New flu web site available for Health Communicators
The Northern Illinois Public Health Consortium has created Illinois Pandemic Flu, a new website that enables health communicators to find up-to-the-minute information about seasonal and pandemic influenza.
"With the current flu season upon us, we are pleased to introduce Illinois Pandemic Flu to health communicators who will rely on this Web site as an important resource," said NIPHC President Maureen McHugh, executive director of the DuPage County Health Department. "Those who communicate with the public on important topics, such as the flu, will find this site an all-in-one repository of flu information, including prevention, pandemic preparedness, crisis and risk communication, social media tips and much more.
"Even though Illinois Pandemic Flu was created for health communicators, we also encourage the public to access this valuable information on the flu."
The Illinois Pandemic Flu Web site was developed through a grant provided by the Illinois Department of Public Health. The site provides information on working with the media and assisting the public during an outbreak.
Also included is a toolkit for helping at-risk populations during a health emergency. Health communicators can also access templates for press releases, posters and fact sheets on the flu, as well as resources from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and Flu.gov.
Illinois Pandemic Flu.org can be accessed at www.ilpanflu.org . For more information, contact NIPHC at (708) 612-9699.
The Northern Illinois Public Health Consortium is a 501 (c)(4) membership organization of the public health departments that serve the counties of Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, Will, and Winnebago, as well as the City of Chicago and Village of Skokie.
The mission of NIPHC is to promote and protect the health of the region through networking and collaborative action that raises public awareness, builds constituency and influences legislation and policies concerning public health issues affecting northern Illinois.