Safeway offers flu, H1N1 immunizations at its pharmacies
By Allison Cerra
http://www.drugstorenews.com/story.aspx?id=126411&menuid=333
PLEASANTON, Calif. (Dec. 18) Safeway is promoting a healthy holiday season with immunization offers at its stores.
The retailer announced Friday it is providing the seasonal flu vaccine in all of its 1,730 stores and the H1N1 flu vaccine in 17 states. Vaccines are given on a walk-in basis, with no appointment necessary.
“A number of factors make people more susceptible to seasonal flu and H1N1 flu during the holiday season,” said Dave Fong, SVP pharmacy. “Simply traveling to visit family could mean being in an enclosed airplane with airborne viruses. It is difficult to avoid potential exposure, but easy to lessen your chances of becoming ill by getting vaccinated.”
Safeway Pharmacies are partnering with state and county public health departments to increase the access, availability and convenience of the H1N1 vaccines to people in high-risk groups, as determined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, in many states and counties restrictions have been lifted and anyone can be vaccinated.
Medicare Part B participants will receive the flu shots at no charge. Customers should contact their Safeway pharmacy to learn about age or other restrictions.
For more information or to find a local Safeway pharmacy that is administering the H1N1 flu vaccine, customers can call 1-877-SAFEWAY.
UK:
Swine flu cases continue to fall
18 December, 2009
http://www.nursingtimes.net/whats-new-in-nursing/swine-flu/swine-flu-cases-continue-to-fall/5009825.article?referrer=RSS
The latest swine flu figures have revealed a slight drop in the number of new cases in England last week.
An estimated 9,000 new cases of swine flu were confirmed last week, down from 11,000 the week before.
The Government’s chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, said good planning by the NHS prior to the onset of the virus has meant that the number of cases has been generally lower than forecast, adding that the UK had been “lucky”.
Sir Liam, who announced his resignation earlier this week, said the Government’s pandemic flu plans had worked ‘extremely well’ despite fears that the NHS would become overwhelmed by the virus.
He said the country had been able to “fight for every life”’ when it came to dealing with swine flu and, if just one family had been spared the loss of a child or another family member at Christmas, then that was a reason for throwing his hat up in the air.
The number of people who have died from the virus in the UK currently stands at 298, up from 283 in the previous week, while the number of patients admitted to hospital with the virus has fallen from 636 to 523.