[Comm-Council] H1N1 Special Travel message

[WARNER Summer L * DO ADMIN]

To:        Agency Directors and Public Information Officers

 

From:   Rebecca Gray, H1N1 Point of Contact

Department of Administrative Services

 

Re:      Special Message, H1N1 Communication Plan

 

As outlined in the state's H1N1 communication plan, you should now send
this special travel message to your employees. This message encourages
people to remain alert against the spread of H1N1 while traveling during
the holidays.

 

We anticipate that the next message in the H1N1 series will come out in
early December. We also will forward any new information as it becomes
available.

 

Holiday Travel: Protect yourself and others from the flu 

Oregon Public Health offers practical tips for healthy travel 

 

As the holiday travel season begins, avoiding the flu in crowded
terminals, stuffy planes and trains can be a challenge. 

 

"Airplanes, trains and cars are close quarters but you can make travel
safer with a few simple steps," says Mel Kohn, MD, MPH, director of
Oregon Public Health. "There are ways to protect yourself." 

 

Influenza virus is spread by droplets from coughs and sneezes. Studies
have shown that flu viruses can survive on hard surfaces and can infect
a person from two and eight hours after being left on items like
cafeteria tables, door handles and airplane trays. 

 

People can do the following things to ensure safe and healthy travel
throughout the busy holiday season: 

 

*	Travel only when you are feeling well so that you don't spread
the flu to others. 
*	Get vaccinated with a seasonal flu shot and, if you are in a
target group, an H1N1 vaccine. 
*	Cover your coughs and sneezes with something other than your
hand - like your elbow or a clean tissue. 
*	Avoid introducing germs into your body by not touching your
face. 
*	Wash your hands frequently. 
*	Carry alcohol-based hand sanitizer; if you're flying, remember
that hand sanitizer, like all liquids, must be in a 3 oz. or smaller
container, placed in a quart-sized clear plastic zip-top bag, and placed
separately in a security bin for X-ray. 
*	Consider carrying sanitizing wipes to clean armrests and trays
on public transportation. 
*	If you're traveling outside of the U.S., prepare for the
possibility of health screening. China and Japan have screened
passengers in the past and other countries may do the same if the
pandemic becomes more concentrated. To avoid being detained abroad,
don't travel while sick. 
*	Stay healthy by being physically active, eating a healthy diet
and not smoking. 
*	Pack the toll-free Oregon Public Health Flu Hotline number
1-800-978-3040; Oregonians can talk to a nurse about the flu from
anywhere in the U.S. 
*	Bookmark the www.flu.oregon.gov Web site for the most current
flu information. 

 

If you have questions, please contact Rebecca.Gray at das.state.or.us,
(503) 378-8301. 

 

HR resources for H1N1: http://oregon.gov/DAS/HR/flu.shtml 

 

 

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