APHA congratulates winners of Get Ready Day event contest

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?

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’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

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

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

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.