HEALTH

The Importance of Flu Shots

Immunization offers best defense against getting or spreading the flu

By Kamala Kirk

Getting the flu shot is especially important this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to experts. Every year, physicians recommend getting vaccinated as a way to protect against contracting or spreading influenza. But this year, the current global health crisis has made this single act of preventative care especially critical when it comes to protecting one’s self from a disease that plagues millions. “The flu virus will weaken your immune system, making you more vulnerable to catching other respiratory infections, including COVID-19, and that’s why getting vaccinated this year is so important,” said Dr. Alejandro Sanchez, an infectious disease physician and physician flu champion at Kaiser Permanente West Los Experts advise that getting flu shots this year is important because of the coronavirus pandemic.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KAISER PERMANENTE

Angeles. Sanchez noted, however, that having the flu and COVID-19 at the same time can be devastating to one’s health. “The influenza vaccine remains the most effective prevention against contracting the flu and its complications,” Sanchez said. “In most years, millions of people get the flu, and hundreds of thousands of individuals end up in the emergency room or hospitalized with severe complications. We’re preparing for a worse influenza season this year. Last year, we didn’t see many flu cases, possibly due to the COVID-19 associated precautions we all took.” According to Sanchez, getting the flu vaccine is very important, especially for the most vulnerable populations. They include the elderly, pregnant women, children younger than 5 years of age, along with those with chronic health conditions. When it comes to children who have never received the flu vaccine before, those under age 8 will need to receive two flu shots, with a booster vaccine given 28 days after the first inoculation. Parents are strongly encouraged to vaccinate their children this year, as many have resumed in-person learning at their schools and will be more susceptible to being infected with the flu virus as they interact with other students and teachers. “A common misconception is that a flu shot will give you the flu,” Sanchez said. “That’s simply not true. You cannot contract the flu from getting a flu shot. Side effects, when they do occur, are typically very mild. However, by not getting vaccinated, you put yourself and your loved ones at a greater risk of getting the flu, which causes serious illness, hospitalizations and thousands of deaths each year.” Kaiser Permanente members are encouraged to call Kaiser’s flu hotline number or visit Kaiser’s website for information on how to safely get their free flu vaccine at Kaiser Permanente facilities across Southern California.

Kaiser Permanente

Flu Hotline: 1-866-706-6358 kp.org/flu

Under Construction

Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital slated for completion in 2026

By Kamala Kirk

Cedars-Sinai has selected Rudolph and Sletten Inc. as the contractor to build the new Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital with construction of the technologically advanced community hospital scheduled to begin in October. The new nine-story building will augment and expand the hospital’s historical strength in surgery and emergency services, which have been critical to the community during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The contractor will build the new facility along Lincoln Boulevard, allowing the existing hospital to remain fully operational during construction. Once the new building is completed, the old building will be demolished. To make space for construction activity, a new lobby and main entrance opened on the north side of the hospital on October 4. Patients and visitors are now able to access the new North Lobby Entrance by entering the hospital campus from Mindanao Way and parking in the North Lot. The South Lobby Entrance will close later this year. “After years of community outreach efforts – gaining support from key community leaders, organizations and the city of Los Angeles – we’re excited to begin building a new hospital that will allow those who live and work in the Marina del Rey area to receive the highest-quality health care without having to leave their neighborhoods,” said Joanne Laguna-Kennedy, vice president and chief operating officer of Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital. The replacement hospital, which is slated to be completed in 2026, will feature many new or enhanced services and programs. These include additional private patient rooms (increasing from 68 to 160), state-of-the-art operating rooms (increasing from six to 10), cardiac catheterization and gastroenterology labs, and interventional procedure suites (increasing from one to four) to handle complex cases such as treatments for strokes and other image-guided interventions. The new Emergency Department will feature expanded diagnostic and treatment facilities. The new hospital will feature sustainable design, including outdoor space for patients, visitors and staff. The building will provide an ideal level of daylight while minimizing solar heat gain and glare, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy use. The landscaping will include native plants to help minimize water needed for irrigation. “Building this replacement hospital and creating a new campus form scratch is a dream come true for an architect,” said Zeke Triana, AIA vice president of Facilities Planning, Design and Construction at Cedars-Sinai. “By the time we’re done, the community will have the beautiful, world-class hospital that it deserves.”

The new nine-story building will augment and expand the hospital’s historical strength in surgery and emergency services, and a new lobby and main entrance opened on the north side of the hospital on October 4.

Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital

4650 Lincoln Blvd., Marina del Rey 310-823-8911 marinahospital.com