A new study released in the Journal Pediatrics has confirmed what many of us in public health already knew: children whose parents refuse to have them vaccinated are more likely to get and spread pertussis. Some people are likely to say so what. Is pertussis really that common or serious? The answer to both those questions is yes.
According to a Pew Internet and American Life social networking survey, 35% of online adults had profiles on social networking sites in 2008, compared to 8% in 2005. Online social networking is still a "phenomenon of the young" for how ubiquitous Facebook and MySpace is among 18 to 24 year-olds, but 35% of adults overall have profiles on networking sites. African-American and Hispanic adults are more likely to have profiles than whites adults.
In covering the current swine flu outbreak, the ethnic media in the United States has been ahead of the curve on some stories the mainstream media is just picking up, such as a growing backlash against Mexicans.
The National Health Journalism Fellowships offer journalists from around the country an opportunity to explore the intersection between community health, health policy and the nation's.
The Center for Ecoliteracy is a public foundation that supports a grantmaking program for educational organizations and school communities, primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area. Dedicated to education for sustainable living, the center's philosophy is that societies do not need to invent sustainable human communities. They can learn from societies that have lived sustainably for centuries. They can also model communities after nature's ecosystems, which are sustainable communities of plants, animals and microorganisms.
Dr. Susan Fernyak is deputy health officer for San Francisco and director of the Department of Public Health's Communicable Disease Control and Prevention section. Her section is responsible for epidemiology, surveillance and disease control, immunization programs and bioterrorism preparedness and response. As director, she has managed San Francisco's smallpox vaccination program and the city and county's response to SARS.
As director of administration and finance for On Lok, Inc., Ms. Sue Wong serves as the chief financial officer for the On Lok family of nonprofit corporations. On Lok SeniorHealth is a comprehensive health plan serving frail seniors who live in San Francisco and Fremont. This program provides an alternative when nursing home care and placement seem necessary. Ms. Wong is responsible for the overall management of personnel, administrative, and plant functions for all the On Lok corporations.
Sister Virgnia King is health director for Sisters of the Presentation in San Francisco, an outreach organization that works directly with the poor and with nonprofit agencies to alleviate suffering and build a more just world. Presentation Associates are Catholic women and men committed to spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Dr. Sandra R. Hernandez is chief executive officer of the San Francisco Foundation. Prior to becoming CEO of the Foundation, she served as the director of public health for the city and county of San Francisco. She is an assistant clinical professor at the UCSF School of Medicine and maintains an active clinical practice at San Francisco General Hospital in the AIDS clinic. Dr.
