A Message From The Chapter

     As summer is almost half over, the Chapter continues to work diligently on programs & community projects that will serve your needs as a pediatrician.  One of the new projects for the Chapter is the revision of our website - so please bear with us as we make these changes to create a "user-friendly" & reliable resource for you. 

     Just a friendly reminder that if your Chapter membership has lapsed, please take a moment to  send in your renewal to National or to the Chapter directly.  Your membership is an important key to our ability to promote our programs in the community and provide quality CME programs as well as continue our advocacy efforts for children and for your practices during the year.

     We hope you enjoy this summer edition and please contact the Chapter with any resources or needs you may have.

Thanks,

Dian Milton

Executive Director

CA4, AAP

Parenting and Kids Expo

Volunteer Physicians/Nurses Needed!

Here is an opportunity for you to help support children in the community by volunteering at this one day health expo. 

Please call the Chapter office if you are interested in helping at this event!

Saturday August 6th

11:00 am - 4:00 pm

The District @ Tustin Legacy

Free Whooping Cough TDAP Immunizations
  

Mental Health Conference

TDAP Law Amendment

Governor Brown Has Signed SB 614 Into Law

Under a new state law, SB 614, schools have the option of allowing students in the 7th -12th grades to conditionally attend classes for up to 30 calendar days after their first day of the 2011-2012 school year before meeting their requirement for a whooping cough booster (Tdap). 

This option for conditional attendance will assist schools that need additional time to gather records on their students. To exercise this option, the county office of education or school district must work with the pupil's parent or  guardian so that the pupil receives the Tdap booster. Students will face exclusion from classes if they have not met the vaccine requirement by their school's deadline.

As pertussis continues to occur at high levels in California, unimmunized adolescents remain at risk of becoming ill, missing school and spreading pertussis to their fellow students, households and communities. CDPH urges schools, health care providers, and the public to continue their efforts to protect students against pertussis this summer.

If they haven't already, parents should make sure their children have been immunized and submitted their shot records to school as soon as possible before school starts to keep them healthy and in the classroom - check with individual schools for details.

Monthly TDAP Clinic Available

The Health Care Agency is providing a TDAP clinic for 7th-12th Graders who need to meet this vaccination requirement prior to school!

Where:

OC Health Care Agency

1725 W. 17th St.

Santa Ana, CA 92706

When:

Every Thursday from July 14 through September 1

8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.  

Saturdays August 13 and 27

8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.  

IVPP Materials Mini-Grant

Update from OC Epidemiology

Orange County Public Health

Update from Epidemiology, July 27, 2011

West Nile Virus (WNV) update:

The first human WNV case in California for 2011 was reported this past week in Santa Barbara.   Mosquitoes and dead birds have tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV) in Orange County this year and we anticipate our first human case this season at any time.

Although WNV activity fluctuates over the years, WNV is considered endemic in the county and cases may occur every year. Most experts feel that WNV infection is likely greatly underreported and underdiagnosed as the common presentation, West Nile Fever, is often a nonspecific self-limited febrile illness. For more information about West Nile Virus infection, see www.ochealthinfo.com/epi/wnv and www.ochealthinfo.com/epi/for-phys.htm#wnv.

WNV testing is recommended for the following individuals:

• All patients with encephalitis
• All patients with aseptic meningitis (consider enterovirus first in children; CSF enterovirus PCR is available through reference laboratories)
• All patients with acute flaccid paralysis or atypical Guillain Barre syndrome
• Patients with prolonged febrile illness (≥ 7 days) and symptoms compatible with West Nile infection.

Diagnosis is best made by serology (IgM and IgG) for WNV. WNV IgM may be negative early in the course of the disease and repeat serology may be indicated if initial testing was done in the first 10 days after onset of symptoms.

West Nile (WN) Virus infection is reportable within one working day to OC Epidemiology at 714-834-8180 or fax 714-834-8196.

To receive our communicable disease newsletter, CD Connection, and/or receive alerts from public health, email epi@ochca.com or call 714-834-8180. Issues are also posted at www.ochealthinfo.com/epi/cd.