Press Releases
Year
“CATCH” the Spirit of Good Health
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 13, 2010
Contact
Nikki Hillier, Program Coordinator
(217) 531-2916
Wendy Starwalt, PE Teacher Carrie Busey Elementary School
(217) 351-3811
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
“CATCH” the Spirit of Good Health
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Helps the Students of Carrie Busey Elementary School
Champaign, IL – Carrie Busey Elementary School has partnered with the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) to implement the Coordinated Approach To Child Health (CATCH) Program. The CATCH Program is a multi-component program that promotes positive healthy behaviors in students and emphasizes the need for a healthy lifestyle to improve both living and learning. CATCH has three core components – nutrition, physical activity, and health education. This is Carrie Busey’s second year implementing the program.
Each year, CATCH schools offer a family event to reinforce the CATCH philosophy. On Saturday, September 25, 2010 from 9:00-10:30am, Carrie Busey Elementary School will be kicking off this year’s CATCH program with a CATCH celebration including a family 3K walk/run. The CATCH celebration will encourage the students and families at Carrie Busey to engage in physical activity by making physical activity FUN! Families will be able to participate in a variety of activities including yoga, Zumba, and active video games. The CATCH celebration is open to the community and will take place at Carrie Busey, 1605 West Kirby in Champaign.
“CATCH is a fun, well-rounded program that affords students the ability to excel through a series of consistent messages from a variety of sources,” said Nikki Hillier, Program Coordinator of Health Promotions for CUPHD. “CATCH builds an alliance of children, parents, faculty, staff, and community members to teach skills and behaviors associated with maintaining healthy lifestyles.”
For more information about CUPHD's programs and services, visit www.c-uphd.org.
###
Whooping Cough is on the Rise
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 10, 2010
Contact
Brandon Meline, Director of Maternal & Child Health
(217) 531-4297 /
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
Whooping Cough is on the Rise
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Encourages Pertussis Vaccination
Champaign, IL – Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory disease that is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), over 445 cases of pertussis have been reported in Illinois to date, with 65 percent of those reported since May 2010. Of the cases reported since May 2010, 45 percent have occurred among school-aged children; over 30 percent have occurred in children under five years-of-age.
Pertussis is a highly infectious illness that is easily transmitted through coughing and sneezing and may persist among a population for weeks to months. Symptoms of pertussis usually occur five to 10 days after exposure, but can take up to 21 days to appear. Initially symptoms are similar to a common cold: a runny nose, low-grade fever, and a mild occasional cough. However, the cough can become severe and spasmodic - with a distinctive “whooping” sound - and can progress to vomiting between bouts of coughing.
Patients with pertussis must be isolated from daycare, school, work, and public gatherings for at least five days after the start of appropriate antibiotic therapy to limit further transmission. Although most people recover completely from pertussis, complications from the disease can be severe in high-risk groups, especially infants under one year, and children who have not been fully immunized against the disease.
Most children are immunized against pertussis disease by receiving a series of vaccine doses of DTaP vaccine; however, immunity wanes as they reach adolescence. Since 2005, there has been an adolescent/adult pertussis booster vaccine (Tdap) that can be used for prevention and control of pertussis. Tdap vaccine is recommended to be routinely given at ages 11-12 years.
In addition, IDPH recommends that all close contacts to a person with pertussis disease receive antibiotic treatment even if they have been vaccinated recently against pertussis. Close contacts include household members and persons who have had direct contact with respiratory, oral, and/or nasal secretions from a person with pertussis or have been within three feet of that person for at least 10 minutes.
The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) is offering free pertussis booster vaccine (Tdap) to those who meet certain federally-mandated guidelines. Adolescents 11 to 18 and participants 15 to 25 years-of-age enrolled in the Department of Human Service’s WIC supplemental nutrition program are eligible to receive the vaccine at no charge. Those WIC participants who have infants in the home less than one year-of-age may also bring household contacts and family caregivers to CUPHD for this free vaccination as well. Many infants who get pertussis are infected by older siblings, parents, or caregivers who might not even know they have the disease. The vaccine is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. For those adults that do not meet the eligibility requirements, the pertussis vaccine is available for $65.00 at the health district.
Appointments are available Monday through Friday and can be scheduled by calling (217) 531-4317.
For more information, visit CUPHD on the web at www.c-uphd.org.
###
Medical Reserve Corp Serves Champaign County
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 9, 2010
Contact
John Dwyer, Emergency Preparedness Planner
(217) 531-2932
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
Medical Reserve Corp Serves Champaign County
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Recognizes Service and Dedication by MRC Members
Champaign, IL – The Champaign County Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a local volunteer-based medical unit developed by the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) as a way to utilize volunteers who want to donate their time and expertise to prepare for and respond to emergencies and promote healthy living throughout the year.
MRC has donated almost 200 hours of service to the Champaign Community over the past year by participating in health fairs, community exercises, and emergency response training. MRC also assisted CUPHD with flu clinics throughout the community during the H1N1 response.
The next Champaign County MRC meeting will be held on September 16th at 6:00 PM in the main conference room at CUPHD, 201 West Kenyon Road in Champaign. Current members and anyone who is interested in the Medical Reserve Corps Program is encouraged to attend. According to John Dwyer, Emergency Preparedness Planner at CUPHD, “We currently have 34 members registered with the program. We continue to look for residents who are interested in volunteering to help protect the health of our community.”
The MRC was founded in 2002 and is a specialized component of Citizen Corps, a national network of volunteers dedicated to ensuring hometown security. Citizen Corps, along with AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and the Peace Corps, is part of the USA Freedom Corps which promotes volunteerism and service nationwide.
To learn more about the Medical Reserve Corps or to find a unit nearest you, visit http://www.medicalreservecorps.gov. Anyone interested in becoming a member of the Champaign County MRC should contact John Dwyer at (217) 531-2932 or e-mail
###