FLU REPORTS INCREASE; FLU SHOTS STILL AVAILABLE
February 4, 2008 — There has been a recent increase in the number of flu cases being reported in Ohio and nationwide. The reports have even made the sports news as players in the NBA and the NHL have missed games with the flu. Richland County is also reporting more flu cases.
“It’s not unusual at all,” said Mary Derr, epidemiologist at the Mansfield/Ontario/Richland County Health Department. “We usually think about flu in early winter but flu tends to strike in February and March.”
It’s not too late to get a flu shot. The Health Department has flu shots available two ways:
- on a walk-in basis at the Beatty Public Health Clinic (555 Lexington Ave. in Mansfield)
- through any Neighborhood Immunization clinics (call 419-774-8115 for locations)
Clinic schedules (dates, locations and times) are available online at www.richlandhealth.org
Shots are $20 for adults. Prices for children’s shots vary. Medicaid/Medicare is accepted and there is no charge if unable to pay.
For more information, call the Health Department at 419-774-4500.
January is Cervical Health Awareness Month
 January 8, 2008 —Cervical cancer is nearly 100 percent preventable, yet according to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 13,000 new cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed and about 4,100 women will die of the disease.1
In Ohio, 164 women died from cervical cancer between 2000 and 2004. The good news is that cervical cancer is preventable and curable if it is detected early; in fact, the occurrence of deaths from cervical cancer has declined significantly over the last 20 to 30 years.
Cervical cancer rates are higher among older women; however the precursor lesion to cervical cancer most often occurs among younger women. Screening younger women using the Pap test is an important strategy that can actually prevent cervical cancer from developing almost 100 percent of the time.
Minority populations and persons of low socioeconomic status are affected disproportionately as well.
Studies that have identified risk factors associated with cervical cancer have shown that cervical cancer is closely linked to (1) failure to receive regular Pap test screening; (2) human papillomavirus (HPV) infection; (3) certain sexual behaviors (see paragraph below); and (4) immunosuppressive disorders such as HIV/AIDS.
Experts agree that infection with certain strains of the HPV is one of the strongest risk factors for cervical cancer. The sexual behaviors specifically associated with greater risk are intercourse at an early age, multiple male sexual partners, and sex with a male partner who has had multiple sexual partners. Experts also agree that one of the most important things women can do to reduce their risk of cervical cancer is to receive regular screening with a Pap test. Pap testing should begin at age 21 or 3 years after onset of sexual activity and Pap testing should be repeated at least every 3 years.
For more information about cervical cancer, or to see if you qualify for a free Pap test or mammogram, contact the Region 5 Breast & Cervical Cancer Screening Project (BCCP) at 419-774-4707. BCCP is a program of the Mansfield/Ontario/Richland County Health Department funded by the Ohio Department of Health/Federal Government Bureau of Health Promotion and Risk Reduction.
1 Source: Cancer Facts and Figures, American Cancer Society. |
In the Community with Shots & Screenings from the Health Department