Health Alert

Tuolumne County, CA — The Tuolumne County Health Department has issued a flu statement to the public about a strain that has hit the state and county.

Dr Todd Stolp, Tuolumne County Public Health Officer, was Wednesday’s KVML “Newsmaker of the Day”.

The strain has been identified as the 2009 H1N1 influenza A which was responsible for the 2009 influenza pandemic. There have been at least five confirmed cases of influenza A in Tuolumne County in the last week. All have recovered or are recovering.

According to Stolp, those at high risk to this particular virus include younger children, especially those under 2 years of age, pregnant women or mothers who have delivered a baby in the past two weeks, people with severe obesity, people in residential care homes, people over 65 years, people with severely weakened immune systems, and people with chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, or developmental disability.

Tuolumne County Public Health Officer Dr. Todd Stolp says there is some good news. it is not too late to get a flu shot. “May be the good side of the picture is the fact that the vaccine does include the component that is most likely to be effective against the most prevalent strain of the H1N1 which last visited us in 2009, ” says Stolp.

All persons 6 months and older potentially qualify for the influenza vaccine. The Tuolumne County Health Department is giving flu shots on Tuesday afternoons as long as vaccine lasts. Stolp cautions you to take extra precautions and follow good hygiene practices to bring in a healthier New Year in 2014.

The “Newsmaker of the Day” is heard every weekday morning on AM 1450 KVML at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45am