The 818 Now

Citing growing stocks of the H1N1 vaccine, Los Angeles County public health officials Tuesday announced that they would make the inoculations available to those outside the highest-risk groups.

“Certain retail pharmacies” should start receiving limited supplies of the swine flu vaccine at the end of the month to administer for a small fee.

A number of appointments for no-cost H1N1 vaccines will be available at an L.A. County Public Health center for residents who don’t have health insurance or regular health care, according to the county.

Residents without health insurance who were pregnant, caring for infants, emergency medical workers, children and young adults or those with chronic diseases had been given priority earlier this year when the swine flu vaccine was in short supply.

County health officials warned residents to get the vaccine, even if it appeared the second wave of swine flu had peaked. Chief county Health Officer Jonathan Fielding said that with the flu season lasting through April, “another wave of flu is certainly possible.”

Click here for more information on the flu vaccine.

HIV/AIDS remains an epidemic around the world. In this country, it has changed from being a mostly gay, white disease in the ’80s and ’90s to infecting many poor and minority people in the Southeastern and Southern U.S. 

World AIDS day began in 1988 by the United Nations organization that was renamed UNAIDS. 

According to the LA Gay & Lesbian Center and San Francisco AIDS Foundation:

- As many as 7,000 Californians will become infected with AIDS this year.

- African-Americans make up 6% of California’s population, but account for nearly 19% of those living with HIV/AIDS. 

- Someone is infected with HIV every 9.5 minutes in the U.S. 

- An estimated 56,300 people will become infected with HIV this year. 

- 1.1 million people are currently living with AIDS, 21% of whom are unaware. 

- Americans ages 13-29 account for 34% of all new infections, most of which are through sexual contact. 

- Racial and ethnic minorities account for about 67% of those living with HIV and about 70% of AIDS deaths. 

- AIDS is the single leading cause of death of women globally. 

For more check out the AIDS/LifeCycle.

Seven Glendale Community College nursing students received a combined $11,000 in scholarships from Kaiser Permanente, the health provider announced.

The students were Mariana Aguero, Andrew Braga, Brittany Donofrio, Matthew Li, Reena Patel, Liza Schmit and Monika Talley. The money was to to help “ease the tuition increase and complete their nursing education,” according the announcement.

Kaiser Permanente said they were among 145 nursing students from 46 Southern California colleges and universities that have been granted a total of $256,500 in scholarships.

Need-based scholarships from $2,000 to $2,500 were awarded in the categories of Nursing as a Second Career, Underrepresented Groups in Nursing, Academic Excellence (3.9+ GPA), Graduate Studies and scholarships to students from schools with a Kaiser Permanente clinical affiliation.

While getting my flu shot last week, I noticed a flier in my doctor’s office that I wanted to share.

The Providence St. Joseph Breast Health Center is offering low-cost digital screening mammograms for $100 through Dec. 31. Evening and weekend appointments are necessaryand can be scheduled by calling (818) 847-4999.

The American Cancer Society recommends annual screening mammograms for all women age 40 and older.

The center also has available $100 gift certificates for a digital screening mammogram to family and friends. Certificates can be purchased over the phone (818) 847-3434 or in person at the center, 201 S. Buena Vista Street, Suite 20, Burbank.  They are valid through Dec. 31, 2010.

 

I must admit: sometimes I can be a bit of a worrier, and this swine flu scare has turned me a hypochondriac.

Every time, I sneeze, cough or sniffle, my immediate thoughts turn to, “Oh no! I have H1N1!”

So I was happy to discover a H1n1 Flu Self-Evaluation feature on the federal government’s Web site dedicated to the flu.

The site warns that the test should not be used in lieu of seeking medical care, but I found that it could be helpful in a preliminary diagnosis of my symptoms. And to ease my hypochondria.

NORTHEAST GLENDALE — Altadena resident Diane Whiffen missed the chance to get an H1N1 flu vaccination on Sunday, so she wasn’t about to miss the opportunity Tuesday to get a shot for her and her two young children.

In the early morning darkness, Whiffen and her 4-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son drove to the Glendale Civic Auditorium, and at 3 a.m. were the first to stand in line for a free swine flu vaccination. “There was a bunch of people who came from [the Monrovia clinic],” Whiffen said. “Some people waited in line for seven hours and didn’t make it, so I am lucky, I guess, because I am in the front of the line.”

Whiffen was among thousands of people Tuesday waiting in line for an H1N1 vaccination. County officials administered shots and nasal sprays to those to met a pre-determined set of criteria.

Glendale city workers, police and fire organized a massive line that extended from the north end of the auditorium and ran like a maze through the property.

Click here for the full story.

Los Angeles County Public Health officials imposed a stiffer screening process for those seeking the free H1N1 vaccine at community clinics.

The screening will allow high-priority groups, including pregnant women, infants and health-care workers, to get the vaccine before others.

Demand for the vaccine has exceeded the county’s supply, public health officials said.

Vaccine clinics that reach maximum capacity before closing will be shut down early, officials said.

Review this vaccination form if you’re planning to get the county’s free shot.

To find the closest clinic, visit the county’s public health website.

While Verdugo Hills Hospital has vaccinated all health-care workers, the hospital won’t be giving seasonal flu shots to the general public, said Section Control Preventionist and Registered Nurse Linda Greenwood.

“Our community clinics are over,” Greenwood said. “We won’t have any more walk-in clinics. To get a seasonal vaccine, go to your doctor. If you don’t have a doctor, go to a public clinic.”

Greenwood added that a good resource for the American public is LAPublicHealth.org, which announces when and where flu clinics will be held in the Los Angeles area.

No seasonal flu clinics are scheduled for the foreseeable future, but on Nov. 3, Glendale Civic Auditorium will hold a H1N1 flu vaccination clinic from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. If you plan on attending the clinic, you must fill out this form.

The hospital is set to receive a shipment of H1N1 flu vaccines for health-care workers early next week. “We will not provide H1N1 vaccines for the community,” Greenwood said.

Greenwood provided a few tips to keep from catching or spreading either flu.

1. Cover your mouth when you cough.
2. Wash your hands for 15-20 seconds.
3. If you’re feeling sick, stay home.

There’s been a lot of hay that the H1N1 vaccines were unsafe because they’d been rushed to market — part of a larger nefarious conspiracy. Right-wing media in particular emphasized the dangers of vaccination.

Catherine Mccormick-Lelyveld, press secretary for First Lady Michelle Obama, blogged that all four Obamas were given the seasonal flu vaccine, and the daughters were also vaccinated with the H1N1 last week when it became available in Washington, D.C.

Children are most at risk for H1N1, health officials said.

Even with the negative hype, last week we reported that vaccines were in short supply in the Glendale area; patients should check with their doctor for updates on vaccine availability.

It was a typical morning. Feed the dog, cats, mom and the turtle. Walk the dog. Jump into the shower. The warm water felt great. I started working the soap across my torso and under my arms. Whoops! What was that? Naw, musta been a large fur ball off one of the cats. My fingers ran across my underarm again more slowly this time. And there it was. A lump. After my shower I showed the lump to mom. She suggested I make an appointment immediately with my ob/gyn, so I called and within an hour I was in his office. He looked at it and said it looked more like an swollen pore that had been aggravated by shaving. It would probably take a week to disolve. But I was sketical. Both my maternal grandmother and first cousin on my Dad’s side died of breast cancer, so I’m deligent about mammograms. I have to be more diligent about monthly self breast exams, but I’m usually too rushed to remember them. But when I hear someone complain about how painful a mammogram is, I tell them my story. My doctor went ahead an oked a mammogram, but within two days the nodule started to shrink and I cancelled the appointment. I was lucky this time.

We have done a series of stories related to breast cancer awareness this month. There are so many things we can do to protect ourselves if only we do them. If you can’t afford a mammogram, call the YWCA in Glendale. They provide funds for women who don’t have insurance or money to take the test. Do the monthly self-breast exams. Eat right. Exercise more. And share what you know with your friends.

From the Glendale News-Press:

GLENDALE — Cocaine and marijuana use in Glendale is significantly higher than the county average, according to a preliminary report Thursday to a cross section of nonprofit, health and school district officials.

The so-called Quality of Life Indicators Report, which measures everything from water quality to infant mortality rates, culled data from a number of sources, including Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, the U.S. Census Bureau and the city’s own statistics, among others. The first report was released in 2002 after seven years of development.

A brief preview to members of the Glendale Healthier Community Coalition Thursday noted that adult smoking rates in Glendale adults had decreased since 1997, although it was not immediately known what impact the city’s recent citywide smoking restrictions had on those figures.

At the same time, obesity rates among residents have increased, and the report cites statistics that show marijuana and cocaine use in Glendale is more rampant than in nearby Pasadena or Los Angeles County as a whole.

City officials declined to reveal hard figures or statistics for other indicators until the City Council had a chance to review the report.

Developing story here.

A good portion of the Glendale News-Press and Burbank Leader editorial staff have fallen prey to some kind of bug this week. The show, of course, must go on, but those of us still vertical are becoming very good friends with our bottles of Purell. Even better than hand sanitizer, though, is a flu shot. Get yours.

Here’s a list of some nearby flu shot clinics. Click here for the full list from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

• 10/24/09 Sat Chevy Chase Rec Ctr 4165 Chevy Chase Dr. Los Angeles 90039 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• 10/24/09 Sat Granada Hills Rec Ctr 16730 Chatsworth St. Granada Hills 91344 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• 10/25/09 Sun Granada Hills Rec Ctr 16730 Chatsworth St. Granada Hills 91344 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• 10/25/09 Sun Chevy Chase Rec Ctr 4165 Chevy Chase Dr. Los Angeles 90039 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

A healthy 25-year-old, I have paid little attention to the recent debate about the overhaul of the national healthcare system.

A public option, prescription drug costs, nurse shortage, Senator Olympia Snowe? I was sure they would have it worked out well before I needed to a make a visit to the doctor.

Last week, however, a scratchy throat turned into a serious cough, which developed into a nasty cold and by Saturday I was having trouble breathing.

A recent L.A Times Co. hire, I am still waiting on my insurance coverage to come through and thus was faced with the dilemna experienced by so many millions of Americans. Should I avoid the doctor (and the bill) and continue to self medicate with whatever I could buy at CVS, and possibly put my health at risk? Or should I visit an emergency room and pay for all the fees out of pocket.

I chose option number two, and despite having to sit in a waiting room at Kaiser Permanente on Sunset Boulevard for two hours on Saturday night, I am glad I did. The diagnosis was bronchitis and ear infections in both ears.

I haven’t received the bill for the visit yet, but I know it won’t be cheap. The doctor prescribed a strong antibiotic and a medicated inhaler, which cost me over $100. Throw in a chest X-ray (needed to rule out pnuemonia), and I am guessing I will be eating Ramen noodles for the next month or so.

One thing is for sure, next time President Barack Obama speaks about national health care coverage, I will be listening with rapt attention.