Aug. 7, 2014
A
yearly flu vaccination is important for adults to protect them from the highly
contagious, and often severe, respiratory virus. Students at The University of Texas Health
Science Center at San Antonio School
of Medicine (UT School of Medicine in San Antonio) want to ensure more adults are protected from the
flu. They are using a $1,000 grant from the Texas Medical Association (TMA) Be Wise — ImmunizeSM program to
provide free flu vaccinations at Haven for Hope, a local
homeless shelter.
One out
of five Texans will get influenza, or the flu, this year. The flu is much more
severe than a common cold and can keep people sick for seven to 10 days. Even
healthy people can get very sick from the flu and spread it to others. The flu
can be especially harmful to older people, young children, pregnant women, and
people with chronic medical conditions.
“We want
to reduce the number of people who get the flu this flu season by providing
vaccinations to homeless residents who can’t afford them,” said Daniel Ayala, president
of the TMA chapter at UT School of Medicine in San Antonio.
TMA
created the Be Wise — Immunize Local Impact Grants program to help Texas
communities provide free and low-cost vaccinations to uninsured and
underinsured Texans. Since 2012, 26 grants totaling more than $40,000 have been
awarded to Texas communities.
Be Wise
— Immunize and the Local Impact Grants are funded by the TMA Foundation (TMAF), thanks to generous
support from H-E-B and TMF
Health Quality Institute,
and gifts from physicians and their families.
“TMA
Foundation and its donors are proud to support this effort because
immunizations prevent serious diseases and help us live a healthier life,” said
G. Sealy Massingill, MD, TMAF president.
TMA is the largest state medical
society in the nation, representing more than 47,000 physician and medical
student members. It is located in Austin and has 112 component county medical
societies around the state. TMA’s key objective since 1853 is to improve the
health of all Texans. TMA Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the association
and raises funds to support the public health and science priority initiatives
of TMA and the family of medicine.
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Be Wise — Immunize is a service mark of the Texas Medical Association.
Contact: Pam Udall
phone: (512) 370-1382
cell: (512) 413-6807
Brent Annear
phone: (512) 370-1381
cell: (512) 656-7320
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