Health
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Because ample supplies of vaccine are now available, people who would like to be vaccinated can choose from a variety of locations.
Lake County Public Health will provide no-cost H1N1 vaccinations to anyone over six months of age at the following locations:
Calpine Visitor Center, 15500 Central Park Road, Middletown: Friday, Jan. 22, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. In order to avoid long lines, use the following schedule according to the first letter of your last name: A-H, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.; I-P, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.; Q-Z, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Lucerne Alpine Senior Center, 3985 Country Club Drive, Lucerne: Thursday, Jan. 28, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. In order to avoid long lines, use the following schedule according to the first letter of your last name: A-H, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; I-P, 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.; Q-Z, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Clearlake: Date and time to be announced in the near future.
In addition, Lake County Public Health at 922 Bevins Court in Lakeport will provide the vaccine on a walk-in basis on Tuesdays between 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. This will continue until further notice or until vaccine supplies are exhausted.
People can also check with their doctor, clinic or local pharmacist in order to get vaccinated.
Everyone is encouraged to be vaccinated in order to prevent additional waves of H1N1 illness in the coming months.
Vaccination with 2009 H1N1 vaccine continues to be particularly important for people in the initial target groups, including pregnant women; household contacts and caregivers of infants younger than six months of age; health care and emergency medical services personnel; all individuals six months through 24 years of age; and individuals 25 through 64 years of age who have medical conditions associated with higher risk of complications from influenza.
Among those who have been waiting to get vaccine are people 65 years and older as well as people 25-64 who do not have a chronic medical condition. These groups are now encouraged to get vaccinated.
While older people have been less likely to be infected with the 2009 H1N1 virus compared to younger people, there have been severe infections and deaths from 2009 H1N1 in every age group, including people 65 and older.
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SAN FRANCISCO – The Martin-O’Neil Cancer Center at St. Helena Hospital and the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCSF Medical Center have begun an affiliation that will provide North Bay patients with access to clinical research trials and express referrals to cancer specialists through a convenient Napa Valley location.
The affiliation, initially set for five years, enhances the services of the Martin-O’Neil Cancer Center by providing coordinated access to a comprehensive array of services available at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, which is one of the nation’s largest clinical and research cancer programs.
St. Helena Hospital began treating patients in November in a newly built, $16.6 million state-of-the-art cancer center that provides medical, radiation and surgical oncology in one location.
The overarching goal of the UCSF collaboration is to improve access to high quality, evidence-based care for patients from throughout the North Bay, said St. Helena Hospital President/CEO Terry Newmyer.
“Our affiliation with UCSF, which is a top 10 cancer research academic center, is part of the Martin-O’Neil Cancer Center’s commitment to ensure our patients receive the best care possible,” he said. “We will now provide patients in the North Bay counties with access to numerous clinical research trials and referrals to UCSF cancer sub-specialists otherwise not available locally.”
As part of the collaboration, cancer physicians from St. Helena Hospital will have the opportunity to review select cases at the UCSF interdisciplinary tumor boards to determine the best course of treatment and assure patient access to the most advanced therapies.
Physicians at St. Helena Hospital will receive current information on UCSF’s cancer clinical trials and plans are underway to have a designated liaison to facilitate enrollment of appropriate patients into UCSF trials. In addition, the two organizations will work together to develop a symposium on cancer prevention and treatment for consumers and physicians in Napa Valley.
"This exciting collaboration reflects UCSF’s mission to make its high-level health care broadly available to people in northern California," said Mark R. Laret, CEO of UCSF Medical Center. “We anticipate that the affiliation will be highly beneficial to patients, and hope that it will serve as an example for future collaborative efforts between other hospitals and UCSF that strive to improve cancer prevention and treatment.”
The UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center was designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in 1999 in recognition of the highest level of excellence in both its scientific research and its ability to integrate diverse research approaches to focus on the problem of cancer and improve patient outcomes.
The center ranks first in California and seventh nationwide in NCI research grants and is home to pioneers in research into genetic, cellular and immune system causes and responses to cancer.
For more information, visit www.cancer.ucsf.edu .
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LAKEPORT – There will be a free information session for the Wellspring Diabetes Program from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 17, in the fellowship hall at the Lakeport Community Seventh-day Adventist Church, at the Park Way exit of Highway 29.
At this session you will learn why lifestyle change is the best treatment for Type 2 Diabetes; understand how proper nutrition can help to restore your health; hear what Wellspring participants say about their experience; prepare medically and mentally for the Wellspring Diabetes Program; and sample recipes from the diabetic cookbook.
The actual program will be presented Tuesday and Thursday through the month of February.
For further information please call Sherry at 707-349-5016 or Dolores at 707-496-1294.
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LAKE COUNTY – Safeway Inc. is reminding consumers to protect themselves against both seasonal flu and H1N1 flu during the holidays.
Safeway is providing the vaccines on a “walk-in” basis at most pharmacies. The vaccines are the best protection against getting the virus and/ or spreading it to friends and family.
The Lakeport Safeway, which has a pharmacy, is offering the shots, according to pharmacy staff.
“A number of factors make people more susceptible to seasonal flu and H1N1 flu during the holiday season,” said Dave Fong, senior vice president of Pharmacy. “Simply traveling to visit family could mean being in an enclosed airplane with airborne viruses. It is difficult to avoid potential exposure, but easy to lessen your chances of becoming ill by getting vaccinated.”
Safeway pharmacies are partnering with state and county public health departments to increase the access, availability and convenience of the H1N1 vaccines to people in high-risk groups, as determined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC reports that people in the following groups have increased susceptibility and should receive the H1N1 vaccine: pregnant women; household contacts and caregivers for children younger than 6 months of age; health care and emergency medical services personnel; people six months to 24 years of age; persons aged 25 through 64 years who have health conditions associated with higher risk of medical complications from influenza.
However, in many states and counties, these restrictions have been lifted and anyone can be vaccinated.
Medicare Part B participants will receive the flu shots at no charge.
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