Central California Alliance for Health | Living Healthy | December 2018

3 HEALTHY Protect yourself and your family from getting sick. Illness from influenza usually peaks in the winter months. With last year’s flu season bringing high rates of hospitalizations and deaths, the flu vaccine is your best protection. The flu vaccines are arriving at your doctor’s office. Call your doctor’s office now to schedule an appointment with your doctor or a nurse to get the flu vaccine. Besides your doctor’s office, all Alliance adult members can get the flu vaccine at their local pharmacy at no cost. Be sure to have your Medi-Cal and Alliance card with you. Please note: Children getting the flu vaccine for the first time will need two doses at least one month apart. Children should get their flu vaccine at their doctor’s office, and they should start as soon as possible. It takes about two weeks after the vaccine is given for antibodies to start working to protect them from the flu. Flu vaccines: ●  ● Can keep you from getting sick with the flu ●  ● Can reduce the risk of flu-related hospitalizations among children and older adults ●  ● Are very important for people with chronic conditions like diabetes and heart and lung disease ●  ● Help protect both pregnant women and their babies from the flu for several months after birth ●  ● May make your illness milder if you get sick As of July 1, the Alliance became responsible for covering most of the care of its members who are also enrolled in the California Children’s Services (CCS) Program. As part of this change, the Alliance formed a Family Advisory Committee (FAC). The role of the FAC is to represent the interests and needs of CCS members and their families. The committee is made up of CCS members and/or their family members, county CCS staff, representatives from community organizations, and Alliance staff and Board members. The FAC provides feedback to the Alliance’s Board and to the Alliance on how things are working and can make recommendations and suggest changes. How can you get involved? ●  ● Apply for membership. Download or print an application form from the Alliance website, www.ccah-alliance.org/WCM_members.html . Or call 1-800-700-3874 and ask for an application. ●  ● Come to a meeting. You don’t have to be a member to attend the meetings. To see the meeting schedule, go to the Alliance website, www.ccah-alliance.org/boardmeeting.html . ●  ● Contact the FAC with questions, concerns or suggestions. You can contact the FAC by email at tneves@ccah-alliance.org or by calling 831-430-5556 . Flu vaccines are covered for all Alliance members WHOLE CHILD MODEL (CCS INTEGRATION) Family Advisory Committee VISIT cdc.gov/flu/index.htm .