News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 9, 2013
MEDIA CONTACT: Stephanie Poyant
Public Information Officer
Southcoast Health System
Office: 508-961-5280
Cell: 774-634-1460
Fax: 508-961-5876
Pager: 508-387-2532
poyants@southcoast.org
www.southcoast.org/news/releases/
Southcoast Health System advises the public on when to seek care for
flu like symptoms
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Flu season has arrived and Southcoast™ Health System
would like advise the public on when to seek treatment for flu like symptoms.
Most people with the flu have mild illness and do not need medical care or antiviral
medications. If you get sick with flu symptoms, in most cases, you should stay home and avoid
contact with other people except to get medical care. If, however, you have symptoms of flu and
are very sick or worried about your illness, contact your health care provider (doctor, physician’s
assistant, etc.).
Certain people are at greater risk of serious flu-related complications (including young
children, elderly persons, pregnant women and people with certain long-term medical conditions).
If you are in a high risk group and develop flu symptoms, it’s best for you to contact your doctor.
Remind them about your high risk status for flu.
Health care providers will determine whether influenza testing and possible treatment are
needed. Your doctor may prescribe antiviral drugs that can treat the flu. These drugs work better
for treatment the sooner they are started.
Emergency Room care
The emergency room should be used for people who are very sick. You should not go to
the emergency room if you are only mildly ill. If you have the emergency warning signs of flu
sickness, you should go to the emergency room. If you get sick with flu symptoms and are at high
risk of flu complications or you are concerned about your illness, call your health care provider
for advice. If you go to the emergency room and you are not sick with the flu, you may catch it
from people who do have it.
When to seek emergency care
Emergency warning signs in children:
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Fast breathing or trouble breathing
Bluish skin color
Not drinking enough fluids
Not waking up or not interacting
Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
Fever with a rash
In addition to the signs above, get medical help right away for any infant who has any of these
signs:
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Being unable to eat
Has trouble breathing
Has no tears when crying
Significantly fewer wet diapers than normal
Emergency warning signs in adults
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Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
Sudden dizziness
Confusion
Severe or persistent vomiting
Flu-like symptoms that improve but then return with fever and worse cough
Prevention
Southcoast would like to remind the public that the best way to protect themselves, their
family and the community is to get a seasonal flu vaccine.
“The best way to protect against the flu is by getting a flu vaccine each year,” said Robert
J. Caldas, DO, Senior Vice President & Chief Medical Officer for Southcoast Health System.
The seasonal flu is a very serious and contagious disease of the respiratory system that
can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death, Dr. Caldas said.
“Every flu season is different and the flu can affect people in different ways,” Dr. Caldas
said. “Even healthy people can get very sick from the flu and can spread it to others. Symptoms
are often confused with the common cold, but are much more severe and potentially dangerous.”
Receiving the annual flu vaccine is an effective way to reduce the chances of contracting
the seasonal flu and lessen the chance that you will spread it to others.
“The more people that get vaccinated against the flu, the less the flu can spread
throughout the community,” Dr. Caldas said.
Southcoast recommends that anyone who has not yet received the vaccine, do so as soon
as possible. It takes about two weeks after you have received the flu vaccination for it to provide
protection against the flu.
This flu season, Southcoast is taking additional steps to keep the community safe by
requiring all Southcoast employees and physicians to receive a flu vaccine annually or be
required to wear a surgical mask while working within six feet of another individual. This
includes all employees — not just those in our clinical areas — in all Southcoast locations and
facilities.
“We are taking very important precautionary measures that will keep our patients,
employees and visitors safe this flu season,” Dr. Caldas said. “We also would like members of the
community to know that if they see a staff member wearing a mask it is only a precautionary
measure. Annual vaccinations for health care providers are an important step toward keeping our
patients safe and employees healthy.”
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health expects that 90 percent of all acute care
hospital employees receive the flu vaccine, with no facility reporting less than 73 percent.
According to the DPH, the intention of this goal is to advance patient safety by reducing the
spread of influenza and to protect the health of both patients and health care workers.
The flu virus is spread mainly by droplets made when people with the flu cough, sneeze
or talk. These droplets can land on people who are nearby. The flu may also be spread by
touching a surface or object that has flu virus on it and then touching their own mouth, eyes or
possibly their nose.
The flu is highly contagious. Most healthy adults carrying the flu virus may be able to
infect others beginning one day before symptoms develop and up to five to seven days after
becoming sick. Children may pass the virus for longer than seven days. Symptoms start one to
four days after the virus enters the body. That means that you may be able to pass on the flu to
someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick. Some people can be
infected with the flu virus without having any of the symptoms. During this time, those people
may still spread the virus to others. Some people, especially young children and people with
weakened immune systems, might be able to infect others for an even longer time.
The mask is required for those who do not receive the vaccine because the flu may be
passed before a person knows they are sick.
Southcoast is also asking visitors to refrain from visiting the hospital if they are sick. If
you must come to the hospital while you are sick, you will be asked to wear a mask, which will
be provided at no charge at each of the main entrances and Emergency Department entrances.
Who should get vaccinated?
It is recommended that everyone who is at least 6 months of age or older get a flu
vaccine. It is especially important for the most at risk people to get vaccinated. Those people
include the following:
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People who are at high risk of developing serious complications like pneumonia if
they get sick with the flu.
o People who have certain medical conditions including asthma, diabetes and
chronic lung disease.
o Pregnant women.
o People 65 years and older.
People who live with or care for others who are high risk for developing serious
complications.
o Household contacts and caregivers of people with certain medical conditions
including asthma, diabetes, and chronic lung disease.
Who should not get vaccinated?
The following people should not get a flu vaccine without first consulting a physician:
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People who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs.
People who have had a severe reaction to an influenza vaccination.
Children younger than 6 months of age.
People with a history of Guillain-Barre Syndrome should consult with their doctor
before obtaining a vaccine.
People who have a moderate to severe illness with a fever should wait until they recover
before getting vaccinated. For more information visit www.mass.gov/dph/flu or
www.cdc.gov/flu/.
There are two types of seasonal flu vaccines available. The “flu shot” is an inactivated
vaccine that is approved for use in people older than 6 months, including healthy people and
people with chronic medical conditions. The nasal spray flu vaccine is a vaccines made with live,
weakened flu viruses that is approved for use in healthy people 2 through 49 years of age who are
not pregnant.
Flu vaccines are available in many locations including doctor’s offices, clinics, urgent
care center, health departments, pharmacies, college health centers and some schools. The
Southcoast Health Van offers free flu vaccinations throughout the community. The Southcoast
Health Van schedule can be found at www.southcoast.org/van/. You can also use the following
Flu Vaccine Locator to find the nearest vaccine available in your area www.flunearyou.org.
More information about the flu can be found at www.southcoast.org/flu/.
About Southcoast Health System & Southcoast Hospitals Group
Southcoast Health System is a community based health delivery system with multiple
access points, offering an integrated continuum of health services throughout Southeastern
Massachusetts and East Bay, Rhode Island. It includes the three hospitals that make up
Southcoast Hospitals Group — Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, St. Luke’s Hospital in
New Bedford and Tobey Hospital in Wareham.
Southcoast provides advanced clinical services, such as open heart surgery, angioplasty
and heart rhythm services, comprehensive cancer care, neurosurgery, weight loss surgery,
orthopedic surgery, advanced imaging services and is the only provider of maternity services in
the region.
Southcoast is a not-for-profit charitable organization that depends on the support of the
community to provide services. More information is available online at
www.southcoast.org. Connect to Southcoast through social media
at www.southcoast.org/connect/.
Southcoast™ is a trademark of Southcoast Health System Inc.
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