Commissioners encourage flu shots, approve new board

NORRISTOWN >> Montgomery County Commissioners made welcoming a new advisory board and urging residents to get their flu shots a top priority at Thursday’s meeting.

The commissioners introduced the newly-approved Family Justice Advisory Board Thursday during opening announcements. The board, comprised of Chairman Gary Kline, Judge Thomas DelRicci, Judge Carolyn Tornetta Carluccio and Michael Kehs and Commissioners’ Chairwoman Valerie Arkoosh, will parallel the Criminal Justice Advisory Board which serves to support programs that promote justice for all citizens.

“Earlier this year, recognizing how important children are and how vulnerable they are, it was determined by the court that we should establish the Family Justice Advisory Board,” said DelRicci. “This is a board that will bring together all the various stakeholders from within the county that deal with family court and family matters to facilitate an observation of a systematic policy approach to all issues relating to children and families in our county.”

An order establishing the board was signed at Thursday’s meeting making the board official. The Family Justice Advisory Board in Montgomery County is the second of its kind in Pennsylvania, according to DelRicci, which includes a similar board in Butler County.

In addition to nine awards of contract throughout the county, commissioners approved a resolution by the Montgomery County Board of Elections to change several polling locations in the county due to construction. Those polling places included a polling place in Hatboro, moving from Crooked Billet Elementary School to Hatboro Baptist Church as well as another in Springfield which will be moving from Springfield High School to Springfield Middle School. A polling location in Wayne will also be moving from Roberts Elementary School to Gulph Elementary School.

Notice of new voting locations are expected to be mailed to residents in those districts and notices will be posted at the old polling places advising voters of the location change.

Commissioners also took time at Thursday’s meeting to discuss flu vaccines and flu prevention after the biggest spike in influenza cases in a decade was recorded last year.

“Last year was a very bad year for the flu and it was a combination of circumstances, a large part of which was a little bit less match up of the vaccine than we had hoped for,” said Dr. Richard Lorraine. “We had a tremendous spike of up to a thousand cases a week in Montgomery County ... This was the worst season in over a decade and across the country, there were over 80,000 deaths.”

Lorraine, along with commissioners encouraged residents to get a flu shot and answered questions about the benefits of receiving one. Following the meeting, commissioners received their own flu shots and encouraged Montgomery County residents to go out and get vaccinated.

A list of dates, times and locations for flu clinics in the county can be found by visiting montcopa.org/ health.