National Immunization Awareness Week

Immunization Works!

National Immunization Awareness Week is a cross-Canada event that will take place April 21st to April 28th.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), immunization saves three million lives each year, worldwide. Almost three million more lives are lost due to diseases that are preventable with existing vaccines. In the developed world, immunization has been so successful that diseases such as polio, diphtheria, mumps and measles are rarely, if ever, seen leading to some complacency about the further need to immunize. These diseases are only under control because of immunization; a decrease in immunization rates leads to outbreaks of disease.

It is important to note that vaccines are not just for infants and children. Immunization provides protection against diseases and promotes a healthy lifestyle for people of all ages. In fact, there are more vaccines for adults than ever before. Adult vaccinations include boosters for tetanus and diphtheria, pneumococcal vaccination to protect against a certain strain of pneumonia, and also the annual influenza vaccine. If you are traveling to other countries, it is important that you check to see what vaccinations are needed for that destination.

If you have questions about immunizations, please contact:

Leduc Public Health Centre: 780-980-4644
Beaumont Public Health Centre: 780-929-4822
Devon Public Health Unit: 780-342-7069
Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network: 780-986-6624

Additional information can also be found at http://www.immunize.ca/ or http://www.publichealth.gc.ca/

Using a Pedometer

Spring is in the air, as the weather gets warmer start thinking about ways to get more activity into your day.



A pedometer is a device that counts each step a person takes by detecting the motion of the person's hips. Using a pedometer can motivate you to be active on a regular basis by tracking your steps and setting walking goals. Canada’s Physical Activity Guidelines recommend that Canadians be moderately- vigorously active at least 150 minutes a week, in 10-minute bouts at a time or more.

Get started

Before you begin tracking your activity with a pedometer, you’ll want to position it properly by following these important steps:
• Place the unit on your waistband as close as possible to the top point of your hipbone.
• Ensure that the pedometer remains upright and secure to correctly record the number of steps you take.

To set your goal, you’ll need to know how far you walk every day as a baseline.

Here’s how to figure that out:

• Wear your pedometer all day for the first week;
• At the end of each day, record the number of steps you took;
• Add up all of the steps you recorded over the past seven days and divide the total sum by seven to determine your daily average.

Over the coming weeks, track your weekly progress and try to increase your steps gradually by 10% to 20% or more. For example, if you walk 20 minutes a day, increase your time by two to four minutes.

Set a goal: make every step count

The number of steps you take is just one part of the equation; quality of step is another. Striving to reach 10,000 or more steps per day is an excellent first goal.
Try to achieve about 3,000 of your total steps in activities that average approximately 100 steps per minute, or more, to gain health benefits. Your pace may be a little higher or lower depending on your stride length, but the goal is to increase the intensity of some of your daily activity. Start by planning 10-minute, 1,000 step sessions a few times a day and work your way up to a single 30-minute, 3,000 step session. Keep in mind that 1 km = 1,200 steps.

Increase the benefits

Once you become more physically active, you will reap more health benefits from walking faster as well as adding more steps to your day. Currently, the average Canadian man accumulates about 9,500 steps per day and Canadian women less than 8,500 steps per day. In both men and women, the amount of steps decreases with age and most of the activity is considered to be “light activity” (cooking, cleaning the house, slow walking), which falls short of the recommended 10,000 steps per day.

Here are some ideas for increasing the steps you take every day:

• Park your car further away from your destination;
• Walk your children to school;
• Walk your dog (or a neighbour’s dog);
• Take a walk with a friend or co-worker at lunch;
• Take the stairs;
• Start or join a walking club;
• Wear your pedometer even when you are doing housework or gardening at home.

Heart and Stroke Foundation

Daffodil Days - Cancer Awareness

April is the month to fight back! Wear a daffodil to show your support for Canadians living with cancer and let them know that no one has to face cancer alone.

Canadian Cancer Society

LRC Health and Wellness Fair TODAY!

The Leduc Recreation Centre is hosting day two of its annual Health and Wellness Fair today from 3:00 - 9:00 pm in the curling lobby by the fireplace.

Visit our booth to learn about healthcare programs and services offered at the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network.

Andrea Lewis, LBD PCN Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator, and Corinne Cutler, LBD PCN Exercise Specialist, will be hosting a FREE workshop - Heart Healthy - at the LRC Health and Wellness Fair in the Venger Room at 3:00 pm today.



Click on poster for larger image.

LRC Health and Wellness Fair TODAY!

Today, the Leduc Recreation Centre is hosting its annual Health and Wellness Fair from 3:00 - 9:00 pm in the lobby by the fieldhouse.

Visit our booth to learn about healthcare programs and services offered at the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network.

Nandini Desai, LBD PCN Pharmacist and Certified Diabetes Educator, will be hosting a FREE workshop - Smoking Cessation, It's Time to Quit! - at the LRC Health and Wellness Fair in the Venger Room at 5:30pm



Click on poster for larger image.

Leduc Health and Wellness Fair

This week, the Leduc Recreation Centre hosts its annual Health and Wellness Fair April 12 & 13, from 3:00 - 9:00 each day in the curling lobby.

Visit our booth to learn about healthcare programs and services offered at the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network.

Our LBD PCN healthcare team will also be hosting FREE workshops at the LRC Health and Wellness Fair in the Venger Room.

Thursday, April 12th at 5:30 pm, LBD PCN Pharmacist and Certified Diabetes Educator, Nandini Desai, host "Smoking Cessation, It's Time to Quit!"

Friday, April 13th at 3:00 pm, LBD PCN Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator, Andrea Lewis and LBD PCN Exercise Specialist, Corinne Cutler, host Heart Healthy. Learn how to reduce your risk for heart disease.



Click on poster for larger image.