Press Releases
Year
Governor Quinn Proclaims Breast Cancer Awareness Month in Illinois
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 4, 2010
Contact
Melaney Arnold, Communications Manager
(217) 558-0500
Governor Quinn Proclaims Breast Cancer Awareness Month in Illinois
An estimated 9,320 women in Illinois will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Governor Pat Quinn today declared October 2010 as Breast Cancer Awareness Month in Illinois to educate women about breast cancer and the importance of early detection through mammography. Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women and is the second leading cause of cancer deaths for women. The Illinois State Cancer Registry projects 9,320 women in Illinois will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010, and an estimated 1,880 women in Illinois will lose their life to breast cancer this year.
“We are bringing a focus to breast cancer this month because awareness, prevention and early detection gives us the best chance to fight this disease that has devastated too many women and their families,” said Governor Quinn. “There’s no better time than during Breast Cancer Awareness Month to go get screened for breast cancer and eliminate risks for getting the disease.”
“Early detection of breast cancer is the key to beating the disease, and mammograms remain the best test to detect breast cancer early,” said Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Damon T. Arnold. “Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a great reminder every year for women to get screened for breast cancer and take steps to lower their risk of the disease.”
When breast cancer starts out, it is too small to feel and does not cause signs and symptoms, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As it grows, however, breast cancer can cause changes in how the breast looks or feels.
Symptoms may include:
- New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit).
- Thickening or swelling of part of the breast.
- Nipple discharge other than breast milk, including blood.
- Any change in the size or the shape of the breast.
- Pain in any area of the breast.
Ways to lower the risk of breast cancer include:
- Exercise regularly and control your weight.
- Know your family history of breast cancer.
- Limit the amount of alcohol you drink.
The Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (IBCCP) provides free breast exams, mammograms, pelvic exams, and Pap tests to uninsured women. IBCCP has provided 29,155 women with free breast screenings in the past fiscal year alone.
For more information on breast cancer, log onto the Illinois Department of Public Health Web site at www.idph.state.il.us/cancer/types/publications_breast.htm. For more information on the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program, log onto www.idph.state.il.us/about/womenshealth/ibccp/index.htm.
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Adult Flu Clinics for Medicaid and Medicare Recipients
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 1, 2010
Contact
Julie Pryde, Administrator
(217) 531-5369 /
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
Adult Flu Clinics for Medicaid and Medicare Recipients
The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District is holding Adult Seasonal Flu Clinics October 6th and 7th
Champaign, IL – The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) is holding adult (18 years-of-age and older) seasonal flu vaccination clinics next week on Wednesday, October 6th and Thursday, October 7th. CUPHD will accept Medicaid, Medicare, Visa, Master Card, check, or cash. Private health insurance is not accepted and those individuals are encouraged to check with their healthcare provider for scheduled clinics. Anyone wishing to pay for the vaccination during a CUPHD clinic, the cost will be $35.00 for influenza and $55.00 for pneumonia. Clinics for children who qualify for the Vaccine for Children Program (VCP) will be held later in the month once vaccine arrives.
Each year, CUPHD utilizes flu vaccination clinics as emergency mass vaccination preparedness. This year, flu vaccine will be distributed from multiple sites as a component of the drill; Champaign, Urbana, Rantoul, and Tolono. Tolono will be a drive-thru clinic; all other clinics will be walk-in. Flu clinics will be held at the following times and locations:
Wednesday, October 6th
9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Tolono West Fire Department (Drive-thru)
102 West Linden
Tolono
Rantoul Recreation Department
100 East Flessner
Rantoul
Hayes Center
1311 West Church Street
Champaign
Phillips Recreation Center
505 West Stoughton Street
Urbana
Thursday, October 7th
10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
CUPHD
201 West Kenyon Road
Champaign
“The single best way to prevent seasonal flu is to get a flu vaccination each year and this year’s vaccination includes H1N1 in addition to influenza A/H3N2 and influenza B,” said Julie A. Pryde, CUPHD Administrator. “It takes about two weeks for your body to develop antibodies that provide protection against influenza virus. The flu season can begin as early as October and can last as late as May.”
The flu vaccine contains “killed virus” so people cannot get sick with the flu from taking a flu shot; however, different side effects can be associated with the flu shot. Some minor side effects could include soreness, redness, or swelling at the inoculation site, low-grade fever, or body aches. If these problems occur, they will begin soon after the shot, and usually last 1 to 2 days. On rare occasions, flu vaccine can cause severe allergic reactions, and is not recommended for people who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs, or who have had a severe reaction to a flu vaccination in the past. People who have a moderate or severe illness with a fever should not be vaccinated until their symptoms lessen.
Additional influenza planning resources and information are available at www.stock2forflu.com and www.c-uphd.org.
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Safe Kids Champaign County, AAA, Dorel, and IDOT Urge Parents and Caregivers to Have Their Child Safety Seats Inspected
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 24, 2010
Contact
Reagen Bradbury, Safe Kids Coordinator
(217) 531-4268
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
Safe Kids Champaign County, AAA, Dorel, and IDOT Urge Parents and Caregivers to Have Their Child Safety Seats Inspected
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Hosts “National Seat Check Saturday” on September 25th
Champaign, IL – According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 3 to 6 and 8 to 14. That is why Safe Kids Champaign County is urging parents and caregivers to make sure their child safety seats are properly installed. As part of Child Passenger Safety Week (September 19-25, 2010), Safe Kids will have certified technicians available to provide free hands-on child safety seat inspections and advice on Saturday, September 25th, “National Seat Check Saturday”, from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD), 201 W. Kenyon Road, Champaign. This event is sponsored by AAA, Dorel, the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Division of Traffic Safety (IDOT/DTS), and Safe Kids Champaign County.
“It is the responsibility of every parent and caregiver to ensure their children are safely restrained – every trip, every time,” said Safe Kids Coordinator at CUPHD, Reagen Bradbury. “We are urging everyone to have their child safety seats inspected. When it comes to the safety of a child, there is no room for mistakes.”
Research shows that child restraints provide the best protection for all children up to age eight. From 1975 to 2008, 8,959 lives have been saved by the proper use of child restraints according to NHTSA. In 2008, among children under age five in passenger vehicles, an estimated 244 lives were saved by child restraint use (child safety seats and adult seat belts).
For maximum child passenger safety, parents and caregivers can visit their local inspection stations and refer to the following 4 Steps for Kids guidelines that determine which restraint system is best suited to protect children based on age and size:
- For the best possible protection, keep infants in the back seat in rear-facing child safety seats as long as possible up to the height or weight limit specified by the seat manufacturer. At a minimum, keep infants rear-facing until at least age one and 20 pounds.
- When children outgrow their rear-facing seats (at least age one and 20 pounds), they should ride in forward-facing child safety seats in the back seat until they reach the upper weight or height limit of the particular seat (usually around age four and 40 pounds).
- By Illinois law, once children outgrow their forward-facing child safety seats (usually around age four and 40 pounds), they must ride in booster seats in the back seat until the age of eight. All children should ride properly restrained in the back seat.
- Children are not ready for a safety belt until they are 4’9” tall and over the age of eight. They can use the adult safety belts in the back seat, if they fit properly. Safety belts fit properly when the lap belt lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits across the chest (usually at age eight or when they are 4’9” tall).
Remember: All children younger than 13 years of age should ride in the back seat.
Safety belts are required in all seating positions in all cars, light trucks, and vans. It is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to ride in the bed of a pickup truck.
For more information on Child Passenger Safety Week and to find the child seat inspection station nearest you visit http://www.nhtsa.gov/Safety/CPS , http://www.facebook.com/childpassengersafety or www.buckleupillinois.org. For additional information regarding CUPHD services, visit the web at www.c-uphd.org.
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