Kingman County Health Department

125 North Spruce Kingman, Kansas 67068

Phone (620)532-2221 Fax (620)532-1083

Fees vary depending on the service but most are based on a sliding fee scale. Medicaid, BCBS, and other insurances are billed for covered services. No one is refused services due to inability to pay.

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“FLU 2010”

September is here, and all of us at the Kingman County Health Department are turning our thoughts toward Flu Season.  We do not have flu vaccine right now, but we will be ready to starting giving flu shots in Mid-October.

While we are all waiting for the flu vaccine to arrive, let’s talk about some simple things we can do to prevent flu-related illness:

• Wash those hands!  Hand washing, without a doubt, is one of the best things we can do to prevent illness.  Wash those hands after blowing your nose, before eating, after going to the bathroom, and anytime you may feel you need to have clean hands.  Effective hand washing requires soap and water, but any alcohol-based hand sanitizer would be acceptable when soap and water is not available.

• Cover that cough!  Prevent spreading illness by using your elbow or a Kleenex to cover any cough or sneeze.  Of course, you will want to throw that Kleenex away as soon as possible, preferably in the trash!

Here’s a random fact:  When we cough or sneeze, we can spread the flu virus nearly 6 feet away from us!  We are also able to spread the flu to those around us at least 1 day before showing flu symptoms and stay contagious about one week after getting sick.  This means we can make others sick before we even know we are sick, including those people with chronic health problems that make getting the flu disastrous, even deadly!

• Get some rest!  No, this does not give us the license to be lazy, as we all need enough exercise to feel good and stay healthy.  We do, however, need at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night to help our immune systems fight the flu.

• Eat your vegetables!  We all need at least 5-9 servings of fruits and/or vegetables per day, as they have nutrients needed to fight disease.  A healthy diet also includes whole grains, proteins from meats, beans, and nuts, as well as calcium from dairy products. 

Getting the flu shot will be much easier this year, as there will only be one kind of vaccine to receive-this year’s flu shot will have vaccine for the H1N1 flu virus that caused last year’s flu pandemic as well as a couple other flu viruses experts feel will cause the most problems for us this year.  A higher-dose flu vaccine will also be available at the Kingman County Health Department for those 65 years of age and older.  This vaccine has the same ingredients as the other flu vaccines, but in a higher concentration to best handle the lower immunity we have as we get older.   The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends EVERYONE 6 months of age or older get the Flu Vaccine unless there are egg allergies, major reactions from previous vaccines, or a history of progressive muscle weakness known as Guillian Barre Syndrome.   We will have more information in the next few weeks about Flu Vaccine-related topics, so please stay tuned!

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July 07, 2010

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