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Show ilMFS November 17, 2005 Flu season begins season. Check with your doctor if you fit any shot clinics in December. "Once Hill reaches 70 percent coverage of of these categories. For those with needle-phobia the 75th Med- active duty personnel and 30 percent coverAs the winter months approach, so does ical Group has FluMist available, which is a age of high-risk beneficiaries, we will open the flu season. It begins in November and typically runs through March. During these vaccine that is given as a nasal mist instead vaccine availability to all Defense Departmonths, unless contact with other people is of a shot. This is now being administered to ment beneficiaries/' Colonel Winterton completely avoided, the chances of being ex- active duty personnel. They will also be re- said. The goal of the immunization program is ceiving a shipment of injectable vaccine by posed to the influenza virus, which causes to have 90 percent of active duty members the end of November. the flu, are very high. vaccinated by December 15 and 100 percent When the injectable vaccine is available, "The flu can be a serious workplace problem," said Lt. Col. Daniel Gerke, Hill Fam- the 75th Medical Group plans to notify high- by Jan. 15. "To help accomplish this, weekly influenza ily Practice Flight commander. "My staff is risk beneficiaries by mail and schedule flu rosters will be sent to unit deployconstantly exposed to hundreds ment managers and commandof sick people every day. Occaers," Colonel Winterton said. sionally, even healthcare profesBecause the influenza is caused sionals will catch illnesses, such by a/virus not bacteria, it can't be as the flu, despite sound prevencured with antibiotics. Once a tive efforts." person gets the flu, not much can Nobody wants to catch the flu. be done except to alleviate the In fact, it can be very dangerous. symptoms. The flu is responsible for an averBecause the flu and the comage of 36,000 deaths and 114,000 mon cold — both caused by vihospitalizations each year. Simruses — share many of the same ply getting a flu shot can prevent symptoms, it can be difficult to illness and even save lives. tell the difference between them. "Flu shots represent a passive In general, the flu is worse than form of immunization — you get the common cold and symptoms immunized without actually exsuch as fever, body aches, experiencing the disease," Colonel treme tiredness, and dry cough Gerke said. "As a general rule, are more common and intense. flu vaccination is very safe and Colds are more likely to cause a highly effective." runny or stuffy nose and generThe best way to prevent the flu ally don't result in serious health is to get an annual vaccination in problems, such as pneumonia, early autumn. This helps ensure bacterial infections or hospitalimmunity when the flu season izations. There is no effective speaks around the month of Febvaccine for the common cold ruary. because it's caused by more 100 "Last year's flu vaccine shorttypes of rhinoviruses and age prevented many people it would be very difficult to from receiving their anIn addition to being vaccinated, there are other ways to avoid getting make one vaccine that pronual flu shot," said Lt. Col. sick and staying healthy throughout the coming winter and early spring: tects against all of them Brad Winterton, Public • Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Health Flight commander. "Generally speaking, • If you are sick, don't pass it on. Stay home, not only to recuperate, "This year, federal and Demost viruses, like the flu but also to prevent spreading the virus and making others ill. fense Department health run their course in 9 days officials do not anticipate — three days to get sick, • Use tissues to cover your mouth and nose when you cough or any shortage of flu vacthree days to be sick and sneeze. This simple measure helps prevent the spread of germs. cine. All active duty perthree days to get bet• Wash your hands frequently.vXtji.s helps to prevent the yirus from sonnel must be vaccinated ter," Colonel Gerke said. spreading through contact, ^p S%£ this year, and the Medical "Should a person come Group will offer flu shots down with the flu, there FLU FACTS: ;: 'i to as many other benefiare over the counter medi• Symptoms include fever, headache, tiredness, dry cough, sore ciaries as possible until cations that are effective throat, nasal congestion, and body aches. vaccine supplies are exin significantly reducing • Flu is spread when an infected person sneezes or coughs and the ; hausted." the length and severity of moisture droplets from the cough or sneeze are spread through the air, The flu vaccine is highly the flu." • Adults can spread the flu virus for a wide range of time. One can recommended for most For more information on become contagious as early as one day before symptoms start to three individuals with a comsuch medicines, Colonel to seven days after symptoms begin. This time range is longer for promised immune status, Gerke recommends peoadults over 50 and pregchildren. ple visit their local civilian nant women who will be pharmacy, and seek the • If you do get sick, get plenty of rest and drink fluids to help your advice of the staff pharmabody fight off the virus. in their second or third cist. trimester during the flu BYBETHYOUNG Hilltop Times staff neiD soreaa noiiaav cneer / BYBETHYOUNG or organization's facility (not to exceed $200) and third place will receive a bowling party at the Hill Bowling Center. Win or lose, the project is a great wingman activity, said Ms. Munnell. "It's something fun that we can all do together to get into the holiday spirit," said Those who want to help spread holiday Shanna Olney, who with her organization, cheer are invited to help deck the halls the 309th Aircraft Maintenance Group or more accurately - the streets of Hill by Aircraft Quality Team, had a painting building a giant holiday greeting party to design their card. card. The cards will be displayed To enter the contest, e-mail on what will become Holiday Card your name, organization, and Lane on South Gate Avenue. phone number to Edie.Messina® "When people drive in, it will hill.af.mil or Amy.Munnell® put a smile on their faces," said hill.af.mil by Nov. 25. For more Amy Munnell, 75th Services Diviinformation call the 75th Services sion marketing and sponsorship Marketing Office at 775-2084. specialist. Hill Holiday Card Lane instruc"We want to fill up that entire tions: strip with holiday greetings," • Organizations are invited to added Edie Messina, 75th Servicpost their cards from Nov. 28-Dec. es Division marketing specialist. 2 In year's past, cards have been • Cards must be removed Jan. decorated with the usual holiday 2-6 flare - Santa and reindeer. Be• All cards must be made of ing a military base, it's also not plywood in one of the following unusual to see missiles. There sizes: 4- by 4-feet, 4- by 6-feet or is no specific theme this year, so • 4- by 8-feet card makers are encouraged to • Card must fit into a 10-footjet creative with their designs wide area and be securely anfEo represent their squadrons or chored organizations. • Paint and decorations should "The more creativity, the betbe waterproof and weather resister - show off Team Hill's holiday tant \ spirit," Ms. Munnell said. • Mounted items must be seFor those with a competitive curely attached to the card spirit, there will be a card contest. • No electric decorations perfudging will take place the second mitted reek in December. First place will • Backside of card should list Receive 25 percent off a squadron organization, point of contact and k organization party at a services Photo by Shanna Olney phone number acility that is catered by Club Tom Wynne and John Anderson, work on the 309th Aircraft Mainte• Each organization is responlill. Second place receives a pizza nance Group Aircraft Quality Team's card with others at a painting sible for set-up, maintenance, and 3arty at the winner's squadron party. tear-down of their card. Hilltop Times staff AROUND THE HILL • Dream come true The dream of home ownership can become a reality for a Hill family through the Have-aHeart project. Have a Heart is a community service project that builds and then sells a home at a substantial discount to a special needs family. This year's Davis County home is being built in Layton City and the keys will be given to the chosen family Dec. 16 by the mayor of Layton. Hill military members can apply for either the Davis or Weber County house no later than Dec. 8. For more information on how to apply, call the Weber/North Davis Association of Realtors at 476-4216 or Aljoe King at 721-7512. • Memorial service The Utah Wing of the Civil Air Patrol will host a memorial service Dec. 4 at 1:30 p.m. at the Hill Aerospace Museum Chapel. The service will commemorate the establishment of the Civil Air Patrol by an act of Congress on Dec. 1,1941. Former Utah Sen. Jake Garn will speak about his flight on the space shuttle Discovery. All base personnel, their families and friends are invited to attend. For more information, contact Bill Cochran at 626-7271 or 771-2321. • Holiday Gift and Craft Bazaar The Hill Officers' Spouses Club will hold a Holiday Gift and Craft Bazaar Dec. 6 at Club Hill from 10 a.m-6 p.m. There will be more than 40 crafters and vendors selling the following items: Christmas decorations and ornaments; jewelry; baby carriage covers and blankets; nature gifts; pottery; woodcrafts; crocheted towels and pillows; unique toys; antique-looking clocks; Tastefully Simple items; polar fleece wear; floral arrangements; candles; decorative cards; stamps for card-making and much more! Proceeds from the event will support the annual OSC scholarship program and other charitable giving to the Hill community. For more information, call Allison Jakus at 4756528. • Second career seminar The Family Support Center will host a seminar, 9-11:30 a.m., Dec. 7 for officers and senior noncommissioned officers who plan to leave active military service in the next five years. The deputy director of the Military Officers Association of America, retired Air Force Col. Dan Koslov, will present this free, 2^-hour seminar in the Family Support Center (Bldg. 150). Spouses and military retirees, who plan to change job positions in the future, are welcome to attend. Topics at the seminar include: • Competition in finding a job • Perceptions civilian employers have of military personnel • Planning a job search • Resumes, cover letters and broadcast letters • How employers read resumes • Networking and penetrating the hidden job market • Preparing and conducting a successful interview • Salary and benefit negotiations • Job rejections For more information contact Steve Rose, Work/Life Consultant at the Family Support Center, at 777-4681. • Civilian health fair The Hill Benefits and Entitlements Section of the Civilian Personnel Office will host a Federal Employee Health Benefits open season health fair later this month and in December. The health fair will be held Nov. 29-Dec. 1 in Bldg. 244, from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. (closed for lunch 11:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m.) and Dec. 5-7 in Bldg. 1279 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. (closed for lunch 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.). Employees who would like to enroll with or change their health insurance provider can do so through the BEST System at 1-800-616-3775 or visit the website at http://www.afpc. randolph.af.mil/dpc/BEST_GRB/EBIS.htm. Changes take effect Jan. 8, 2006. For more information about the health fair or for answers to questions on the open season, contact Tiara Puro with Hill Benefits and Entitlements, at 586-6471. • Hill Clinic closed Friday The 75th Medical Group Clinic (Bldg. 570), including the Pharmacy, will be closed for Wingman Day activities Friday. Hill Clinic beneficiaries who experience a medical emergency (potential loss of life, limb or eyesight) should go to the nearest civilian emergency room and then notify their primary care manager Monday when the clinic reopens. Hill Clinic beneficiaries with an urgent medical condition should contact the PCM on-call at 777-5285 for guidance on care. The Occupational Medicine Clinic (Bldg. 249) will be open for business as usual. |