|
Health Commissioner Julia Sheen announced today that the Immunization Program’s flu vaccine outreach that was postponed last week because of the weather will be held territorywide beginning Thursday.
Free flu shots will be administered to residents from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Tutu Park Mall on St. Thomas and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Plaza Extra East on St. Croix.
“We encourage residents to take advantage of this opportunity to get free flu shots as the flu season gets underway,” Sheen said.
Outreach activities will also be held on Friday, October 15, 2010, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Coral Bay Fire Station and at Plaza Extra West on St. Croix.
Sheen said that Immunization clinics at Department of Health facilities will be closed during outreach activities and regrets any inconvenience to clients.
In addition to the free flu shots, the Immunization Program is hosting a dinner lecture with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) to provide healthcare professionals with updates on recommended vaccines.
The first of two dinner lecture series will be held from 6 to 9:30 tonight at the Charlotte Kimelman Cancer Institute on St. Thomas and from 6 to 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 14, 2010, at the V.I. Cardiac Center on St. Croix.
Dr. Iyabode Akinsanya-Beysolow, the Medical Officer with the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases under the CDC, will be the featured speaker and expected to discuss whether residents will only need one flu shot this year. Last year, following the outbreak of the Novel H1N1 virus, residents were recommended to take both the seasonal flu shot as well as the H1N1 vaccine.
Discussions will also include changes in vaccine recommendations from the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices to using reliable science-based information when addressing patient concerns or questions about immunization, among others, Sheen said.
As part of the dinner lecture, participants can apply for these available continuing education credits:
- Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) for nurses
- Continuing Medical Education (CME) for physicians
- Continuing Education Units (CEU) for continuing education and training
- Continuing Education Contact Hours in Health Education (CECH) for certified health education specialists
|
