently and avoid those who have the disease. Don’t share cups, utensils or straws with someone who is sick, and never share a toothbrush. And of course, never kiss someone who is sick.

¡Pase la voz sobre la importancia de el lavado de manos con los nuevos folletos de la campaña Get Ready!

2011-02-18T16:46:00.002-05:00

Mi abuela siempre decía “Más vale prevenir que curar.” Nunca subestimes el poder de el lavado de manos cuando se trata de la prevención de enfermedades. De hecho, lavarse las manos es lo mejor que puedes hacer para prevenir la propagación de germens y infecciones. Es simple y fàcil de hacer.

Sin embargo, según un estudio realizado en el 2010 sólo el 85 por ciento de los adultos se lavaron las manos después de usar un baño público. Sólo el 39 por ciento reportaron siempre lavarse las manos después de toser o estornudar. Con esto en mente, la campaña de Get Ready ha creado folletos gratis y fácil de leer para ayudar a sacar el mensaje sobre la importancia de lavarse las manos y más importante demostrar una vez más que nuestras abuelitas tenían toda la razón.

Los folletos, que están disponibles en Inglés y Español, incluyen

•Información general sobre el lavado de manos

•Información para los padres y cuidadores de niños

•Consejos para maestros y guarderías

•Lecturas para leérle a los niños en edads preescolar

•Y mucho más

Aquí hay algunas cosas para tener en cuenta. Lávese las manos antes de comer, antes, durante y después de preparar alimentos, después de entrar en contacto con heridas, después de tocar animals, después de ir al baño y cuando este cerca de alguien que este enfermo. Recuerde que debe utilizar agua tibia y jabón (o desinfectante de manos si no hay agua disponible). Lavese bien toda la superficie de las manos, incluyendo muñecas, palmass, dedos y debajo de las uñas. Frótese las manos enjabonadas durante 20 segundos. Enjuagase bien. ¡Es así de simple!

Para obtener más información sobre el lavado de manos, visite la página de el lavado de manos de la campaña de Get Ready. Baje y imprima los folletos y compartalos con sus seres queridos.

Crédito: Foto cortesía de iStockphoto

Free Get Ready fact sheets spread the message about hand-washing

2011-02-18T16:40:00.000-05:00

Never underestimate the power of hand-washing when it comes to preventing disease. In fact, washing your hands is the best thing you can do to prevent the spread of germs and infections. It’s so simple and easy to do.

Yet according to a 2010 study, only 85 percent of adults wash their hands after visiting a public restroom. Only 39 percent say they always wash their hands after coughing or sneezing. With this in mind, APHA’s Get Ready campaign has created free, easy-to-read fact sheets to help you spread the message about the importance of hand-washing.

The fact sheets, which are available in both English and Spanish, include

• general hand-washing facts,

• information for parents and caregivers,

• tips for teachers and day cares,

• read-along facts for preschoolers, and

• advice for kids.

Here are some quick tips to keep in mind: Wash your when preparing food and before eating. You should also wash them after touching animals and using the bathroom, as well as when you’re around somebody who’s sick. Remember to use warm water and soap. Rub your hands together well and scrub all surfaces for at least 20 seconds before rinsing under warm running water. It’s that simple!

To learn more about hand-washing, visit the Get Ready hand-washing page. Download and print the fact sheets and share them with those you care about!

Credit: Photo courtesy of iStockphoto

Meningitis and college students: A risk you can’t overlook

2011-02-11T16:31:00.000-05:00

With everything that new college students have to think about getting — a computer, books, backpack, etc. — vaccinations are not always at the top of the to-do list. But there’s one thing that’s especially important for college students to get: the meningitis vaccine.
While meningitis vaccination is not a requirement for college students entering school in most states, the risks associated with the disease are high enough that all students should consider getting the shot.

Let’s start with the basics: Meningitis is an inflammation of the brain and spinal cord membranes. It’s usually caused by a virus or bacteria. Viral meningitis is usually not so bad and clears up on its own in a week or so. Bacterial meningitis, on the other hand, can be a doozy, causing brain damage, deafness or even death. Symptoms include sudden onset of fever, headache and stiff neck and will often also cause nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, rash and confusion.

If you have meningitis, you can pass it on to others through close contact, like kissing, but also through things like coughing or sneezing. That’s why college students, who often live together in close quarters such as dorms or shared apartments, are especially at risk. Each year, there are more than 1,000 U.S. cases of meningococcal disease, a type of bacterial meningitis. Cases that occur on college campuses are common.

The good news is that you can get vaccinated against bacterial meningitis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the meningococcal vaccine for all 11- to 18-year-olds as well as for all first-year college students and military recruits. If you haven’t received your shot, you can get it from your doctor, health care provider or school health clinic.

Check out the facts about meningitis, along with a video on how to prevent it, on CDC’s website.

Photo by Chris Schmidt, courtesy iStockphoto

Let’s make it personal: Add your logo to Get Ready materials

2011-02-04T14:21:00.000-05:00

Free fact sheets and materials are a great thing, particularly when they come from a trusted source like APHA’s Get Ready campaign. Health departments, health workers groups and anyone else can download Get Ready materials and use them at health fairs, community meetings, school events — just about anywhere!

And while it’s nice having the APHA and Get Ready logos on all those preparedness materials, wouldn’t it be great if your logo were on there too? Luckily, the Get Ready campaign makes it easy — and free — for you to add your organization’s logo to its fact sheets, games and other materials. And you don’t even need permission! Just visit our “Add Your Logo” Web page and follow the super-easy step-by-step instructions.

No special software on your computer? Not a problem! The Add Your Logo page has instructions for using either Word or Acrobat to customize your Get Ready docs. Just save ‘em, print ‘em and you are ready go. (While you are at it, why not save them and post them on your website too?)

About two dozen Get Ready materials are customizable with your group’s logo, including our new hand-washing fact sheets; information on winter weather, floods, earthquakes and heat waves; and stockpiling resources. You can even add your logo to materials for kids. And if that wasn’t enough, logos can be added to more than a dozen Spanish-language materials too. ¡Que bueno!

We’d love to hear how you use our Get Ready materials, so once you’ve added your logos and shared them with your community, drop us a line. (mailto:getready@apha.org).

What people with disabilities should know about the flu

2011-01-28T12:33:00.001-05:00

The flu is never fun for anyone. Most people who get sick will have only a mild illness. Some people, however, are at greater risk and are more likely to experience complications.

Flu can be especially serious if you have disabilities or certain health issues, as you may require special treatment and care when you get sick. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you’re at greater risk if you:

• have health problems that make it hard for your body to fight off infections;
• have lung problems, like asthma or bronchitis;
• have difficulty walking and moving around; or
• aren’t able to stay away from people who may be sick with the flu.

If you rely on a caregiver, you should take extra precautions. If you or your caregiver gets the flu, have a list ready of local friends, family and agencies that can help. Make sure you know at least two ways of staying in contact with others, such as phone, text messaging and e-mail. Also, ask your health care provider whether flu medicine is safe to take with regular medicine.

CDC also recommends that you:

• make sure you prevent the spread of germs by using a tissue when you cough or sneeze;
• stay away from sick people; and
• wash your hands often.
If you do get sick, call your doctor. And, of course, be sure that you, your family members and caregivers get vaccinated against the flu every year. (It’s not too late to get your vaccination for this flu season!)

Preventing flu is important for everyone. But for some of us, taking extra care to stay well is especially important.

Make plans to enter APHA’s Get Ready Scholarship

2011-01-25T10:55:00.001-05:00

APHA is pleased to announce its third annual Get Ready Scholarship. If you’re a senior in high school or a full-time college or graduate student, you have a chance to win a $500 scholarship toward your college expenses.

Let’s face it: Emergencies can happen anywhere, anytime. In recent years we’ve seen everything from earthquakes, oil spills and mudslides to pandemic flu outbreaks and the resurgence of other infectious diseases. With those emergencies has also come a renewed emphasis on being prepared. Now it’s time for students to put their skills and knowledge of preparedness to the test.

The Get Ready Scholarship, which is open to high school seniors as well as college undergraduate and graduate students, challenges entrants to write an essay on preparedness. Essay topics are listed on the scholarship Web page.

The scholarship will open online for entries on Feb. 7. Only 300 submissions will be accepted in each category. Submissions will be accepted until March 21, or until the category is filled. Six scholarships of $500 each will be awarded. Winning students also receive a one-year APHA membership.

For complete rules, visit the Get Ready scholarship Web page.

On your mark, get set, prepare!

Know a high school senior or college or graduate student? Forward them this message, link to this blog entry or share via Twitter, Facebook and other social media.

Get Ready Mailbag: Preparing for winter storms

2011-01-21T11:17:00.001-05:00

Welcome to another installment of the Get Ready Mailbag, when we take time to answer questions sent our way by readers like you. Have a question you want answered? Send an e-mail to getready@apha.org.

Q: Where I live, people totally panic when it snows. This year, I want to get a jump on things. What should I do to get ready for winter storms?

A: If you’re on the East Coast of the United States, then it may be a little late for that jump, given our recent storms. But there’s plenty you can do to make sure you’re ready for the next squall. Winter has only just begun, so take a few minutes now to take stock of your storm preparedness. Many of these steps can be done well before storms turn up in the forecast.

First, advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, make sure your home is prepared. That means insulating water lines that run along outside walls and having your chimney inspected to make sure it’s operational if you plan to use it.

Next, prepare your car. Make sure fluids and gas are topped off and tires have enough air. If you find yourself driving in a storm — which, of course, is not advised — it’s a good idea to keep lots of gas in the tank, just in case the roads become treacherous and you need to stop for a while.

Once a storm is on the way, you’ll want to make sure you have the necessary supplies in case you can’t leave home for a few days. That means having plenty of food — include some that can be eaten without cooking in case the power goes out — as well as water. Experts recommend storing at least one gallon of water per person per day. Try shopping for these items well in advance of a storm, so you’re not left prowling the grocery store aisles as the clouds bear down.

You’ll also want to have flashlights, batteries and a radio. A battery-operated cell phone charger is also a plus.

Finally, once the storm clears, don’t try to clear all the snow at once. Shovel in small amounts and stay warm!

For more information and tips on winter storm preparation, check out our Get Ready fact sheet on winter storms (PDF).

Photo by: Michele Late (Taken in Shirlington during the 2010 winter storm!)

Post-holiday blues: Don’t let the flu get you down

2011-01-14T09:46:00.000-05:00

Today's guest blog entry is by Carol J. Baker, MD, a professor of pediatrics, molecular virology and microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine. She is also past president of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and chair of the foundation’s Childhood Influenza Immunization Coalition.

With the holidays behind us, it’s easy to fall into a slump, but getting influenza — the flu — shouldn’t be one of reasons why. While each flu season is different and unpredictable, we know that every year children get sick and it’s not “just a cold.” Flu causes almost as many hospitalizations in the youngest kids as it does in the elderly; some children, even healthy ones, die. Fortunately, flu season hasn’t peaked yet — typically it does so in February. If you or anyone in your family hasn’t yet been vaccinated, do so now. This year, flu vaccination is recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older.

Despite all we know about influenza, many parents are confused about the best way to protect their children against flu and myths keep them from seeking vaccination.

• Myth: The vaccine causes influenza. Fact: Flu vaccine can’t cause influenza. The virus strains in the vaccines are either killed, as in the injected vaccine, or weakened, as in the nasal spray vaccine, but it takes two weeks to receive full protection.

• Myth: Healthy children don’t need flu vaccine. Fact: The flu viruses change each year. About 50 percent of the flu deaths and hospitalizations in children each year are in healthy children.

• Myth: Proper hygiene, like hand-washing, and cough etiquette are just as effective in preventing influenza. Fact: Hygiene is helpful, but it’s not enough for airborne, highly contagious infections like influenza. Vaccination offers the best protection.

Today it is easier than ever to get your family vaccinated, since pharmacies, some schools and even grocery stores, can administer the influenza vaccine in addition to doctor’s offices and clinics. There are two vaccine options: an injected vaccine that is available for everyone older than 6 months of age and a nasal spray for healthy children age 2 years and older. The flu season is just beginning in most places — make sure you and your family are prepared.

The new year brings with it a new, improved Get Ready Blog

2011-01-07T10:11:00.001-05:00

Planning ahead is a crucial component of emergency preparedness. Staying informed and knowing where to access information is key to your family’s and community’s well-being. How many times have you thought to yourself “I can’t remember what I need in my stockpile?”

Not to worry — now you can easily find all of our best recommendations by using our Blog’s new search function or linking directly to our Get Ready fact sheets. The new and improved Get Ready Blog now allows you to search through archives by using keywords or phrases.

If you want to share and download emergency preparedness fact sheets in multiple languages to share with your community, choose the “fact sheets” link and access our entire collection, which includes materials translated in multiple languages.

Stay connected to the campaign with real-time Get Ready Twitter updates directly from our blog. Remember to share Get Ready resources through Facebook, Twitter and other social networks by using the share links found at the end of every blog posting. You can stay up-to-date with what’s new on the blog by subscribing via e-mail or following our RSS feed.

The Get Ready Blog keeps you connected to the world of emergency preparedness. Now is the time to take advantage of all it has to offer!

Take our new poll on the top of our page and let us know: Do you have a stockpile in place in case of a public health emergency?

Don’t drop the ball: Resolve to be ready in 2011

2010-12-31T11:00:00.002-05:00

This year brought the Gulf oil spill, a pandemic flu outbreak, earthquakes, record-breaking winter storms and a halt to air travel in Europe because of volcanic ash. If anything, these events underscore that emergencies will happen. But you can help your family make a New Year’s resolution they can keep by resolving to be ready in 2011.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has tools and resources to help prepare your family, workplace, school and community for emergencies and disasters. Tools are available in both English and Spanish and include everything from online widgets and logos to printable toolkits.

The FEMA campaign focuses on three simple steps:
• Get a kit. Whether it’s for your home, office or car, emergency kits are the best way to be prepared in case of emergencies or disasters. Visit FEMA’s Ready.gov website for an emergency supply kit checklist. APHA’s Get Ready campaign also offers a stockpile checklist in English (PDF) and Spanish (PDF).

• Make a plan. Take some time this holiday season to talk with your family and loved ones about creating an emergency preparedness plan. Things to consider when creating your plan include emergency contact information, communication plan and meeting locations. Print out your own family emergency plan by visiting the Ad Council’s website.

• Be informed. Learn more about the potential emergencies in your area and how to prepare for them. And remember, not all emergencies are due to weather: Protect your family and community from potential disease outbreaks by keeping up with your vaccinations.
Taking simple steps in your home, workplace and community can make a big difference in your safety in times of emergencies. Disasters can happen anytime, anywhere so this year, give the gift of preparedness and resolve to be ready!

Now’s a great time for a holiday food drive

2010-12-24T11:00:00.002-05:00

With so many people in a generous mood at this time of year, the holidays are a popular time for food drives. So how about using some of your spare time this holiday season to hold your own drive? Not only will it help your neighbors in need, it will help your community food bank be more prepared in case of a disaster or emergency.

The free Get Ready Food Drive Toolkit (PDF)has everything you need to know to plan and hold your food drive, from picking a location to delivering the contributions. It’s also full of great ideas you can use to make your food drive a success. Among the ideas:

• Work with a grocery store: Get in touch with your local grocery store and ask if you can set up a donation site at the store. Pass out shopping lists of things your food bank needs to customers as they enter the store.

• Incentivize your food drive: Incentives can fuel your food drive. If the drive is at your place of business, talk to your human resources department to see if you can offer workers a casual dress day if they contribute to your food drive.

• Make it a competition: Competitions excite people, so make your food drive a
contest. If you’re holding the food drive at your school, make it a competition between grades or homerooms with the winner earning a pizza party or other recognition.

• Fill a bag with food: Encourage people to give more by asking them to fill a bag. Provide paper bags with instructions on what is needed and where and when to return filled bags.

• Stuff a truck: Some food drive organizers challenge givers to “stuff a truck.” Participants are encouraged to bring their donations to a specific location where a truck is parked, with the goal of providing a truckload to the food bank.

• Hold a raffle: Encourage people to give by offering them a chance at getting something in return through a raffle. The more food they donate, the more tickets they receive. Ask local businesses to donate prizes for the raffle, such as store gift cards.

• Start small: If you don’t have time to hold a community-wide food drive, do something small. If you’re having friends over for New Year’s Eve, ask them to bring a few canned goods for the food bank instead of wine. If you live in an apartment, ask the building manager if you can put a contribution box in the lobby with a sign.

Looking for more tips for a great food drive? Read our Q&A with Molly McGlinchy, food resources coordinator for the Capital Area Food Bank in Washington, D.C., or listen to the interview as a podcast.

With a little bit of creativity and help from the Get Ready Food Drive Toolkit, your event will help deliver some of that famous holiday cheer to those who may need it most.

Good hand-washing habits help lead to good health

2010-12-17T16:06:00.001-05:00

Today’s guest blog is by Brian Crowe, executive director of the National Association of Child Care Professionals. The American Public Health Association’s Get Ready campaign and the National Association of Child Care Professionals are raising awareness of the importance of hand-washing through a collaboration sponsored by the Colgate-Palmolive Company.

Making certain children are healthy throughout the year is a vigilant task for parents and child care providers alike. Toddlers, on average, will touch 300 surfaces within 30 minutes and can typically receive six to eight colds per year. Across the United States, there are approximately 22 million school days missed per year, which impacts not only children who attend school, but working parents who subsequently must provide care at home while they are ill.

Some of the best ways to avoid getting sick and achieve better health are through a good healthy diet, drinking lots of fluids, getting plenty of rest each night and making certain children receive their required inoculations. Perhaps the most effective means of preventing the spread of sickness is through teaching children good health through good habits.

The most practical habit is washing hands with warm water and soap, cleaning the tops, bottoms, in between fingers and under fingernails for a minimum of 20 seconds. This should be done several times per day to ensure cleanliness. The American Public Health Association, along with Softsoap and the National Association of Child Care Professionals, is helping to promote this message through a unique product developed by Softsoap. The product is a small timer that is affixed to the top of a liquid soap dispenser and activated as soap is pumped. The timer then plays music for 20 seconds. Children are encouraged to thoroughly wash their hands while the music plays, and once the music stops, they have effectively washed their hands.

Good health through good habits is something we can all enjoy. Join APHA, Softsoap and NACCP in their commitment to minimize sickness this cold and flu season. Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly.

The National Association of Child Care Professionals, http://www.naccp.org/, is based in Austin, Texas. For more hand-washing tips, visit the Get Ready hand-washing website.

National Influenza Vaccination Week: It’s not too late to protect yourself from flu

2010-12-10T17:23:00.002-05:00

Everybody loves a gift exchange at the holidays, but significantly fewer of us, if we had a choice, would be interested in a germ exchange. And yet, at this time of year, when we’re hugging long-lost family, convening at the punch bowl and smooching under the mistletoe, germs are along for the party.You might not be able to stop every germ, but there’s one you can take extra precaution against: the flu.

Every year, millions of Americans get the flu. The aches, the pains, the clogged-up head and the upset stomach — and that’s if you’re lucky. The flu can be deadly, even for relatively healthy people. And yet despite the fact that the vaccine offers a pretty good chance to avoid the flu, many people don’t get their vaccinations.

That can change this year. This week — Dec. 5-11 — was National Influenza Vaccination Week. Cities and municipalities around the country are holding vaccination clinics and promotional activities. Check to see if your town is on the list.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting that the number of flu cases is beginning to climb, especially in states in the South and Northeast, including Georgia and New York.

The peak of the flu season varies from year to year — it can happen any time from November to March. It’s not too late to get a flu vaccination, so just go do it.
Flu vaccinations — whether administered via shot or inhaled nasally — are available at many large pharmacy chains and at doctor’s offices and some insurance plans will pick up all or part of the cost. Medicare Part B also covers the flu shot.
Sure, nobody likes a shot. But isn’t a little poke in the arm (or sniff up the nose) worth it to know that this holiday season you’ll be protected?

Money and disasters: What to know to be ready to go

2010-12-03T13:00:00.004-05:00

If you had to run out the door right now with only what’s in your purse or wallet to keep you going for the next few weeks or months, how would you do? Would you have enough cash to get by if your ATM card or credit cards didn’t work? Would you be able to access your financial information online without your passwords or account numbers?

In the event of a disaster or emergency, it’s important to think about not only the safety of yourself, your family and your property, but also your ability to access financial information. Chances are, though, you may not have time to look for your checkbook (if you even have one) or make copies of your records. That’s why you should organize your financial information beforehand. Some of the most important things you can do to prepare yourself for an emergency are to gather these important items in a safe, secure place:

• Forms of identification: If you have to evacuate, make sure you have your driver's license, insurance card, Social Security card, passport and birth certificate. Such documents will be crucial if you or your family need to rebuild lost records or otherwise prove to a government agency, a bank or other business that you are who you claim to be.

• Cash: In times of disaster, ATMs and banks can be affected, and many times ATMs may not be functioning, especially if there is widespread power loss. So it’s important to have some cash stored away in a safe place.

• ATM cards, debit cards and credit cards: If ATMs and electronic payment systems are working during a disaster, these cards can give you access to cash and help you pay your bills — or buy food, gas and shelter. ATM and credit cards usually require personal identification numbers, so make sure you know those numbers even in times of high stress.

• Important account numbers: Also key to bring with you are important account numbers, including bank and brokerage account numbers, credit card numbers and homeowner's or renter's insurance policy numbers. It’s also a good idea to copy the front and back of your credit cards. If you have phone numbers for customer service on your accounts, make a copy of those as well.

After you've gathered your most important financial items and documents and made backup copies, put them in a safe, secure place that you can easily access in a hurry. Consider giving copies to trusted friends or family, or at least let them know where to find your records in an emergency.

Knowing what’s in your wallet — and ensuring access to important personal and financial information — could save you a bundle of worries should disaster strike.

Thanksgiving and vaccinations: Turkeys aren’t the only ones who should get injections

2010-11-26T09:00:00.000-05:00

Another Thanksgiving dinner has come and gone. The bird’s been picked clean, the dishes washed and tummies are full. (Maybe too full!)

Chances are you and your family are now wondering what to do with all that empty togetherness time. Sure, you can whip out the board games and the Wii, or slog out to the mall and bargain-hunt, but we’ve got some other ideas, and they’re better for your health.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suggests that you use some of your holiday together time to talk with your relatives about your family health history. (As a matter of fact, Thanksgiving is officially National Family History Day.) That’s a great idea, and we here at the Get Ready campaign would like to expand on that to suggest you also take some time to talk about vaccinations. No matter their age, someone in your family probably needs a vaccination. Kids and teens need to stay up on their regular shots, adults need their boosters, and seniors especially need vaccinations for flu and pneumonia.

Take a second to think: Can you remember the last time you had a tetanus shot? They are only good for 10 years, so if you can’t recall, chances are you need one. What about pertussis, aka whooping cough? As recent outbreaks have shown, immunity can wane and your lack of protection can end up endangering those you care about. Come Monday, check with your doctor to see whether you are up to date on your vaccinations, and schedule an appointment if not.

And since you and your family are all together post-Thanksgiving anyway, how about taking a group trip to get your seasonal flu shots? The malls are going to be packed this weekend, but chances are the lines at the local pharmacy counter or in-store clinic will be wide open.

Everyone in your family — as long as they are older than 6 months of age — should get their flu shot this year, according to federal health officials. So give your drug or grocery store a call to see when they are giving flu vaccinations today. Then pile in the car and go do some good for your family health.

Since flu shots are an annual thing, use Thanksgiving as a reminder each year to double-check that everyone in your family is protected. (Who knows? It may even become a new tradition.) After all, it’s not just turkeys that benefit from injections.

Protecting yourself from flu, infectious diseases at work

2010-11-19T16:34:00.001-05:00

Has a coworker recently called in sick? Have others at work come down with the sniffles? If so, your workplace is not alone. Each year, 15 million U.S. workers get the flu, and with cold and flu season upon us, more illness may be on its way.

How can you protect yourself and others from getting sick at work? APHA’s Get Ready campaign has some tips:

• Wash your hands often, especially after touching workplace objects like copy machines, phones, keyboards and cash registers. Don’t forget to wash after handling other shared things like books, magazines or information binders. (Ever seen anyone lick their fingers to turn pages? Could have happened right before you got there.) If you work in a health care setting, frequent hand-washing is especially important.

• Avoid touching frequently used objects with your hands, if possible. The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases suggests using a tissue or your sleeve when touching door handles in offices, restrooms, cafeterias and other public places. Carry around your own pen or tools, and don’t lend them to others.

• Ask your employer to sponsor a workplace flu-vaccination campaign. Employer-sponsored flu vaccinations not only help protect employee health, but save businesses money. And getting vaccinated is your best protection from getting the flu.

• Stay home when sick. Rather than tough it out and go to work when you’re not feeling well, stay home. While many people feel pressured to go to work when sick, you may end up both annoying and infecting your coworkers — or your customers, if you work in a retail environment. Check with your manager or human resources department to find out what sick leave policies are now, before you get sick.

Play it safe and help keep your workplace healthy — and running smoothly — this flu season.

Smell gas? Leave the area, call for help

2010-11-12T11:05:00.010-05:00

Remember that horrible gas pipeline explosion that happened back in September in California? Eight people were killed and 50 homes destroyed. It really opened the eyes of a lot of people around the country and made them wonder about their own risk.

Pipelines are used in communities all over the United States, whether for gas, gasoline or other energy products. Leaks or broken pipes can cause serious harm. Luckily, in most cases involving gas, the distinctive rotten egg-like smell can tip you off when there is a problem.

Here are a few tips on what to do if you smell gas:
• If you smell gas inside, don’t operate electrical equipment or turn light switches on or off, as it can cause a spark. Evacuate the area and call your utility department or gas company.
• If you smell gas outside, make sure the area is evacuated, then call for help. Don’t try to find the source of the smell — leave that up to the professionals. Never use a match or start your car if you smell gas, as those actions could cause a dangerous explosion.

If you own or rent a home, it’s a good idea to know where the underground pipes are located under your property. Never dig in your yard without locating your pipes first. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has an interactive map to allow you to locate areas with underground pipelines. The map is meant as a reference only, so before beginning any digging, call 811. Operators will be able to connect you to local officials who can tell you if it is safe. If a gas line is damaged when digging outside, call your utility company immediately, and don’t attempt to repair the pipe yourself.

Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks...and plan your next food drive: Daylight saving time ends Nov. 7

2010-11-05T09:32:00.017-04:00

Daylight saving time ends Nov. 7, which means it’s time again to reset our clocks. It also means it’s time to check your emergency stockpile. For years, APHA’s Get Ready: Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks campaign has been asking Americans to check and replenish their emergency supplies when they change their clocks.

This year, the Get Ready campaign is asking Americans to take go a step further and help improve the preparedness of their communities — namely, their community food banks.

Every year, millions of Americans go hungry. In fact, in 2008, more than 49 million Americans lived in households that didn’t have enough food, including 16.7 million kids. Many of those people depend on community food banks to make sure they have enough to eat.

If so many people need food on a regular basis, what happens when a disaster strikes? Unfortunately, history has shown that demand on already-strapped food banks increases when the worst happens. That’s why it’s important that food banks have enough supplies on hand at all times — no one knows when a disaster may happen.

One of the best ways to support your local food bank (besides making a donation or volunteering your time) is to hold a food drive. And thanks to the Get Ready campaign, planning your food drive just got easier. Our new Food Drive Toolkit (PDF) will help you plan, promote, organize and conduct your community food drive. From ideas on when to hold your food drive to ways to make it more interesting (stuff a truck! fill a bag! vote by can!), we’ve got you covered. (And our Q&A with a food bank official has even more tips.)

Our advice? Set your clocks and check your stocks this weekend. Then take some time to download our toolkit and plan your next food drive. After all, being prepared is not just about individuals — it’s about your community too.

Creating an emergency plan: Knowing in advance what to do, where to go is key

2010-10-29T16:16:00.008-04:00

In the event of an emergency, where would you go? Who would you call to let your family know you’re okay?

Thinking about these things in advance and developing an emergency action plan can help you and your family stay safe in the event of a natural disaster, a fire or a nationwide state of emergency. With a little bit of advance work, you can develop a plan you’re comfortable with and that you can execute quickly and efficiently.

Your emergency action plan should include:

• Escape routes: Draw a floor plan of your home. Mark two escape routes from each room, and make sure everyone in your house understands the drawing. Establish a place outside the home to meet in the event of an emergency such as a fire.

• Family communications: In the event of an emergency – especially one that interrupts cell phones – would you know how to reach your family members? Complete a contact card for each family member and have family members keep them handy. Choose a friend or relative who lives out-of-state for household members to notify they are safe.

• Utility shut-off and safety: It’s important to know where the utility shut-off switches are located and how to shut off your electricity, gas, water, etc. in the event of an emergency. Make sure you are familiar with these utilities and how to handle them safely.

• Caring for animals: Humans are the most visible victims of disasters, but pets are often affected, too. To plan for Fido and Fluffy, identify shelters in your area, gather pet supplies, ensure your pet has proper ID and up-to-date veterinary records, and keep a pet carrier or leash accessible.

This works as a general outline of an emergency plan, but it’s also important to cater your plan to your family’s needs. Many government agencies and websites have action plan kits you can print out and complete. Check out the FEMA and CDC websites.

Get Ready Day, Preparedness Month help people prepare for emergencies

2010-10-22T14:14:00.014-04:00

A video launch, a preparedness pledge campaign, and games and giveaways at local events were hallmarks of a busy month for APHA’s Get Ready campaign, all to help people better prepare for emergencies.

APHA kicked off its participation in September’s National Preparedness Month by promoting the Get Ready Preparedness Pledge. The effort amassed thousands of pledges from people promising to get a flu shot, build a stockpile, create an evacuation plan or take other simple steps to be more prepared for a public health disaster. Pledge signers also shared Get Ready resources with others by posting information at their recreational center, doctor’s office or library.

APHA’s fourth annual Get Ready Day provided communities around the country an opportunity to spread the word about the importance of preparing for emergencies.
APHA promoted the Get Ready Event Guide (PDF) to help those interested in hosting their own Get Ready Day event, and released a new Get Ready viral video to help spread the preparedness word by giving a classic tale a new twist. Watch and share. Are you an ant or a grasshopper?

Closer to home, APHA's Get Ready team hosted a booth featuring games and giveaways at a preparedness festival for kids organized by the District of Columbia. The event drew 150 elementary and middle school students to learn about emergency planning and featured local emergency responders, including the departments of health and homeland security, police and fire units and the National Guard. APHA staff also took to the streets and set up a table in the plaza near the Association’s headquarters. During lunch hours, staff passed out information and freebies to remind local businesses and employees that emergency preparedness isn’t just for individuals and families; it’s also important to plan and practice for emergences in the workplace.

Visit our Flickr page to see some photos from the events. And mark your calendars because Sept. 19, 2011 — next year’s Get Ready Day — is right about the corner. Start planning today so you’re prepared for tomorrow!

Time to roll up your sleeves and soap up: It’s Global Hand-Washing Day!

2010-10-15T11:43:00.021-04:00

Join hands — clean hands, that is — with people from around the world today and celebrate Global Hand-Washing Day.

Who knew that something as simple as washing your hands with water and soap can help prevent hundreds of diseases in your community? In fact, the United Nations says hand-washing is the most effective and inexpensive way to prevent diarrheal and respiratory infections that take the lives of millions of children around the world every year.

Yet despite that fact, far too few people wash their hands with soap and water regularly. But you can help.

This year’s global campaign focuses on the importance of hand-washing among children and the role schools play in teaching about hand-washing. It highlights five key facts everyone should know:

• Washing hands with water alone is not enough. Using soap works to break down grease and dirt that carry most germs.

• Hand-washing with soap can prevent diseases that kill millions of children every year.

• The critical moments for hand-washing with soap are after using the toilet or cleaning a child and before handling food.

• Hand-washing with soap is the single most cost-effective health intervention.

• Children can be agents of change.

Get involved and check out the many games, lesson plans (PDF), videos and resources available on the Global Hand-Washing Day website.

And don’t forget to check out APHA’s Get Ready hand-washing handouts, available in English and Spanish, and our new frequently asked questions about hand-washing.

Roll up your sleeves, break out the soap and help spread the word about proper hygiene. Happy hand-washing!

Sheltering in place: Know when to stay put and what to do

2010-10-08T15:07:00.005-04:00

During an emergency or a disaster, officials may advise you and your family to "shelter in place." But if you were given that instruction, would you know what to do?

A recent Q&A and podcast from APHA’s Get Ready campaign has the info you need to safely shelter in place during emergencies.

Darryl J. Madden, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Ready Campaign, spoke to the Get Ready staff and has the inside scoop. According to Madden, sheltering in place means "finding a very safe place to basically be in a stable environment while a particular emergency or event takes place." So it’s a good idea to have a location at home, work and school picked out ahead of time.

You may need to shelter in place for awhile, so Madden recommends you have a three-day supply of non-perishable food and water for each person and pet. If you are in a car and near home when the call to shelter in place is made, go home, Madden says. If that’s not an option, go to a public building or a store.

Other great shelter-in-place tips from Madden?
• Always stay informed. Pay attention to alerts from emergency officials and take action as advised.
• Be prepared early. Start assembling your basic emergency supply kit now.
• Find safe place. The best room for sheltering in place would generally be one that has no windows and is in the center of the building.
• Don’t forget to turn off the air handler and associated AC or heating units that use outside air, because they can bring contaminated air inside.

Want to know more? Read the full Q&A with Madden online or listen to the interview as a podcast.

Whooping cough outbreak reminds us about importance of getting vaccinated, keeping up with boosters

2010-10-01T13:46:00.022-04:00

In California this year, an outbreak of pertussis — also known as whooping cough — has led to the deaths of nine infants. More than 4,000 cases have been reported so far. Officials say it’s the worst outbreak in the state in 55 years.

The disease is characterized by coughing spells that end with a ‘whooping’ sound when someone who is sick breathes in. It’s easily spread, can be very serious and sounds like this.

The good news is that whooping cough is preventable. A simple vaccine — called DTap for children and Tdap for adults — can prevent it, and it’s the best defense. In fact, you can get protected against pertussis when getting your next tetanus and diphtheria booster shot. The Tdap vaccine will protect you from all three diseases. Consult your health care provider to learn what’s best for you.

And remember, even though you may have received your childhood vaccination against whooping cough, it doesn’t mean you are off the hook. Protection can fade over time, so check out the immunization schedule for children, teens and adults and make sure you and loved ones are safe. Booster shots are especially important for parents and caregivers, as they can unknowingly spread the infection to infants and children.

In addition to getting the vaccine, there are other steps to help protect yourself from whooping cough: wash your hands with soap and water — or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if hand-washing is not possible — and cover your nose and mouth when sneezing. These are tips that we should all practice daily to not only help prevent the spread of whooping cough, but to stay safe from other illnesses as well.

Will you be my preparedness buddy? When two heads are better than one

2010-09-24T16:52:00.007-04:00

For a lot of people, coming up with an emergency preparedness plan can be overwhelming. (What do I need? What should I prepare for? Where would I go?) That’s why, when it comes to preparedness, two heads are often better than one.

With disasters ranging from floods to thunderstorms to fires, it can help to have a preparedness buddy. If you find a friend, family member or neighbor to join forces to prepare, it can make it easier to buy supplies, develop an emergency plan and come up with a communication plan. If you are disabled, elderly or have other special needs, having a preparedness buddy is vital.

Here are some ideas on how you and your preparedness buddy can work together:

1) Shop together and share: When shopping for emergency supplies, save money by buying in bulk, then share the supplies with your buddy. Split up the shopping list so no one person has to buy everything. Then assemble your disaster supply kits together. Your kits should include first aid supplies, non-perishable food, water, batteries, flashlights and other emergency items.

2) Lighten the research load: Ask your buddy to make a list of evacuation routes and hotels while you look up emergency shelters and emergency contact numbers. Make a checklist of other necessary emergency information you’ll need and split the research load with your buddy. Print and share your results.

3) Share your contacts: Give your personal contact information and that of your emergency contacts (such as extended family or out-of-town friends) to your buddy — and vice versa — so that you can check up on each other before, during or after a disaster.

4) Find a responsible adult: Parents should designate a trusted preparedness buddy that their kids can contact if they’re unreachable. That way, if your children need help during a disaster and you’re stuck trying to get home or your cell phone signal won’t get through, your buddy can serve as a back-up.

Knowing you have someone else on your side can make preparing easier! (Have any other ideas on how a preparedness buddy can help? Share them in our comments.)

Celebrate Get Ready Day today!

2010-09-21T10:47:00.005-04:00

Hooray! Today is Get Ready Day, APHA’s fourth annual observance designed to remind Americans about the importance of emergency preparedness — which is a critical component to building stronger, healthier, more resilient communities.

Health disasters can pose a real and present danger to not only a community but an entire nation. Last year’s H1N1 flu outbreak should be a wake-up call to all of us to take basic steps toward protecting ourselves, family and friends from a health emergency.

In recognition of Get Ready Day, we encourage everyone to reflect on how truly prepared they and their family are if a hurricane, tornado or even flu pandemic were to strike. Then, take action toward becoming safeguarded from a disaster by getting a flu shot, establishing an emergency evacuation plan and building a stockpile.

You can also help spread the preparedness message by sharing Get Ready fact sheets with your local community. Ask if you can post the materials in the lobby of your local library, community health center or doctor’s office. And be sure to watch our first-ever Get Ready Video and then share it with family and friends.

How are you celebrating Get Ready Day? Tell us!

Why do kids pick up so many infectious diseases?

2010-09-17T11:13:00.011-04:00

Doesn’t it always seem like when there is one sick kid, within a week or so, every other child around has come down with the same sickness? Or that when there is something going around, kids are the ones who are most likely to get sick?

It’s not just in your head. Kids are most likely to get infections because they have not had the chance to build up a strong immunity yet. Also, bacteria and viruses are everywhere. When children are crawling, running and exploring the world around them (and sticking icky things in their mouths), there’s a greater chance they’ll pick up germs.

Kids usually pick up infections in three ways:

• 3-2-1 contact! As all parents know, kids are little bundles of energy. Their hands tend to pick up germs while they are moving around and touching things and each other. This can lead to infections like diarrhea, pink eye and hand, foot and mouth disease.

• Drip, drop, dribble: A lot of times, kids don’t cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze, shooting spittle and other droplets out into the air and onto surfaces. Infections like flu, pneumonia and the common cold are sometimes spread this way.

• Oops! It’s poop: Children are very curious, which means they get their hands into a whole lot of things they shouldn’t be touching, including some things that (a-hem) are best left in the bathroom. Infected poop that’s spread around can find its way onto someone’s mouth or face. Some illnesses spread this way are pinworms and hepatitis A.

To protect kids from infections, teach them how and when to wash their hands. It’s important for children to learn how to wash their hands when they’re young, as it’s a lesson that will stick with them as they get older. Parents and caretakers can help prevent infections by regularly cleaning toys and other things kids put in their mouths.

Children are always going to explore, touch and taste the world around them. But with a few steps, we can help make sure childhood is a time for learning and fun, not sickness.

Staying safe on campus: Protect yourself from infectious disease

2010-09-10T12:32:00.006-04:00

For a young adult, college can be one of the most exciting times in your life: living on your own, making new friends, learning new things. But this newfound independence also comes with responsibility. (Yes, your parents were right!)

It’s important to stay healthy while away at school and to protect yourself from infectious disease, not only for you but for your fellow classmates. It’s particularly important on campus where students live close together in dorms and share study space, classrooms and meals.

And it’s not just the common cold we’re talking about. In the last few years, there have been reports of outbreaks of mumps on some Midwest college campuses, meningitis at New York schools and H1N1 flu at Washington State University and at many other colleges. And these are just a few examples. The threat is real, and students should know how to protect themselves.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, illnesses like colds and flu are mainly spread from person to person in cough and sneeze droplets. Some viruses and bacteria can live two hours or longer on surfaces like cafeteria tables, doorknobs and desks. In college, everyone shares computers and other workspaces, so keep this in mind when in large common areas.

Follow these tips to help protect yourself from infectious diseases:

• Wash your hands.
• Carry hand sanitizer in your backpack for when soap and water are not available.
• Cover your cough. Cough or sneeze into a tissue and then throw it away. Cover your cough or sneeze into your elbow if you don’t have a tissue.
• Make a daily effort to sanitize your room and workspaces, especially if you have a roommate.
• Keep your distance from other students if they’re sick or if you feel sick.
• If you don’t feel well, stay in. Don’t go to class or spend time in large common areas. Most colleges have exceptions for those who are sick. Check to see what your school says about making up class work if you’re absent due to illness.
• Wash your clothes and sheets regularly to remove germs or bacteria.
• Get vaccinated. Vaccinations help prevent diseases and save lives. Most college campuses offer free vaccines for the flu or other viruses.

Since last year’s flu pandemic, many colleges came up with preparedness plans and tips on how to stay healthy during flu season. Check with your campus officials or health center to see what suggestions they offer for preventing the spread of disease.
So before you get sick and call mom and dad for some chicken noodle soup, follow these tips to help you stay healthy.

Photo is courtesy iStockphoto

It’s hurricane season. Are you ready?

2010-09-03T14:09:00.003-04:00

Batten down the hatches! The Atlantic hurricane season is in full churn. As of this writing, Hurricane Earl threatens the East Coast. And Tropical Storm Fiona and Tropical Depression Gaston are on its heels.

If your community was under a hurricane watch, would you know what to do? How about your neighbors? Now you can make sure you’re ready and help those around you prepare, thanks to AARP’s Operation Hurricane Prepare. The program offers tips on helping you and others get ready. (You’ll need to register to get full access, but it’s free and easy.)

You can use the Operation Hurricane Prepare program to focus on your own hurricane preparedness, or help a whole group prepare. The program has tips on spreading the word, leading a preparedness get-together and assembling emergency kits. It even provides checklists and a basic tips sheet for handy reference.

AARP calls for three main ways to prepare for a hurricane:
• make an emergency supply kit with a three-day supply of essentials;
• map an evacuation plan; and
• create copies of your vital documents and store them so that they can endure the winds, rains and floods of a hurricane.

For more advice, consult the National Hurricane Center. It suggests that a disaster prevention plan include the following steps:
• make a family plan;

• create a disaster supply kit;

• have a place to go;

• secure your home; and

• have a plan for your pets.

Five years ago, Hurricane Katrina took many lives and destroyed numerous homes. Before a storm threatens your community, make sure you’re prepared and help neighbors get ready as well.

Celebrate Get Ready Day on Sept. 21 and spread the preparedness message

2010-08-27T12:37:00.008-04:00

Help your community become more prepared for pandemic flu, disasters and other public health threats by taking part in this year’s Get Ready Day on Tuesday, Sept. 21.

Held annually on the third Tuesday in September, Get Ready Day is timed to coincide with National Preparedness Month, which urges all Americans to prepare, plan and stay informed. Get Ready Day is part of APHA’s Get Ready campaign, which is helping Americans prepare themselves, their families and their communities for all hazards they may face, including pandemic flu, infectious diseases, disasters and other public health threats.

So how can you get involved in Get Ready Day? Set up a booth on campus, pass out materials at a health department, sponsor a preparedness talk at a community center or work with a local grocery store to promote preparedness and stockpiling to shoppers. Our Get Ready Event Guide (PDF) has even more ideas, an event checklist and a sample news release. Also available online from APHA is the Get Ready Games Guide, with do-it-yourself preparedness games that can be used at a Get Ready Day event for kids. No time to hold an event? Add the Get Ready logo and link to your website or blog.

This year, the campaign launched the Get Ready Pledge. Pledge to help make your community better prepared and spread the word! Also new to Get Ready is the Get Ready Video, which tells the story of preparedness through a fun, animated story of an ant and a grasshopper. The video can be downloaded to share with friends and family.

You can help spread the word about your Get Ready Day event by posting your activity to our free online Get Ready Calendar of Events. We’d love to hear about how you celebrate Get Ready Day, so drop us a line or send us a photo of your activities. Thanks for helping spread the preparedness message!

Watch our new Get Ready Video!

2010-08-26T09:47:00.011-04:00

Preparedness advocates who want to spread the word about the importance of being ready for disasters have a new tool at their disposal: A free video from APHA’s Get Ready campaign.

Unveiled today, the two-minute Get Ready Video emphasizes that preparedness pays off when an unexpected disaster occurs and provides tips to get ready. The lesson is couched in an entertaining tale of an ant that is always prepared and a grasshopper that is not, and how the grasshopper learns the lesson. Presented in a colorful, animated style, the video is aimed at viewers of all ages.

The video can be downloaded and shared for free. Supporters are encouraged to show the video at their workplace, in schools, at community events or other venues. The video is also suitable for airing at health departments, office lobbies or doctors’ waiting rooms.

Watch, share and download the Get Ready Video now.
With both Get Ready Day and National Preparedness Month just around the corner, now is the perfect time to educate your community about being ready for disasters.

You are what you eat: How not to get sick during a food-borne disease outbreak

2010-08-20T11:42:00.006-04:00

When it comes to the food you eat, there could be more than meets the eye. Did you know that foods — from lettuce to peanut butter to breakfast cereal — can contain things that make you sick? Bacteria such as E. coli, salmonella and campylobacter could be lurking in all types of foods and you wouldn’t even know it.

Hundreds of people learned that lesson first-hand recently, when they were sickened by salmonella-contaminated eggs. Almost 300 million eggs have been recalled, which unfortunately is not that uncommon. In fact, more than 1,000 food-borne disease outbreaks are reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention every year, involving everything from beef and poultry to fruits and vegetables. If you aren’t aware of the latest outbreak or don’t know if your food is infected, you and your community could be at risk of a serious food-borne illness.

Luckily, there are ways to be prepared. The key is knowing when food-borne disease outbreaks are out there so you know what foods to avoid. The most common foods linked to food-borne illness include poultry, beef and leafy vegetables. The best way to stay informed is to stay up on recalls. The Food and Drug Administration recall Web page lists the latest info, which you can sign up to receive via e-mail. You can also subscribe to an RSS feed for recalls or follow FDA recalls on Twitter. This way, you’ll be the first to know when an outbreak occurs.

If you think you’ve consumed contaminated food, you should follow these guidelines:
• If serious symptoms occur, call your doctor.
• Identify the food product, report the time and date it was consumed and track when symptoms began.
• Inform your local health department if the food was served to a large group of people.

For more information, FDA has dished out some important food handling tips to protect you from food-borne illness. And be sure to check out these podcasts on food safety from the United States Department of Agriculture.

Photo credit: Photo by Julija Sapic, courtesy iStockphoto

Don’t let disease cramp your summertime fun

2010-08-13T14:52:00.007-04:00

Whether you’re camping, staying hydrated or going for a swim, water is a huge part of summer fun. However, the water that we swim in and drink can sometimes contain disease-causing bacteria or viruses (which can seriously cut into that summertime fun).

To keep yourself from getting sick from contaminated water, follow these tips from APHA’s Get Ready campaign:

• Before you go to the beach, check out the Environmental Protection Agency’s online Beach Advisory and Closing Online Notification system to see if there are any warnings of water contamination or closings at beaches near you. If possible, avoid swimming the day after a heavy rainstorm, when contamination is often highest. That way you can avoid taking a dip in run-off that’s spread into the water from streets or overflowing drains.

• Headed to the pool? Believe it or not, germs can spread even in chlorinated water. To prevent the spread of bacteria and lessen your chance of getting sick, practice healthy swimming behavior. That means no swallowing the pool water. Shower with soap before and after swimming, and wash your hands after using the toilet or changing diapers. Also, please be kind to your fellow pool-goers: No swimming when you have diarrhea.

• If you’re traveling in an area where tap water is not chlorinated or sanitation is poor, be sure to have lots of bottled water on hand. Also, there are several methods for ensuring water is safe to drink, including boiling, disinfecting or filtering the water. Remember: If the tap water is not safe to drink in the area you are visiting, don’t use it to reconstitute juice or to rinse fresh fruits and vegetables. Also, avoid ice made from tap water, otherwise you may end up regretting it later.

Following these steps will help keep you and others healthy as you beat the heat with water this summer. Splash away!

Photo credit: Courtesy iStockphoto

National Immunization Awareness Month: The value of vaccination

2010-08-06T15:44:00.003-04:00

August is National Immunization Awareness Month, which means it’s the perfect time to make sure you and your family are up to date on vaccinations. It’s also a great time to recognize the many benefits of immunization, which is one of the most significant public health achievements of the 20th century.

Before vaccines were available, people could have expected diseases such as polio to have lifelong negative impacts on their lives. Today, however, diseases that can be prevented through vaccines are at record lows (PDF). However, the bacteria and viruses that cause these diseases still exist. So if people decide to stop getting vaccinated, the diseases can spread.

That’s a lesson that California residents have learned lately with a recent outbreak of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, which has killed at least seven infants and caused more than 2,000 cases of illness this year. Health officials in the state are reminding residents that both children and adults who come into contact with those who are sick need to keep up on their pertussis vaccinations, which is a message that should resonate with everyone.

"The pertussis epidemic is a sobering and tragic reminder that diseases long-thought controlled can return with a vengeance," said Mark Horton, director of the California Department of Public Health.

With both school and the flu season just around the corner, August is a great time to remind family, friends and co-workers to catch up on vaccinations. To find out what vaccinations you and your family need, check out CDC’s immunization schedules for children and teens or for adults. Remember: Keeping a community healthy and safe from infectious disease involves everyone.

Stay connected and safe from disease while on the go with APHA manual

2010-07-30T11:18:00.011-04:00

In our oh-so-connected world, keeping up with information is a regular pastime. Whether it’s deals at your favorite store, weather conditions or news from halfway around the world, thanks to technology, we can now keep up on-the-go with just about everything that’s important to us. Add now, through APHA, you can add disease information to that mobile checklist.

APHA’s Control of Communicable Diseases Manual — one of the most widely recognized reference books on infectious diseases — recently came out in mobile form. That means whether you are a parent, teacher, health care provider or traveler — or just someone who is really into weird-sounding diseases — you can quickly look up info on infectious disease wherever you are.

While the Control of Communicable Diseases Manual is aimed at health professionals, you don’t need an MD or MPH to be intrigued by its entries, which include diseases such as malaria, smallpox and hepatitis A. The manual shows how diseases travel in communities and provides information about their identification, reporting, control and prevention. (It also has a lot of really cool facts, like that malaria can be transmitted by organ transplants and that hepatitis A has been linked to outbreaks in lettuce and strawberries.)

If you’re a parent, having this information at your fingertips can provide peace of mind and help you and others stay healthy. Frequent travelers to other countries with infectious diseases not common in the United States will also find the manual especially useful.

And chances are, pretty much whatever smartphone or mobile device you’re using, Control of Communicable Diseases Manual for Mobile + Web will work for you, as it’s available for iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Windows Mobile and Palm devices. (Yeah, we’ve got it covered.)

Check out the manual online and browse the free sample chapters. You’ll soon be wondering how you were ever mobile without it.

Protecting yourself from dengue means avoiding mosquitoes

2010-07-23T15:19:00.007-04:00

Since 1934, there hasn’t been an outbreak in Florida of dengue, which in the United States is usually associated with overseas travel to tropical locales.

Yet within the past year, there has been a surge of cases of the disease in the state among people who’ve caught it without leaving America: As of the end of June, 12 "locally acquired" cases of the disease have been reported in the Key West area, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported this month. And that’s on top of the 27 cases linked back to Key West in 2009.

Because of the Florida cases and an outbreak in the Caribbean, dengue has been getting lots of attention in the news. But health experts say there is no reason for Americans to panic.

So, first off, the facts: Dengue is a viral disease that is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito. You can’t catch it from someone else, and it’s not usually fatal. General symptoms include high fever, intense headache, muscle and joint pain and loss of appetite. If you catch dengue, CDC recommends you take acetaminophen, rest, drink plenty of fluids and consult a physician.

While there is no vaccine for dengue, the best way to fight the fever is to protect yourself from mosquitoes. Our recent Get Ready blog entry on mosquitoes has some great steps to follow to avoid being bit, and our new dengue fact sheet has even more information.

Wondering why this is happening now? Experts suggest that climate change may contribute to the spread of dengue, which may help explain the recent Florida cases. With increases in heat, rainfall and humidity, the United States and other nations in the Northern Hemisphere could see more such mosquito-borne tropical diseases within their borders. So whether you live in or are travelling to at-risk parts of the world, remember to take precautions against mosquitoes and listen to information from health officials.

Credit: Photo by Lydia Bilby, courtesy iStockphoto

School’s out! How about some preparedness fun?

2010-07-16T09:44:00.008-04:00

School’s wrapped up for the year, leaving your kids with more time on their hands and you scratching your head on how to keep them busy for the long stretch ahead.

For great ideas this summer, look to APHA’s Get Ready campaign. Our educational, fun and portable activities for kids are perfect for printing out and taking to the pool or park. For example, the Get Ready Kids Fun Pack includes brain teasers, connect-the-dots, a crossword puzzle and word scramble.

For more active fun, download the Get Ready Games Guide (PDF), which includes step-by-step instructions on how to make your own games, like Get Ready Bowling or the Pin the Tissue on Sneezy Sam. They can help you keep any child occupied and learning for hours.

Make the activities interactive by using our checklist of necessary items for any emergency, or take our quiz to see how well-prepared your family is.

Now that summer is here and school distractions are out of the way, it’s also a good time to use the Get Ready Kids Guide to flu and learn together what you and your family need in order to be prepared before flu season returns this fall.

Photo Credit: iStockphoto

The heat is on: Surviving the summer sizzle

2010-07-09T12:01:00.014-04:00

The warmest weather so far this year has arrived. As the mercury hits its heights, it’s important to know how to prepare for and survive summer temperatures. People can naturally cool their bodies by sweating, but excessive heat can be dangerous — even deadly — and should be taken very seriously.

Heat-related illnesses and injuries can be avoided by learning to take caution when participating in outdoor activities and recognizing the warning signs of too much sun exposure. Public health officials urge residents to follow these basic prevention measures to avoid heat-related illness:

• Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing.

• Force the fluids. If you’re working or exercising outside, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends drinking up to 32 ounces of cool fluids every hour.

• Stay indoors if you can. Air conditioning is the best defense against the heat. If your home does not have air conditioning, find out if there are emergency cooling centers in your community, or spend some time at the mall or a museum.

• Know the warning signs of heat sickness. Symptoms vary, but typically include muscle cramp, fatigue, headache and nausea.

• Pay attention to the weather forecast. The National Weather Service issues heat-related alerts. Be aware of the weather forecast before you leave your home so you’re better prepared for the day ahead.

• Lend a hand. The elderly are more susceptible to the heat and sun’s wrath. If you know elderly people, offer to get groceries or accompany them on errands so they don’t have to withstand the heat alone. Check up on them periodically.

Even if you’re a fan of the hot weather, you’re still vulnerable to the summer sun. The American Cancer Society advises to stay mindful of UV rays and lather on sunscreen when spending time outdoors. Check out the Environmental Working Group’s Sunscreen Guide to find out what protection is best for you.

APHA’s Get Ready campaign offers a fact sheet (PDF) in English and Spanish (PDF) on how you and your family can stay protected before and during a summer heat wave and what to do in case you show signs of symptoms.

Keep it cool!

Photo Credit:Photo by Gene Chutka, courtesy iStockphoto

Shoo fly: Mosquito, don’t bother me!

2010-07-02T13:01:00.004-04:00

Summer is here. While visiting the beach and tantalizing your taste buds at backyard barbeques, don’t forget about the little insects that can sneak up on you when least expected — mosquitoes. Mosquito bites can be irritating, but sometimes these pesky pests can carry much more than an itchy bite. Some may carry disease.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 32 people died in the United States in 2009 due to West Nile virus, and 720 people reported symptoms of the virus. West Nile virus, spread by infected mosquitoes, is a serious, yet preventable disease that everyone should be aware of in warmer months.

Another mosquito-borne disease causing renewed concern in the United States is dengue fever. It’s usually found in tropical regions, but has returned to the U.S. mainland. Infections have occurred in Florida, and it may spread as changes occur in climate and global travel increases.

So there’s more than one good reason to avoid mosquito bites. What to do? CDC offers a Fight the Bite Guide (PDF) that gives tips on protecting yourself from mosquitoes and avoiding infections. Here are a few things to get started:

• Repel ‘em: One effective way to keep the mosquitoes at bay is to apply repellent. Repellents with DEET and Picardin have longer lasting protection, according to CDC. Pay special attention when using repellents on children and read the labels before applying.

• Keep your home mosquito-free: That unassuming baby pool in your backyard with the three-day-old water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The mosquitoes love to lay their eggs there (yuck!) so eliminate any standing water in your area.

• Protect your community: Help keep your neighborhood safe by cleaning up places where mosquitoes live and lay eggs, and learn more about controlling mosquitoes and the spread of disease where you live.

While your chances of getting sick from just one bite are low, you should still be mindful that even one bite could pose a serious, even deadly, health risk. So protect yourself and your loved ones, and enjoy the summer.

Photo Credit: Photo by James Gathany, courtesy Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Public Health Image Library

The Gulf oil spill and advice for residents: Be aware and prepare

2010-06-25T11:18:00.011-04:00

The ongoing underwater oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico has created a host of well-publicized environmental problems, from oil-soaked birds to goo-saturated beaches. But officials are also warning of another potential hazard: The threat to the health of people who live in the region.

Like any disaster, there are steps that people can take to be prepared for an environmental crisis in their community — which can happen anytime, anywhere and without warning. Some good general advice? Always have an adequate supply of bottled water stored(PDF) in case tap water becomes contaminated. Pay close attention to the news and be mindful of warnings to evacuate or to stay inside your home. Actively seek out information from reliable sources, such as government officials and your local health department, and share their advice with your neighbors and others who you care about.

In the case of the Gulf oil disaster, health officials have released some specific tips for people who live in the region. Among the recommendations:

• Be aware of the air: People with respiratory problems or asthma should carry their inhalers or medication with them when near the shoreline, or anywhere they can smell chemicals in the air. Even though humans can smell gas from oil wells before it has the potential to cause harm, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that those with respiratory issues may be more sensitive to the strong smell of oil.

• Special tips for moms-to-be: Pregnant women should take special care when coming into contact with food, water or air that may be contaminated by the oil leak and avoid areas where there are reports of oil reaching the shore, according to CDC.

• Stay out of the water: Although drinking water is not "expected to be affected"by the disaster, swimming at beaches can result in skin rashes or other effects. Before making plans to head to Gulf coast beaches, do some quick research on their status.

• Pay attention to food warnings: Federal health officials are monitoring the oil leak’s impact on seafood and will issue warnings if anything is deemed unsafe. If you are unsure whether something is safe to eat, contact your local health department.

• Watch out for winds: If a hurricane hits in the Gulf region, strong rains and winds could spread around oil or contaminated debris, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warns, so caution is advised when cleaning up after storms.

For more information, visit the CDC and FDA websites, as well as your state and local health departments’ websites.

Photo credit: A worker cleans up oil that washed ashore in Grand Terre, La., on June 3. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer Third Class Ann Marie Gordon

Get ready for summer activities in the heat

2010-06-18T11:49:00.008-04:00

Today’s guest blog was prepared by the Recreation and Sports Subcommittee of the Injury Control and Emergency Services Committee of APHA and is by APHA member Sara B. Newman, MCP, DrPH, public risk management program director with the National Park Service and a commander in the U.S. Public Health Service.

Summer is officially here on Monday, and with it comes long days, lots of sun, hot weather and increased risk for activity-related heat injury. The kids are out of school and we’re all more active. Whether your favorite activity is walking in the neighborhood, hiking in the woods, running a marathon or fishing on the lake, a little advance planning can go a long way toward making your adventure safe and trouble-free.

1. Acclimatize gradually to the heat. Let your body adapt to warmer temperatures by gradually increasing activity. Kids involved in youth sports? Make sure coaches follow appropriate acclimatization guidelines such as those from the National Athletic Training Association.

2. Take a break! Adjust activity level and take frequent rest breaks during hot weather activities.

3. Hydrate early, often and after. Adequate hydration ensures your body’s ability to regulate temperature through sweating. Thirst is a poor indicator of adequate hydration, so be sure to stop for regular drinks whether or not you are thirsty.

4. Take precautions during high-intensity activities. You should drink only as much fluid as you lose due to sweating during a high-intensity sport — usually no more than 34 ounces — or about 1 liter — of water an hour during extended exercise, otherwise you risk losing too much salt in the body.

5. Consider drinking sports beverages during demanding activities. Ask your doctor about replacing water with sports beverages that contain electrolytes when participating in endurance events such as marathons, triathlons and other demanding activities.

6. Take the sunscreen! Sunburn can slow your ability to shed heat, is painful and can lead to serious illness in severe cases. The long-term effects of sunburn have also been linked to skin cancer. A little prevention goes a long way, so make sure to apply adequate amounts of sunscreen early and often. Also, cover especially susceptible areas with clothing and wear a hat to protect your face and sunglasses to protect your eyes.

7. Check out the weather forecast and be prepared. The National Weather Service’s Heat Index chart takes into account heat and humidity and can help you decide whether you should modify your outdoor activities to avoid heat-related injuries. Learn more about prevention during heat waves (PDF). Check out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s "Tips for Preventing Heat Illness."

8. Know the risk factors for heat-related injury. Children and the elderly are more susceptible to heat-related injury. Certain common medications, such as diuretics or amphetamines, may also increase the risk for heat injury. Other risk factors include obesity, pre-existing medical conditions and poor conditioning.

9. Learn the warning signs. Behavioral signs include irritability, inattention, stupor, lethargy and fatigue. Physical symptoms — from mild to severe — include thirst, headache, dizziness, profuse sweating, rapid heart rate, complete cessation of sweating, pallor, vomiting and loss of consciousness.

10. Severe heat injury is a medical emergency. Review first aid procedures for heat injuries before heading out in hot weather. Always start by getting the victim to a cooler place.

Photo Credit: Art courtesy of iStockphoto

There’s no place like home: Encountering a tornado while away

2010-06-11T11:00:00.019-04:00

Today’s guest blog is by Mighty Fine, MPH, a health analyst at APHA who works on the Association’s Get Ready campaign.

If emergency preparedness were a class, I’d ace it. I’m talking summa cum laude status. I have a stockpile, an emergency plan and I’ve even practiced living off of bottled water for two days. If a disaster were to occur while I was at home, I’d be prepared. The problem is I don’t always stay at home.

Like many people, I travel a great deal for work and play. I’m usually so focused on my reason for traveling that I don’t give emergency preparedness much thought. However the recent tornado activity in the U.S. Midwest forced me to think more about preparedness on the road. I had a trip planned there, and after watching the news coverage of the twisters roaring through these communities I was a little worried about my travel. It’s not like once I got there I could click my heels three times and return to the safe haven I call home. My best bet was to be as prepared as possible while at the hotel.

I usually pack light so I can carry my bag on the plane to avoid checked baggage fees, but this time was different. I packed a flashlight, a small radio and some extra batteries, which preparedness experts recommend to carry if you are a frequent traveler. My flight there was a little bumpy so I expected that a storm was on the horizon.

Upon checking into the hotel, I asked the clerk about the tornado warning procedure and evacuation expectations. I even took a tour of the shelter area. Once I got to my room, I checked out the emergency exit diagram on the back of the door and committed it to memory. Not long after I checked in, I could hear the rain pouring down on the roof above me. I watched the sky change from blue to gray within moments.

From my hotel room, I heard the hallway doors close automatically and moments later the tornado warning siren rang loudly, signaling that it was time to go to the shelter area. I hopped up with my radio and flashlight and exited my room. As I was familiar with the evacuation route, I knew where to go, and since I had my preparedness supplies, I was more at ease. I was able to help direct other people to shelter. Luckily, the tornado did not hit the hotel, and my fellow guests and I stayed safe.

My experience with sheltering from a tornado in an unfamiliar place could happen to anyone who travels. If you are traveling to a tornado-prone area, pack emergency supplies, and familiarize yourself with evacuation routes and shelter areas. Pay attention to the weather and listen to the radio. If the sky becomes threatening, head for shelter right away. Remember that it is important to be prepared, no matter where you are.

Photo credit: A tornado in Kansas, May 2008. Photo by Chris Foltz, courtesy National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Get Ready Mailbag: Shaking hands can spread germs. What to do?

2010-06-04T14:21:00.006-04:00

Welcome to another installment of the Get Ready Mailbag, when we take time to answer questions sent our way by readers like you. Have a question you want answered? Send an e-mail to getready@apha.org.

Q. I’ve read that shaking hands can spread germs. When should you avoid shaking hands? What if you can’t?

A. The handshake, a greeting used in work settings, at formal occasions or among friends, is a common practice in the United States and in many parts of the world. Hands are extended as a sign of welcome, respect and courtesy. But what do you do if you are sick or the person who is about to shake your hand is sick?

Refusing a handshake may come across in social circles as rude, but there’s good reason to think twice before reciprocating with a firm grip. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose or mouth. That “something” could be an unwashed, outstretched hand of a neighbor or coworker.

During the recent H1N1 influenza pandemic, concerns about preventing the spread of germs led to greater scrutiny of the common handshake. In some faith communities where greeting fellow worshippers or “passing of the peace” are regular rituals, religious leaders advised against or even forbid shaking hands. And the World Health Organization has promoted “elbow bumps” as an alternative greeting to a hand shake.

So what to do? If you have been sick and someone extends a hand, you might simply say, “I’m sorry, but I am getting over a cold and don’t want to get you sick.” Or, if someone has been hacking into his or her hand and there is no way to politely decline, avoid touching your eyes, mouth or nose, and wash your hands with soap and water soon after.

As always, it is best to stay home if you are sick and to avoid contact with sick people when possible, but in those unavoidable situations, the simple act of hand washing with soap and water remains the most effective way of keeping germs at bay. And make sure you’re washing properly with APHA’s Get Ready campaign fact sheet on hand washing, available in both English and Spanish. (PDF) For your best protection against flu, doctors also recommend getting vaccinated.

How to protect yourself from infectious diseases in the workplace

2010-05-28T12:43:00.005-04:00

Have you ever trudged off to work with chills, achy bones and a fever? If so, you’re not alone. Studies show that about half of U.S. workers reported to work ill in the past year. Oft-cited reasons for spreading germs at the workplace are fear of lost wages — many people have minimal or no paid sick leave — or guilt about missing work.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some viruses and bacteria can live two hours or longer on surfaces like computer keyboards, desks, phones and fax machines. As icky as it sounds, the co-worker who’s coughing all over the conference room table or racing to the restroom because of a nasty stomach bug can turn your office into an incubator for all manner of infectious bugs.

To protect yourself and your co-workers from these and other germs:

* Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue every time you cough or sneeze, and throw the used tissue in a wastebasket. If you don't have a tissue, sneeze or cough into your sleeve, not your hands.

* Wash your hands often, especially after coughing, sneezing or using the restroom. Use soap and warm water and rub your hands together for about 20 seconds, making sure to scrub all the surfaces. Rinse your hands under clean, running water and dry them with a paper towel. No soap and water available? Alcohol-based hand sanitizer can inactivate most germs in a jiffy, so always keep some at your workstation.

* Get a flu shot (or the nasal vaccine if you don’t like needles). A yearly flu vaccination is the single best way to lower your chances of getting the flu. If you get the vaccine but still get sick, the vaccine can make the bug milder.

* Avoid close contact with co-workers who are obviously ill, and if you’re sick, stay home and keep your germs to yourself.

* Steer clear of the damp sponge that might be lurking in the sink in your office kitchen. Squishy sponges are breeding grounds for disease-causing bacteria.

* Use alcohol-based wipes or other approved sanitizers to disinfect your keyboard, telephone, desk and mouse.

Speaking of your computer mouse, don’t overlook the living, breathing variety that might come out at night to dance on your desk and keyboard. According to University of Arizona researchers, your office toilet is probably 400 times cleaner than your desk, but the latter is your preferred lunch venue. As unappetizing as it sounds, crumbs that lodge between the keys will encourage the growth of bacteria and could become tasty morsels for all manner of disease-carrying vermin. Dust is a problem too, because it will trap moisture that becomes a breeding ground for insects.

Even if you don’t eat at your desk, your fingers come in contact with all kinds of germs over the course of a work day, and the bugs end up on your phone and keyboard. Hitting the "delete" key won’t sweep these germs away. To stay healthy, keep your keyboard crumb-free, wash your hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer often — especially before you eat — and clean your entire work area regularly with disinfectant wipes

Cleaning up and staying safe after a flood

2010-05-21T11:45:00.005-04:00

The heavy rains that brought widespread flooding and devastation in Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi in early May have gone, but the muck left behind now has residents cleaning up and rebuilding their lives.

Even if the rains may not have affected you, floods can happen anywhere across the nation — even in your community. Storms, excessive rainfall, snowmelt and even a water-main break can cause a dangerous and destructive flood. Not only can flooding cause lots of water damage and interrupt day-to-day activities, but it can also be a source of health problems.

Luckily, there are steps you can take to prepare for the worst. The Get Ready campaign provides helpful tips (PDF) for what to do before, during and after a flood. And if your home was flooded, keep the following tips in mind as you clean up:

• Be safe while you clean up. Wear long pants to keep the bugs out and sturdy gloves and boots to protect hands and feet. Wear a mask when stirring up mold or lots of dust. Clean out wounds with soap and clean water as soon as they happen so they don’t get infected. And don’t use a gas-powered generator in a closed-off area.

• Keep your hands squeaky clean. Wash your hands often to avoid infection. If officials say the water isn’t safe, use bottled water or water that has come to a rolling boil for at least one minute. An alcohol-based hand sanitizer can also help if water is limited.

• Be mindful of electricity. Don’t use appliances that have gotten wet, including refrigerators, washing machines or driers, as water can damage electrical appliance motors. Have them and your small applicances checked out by a service person first. In fact, the Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends that you have an electrician check your house wiring before you flip a switch or use an outlet after a flood.

• Beware of mold. Mold grows very quickly in wet, damp areas, so dry everything out, and throw away items that won’t dry fast, like rugs. Put fans in your windows and doorways and face them outward (make sure the fan is not flood damaged first!). To clean mold use one cup of bleach per gallon of water.

• Clean everything. Sanitize the places where you prepare and eat your food as well as your pots, dishware and utensils. Wash your kids’ toys, the linens and all clothing. Throw out pacifiers and stuffed animals.

• Say goodbye to your food supply. Throw away perishable foods and anything that may have come in contact with floodwater, including canned foods, jars, spices and any food kept in a box, paper, foil or cellophane.

Although flood cleanup is hard work, following these steps can help keep you safe from infections and injuries after the waters recede.

The American Red Cross is accepting donations to help victims of the recent U.S. flooding. To help, visit the organization’s website or text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Photos by David Fine, courtesy Federal Emergency Management Agency. Top photo, Maggie Potter cleans household items in Bordeaux, Tenn., on May 8 following flooding there. Bottom, a neighborhood in Clarksville, Tenn., remains flooded May 12, more than a week after storms flooded many homes in the area.

Preparedness across the nation: Kansas and Idaho public health associations help residents get ready

2010-05-14T16:08:00.003-04:00

With the help of free Get Ready campaign materials, it’s easy for state and local organizations to spread the word to their communities about being prepared. That’s the message of two recent Get Ready podcast interviews conducted with state public health association leaders.

The podcasts, focusing on work by the Kansas Public Health Association and Idaho Public Health Association, provide good examples of how organizations can use Get Ready materials in their communities.

“The Get Ready materials are all put together — all we have to do is access them,” said Elaine Schwartz, executive director of the Kansas Public Health Association , who details her organization’s recent work in the podcast.

In Kansas, the association is working with the Kansas Chamber of Commerce to get the word out to local businesses on the importance of workplace wellness and preparedness and uses Get Ready materials in its outreach.

“The only thing more important than hiring the right employee is the health of the employee,” Schwartz says in the podcast.

The Idaho Public Health Association has also had success with Get Ready materials. The association teamed up with a local grocery store chain last year to promote the Get Ready: Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks campaign.
The association set up an in-store booth, handed out materials and raffled off a giveaway of a family stockpile basket.

“Having ready information that people can use is really important,” says Mary Ann Reuter, executive director of the Idaho Public Health Association in the Get Ready podcast.

“If we can get to a more personal level with the message for schools and for the neighborhood groups, I think what we will see is this sort of acknowledgment of ‘oh gosh, so that’s what public health is!’ or ‘that is what the Idaho Public Health Association is about,” Reuter said. “It helps us gain some name recognition.”

Both of the podcasts can be listened to online via the Get Ready podcast page.

Have you used Get Ready materials to improve your community’s preparedness? Share your story with us. (mailto:getready@apha.org)

Get Ready campaign offers more than 20 fact sheets, materials in Spanish

2010-05-07T10:12:00.004-04:00

From earthquakes and power outages to H1N1 flu and handwashing, APHA’s Get Ready campaign offers a wealth of free fact sheets to help people become more prepared. And now, the ever-growing list of Get Ready materials includes 20 resources in Spanish.

In April, the Get Ready campaign debuted seven new Spanish-language translations of its preparedness materials on its website, including fact sheets on water stockpiling, (PDF) pet preparedness (PDF) and cold and flu supplies. (PDF) Also new are professionally translated Spanish versions of the Get Set activity kit, (PDF) which encourages high school students to become involved in preparedness, and the Get Ready Kids Guide to flu (PDF).

The new materials join a wealth of other resources that have long been available in Spanish through the campaign, including fact sheets on floods, (PDF) winter storms, (PFD) H1N1 flu (PDF) and emergency stockpiling. (PDF) Offering campaign materials in languages other than English helps spread the Get Ready preparedness message, according to campaign organizers, particularly with the growing number of Spanish-speaking U.S. residents.

As of 2000, about one in five U.S. residents — about 47 million people — spoke a language other than English at home according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Among those were 28.1 million Spanish speakers, just over half of whom reported speaking English "very well." And the number of Spanish speakers continues to grow.

So whether you are looking for materials for use at community, school or other events or to share with family and friends, the free bilingual Get Ready campaign resources are worth a look — and a download.

Help the hungry and improve your community preparedness through national food drive on May 8

2010-05-03T17:21:00.005-04:00

Did you know food banks play an important part in community preparedness? Here’s why: Because if there are 49.1 million people who already don't have enough to eat and a disaster such as a flood, tornado or flu outbreak strikes, the demand on food banks will increase. That's why it’s important to support our community food banks year-round. You can help improve preparedness in your community thanks to an upcoming national food drive, Stamp out Hunger.

Organized by the National Association of Letter Carriers, the U.S. Postal Service and other sponsors, Stamp Out Hunger is the nation’s largest single-day food drive. Since its inception in 1993, the food drive has collected nearly 1 billion pounds of food, including a record-setting 73.4 million pounds in 2009.

It’s easy to help Stamp Out Hunger this year. Just leave a sturdy bag containing non-perishable foods, such as canned vegetables, pasta, rice or cereal, next to your mailbox before your mail comes on Saturday, May 8. Food items should be in non-breakable containers, such as boxes and cans, and should not be expired.

The nation’s 230,000 letter carriers will be collecting the donations and delivering them to food banks and other hunger relief organizations in more than 10,000 local communities. If you’re not sure whether your postal carrier will be taking part Saturday, contact your local post office. For more on the food drive, visit the event website, Facebook page or Twitter.

Every little bit helps and moves your local food bank — and your community — one step closer to being prepared.

Emergency preparedness kits: Buy one or make one?

2010-04-30T15:47:00.004-04:00

When disaster strikes, you’ll need quick, easy access to the right supplies to keep you and your loved ones safe and healthy. One of the best ways to make sure you’re ready for an emergency is to have a preparedness kit (PDF).

You can buy a ready-made preparedness kit off the shelf, or you can make one yourself. Both options will provide you with important supplies, but if you buy a kit, check to make sure that all of the items included meet the needs of you and your family. For example, a purchased toolkit may not come with items you need if you have pets to care for.

To cover all of your bases, start with a checklist. APHA’s Get Ready campaign offers tips for packing and creating (PDF) a preparedness kit. Use this as a guide to help you gather the items you need to make your own kit or to make sure a store-bought kit has the right contents.

The Get Ready checklist also gives you tips for storing your kit and how often to check the kit to make sure the items are still fresh. This important information isn’t included in many pre-assembled toolkits. And if you have pets, check out the fact sheet (PDF)
on including emergency supplies for pets.

Similar checklists and tips are available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

So which is better, making your own preparedness kit or buying one? Both are fine, but make sure your kit contains everything you’ll need. A checklist will help. Also, make sure it has enough supplies to last at least three days. Creating your own kit will take a little extra effort, but you can be sure it includes everything on your list. And when disaster strikes, a well-stocked kit will provide a special something not on a checklist: peace of mind.