UPDATED: Information on the Swine Flu

Tarrant County Public Health to offer free H1N1 vaccines to pregnant women and children with chronic illnesses.
 
WHEN: Friday, October 30th, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
WHERE: Birdville ISD W.G. Thomas Coliseum, 6108 Broadway, in Haltom City
For more information, click here.

Letter of Guidance to State Health Officials from CMS

Information on H1N1 in Spanish

Univision is working with government and health organizations in the country to help provide free Spanish-language information and resources on the H1N1 virus.  Their site is offering information from the American Red Cross, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, and the White House, among other sources.  To learn more information about the H1N1 virus in Spanish, go to: http://www.univision.com/content/channel.jhtml?chid=3&schid=26328.

Updated Guidance for Schools for the Fall Flu Season

Updated federal guidelines offer state and local public health and school officials a range of options for responding to 2009 H1N1 influenza in schools, depending on how severe the flu may be in their communities. The guidance says officials should balance the risk of flu in their communities with the disruption that school dismissals will cause in education and the wider community.

Click here to find guidance and a toolkit on school planning.

To learn more, go to http://www.flu.gov/.

Rep. Burgess, M.D., Hosts H1N1 (Swine Flu) Pandemic Roundtable

On August 5, 2009, Congressman Burgess hosted federal, state, and local health experts who briefed community leaders from across the 26th Congressional District on a probable H1N1 outbreak in the coming weeks and months.  To view the video of the event, go to: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/1931090.

General Information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is currently investigating cases of Swine Influenza (also called H1N1) in eleven states, including Texas. There is one death in the U.S. reported due to Swine Flu. Over 2,000 cases of Swine Flu have been confirmed in Mexico, as well as numerous countries in Europe, Asia, New Zealand and Canada. 

At this time, CDC recommends that U.S. travelers avoid all nonessential travel to Mexico. For the most up-to-date information on international travel as it relates to the swine flu, please visit http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has declared a Public Health Emergency for swine flu, which will help HHS prepare for prevention and mitigation activities. Texas has 840,000 doses of Tamiful, the anti-viral vaccine for influenza, and will soon receive another 850,000.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is coordinating the global response to the swine flu. On April 29, 2009, the WHO responded by raising the alert from Stage 4 to Stage 5.

Symptoms, Prevention, and Treatment

The symptoms of swine flu in adults are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have also reported diarrhea and vomiting.

The best way to prevent Swine Flu is by washing your hands frequently, by maintaining good general health, and by avoiding others who are sick.

For more information on how to prevent, recognize, and treat Swine Flu, please visit http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/swineflu_you.htm .

Rep. Burgess' Letter to Secretary Napolitano

Congressman Burgess has also sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano pledging his support to the secretary and her department, saying:

"You can be assured this Member of Congress will do everything he can to provide enough money in the supplemental to give the Department of Homeland Security every resource it needs to combat this outbreak of swine flu as well as the funds necessary to help our neighbors in this time of profound difficulty and uncertainty."

To see the letter, click here.

Local Health Department Contacts

Denton County Health Department
H1N1 Flu Hotline:   940-349-2584
Main Number:         940-349-2900
Website:                  http://dentoncounty.com/dept/main.asp?Dept=33
Health Advisory:     http://dentoncounty.com/dept/health/PDFs/Community-Health-Advisory-Swine%20Flu.pdf

Tarrant County Public Health
Phone:              817-321-4700
Website:           http://www.tarrantcounty.com/ehealth/cwp/view.asp?A=763&Q=471978

Dallas County Health & Human Services
Phone:              214-819-2000
Website:           http://www.dallascounty.org/department/hhservices/SeasonalInfluenza.html

Cooke County Emergency Management
Phone:                  940-668-5400
Gainesville Office:  940-665-6397

For More Information About H1N1 Influenza 

Texas Department of State Health Services: www.texasflu.org

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/?s_cid=swineFlu_outbreak_internal_001

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: http://www.hhs.gov/

U.S. Department of Homeland Security: http://www.dhs.gov/index.shtm

World Health Organization: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html

Department of Education Flu Guidance for School Leaders:  http://www.edgovblogs.org/duncan/2009/04/additional-flu-resources-for-school-leaders-seeking-guidance/ (blog) and http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/safety/emergencyplan/pandemic/guidance/flu-faqs.pdf (PDF document)

Texas Department of Health:  http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/swineflu/default.shtm

Guidance for Institutions of Higher Education: http://www.flu.gov/plan/school/higheredguidance.html