Health department gets swine flu help
Most people in Colorado will be able to get vaccinations for theH1N1 swine flu later this year.
The federal government gave $5 million to the Colorado Departmentof Public Health and Environment to strengthen its infrastructureahead of the expected delivery of the vaccine. Part of the federalmoney will go directly to state hospitals so facilities can preparefor flu-related activities.
The first shipment of the vaccination is expected to arrive inColorado by mid-October. Likely groups to be vaccinated includeschool-age children, children in preschool or daycares, adultsyounger than 65 with chronic medical conditions, pregnant women andhealth care workers. The H1N1 flu vaccine will be given in additionto regular seasonal flu inoculations.
'It's going to be important for residents to pay attention topublic health messages this fall and winter, because there will be alot of information about the two types of flu vaccines that areexpected to be available,' said Dr. Ned Calonge, chief medicalofficer at the state's health department.
While seasonal flu vaccinations will be available at the usualsites, delivery and vaccination sites for the swine flu are stillbeing determined.
Public health departments and schools are on the likely list ofvaccination sites so far. In addition, public health officialsexpect the swine flu vaccination -- unlike seasonal flu -- will begiven free of charge.
'Getting your normal seasonal flu vaccination is as important asever,' Calonge said. 'We don't want members of the public to getdistracted by discussion of the H1N1 virus and forget to make plansto receive their annual flu vaccination.'
This summer, there have been outbreaks of H1N1 flu at a Pueblo-area Boy Scout camp, the U.S. Air Force Academy and a summer youthcamp at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also has awarded$1.4 million to Colorado from a public health emergency responsegrant to strengthen the public health work force, increase labcapacity, strengthen disease surveillance activities, plan large-scale mass vaccination, develop public guidance, purchase antiviralsand other pandemic-related purchases, and to address gaps in publichealth preparedness.
PPRM lobbies for reform
Health care reform must include access to comprehensivereproductive health care -- and women's access to essentialcommunity providers must be protected.
That was the message delivered last week in Washington, D.C., bymembers of Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains.
'More than 127,000 patients throughout Colorado, New Mexico,southern Nevada and Wyoming count on us for basic, preventive healthcare every year,' said President and CEO Vicki Cowart. 'We knowfirsthand the importance of health care reform, and that is why weare taking our case to lawmakers. More than 93 percent of what PPRMhealth centers do is preventive and primary care.'
The group, along with the Planned Parenthood Federation ofAmerica, visited nearly 250 members of Congress to let them knowthat basic care -- contraception, Pap tests and other cancerscreenings -- should be covered in any health care reform bill.
'Women must not be worse off after health care reform than theyare now,' said PPFA President Cecil Richards. 'That means we needcommon sense proposals that give women access to comprehensivereproductive health care and the opportunity to go to their providerof choice.'
More women are turning to Planned Parenthood as a source ofaffordable health care.
Six of 10 women use the health clinic as their sole health careprovider, according to a Guttmacher Institute study.
Americans wary of reform
Americans are unsure whether the current proposals in Congresswill provide solutions to problems with the U.S. health care system.
'By a 50-42 margin, Americans oppose the House ofRepresentatives' bill introduced July 14,' said Dr. Ward Casscells,vice president of external affairs and public policy at theUniversity of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, the group thatconducted the poll. 'This bill would call for most employers tosponsor health plans and would also create a Medicare-like plan forthose under 65 who have no other health plan. The increased costswould be covered by increasing income taxes on people making morethan $280,000 and families making more than $350,000.'
Most Americans are unwilling to pay higher taxes, and they favormore innovative approaches that would use the savings from improvingcare and curtailing waste and fraud to pay for health care for theuninsured.
The survey also revealed that 84 percent of those who arecurrently insured are satisfied with their health care. For thosewithout insurance, only 46 percent had some level of satisfactionwith their health care. Almost 80 percent agreed that rising costsare hurting American businesses.
And 48 percent oppose an expanded role for government in healthcare, while 44 percent support it. About 46 percent agreed that apublic plan is needed 'to keep insurance companies honest.'
'These survey results establish the clearest and most up-to-dateunderstanding of how Americans as a whole feel about their health,health care and most importantly, the future of health care inAmerica and the legislative options in front of them,' Casscellssaid.
Amy Gillentine covers health care for the Colorado SpringsBusiness Journal.
