SACRAMENTO - California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith is reminding anyone who hasn’t yet received a flu vaccine to do so in time for the holidays.

“The holiday season is a time to enjoy getting together with friends and family,” Dr. Smith said. “Unfortunately, it’s also often when many people catch the flu. Getting the flu vaccine is the best way to protect yourself against influenza and to protect those around you as well. Don’t let the flu ruin your holidays.”

In the United States, flu activity is usually highest between December and February and can continue into May. As long as flu viruses are circulating, it’s not too late to get vaccinated.

Flu vaccine is available now. Once administered, it takes the vaccine up to two weeks to fully protect you against the flu. An influenza vaccine is especially important for pregnant women and other people at higher risk for severe influenza.

Each year, flu causes millions of illnesses, hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands or sometimes tens of thousands of deaths in the United States. To reduce this threat, CDPH recommends the annual flu vaccine for everyone six months of age and older, including pregnant women.

Two of this season’s vaccine components, the influenza A (H3N2) and influenza B (Yamagata lineage) strains, have been updated to match the viruses Californians are facing this flu season.

Flu can cause severe disease across all ages. According to the recently published California influenza surveillance report , there were 78 influenza-associated deaths reported in persons under 65 years of age in California during the 2014-15 influenza season. Two Californians younger than 65 years of age have already lost their lives due to the flu or its complications in this current influenza season.

Common symptoms of the flu include fever, cough, sore throat, chills, fatigue or body aches. Children may also have nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.

CDPH also encourages people to protect their health by eating a nutritious diet, getting enough sleep and not smoking. People who feel they may have influenza should contact their physician.

To stop the spread of flu and other respiratory illnesses, Californians should also:

• Stay home when you are sick
• Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue and throw away the used tissue
• Wash your hands often and thoroughly with soap and warm water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth

Dr. Smith encourages Californians to contact their health care provider, physician’s office, clinic or pharmacy about obtaining the flu vaccine. Some local health departments may also offer low- or no-cost flu immunizations. For more information about the flu visit the CDPH influenza web page. To find a flu vaccine location near you, visit www.flu.gov.

This morning the Los Angeles Unified School District shut down all of its schools due to a threat that was very specific to LAUSD. The threat came via electronic communications and law enforcement is reportedly working with school leaders there.

Ventura County Superintendent of Schools Stan Mantooth spoke with Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean this morning and he indicated that we have no reason to believe that our schools are unsafe. Therefore, school operations are continuing as normal.

The Ventura County Sheriff's Office issued this statement today at 8:00 am:
"The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office has been in contact with the appropriate authorities in Los Angeles following reports of an electronic threat against several Los Angeles Unified School District schools. Whatever threats that were received were specific to the Los Angeles area. There are no known threats against any Ventura County schools or anywhere in Ventura County."

About the Ventura County Office of Education
The Ventura County Office of Education provides a broad array of fiscal, training and technology support services to local school districts, helping to maintain and improve lifelong educational opportunities for children, educators and community members. VCOE also operates schools that serve students with severe disabilities and behavioral issues, provides career education courses, and coordinates countywide academic competitions including Mock Trial and the Ventura County Science Fair. Learn more at: www.vcoe.org.

SACRAMENTO - California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith is urging Californians to protect themselves against mosquito bites if traveling to Mexico or Latin America, where there have been increased reports of the mosquito-borne diseases chikungunya and dengue. Travelers should also be aware that there is currently transmission of dengue on the Big Island in Hawaii, and precautions against mosquito bites are advised; there are no reports of dengue transmission on the other Hawaiian islands.

“We want all Californians to be extra careful when traveling to these regions and take steps to avoid mosquito bites,” Dr. Smith said. “The mosquitoes that transmit chikungunya and dengue are aggressive daytime biters.”

Chikungunya is a viral disease characterized by acute onset of fever and severe joint pain. Dengue, another viral disease, is characterized by high fever, severe headache, muscle and joint pain, rash, and in severe cases bleeding manifestations. For both, treatment is supportive, the disease is not contagious person to person, and there is no vaccine.

For 2015, 164 cases of chikungunya and 90 cases of dengue have been reported in California residents, all with a history of travel to areas where transmission of these diseases occurs. Of reported cases in 2015, 148 (90 percent) chikungunya and 77 (86 percent) dengue cases had a history of travel to Latin America. The number of reported California dengue cases with a history of travel to Mexico has increased in the last three years, with 80 in 2013-2015 compared to 17 in 2010-2012.

Three California residents have acquired dengue during the recent outbreak in the Big Island in Hawaii. There have been no cases of chikungunya and dengue acquired locally in California.

CDPH recommends that travelers prevent exposure to mosquito bites by wearing protective clothing and applying insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535 according to label instructions. DEET can be used safely on infants and children two months of age and older. In addition, make sure that your hotel or lodging has air conditioning or doors and windows with tight-fitting screens to keep out mosquitoes.

Chikungunya was first introduced to the Caribbean in late 2013, and by Nov. 30, 2015, over 25,000 confirmed cases were reported from the Caribbean and Central, South, and North America, including over 9,000 cases in Mexico. Dengue transmission has also been prevalent throughout Latin American countries in recent years, and the risk of dengue is present in several Mexican states, including Baja California Sur (where Cabo San Lucas and La Paz are popular tourist areas).

If you have returned from an affected region and have fever with joint pain or rash within the two weeks following your return, please contact your medical provider and tell the doctor where you have traveled. If your doctor suspects chikungunya or dengue, please protect yourself against mosquito bites until you recover. This will prevent spread of the virus to mosquitoes and potentially humans here in California.

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

Traditionally, thefts of packages from doorsteps and mailboxes tend to increase during the holiday season. Criminals are well aware of the increase in package deliveries and drive through neighborhoods looking for unattended packages and full mailboxes. The Fillmore Police Department and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office have received information about solicitors knocking on doors, possibly casing residences, while at the same time grabbing Christmas cards, checks and gifts cards from mailboxes. A recent incident occurred in the 400 block of Fillmore Street. A male suspect, wearing a dark-colored baseball cap, dark blue jeans, and a dark-colored sleeveless “muscle” shirt was seen removing a UPS delivered package from a victim’s front porch and leaving in a red 4-door sedan. There were also packages stolen from homes on Grand Avenue. There is no suspect information on those thefts.

Here are a few tips to protect your deliveries during the holiday season:

• Ensure someone is at the residence if a delivery is expected. If this is not possible, have the delivery sent to a place of employment or request that the package be held at the Post Office for pickup.
• Tracking numbers – Most agencies will send you a tracking number to allow you to monitor where your package is and when it will be delivered.
• Promptly retrieve packages and mail from your residence.
• Drop off outgoing mail at the Post Office or hand the mail to the Postal Service delivery person.
• Encourage your neighbors to call the police to report any unusual activity in your area. People in your neighborhood usually know who resides at and visits your residence. Neighbors should call law enforcement if unknown people are seen going through your mailbox or loitering around your residence.
• Most importantly, be aware of your surroundings; protect yourself and your property by locking doors and windows and making it harder for criminals to steal your valuables.
The Fillmore Police Department and the Ventura County Sheriff’s would like to wish everyone a safe and wonderful Holiday Season.

Nature of Incident: Holiday Package Theft Advisory
Report Number:
Location: City of Fillmore & the Santa Clara Valley Communities
Date & Time: 12/08/2015
Unit(s) Responsible:
(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent City of Residence Age
Prepared by: Sgt. Mario Aguilar
News Release Date: 12/08/2015
Media Follow-Up Contact: Sgt. Mario Aguilar (805) 524-2233
Approved by: Captain Dave Wareham

Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information, which leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime. The caller may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).

Mayor Diane McCall

The City of Fillmore kicked off the holiday season just before the City Council meeting on Tuesday night with about 50 people attending the 6:00 p.m. Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony in front of City Hall. Drifting snow came down (provided by a small bubble machine) creating a playground for children who attempted to build a small snowman. Hot chocolate, hot cider and cookies were provided making it a very festive scene.

The City Council meeting which followed also celebrated the appointment of a new mayor and mayor pro tem.

There were a number of other items also on its agenda; Appointments of City Council Member to Committees, Commissions, Liaison, and Outside Agencies, Proposed Save Open-Space and Agricultural Resources (SOAR) petition to extend expiration to the year 2050, a new ad hoc committee Fillmore Development Council (FDC), and a Drought Update were just some of those items.

Diane McCall was installed as the new Mayor of Fillmore by unanimous vote. Mayor Pro Tem required some discussion. Council Member Douglas Tucker put forward Council Member Rick Neal for Mayor Pro Tem, but both Council Member Manny Minjares and Mayor McCall put Council Member Carrie Broggie for nomination. There was a small bit of discussion resulting in a unanimous vote for Broggie as the new Mayor Pro Tem.

Fillmore Supervisor David CONTINUED »