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The Community Information Guide provides the latest news, upcoming events and local city directories.
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www.slfp.com
St. Louis Front Page
P. O. Box 1354
St. Louis, MO 63188
www.slfp.com
Voice: 314-771-0200
Fax: 314-771-0300
To submit news, contact:
editor@slfp.com
Please e-mail
advertising@slfp.com
or call 314-771-0200 for information or questions about advertising opportunities in the Community Section.
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Soccer Legends and Moms Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain Lead Effort for Seasonal Flu Vaccinations
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), August 23, 2009 - MedImmune, Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) and the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) today officially launched "Don't Play with the Flu,"(TM) a national health awareness campaign that aims to highlight the importance of getting a seasonal influenza vaccination every year. "Don't Play with the Flu" kicks off today in New York City with a one-of-a-kind soccer clinic led by soccer legends and moms Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises that the single best way families can help prevent the seasonal flu is by getting a flu vaccine - every year - for those individuals who are eligible to receive it. The CDC recommends that children 6 months through 18 years of age be vaccinated annually against seasonal flu and that eligible individuals be immunized as soon as the seasonal vaccine becomes available, which can be as early as August and September.
"We know a vaccine is the best way to help protect ourselves from the flu, so my family and I get a seasonal flu vaccine as soon as we can every year," said Mia Hamm, international soccer legend and proud mother of 2-year-old twins. "That way we can concentrate on all the other things we regularly do to stay healthy on and off the field and in our busy lives."
The campaign reminds families of one key soccer term, G.O.A.L., when thinking about seasonal influenza prevention:
- Get a seasonal flu vaccine every year for eligible family members.
- Options are available. Talk to your healthcare provider about what
type of flu vaccine - the shot or the nasal spray - is right for you
and your family members.
- Avoid germs and illness. Wash hands often, cover sneezes and coughs
with a tissue or arm sleeve, avoid those who are sick, and keep
yourself and family members home when sick.
- Lead a healthy lifestyle with plenty of sleep, proper nutrition,
frequent exercise and plenty of liquids.
"Along with all the things that parents know are important for helping keep their kids healthy - like washing hands and getting enough sleep - influenza vaccination should be at the top of the list. It's a smart defense to help protect our kids - and our families - from seasonal flu," said Anat R. Feingold, M.D., a pediatric infectious disease expert. "And because kids can spread the flu, including at school, it's important that parents ask about an annual flu vaccine as soon as it is available. Back-to-school and sports physicals can be the perfect opportunity."
According to the CDC, each year, as many as 60 million Americans get the flu, and the resulting complications cause more than 200,000 hospitalizations. Children between 2 and 17 years of age are twice as likely to get the flu as adults and commonly need medical care. Flu can also impact school, with one analysis showing students missed approximately 38 million school days due to seasonal flu in one year.
The campaign offers families information, resources, and updates through DontPlaywiththeFlu.com. Parents and kids can find interactive content, including a quiz about seasonal flu, educational information, and insights into the lives of soccer stars, moms and role models Hamm and Chastain. The campaign also aims to educate families about the importance of seasonal flu vaccination for eligible individuals through informational brochures at WPS stadiums, media events and soccer clinics in WPS franchise cities, and directly to AYSO members and families around the country.
"'Don't Play with the Flu' reflects MedImmune's commitment to supporting healthy families," said Tony Zook, president of MedImmune. "We're very pleased to partner with Women's Professional Soccer, the American Youth Soccer Organization, and of course Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain, to bring this important preventive health message to families across the country this flu season."
As a part of the campaign, MedImmune has become a sponsor of WPS, the world's premier women's professional soccer league, and AYSO, a nationwide non-profit youth soccer organization that develops and delivers quality youth soccer programs to approximately 600,000 players. MedImmune, the presenting sponsor of the 2009 WPS Championship in Los Angeles, Aug. 22, will present the "Defender of the Year" award at the WPS All-Star Game in St. Louis on Sunday, Aug. 30. MedImmune manufactures FluMist (Influenza Vaccine Live, Intranasal), the nasal spray flu vaccine against seasonal influenza for eligible individuals 2 - 49 years of age. See important safety and eligibility information below.
Obesity Remains No. 1 Health Problem for Kids in 2009
ST. LOUIS, MO, (PRNewswire-USNewswire), August 16, 2009 - Public concern about childhood obesity is on the rise and it continues to outrank all other health problems as the No. 1 concern for children in the United States.
According to a report released today by the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health, the proportion of adults who believe childhood obesity is a big problem has increased from 35 percent of adults in 2008 to 42 percent in 2009.
While obesity has ranked as the top overall health concern for kids in the U.S. for the last two years, it has not always been the case for Hispanics or blacks.
"This is the first year the three major racial/ethnic groups all agree," says Matthew Davis, M.D., director of the poll. "In 2008, among whites, the chief concern was obesity, while among blacks the chief concern was teen pregnancy, and among Hispanics the chief concern was smoking."
In May 2009, the Poll asked adults to rate 23 different health concerns for children living in their communities.
Top 10 overall health concerns rated as a big problem for U.S. children in 2009:
1. Childhood obesity. Forty-two percent of U.S. adults rate childhood obesity as a big problem. In 2008, 35 percent of adults rated childhood obesity as the top overall health concern for children. In 2007, it was ranked No. 3.
2. Drug abuse. Thirty-six percent of U.S. adults rate drug abuse as a big problem for children and has held at No. 2 since 2007.
3. Smoking. Ranked No. 1 in 2007, smoking continues to hold the No. 3 position since 2008, with 32 percent of U.S. adults rating it as a big problem for kids.
4. Bullying. Holding at No. 4, 31 percent of U.S. adults rate bullying as a big problem for children.
5. Internet safety. Continuing at No. 5, 31 percent of U.S. adults consider internet safety a big problem for kids, slightly up from 27 percent in 2008.
6. Child abuse and neglect. This issue, which was ranked No. 10 in 2007, holds at No. 6 and was rated as a big problem among 29 percent of U.S. adults, up from 25 percent in 2008.
7. Alcohol abuse. Up from No. 8 in 2008, 26.5 percent of U.S. adults consider alcohol abuse a big problem. For the 2008 poll, 23 percent of adults listed alcohol abuse as a health concern for kids. In 2007, alcohol abuse was ranked fourth overall.
8. Stress. New to the list in 2009, 26 percent of U.S. adults rate stress as a big problem for children.
9. Not enough opportunities for physical activity. Up one spot from 2008, nearly 25 percent of U.S. adults rate this as a big problem for kids.
10. Teen pregnancy. Falling three places from No. 7 to No. 10, 24 percent of U.S. adults rated teen pregnancy as a big problem in 2009.
Health issues for children not ranked in the top ten include: chemicals in the environment, driving accidents, sexually transmitted infections, school violence, depression, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, asthma, autism, eating disorders, neighborhood safety, dental problems, suicide andunsafe foods.
The National Poll on Children's Health also found that adults from low-income households making $30,000 per year or less rated smoking and tobacco use as the top child health concern, while the middle and highest income households making $30,000 to more than $100,000 per year rated childhood obesity as the biggest health concern for kids.
Stress now ranks among the top 10 child health problems, and was especially of concern for children in lower-income communities.
"As we reported in July 2009, levels of stress among children may relate to economic stresses faced by their families in the current economic downturn," says Davis, associate professor of general pediatrics and internal medicine at the U-M Medical School, and associate professor of public policy at the U-M Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. "The fact that stress rates so high in the list of child health problems is a reminder that most of the problems on the list are behavioral or psychological in nature."
Archived St. Louis Community Health News:
 Downtown Urgent Care Serves Need in Downtown St. Louis
Tips to Help Boomers Prevent Exercise-Related Injuries
Missouri's Optometrists to Provide Free Professional Eye care for Infants
Children's Health Advocacy Project Receives Funding
November is Missouri Family Health History Month
Tweens and Teens Double Use of Diabetes Drugs
Missouri Receives Grants to Benefit Mothers, Babies
Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Brings Thousands to Downtown St. Louis for the 10th Annual Event
As Temperatures Heat Up, Cool Down St. Louis Receives Major Assistance from AmerenUE
Long Term Care Costs in Missouri Increased as Much as Three Times National Average
Washington University in St. Louis and AstraZeneca to Collaborate Alzheimer's Research
New Report Estimates 10 Million Baby Boomers Will Develop Alzheimer's Disease in the United States
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The Community Information Guide is presented in conjunction with the St. Louis Front Page and Southwest Illinois News. The sites are owned and maintained by the Moore Design Group for the sole purpose of disseminating news and information about the Metropolitan St. Louis area. Text or graphics may not be copied, rewritten or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission. For more information, contact editor@slfp.com All rights reserved world wide © 1996 - 2009 Moore Design Group.
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