Collin County Health Care Services 825 N. McDonald Street, Suite 130 McKinney, Texas 75069 hc@collincountytx.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 22, 2010

HEALTH ADVISORY: Free Health Resources for Pregnant Women and New Mothers: Sign-up Your Cell Phone Today for text4baby and then Get Your Children Vaccinated!

(McKINNEY, Texas) – Collin County Health Care Services encourages pregnant women and new mothers to sign up for text4baby, a free cell phone service providing health tips timed from early pregnancy through the baby’s first year.

Women who sign up for the free service by texting BABY to 511411 (or BEBE for Spanish) receive weekly SMS text messages timed to their due date or baby’s date of birth. Messages focusing on topics critical to maternal and child health, include: immunization, nutrition, prenatal care, drugs and alcohol, labor and delivery, breastfeeding, mental health, car seat safety, exercise and fitness, developmental milestones, oral health, seasonal flu, and safe sleep. Text4baby messages also connect women to public clinics and support services for prenatal and infant care.

Ninety percent of Americans have a mobile phone and texting is especially prevalent among women of childbearing age and minority populations, who face higher infant mortality rates. Currently in the United States, more than 500,000 babies – 1 in every 8 – are born prematurely and an estimated 28,000 children die before their first birthday, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Premature babies often face lifelong health and intellectual development challenges, and their medical expenses average about 10 times those for babies born after a full-term pregnancy.

Text4baby is an educational program of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition. Messages developed with support from the CDC and the Health Resources and Services Administration, are made possible through a public-private partnership including more than 100 entities. Participating mobile providers include Alltel, Assurance Wireless, AT&T, Boost Mobile, Cellular South, Cellcom, Centennial Cellular, Cincinnati Bell, Metro PCS, N-Telos, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, Verizon Wireless and Virgin Mobile USA. For more information on text4baby, visit www.text4baby.org.

In recognition of National Infant Immunization Week, Collin County Health Care Services is offering 14 different childhood immunizations in exchange for donated packages of diapers or pull-ups. The CDC recommends all children be fully immunized against vaccine-preventable diseases. Vaccines will be available to all children, 6 weeks through less than 18 years of age, from April 26-May 7, 2010 or while supplies last.

For a suggested donation of one package of diapers or pull-ups per vaccination, children can receive:

• Hepatitis B vaccine (HepB)
• Rotavirus vaccine (RV)
• Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis vaccine (DTaP)
• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
• Pneumococcal vaccine (PCV)
• Inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV)
• Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Vaccine (MMR)
• Varicella Vaccine
• Hepatitis A vaccine (HepA)
• Tetanus, Diphtheria (Td)/Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis (Tdap): Minimum age 7 years
• Human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV): Minimum age 9 years
• Meningococcal Meningitis (MCV4): Minimum age 11 years (Many colleges and universities now require this vaccination)
• Seasonal influenza vaccine: Minimum age 3 years (Two doses of seasonal flu vaccine, one month apart, are needed for children 6 months through 9 years of age if this is the first time the child is receiving a seasonal flu vaccination)
• H1N1 vaccine: Minimum age 6 months (All children under the age of 10 should receive two doses of H1N1 vaccine approximately 28 days apart)

Children may receive the majority of these vaccines in the same visit. All donations of diapers and pull-ups will be donated to charitable organizations serving people who live in Collin County. Diapers and pull-ups in Size 3-5 are a high priority.

Only one-third of people in the United States considered at high risk for developing H1N1 have been vaccinated according to the CDC. Those at highest-risk for complications from H1N1 flu include pregnant women; children younger than 5 years old, especially those under 2 years old; adults aged 65 years or older; and, persons with chronic medical conditions.

Vaccinations will be provided at the Collin County Health Care Services clinic located at 825 N. McDonald Street in McKinney. The clinic is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Parents are asked to bring their child’s vaccination records.

For more information, visit the Collin County website at www.collincountytx.gov and Collin County Facebook and Twitter sites; the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Texas Flu Vaccine Locator at www.Texasflu.org; DSHS H1N1 information lines available by calling “2-1-1”; or, calling Collin County Health Care Services at (972) 548-5500.

###