People, Places & Events

Flu vaccination urged by ETMC-Athens
Special to The Monitor
ATHENS–It’s not hard to come by flu stories these days.
Most people in Henderson County either have their own to tell, or know someone who does.
Louise Graham, a registered nurse and director of infection control at ETMC Athens, has a bit of advice for those who have not had the flu or been vaccinated against it this season. Don’t just hope for the best, get a flu shot.
Contact your family doctor to schedule an influenza vaccination. In the event the vaccine is unavailable at your physician’s office, contact Graham at (903) 676-1107.
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends both children and adults who have not received a flu shot do so as soon as possible.
In order to receive the vaccination, a person must be symptom-free when it’s administered.
According to Graham, the emergency department at ETMC Athens has seen a high number of individuals come in and test positive for influenza.
“Two weeks ago, we were seeing anywhere from 30 to 35 influenza-positive cases a day through the ER. We’re not seeing quite that many now, so it is getting better,” Graham said.
The patient census at ETMC Athens is typically high this time of year, as is historically the case across the nation during the winter months.
According to Graham, though, the number of admitted influenza-positive patients is relatively low.
“The ones we are admitting are those who have become dehydrated because they haven’t had enough to eat or drink, and those are children for the most part,” Graham said.
Typical symptoms of the influenza virus are upper respiratory problems, such as cough and congestion, along with aches, pains and fever.
For those who suspect they may have the flu, the best course of action is to see a doctor within 24 hours of symptoms beginning.
“Doctors are prescribing anti-viral drugs for flu cases, and those work best within the first 24 hours of symptom onset,” Graham explained, noting, however, that the anti-viral drugs can still be effective up to 48 hours after symptoms begin.
“There’s nothing in the vaccine that actually causes the flu, it’s an inactivated vaccine (made with a killed virus),” she said.
About two weeks after vaccination, antibodies develop that protect against certain strains of the influenza virus.

Mabank High School Winter Guard wins at contest
Special to The Monitor
NORTH RICHLAND HILLS–The Mabank High School Winter Guard competed at the North Texas Colorguard Association (NTCA) contest at Thomas Coliseum in North Richland Hills Feb. 2.
In their first contest ever, the 19-member guard received a score of 51.3 and walked away with fifth place in their classification.
Scores within their category averaged in a 30-point range, with the high score being 67.8 and the low score, 38.
The MHS Winter Guard consists of quite a few first-time recruits and has been working extremely hard to perfect techniques in preparation for this debut performance.
The directors and Guard were thrilled with their placement at NTCA, and following a few changes to the contest show, it will compete next at James Bowie High School in Arlington Saturday, March 8.
It will also be performing in conjunction with the MISD Fine Arts Fair, scheduled for the same day.
The Fine Arts Fair performance will be open to the public.
The MHS Winter Guard is under the direction of associate high school band director Denise Kennedy, with assistance from Tony Cimino, a choreographer and drill designer from the Dallas area.
A garage sale is being scheduled to help offset some of the costs of the Winter Guard activities.
The date of the sale will be determined by weather conditions, since February can be fairly unpredictable and cool.
Please keep watch for signs which will go up around the Mabank area advertising this sale.
Anybody wishing to make contributions for the garage sale should contact Teresa Moore at (903) 288-8091 before Friday, Feb. 15.