• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates Encourages Influenza Vaccination

Posted on: Tuesday, 13 November 2007, 12:00 CST

'Tis the season to share love, memories and gifts -- not influenza. A trip to the mall can help holiday shoppers cross off more than just gifts from their lists at South Shore Plaza. With endorsement from the area's largest multi-specialty medical group, Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, Novartis Vaccines announced today that it will offer shoppers a convenient opportunity to receive an influenza vaccination to help protect themselves, their loved ones and their community during this year's influenza season.

The influenza vaccination clinics will be conducted every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at South Shore Plaza in Braintree beginning the Friday after Thanksgiving (November 23), traditionally the kick-off to holiday shopping season and one of the busiest retail shopping days of the year. The influenza vaccination clinics will continue through December 23, 2007 to help bring convenient and accessible influenza vaccination directly to Boston-area residents. Cash and checks will be accepted for the vaccination, which will be priced comparably to other publicly available vaccinations. Insurance will not be accepted, however receipts will be distributed that can be submitted to your insurance company to request reimbursement. Novartis will provide trained healthcare professionals to administer the vaccinations.

"Harvard Vanguard appreciates the efforts of Novartis Vaccines to offer this additional protection for our community by providing a central, convenient influenza vaccination clinic at the South Shore Plaza during the holiday season," said Dr. Benjamin Kruskal, Director, Infectious Diseases, Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates. "We would like to remind our residents that an annual influenza vaccination helps to prevent influenza from spreading throughout the community. Your decision to get vaccinated or not goes well beyond you -- it also affects the many lives you touch. Harvard Vanguard encourages family members and those in close contact with people identified as high-risk for influenza to be vaccinated also."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), though the influenza season varies year to year, it can last as late as May. In Boston, last year the influenza season peaked in late January and early April. This is why receiving a vaccination in December, or even later, can still be beneficial.

Influenza is a contagious disease that can lead to serious complications, hospitalization or even death. For those who have not already been vaccinated, getting an influenza vaccination now is especially important, because, during the holiday season, people gather with their loved ones. Most healthy adults can spread the influenza virus beginning one day before they feel sick and usually continue to be contagious for about five days after, which means the virus can spread to close contacts, such as loved ones and co-workers. In fact, each year more than 200,000 people in the United States (US) are hospitalized and an average of about 36,000 die from influenza and its complications. It is important for Boston-area residents to get vaccinated, especially as influenza remains a risk well beyond the holiday shopping season. Those who are vaccinated at the South Shore Plaza clinic or at similar venues are reminded to notify their physician's office that the vaccination was completed.

In an effort to help protect Boston-area residents and their loved ones against influenza, Harvard Vanguard is encouraging residents who have not yet been vaccinated for the 2007-2008 influenza season and who are unable to do so through their healthcare provider to visit South Shore Plaza this holiday shopping season to receive a vaccination. Residents who are nine years and older can be vaccinated at this particular clinic.

Influenza vaccination may not prevent the disease in 100 percent of individuals.

"By offering on-site influenza vaccination clinics at Simon Malls, we are providing an easily accessible way for our shoppers to help protect themselves during the peak influenza season," said Vicki Bartkiewicz, Director of Mall Marketing at South Shore Plaza. "We are pleased to team with Novartis Vaccines to present this added convenience to our patrons during the busy holiday season."

About the South Shore Plaza Influenza Vaccination Clinic

The South Shore Plaza influenza vaccination clinic, sponsored by Novartis Vaccines and endorsed by Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates is designed to help support the CDC's efforts to extend the vaccination season, and to increase vaccination rates to reduce illness and deaths from influenza and its complications.

Influenza vaccine is a regulated product; its availability may be restricted or curtailed. The local influenza vaccination clinic will comply with all national, state, and local health regulations.

Other public vaccination sites may be found at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health website http://flu.masspro.org. For more information about how to help prevent influenza, consumers may visit www.FluSource.com.

About Influenza

Influenza is a contagious disease of the respiratory tract (nose, throat, and lungs) that can lead to serious complications, such as pneumonia and dehydration, and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes.

Many people confuse influenza with the common cold, but, in fact, influenza can be a much more serious illness. An average of 36,000 US residents die each year from influenza and its complications, which is more than double the 17,000 Americans who die annually from AIDS, similar to the 42,000 Americans who die each year from breast cancer, and half the 73,000 Americans who die annually of diabetes and its complications.

Influenza vaccination is recommended for people, including school-age children, who want to reduce the likelihood of becoming ill with influenza or transmitting influenza to others should they become infected. Vaccination is also recommended for people who are at high risk for complications of influenza, including people over 50 years old, children 6-59 months old and people with certain chronic illnesses.

Getting vaccinated against influenza helps protect those around you including those who may be at higher risk for complications. The elderly and young children are just two of the groups considered to be at increased risk for complications from influenza, but influenza vaccination may benefit anyone over the age of six months -- even healthy adults (influenza vaccines are not currently approved for children under six months of age). Influenza vaccination may not prevent the disease in 100 percent of individuals.

For more information about preventing influenza, visit www.FluSource.com.

About Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates

Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates is a multi-specialty physician practice with many convenient locations in eastern Massachusetts. Harvard Vanguard is an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, and its physicians are on the staff of Boston's leading academic medical centers and community hospitals, including Brigham and Women's Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Children's Hospital. Harvard Vanguard physicians have been on the forefront of quality improvement in adult and pediatric patient care for over three decades and continue to receive among the highest ratings for care quality in Massachusetts. Harvard Vanguard physicians and clinicians accept insurance from most major health plans, including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Neighborhood Health Plan, Tufts Health Plan and Tufts Medicare Preferred. Harvard Vanguard is an affiliate of Atrius Health. For more information, visit www.harvardvanguard.org.

Source: Business Wire

More News in this Category