Guam is now preventing ships from docking that have crew exposed to the swine flu.
________________________________________________________

Flu cases force 3 ships to skip Guam visit
By Gidget Fuentes – Staff writer
Posted : Friday Jul 10, 2009 11:34:40 EDT
SAN DIEGO — Three Navy ships had to remain off the coast of Guam this week after reports of crew members were suspected of having swine flu.

The ships — amphibious assault ship Boxer, dock landing ship Comstock and guided missile cruiser Lake Champlain — instead were resupplied off the coast of the Southwest Pacific island after some crew members had flu-like symptoms, Lt. Jodie Cornell, a Navy public affairs officer with Naval Forces-Marianas, told the Pacific Daily News.

Cornell told the newspaper that Navy officials decided to keep the ships away from port as a “precautionary measure” after service members aboard the ships, which include Marines with the Camp Pendleton, Calif.-based 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, came down with flu-like symptoms. The affected service members were treated with Tamiflu and were quarantined aboard their ships.

Navy officials haven’t said whether any of the flu cases had yet been identified or confirmed as swine flu, which is caused by the H1N1 virus. That determination will take some time.

“We have no way to confirm H1N1 on the ship,” said Lt. Cate Wallace, a U.S. 7th Fleet spokeswoman in Yokosuka, Japan. “If a sailor exhibits flu-like symptoms, the same protocol is going to be followed,” including prescribed rest and isolation, she said. “Even if we can’t confirm it [as swine flu], we are going to err on the side of caution.”

The ships returned to sea and are expected to continue on the final leg of the planned deployments following operations in the 7th and 5th fleet regions that included operations in the Persian Gulf.

The flu cases Thursday prompted the top Marine commander aboard Boxer to cancel the unit’s planned tiger cruise that’s traditionally offered for relatives to ride the amphibious ships from Hawaii to San Diego.

In a letter to families published on the 13th MEU’s blog, Col. David W. Coffman, the 13th MEU commander, said that some Marines and sailors aboard Boxer and Comstock came down with “a mild influenza virus” and had to be quarantined. “The specific strain of flu in unknown, but it is contagious and generally characterized as ‘influenza-like illness,’ ” Coffman wrote. The affected Marines and sailors were being treated “and every precaution is being taken to keep unaffected personnel in continued good health.”

Coffman wrote that he decided to cancel the MEU’s Tiger Cruise as a precaution, noting, “the safety and health of our Marines and their families is our primary concern.”
_________________________________________________
Peter

Guys, I went to the “Next Top Model” trials. Kate, Jaimee, Tiara, Haani and Maria set new standards for my boner meter.

?By Jac Perry??GUAM – The CW-4 Guam’s exclusive America’s Next Top Model event was a huge success last night, as 30 of Guam’s very own women entered to win a chance to audition for the top television reality series. One of these lucky girls has the opportunity to be cast and appear before supermodel producer Tyra Banks.

??A whir of excitement filled the Agana Shopping Center for The CW-4 Guam’s exclusive network promotion: Guam’s Casting Call for America’s Next Top Model.  More than a hundred people crowded the center court to watch the models walk the runway and answer interview questions.??

A panel of judges sat at the end of the runway judging each model under several categories including poise, walk and interview response.??

From July 11 – 14 Docomo Pacific subscribers can text to 4444 and enter the designated number to select the model of their choice. Last chance to vote is July 14, 2009 at 5 p.m.??

Each model’s number of votes will be combined with the total points granted by the judges at last night’s casting call. The three participants with the highest number of points will be announced on July 15.

??Keep informed through The CW-4 Guam (channel 4), http://www.guamnewsfactor.com and Hit Radio 100 for more details.

Each model and her corresponding number are listed below.??

1.      DEANNA KIRKWOOD
?2.      AMBER FLORES RITTER?
3.      DOLORES BLAS
?4.      DAWN PERRYMAN
?5.      TORILYNN TAITANO DOTTS?
6.      HAANI M. QUINATA?
7.      ALETA M. BORJA?
8.      KRYSTAL M. STEVENSON?
9.      JAMAE ANN B. SABANGAN
10.     STACEY SCOTT?
11.     MEGAN HIATT?
12.     JENNIFER M. TORRES?
13.     LESLIE MAFNAS?
14.     TIARA LIZAMA?
15.     KAREN DABU?
16.     ASHLEY ZIMMERMAN?
17.     SHIRLEY C. CHU?
18.     DANIELLE CONCEPCION?
19.     DEARHEART GILLIAM
?20.     JAIMEE CORPUZ?
21.     ROMALYN VANDERLOOP?
22.     CRYSTAL CARTER
?23.     ANNA McCOY?
24.     SHANNON ZIMMERMAN?
25.     SLOANE PUNG?
26.     MARIA TOLENTINO
?27.     MARIA SWICK
?28.     MARIANA FISCHER?
29.     KATE KIKUCHI
?30.     CHRISTINE AGUSTIN
====================================

I also just wanted to pop in and say thanks for the above links, about media and UFO sightings, and Sandy for the BBQ info, I rarely do that anymore but I liked the food handling part, sometimes people forget that stuff : )

Catch your writes today, later on – been rising early lately : ) Zen Lill

That’s his was of saying that he is very fond of you. He keeps blown up pictures of you from your blog at my house. He doesn’t want to make the wife jealous.

She knows that I am gay so she thinks I have the hots for you. Maybe I do. Don’t you think it is about time you added a new hot photo to your blog.

Yolanda

The promotional campaigns make it seem as though the flu shot is a one-shot solution to staying healthy all winter, providing protection from flu and pneumonia. New research shows that may not be so. While older people are still encouraged to get their annual flu shot, debate is roiling around a recent study of more than 3,500 seniors with the finding that a flu shot did not protect against the risk of developing pneumonia.

BENEFITS OVER-STATED, UNDER-DELIVERED

Each year’s flu shot consists of a unique recipe formulated of epidemiologists’ best guess of which viruses will be most prevalent in the upcoming season. It may or may not contain the virus strains you end up getting exposed to or sick from. The usual advice is to get the shot — it won’t make matters worse, and might at least keep you from getting as sick.

In a case-control study at the Group Health Center for Health Studies in Seattle, researchers examined the effectiveness of the flu vaccine in seniors aged 65 to 94 years during the 2000, 2001 and 2002 flu seasons. They compared the medical records of 1,173 participants treated for community-acquired pneumonia with 2,346 age- and sex-matched people who did not get pneumonia. Both groups had intact immune systems and, as it turned out, similar rates of vaccination. It seems the vaccine did not prevent pneumonia, according to senior investigator Lisa Jackson, MD, MPH. “If the vaccine reduced the risk of pneumonia, persons who did not get pneumonia would have a higher vaccination rate than those who did,” she said.

Researchers took into account factors such as smoking history, lung or heart disease, and frailty and found no evidence of reduced risk of pneumonia among those who received flu shots. “We believe that the benefits of flu vaccine have been overestimated in previous studies,” Dr. Jackson told me. She said this may be because frail seniors are less likely to get the vaccine, while those who get annual vaccinations may be healthier from the outset. Findings were published in the August 2, 2008, issue of The Lancet. “Our theory is that factors that act as barriers to vaccination, such as difficulty walking or difficulty in conducting daily activities, make it less likely a person will get the vaccine in a given year.”

TAKE STEPS TO PROTECT YOURSELF

Dr. Jackson told me that future research should emphasize the need for more development and testing of new vaccines for elderly persons. One option might be simply increasing the dose (the amount of influenza viral protein in the vaccine), since vaccines with higher doses lead to a greater immune response in older people. Though this may be more effective, it is important to note that the side effects that sometimes accompany vaccination may present their own challenges.

In the meantime, follow these tips to ward off the flu this season…

Discuss with your doctor whether you should get an annual flu shot.

Wash hands frequently with soap and water. Antibacterial soap is not necessary and can be counterproductive.

Avoid close contact with people who have the flu.

Routinely clean and disinfect household surfaces.
As we always say, taking good care of yourself so your immune system is strong is very important. Follow a proper diet and get regular exercise and adequate sleep.

Take preventive immune-boosting supplements chosen for your particular health concerns. Flu season generally stretches from as early as October through as late as May.

At the first sign of symptoms, such as fatigue, headache or a sore throat, discuss with your doctor whether you should take natural immune-boosting anti-viral supplements such as Echinacea, elderberry and/or zinc lozenges, or reduce symptoms with Oscillococcinum. (Read more about natural virus killers in the March 17, 2008, issue of Daily Health News.)

Source(s):

Lisa Jackson, MD, MPH, senior investigator, Group Health Center for Health Studies, Seattle, Washington.