"H1N1 flu is here. It's everywhere in the United States," says Matthew Stefanak, Health Commissioner of the Mahoning County District Board of Health.
Health officials say H1N1 vaccines are starting to trickle into Mahoning County. In fact, there will be a clinic later this week to give the shots to pregnant women first. "Pregnant women are probably the top priority group, aside from young people, school children, because they seem to be hit hardest by the infection," says Stefanak.
Stefanak says they hope to have clinics in all Mahoning County school districts by the end of the month, to get young kids vaccinated against H1N1 before their Thanksgiving and winter breaks.
And it's not just schools and hospitals, several businesses and large employers are putting plans and procedures in place to slow the spread of flu and H1N1.
InfoCision employs more than 1,000 people at call centers throughout the Valley, and they're encouraging workers to sanitize their stations. "When they come to work, to wipe-down their work stations, so the previous person that was there, they did the same when they started their shift," says Lisa Walton, Human Resources Coordinator with InfoCision.
There's also a nurse practitioner right on-site for employees and their families. Walton says, "If an employee feels sick, all they have to do is see their administrative assistant, schedule an appointment. They don't have to worry about bringing cash or a co-pay with them. It's just a payroll deduction."
The rule is stay home from school or work until you're completely fever-free for 24 hours, without the help of medicine, practice good cough etiquette, and wash your hands.
"For most people just rest, drinking lots of fluids, taking Tylenol for fever and staying home, staying away from other people is the cure," says Stefanak.
