The U.S. EPA Office of Children’s Health Protection recently awarded CAPP the 2006 Children’s Environmental Health Excellence Award. CAPP was also chosen as a Top Model Asthma Program by the University of Michigan’s Asthma Health Outcomes Project.
Dr. Tyra Bryant-Stephens knows how dangerous the flu can be to children with asthma and other respiratory problems. Every
year, she sees how influenza can worsen the health problems of her already ill, young patients. She also knows how critical it is that she and other health-care professionals get immunized to protect their vulnerable patients. That’s why she recommends influenza vaccination for her patients and also urges flu shots for health-care professionals, who can infect kids even if they don’t become sick themselves.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends yearly vaccinations for all health-care professionals. Research shows that health-care professionals can spread the highly contagious influenza virus to patients in their care.
There may be a misperception that health-care professionals have already been exposed to many infectious diseases, and therefore don’t need to worry about getting the influenza vaccine. But Dr. Bryant-Stephens has seen firsthand the havoc an
influenza outbreak can cause for medical office staff and the patients they serve.
“Hospitals, primary care practices and intensive care units need to continue to work harder to raise vaccination levels for all staff to protect their own health, but more importantly, their patients’ health.”