Suffield Township promotes Safety, Health and Fun

By Drew Jones

Flu season 2015 is upon us whether you like it or not and the Portage County Health Department has already started taking precautions.

Starting this month and running through November, the health department will be conducting a community flu clinic throughout various locations in Portage County.

Influenza, or the flu, is a contagious disease that spreads around the U.S. every year, according to the health department. Rosemary Ferraro, Director of Nursing for the Portage County Health Department, says now is the time to fight the virus.

“October, because usually our flu season can run from December to February,” Ferraro said on when to get a flu shot.

“We want to make sure they are immunized appropriately. If they get it to early, they may not be protected (for) the full flu season,” she said.

Anyone is able to receive the shot, if ensured, and the price range varies by age and the amount of dosage. Ferraro recommends all to get the shot, even as young as six months old, to avoid spreading the disease.

“We encourage everyone to get a flu shot to protect themselves and their families,” Ferraro said.

Another Portage County Health Department employee, Ali Mitchell, also encourages community members to get the shot.

“I recommend getting a flu shot because it keeps your immune system up throughout the season and it keeps you healthy all throughout the year,” Mitchell said.

According to the health department, thousands of people in the U.S. die from the flu, and many more are hospitalized every year. With the seriousness of this virus, many around the county are attending the flu clinics. One of those is Stow, OH resident Jill Calley, 24, who plans on attending a community clinic sometime later this month.

“I’ve been getting the flu shot for a few years now and it really does help,” Calley said.

“I’m one of those people that when you get sick, you’re really sick. Getting the shot helps a lot. I recommend it to everybody,” she said.

Despite high praise, some still shy away from the shot, with fears that it might cause them to get even sicker. Ferraro says there’s a chance of that, depending on what kind of vaccine you receive.

“They believe that the flu shot is a live vaccine, which we do have. Nasal is a live vaccine, so they can definitely get sick from that,” Ferraro said.

“The other flu shots are not a live vaccine. It usually takes about two to six weeks for the vaccine to work, so a lot of people feel that if they get sick right after they get the flu shot. They think it’s the flu shot, (but) they were already exposed to the flu,” she said.

On Oct. 11, the community flu clinic was held at the Suffield Fire Department in Mogadore, OH. The community clinic was corresponding with the Suffield Fire Department open house, where the theme was “hear the beep, where you sleep.”

The open house marked an end to Suffield Township’s fire safety week, a week that’s all about informing the community, said Fire Chief Bob Rasnic.

“This years theme is to have a working smoke alarm in every bed room,” Rasnic said.

“We try to get that message out through the community, and we do that through interacting with the children at the school, and we have this event to get everybody on board with us,” he said.
With partnering with the Portage County Health Department, Rasnic said this years showing was an all-time best.

“The turnouts been incredible,” Rasnic said.

“Everybody needs a flu shot, and a health screening, there’s something here for everybody.”

As Portage County prepares for yet another flu season, Ferraro hints not to fear, as this season has a chance to be relatively subdued.

“We’re really not sure yet, but according to CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), they believe that, they actually got a very good (rating) on the flu strings this year.”