Have a healthy back to school: College Edition

As a new school year gets underway for colleges and universities across the country, health is an important topic to cover with students since this is the first time many of them have had to be in charge of their own health. Especially with the rising incidence of H1N1 on college campuses, the following tips are important to keep in mind:

1. Make sure all vaccinations are up to date: Just like elementary school students, college students also need specific vaccinations and booster shots (such as the Hepatitis series and the meningitis vaccine). Visit the CDC's Vaccinations page and you schools admissions page to see which shots are required.

2. Pay close attention to personal wellness: To minimize the spread of germs, students and faculty members should should wash hands often (with regular soap and hot water). Also, germs can live on surfaces for hours after they've been touched, which means that commonly touched surfaces (such as door knobs and phones) should be sprayed with Lysol. Students who live in dorms should be sure to change sheets and clean on a regular basis.

3. Don't share! Items like drinking vessels and toothbrushes should not be shared. Also, toothbrushes should be replaced at least every three months or following illness.

4. Practice safe sex: Not surprisingly, STD rates are highest among college-age students. Many campus health centers give condoms away for free to help reduce the transmission of STDs among their students.

5. Identify a physician in the community: Many campus health centers offer limited services, which means that in the event of some moderate or serious illnesses, students will need to be referred to a physician in the community. Identifying a practice that accepts the student's insurance will save time later. Also, many campus health centers are currently overwhelmed with students experiencing flu-like symptoms.

6. Learn about time- and stress management: College students lead hectic and often stressful lives. High levels of stress can lead to lower immunity and higher rates of communicable diseases.

This is in no way an exhaustive list of health issues facing college students; however these are some of the main ones. For more information about H1N1 guidance for institutes of higher education, see the CDC guidelines.

Have a healthy back to school: K-12 Edition

Back-to-school season is in full swing and while health may not be on the extra-long list of supplies your child needs, it is one of the most important tools for a successful school year. Below is a list of tips for keeping your child healthy throughtout the school year:

1. Keep you child's vaccinations current. Despite the fact that immunizations criticized in the past few years, they protect your child's health as well as the health of others. When vaccination rates drop below 90% for a specific disease in a given population, the likelihood of an outbreak increases, which puts the entire population at risk. Some vaccines require boosters in later school years so talk to your child's doctor and visit the CDC's Vaccines page for more information.

2. Encourgae good handwashing habits. In a given school day, your child comes into contact with dozens of people, dirty playground equipment and countless other breeding grounds for germs. Remind your child to wash his or her hands after visiting the restroom, before eating, after blowing his or her nose, etc.

3. Remember that sharing doesn't apply to everything. Remind your child not to share eating utensils, cups, etc. with other people and especially not with others who have colds or are otherwise ill.

4. Check the weather. Early fall weather can be very volitile so be sure your child has a sweater or umbrella if he or she needs it.

5.Put transportation safety first. However your child gets to and from school (bus, walking, driving) stress the importance of safety. Visit the CDC Safe School page for transportation safety information.

6. Keep an open line of communication with your child. Make it clear to your child that he or she can speak to you about any problems or issues he or she may encounter. Stress to your child that his or her well being is the most important thing.

Summer Health & Safety

Summer is a to relax and have fun with family and friends. To make sure you and those you care about are enjoying the healthiest summer you can, keep these seasonal health and safety topics in mind:

Fireworks Safety: July 4th is just around the corner and most people will either attend a fireworks display or set off their own. Each year, hundreds of people are injured by fireworks due to improper use. If you're planning your own display, visit the National Council on Fireworks Safety to ensure your festivities are as safe as they can be.

Food Safety: What would summer be without barbecues and picnics with friends? Be sure to properly handle and prepare food to reduce the risk of food-born illnesses. Remember that cold food should be kept below 40 degrees fahrenheit, and hot foods should be kept above 140 degrees. Also, don't forget to store leftovers so bugs and rodents won't be attracted to your picnic site. Click here for more picnic food safety tips.

Also, don't forget about using your grill wisely. Check out these safety tips for both charcoal and gas grills.

Water Safety: Whether you're hanging out at a local pool or beach, boating or just relaxing by your pool at home, water safety should be a priority--even if a lifeguard is on duty. Hundreds of people are injured or die each year in water-related accidents. Make sure that children are attended by an adult who can swim at all times and use proper safety equipment for all water activities. Click here for more water safety information.

Sun Safety: Everyone knows how harmful the sun's rays can be, but how many people take the proper precautions before heading outside? Since exposure to UV (ultraviolet) rays are responsible for 90% of all skin cancers, we could all use a crash course in being smart about the sun. There's more to sun safety than sunblock so visit Sun Safety 101 from the American Cancer Society for more information.

Summer is a time to relax and have fun. Make sure you minimize your risk and maximize your fun by following these summer health and safety tips!

Swine Flu: What's in a name?

Earlier today, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that it would cease referring to the current flu outbreak as 'Swine Flu.' Instead, WHO will refer to the virus by its scientific designation: H1N1 Influenza A. The term 'Swine Flu' has caused some people to think that the virus can be transmitted through eating and preparing pork or can be picked up from pigs.

Both WHO and CDC have stressed that eating properly prepared pork poses no health threat; however, in some parts of the world (Egypt, for example) there has been some confusion regarding the safety of pork. In fact, this strain of flu is comprised of viral properties from human, avian and swine flu strains.

This decision by WHO to discontinue using the term 'Swine Flu' is an excellent reminder for health communicators about using culturally sensitive messages. There has been some discussion among public health officials about how to reduce the stigmatization of Hispanics as the number of H1N1 cases continues to grow. While there is no way to eliminate stigmatization, one way to reduce it is to remind communities that everyone is susceptible to the flu virus (even under normal, seasonal flu circumstances). H1N1 can be contracted and transmitted by anyone.

Defending the use of social media for health communication

As the number of Swine Flu cases have grown here in the United States and abroad, it is no surprise that the same subject has been a hot topic for many social media users. Yesterday alone, the term 'Swine Flu' garnered an impressive 10,000 hits/hour on Twitter. Social media users have been criticized for both discussing and seeking information about Swine Flu on sites such as Twitter and Facebook.

While I wholeheartedly agree that individuals can certainly access some questionable information in this medium, I think it's equally important to discuss the benefits and necessity of providing health information in social media outlets.

As I've said many times in the past few days, rule number one of public health education is that you MUST meet your intended population where they are. Millions of people are looking on the Internet for health information--and they're not leaving. Health communicators can do one of two things: We can scold people for using this medium and redirect them to other sources or we can work together to get good information into the hands of consumers no matter where they seek health information.

The Centers for Disease Control has been incredibly proactive on this front: they update their webpage frequently and have their own Twitter feed to keep people as informed as possible regarding emerging health issues. By releasing up-to-the-minute information in these outlets, health officials are free to work on more pressing tasks, rather than field numerous calls and e-mails from the media as well as consumers.

Especially from an epidemiological point of view, social media has the potential to become an excellent tool for tracking disease outbreaks and the spread of infection.

Effective health communication is necessary to protecting and promoting public health in our local, state, national, and global communities. As health communicators, we have to be willing to use every tool in our toolbox to ensure that effective health communication happens.

What should you know about Swine Flu?

As of noon today, there are 20 known cases of swine flu in five U.S. states (California, Kansas, New York, Texas, and Ohio). As speculation of a flu pandemic swirls in the media, many people may be worried about protecting themselves and their families. As Swine Flu is spread in the same way that many other illnesses and more common types of flu are, many routine good health practices can help protect individuals from contracting these illnesses:

1. Wash your hands! While antibacterial soaps will do, it is best to wash your hands with hot water and plain soap. Some types of bacteria and germs are resistant to antibacterial soap. Alcohol-based hand cleansers may by used as well.

2. Cover your mouth and nose if you sneeze or cough and do not reuse tissues.

3. If you are ill, avoid touching your eyes or mouth, as germs can enter the body that way.

4. Avoid close contact with other people who are ill. Do not share drinks or eating utensils, etc.

For more information about Swine Flu, a current case count, and other ways you can protect yourself, visit the CDC page on this topic.

National Public Health Week Begins Today!

Communicating about health includes more than just discussing health issues with family, friends, and health care providers. Discussing health issues with key political decision makers is also imperative to promoting health. As a way to advocate for the promotion of health and health issues, the National Public Health Association created National Public Health Week. This week, a collaborative effort is being made to get many health issues on the agenda at the local, state and national levels.

You can get involved by communicating with leaders at all levels of government about health issues that are important to you. Visit either of the links above to find letter-writing templates as well as contact information for members of Congress.

Together we can build the foundation for a healthy America!