HR Topics 12-18-11 -- Flu Shots/Pertussis

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Dr. Nancy Welch, the Director of the Chesapeake Health District, discusses flu shots on this edition of Hampton Roads Topics. Dr. Welch says October through December is the best time get a flu shot to provide protection against the height of the influenza season, which is generally January through March. Flu shots are recommended for children, the elderly, and people with chronic illness or compromised immune systems.

We also discuss a new initiative to combat whooping cough, also known as pertussis. The news wire is full of stories detailing how pertussis cases have been soaring in recent years while vaccination rates have gradually been trending down.  The pertussis vaccine is usually given with the so-called T-DAP shot, which also protects against tetanus and diphtheria.  Public school students in Virginia are required to get the T-DAP before entering 6th grade.

For information in getting a flu shot, contact your family doctor or your local health district.  Also visit the Virginia Department of Health's website for more vaccination info.

Combating Drinking and Driving

Because the holidays are such a problematic time for drinking and driving, I'm posting an interview I did in 2010 with Mike Goodove, the President of the Hampton Roads chapter of MADD.  

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New Podcast Added

Sunday's interview with Green Run High School Principal Dr. George Parker has been added to the podcast.  We discuss the upcoming Virginia Beach Schools African American Male Summit, which Dr. Parker's school is hosting.  Click here to view the podcast list

December11th -- African American Male Summit

Sunday, 12/11 @ 6am 
92.9 The Wave, ESPN Radio 94.1, Star 1310 and 97.3 The Eagle

Virginia Beach Public Schools will hold its 5th Annual African American Male Summit on Saturday, January 7th, at Green Run High School.  The event is titled, "Stones of Hope: Foundation for Our Future," a reference to the Martin Luther King Monument that was unveiled earlier in 2011 in Washington D.C.  Dr. King has served as an inspirational theme for the summit since the beginning.

My guest is Dr. George Parker, the principal of Green Run High School.  He says that while the summit is directed after African American boys, all students in 8th through 12th grades are welcome to attend, as are their parents.  The goal of the summit is to engage and inspire students.

The summit includes workshops on goal setting, succeeding in high school, and college preparation.  There will also be representatives from a number of colleges present.

For information about the African American Male Summit, visit the VBSchools.com website.

New Podcast Added

Sunday's interview with Kristen Hatfield and Wes Juezan of the American Red Cross has been added to the Hampton Roads Topics podcast.  Listen to learn how you could win an iPad 2 just for donating blood platelets.

December 4th -- Blood Platelet Donors Could Win iPad 2

Sunday, 12/4 @ 6am 
92.9 The Wave, ESPN Radio 94.1, Star 1310 and 97.3 The Eagle

People who donate blood platelets in Hampton Roads could win an iPad 2 from the American Red Cross.  That is just one of the topics discussed on this Sunday's edition of Hampton Roads Topics, with guests Kristin Hatfield and Wes Juezan of the American Red Cross Mid-Atlantic Blood Services Region.

According to the Red Cross website, "platelets are a vital element of cancer and organ transplant treatments, as well as many surgical procedures as they help prevent massive blood loss."  Juezan says platelet donation takes a little longer than whole blood donation, but it uses a smaller needle and it can be done more often, once every seven days.  Givers of whole blood must wait 56 days between donations.

Everyone who donates platelets during the month of December will be eligible to win an iPad 2.  Other prizes include an iPod Touch, a Kindle Fire, and laptop computers.

The local Red Cross also has a great need for whole blood donors, especially during the holidays when people are travelling, on Christmas break or are otherwise too busy to donate.  Hatfield says they need 500 to 600 blood donors every day to meet demand.

To give blood, a person must be at least 17 years of age (16 with parental consent), weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in generally good health.  Cancer survivors and people with tattoos or body piercings are, in most cases, eligible to donate.  Visit the Red Cross eligibility page for more details.

To learn more about donating blood, visit www.redcrossblood.org/midatlantic