Student still hospitalized after crash
LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE -- A Flintridge Preparatory School student
injured when a school bus carrying 10 choir members was rear-ended by
a big-rig truck was still hospitalized Tuesday, according to school
officials.
The student was hospitalized at Huntington Memorial Hospital in
Pasadena, Headmaster Peter Bachmann said. He did not release the name
or condition of the student.
The accident happened Monday on the eastbound Foothill Freeway in
Pasadena while the bus was carrying the students to a performance.
Before the collision, the school bus driver had slowed down when some
dogs walked into the traffic lanes in front of the bus, California
Highway Patrol Officer Vince Bell said.
"The semi could not stop in time due to the wet roadway," Bell
said.
All of the students received some sort of injuries. Most of the
injuries were minor ones caused by shattering glass, Bell said,
adding that four of the students were taken to Huntington Memorial,
where three were treated and released.
The student admitted to the hospital suffered from neck, back and
internal injuries and was undergoing observation at the hospital,
Bell said. All of the students were wearing lap belts, he added.
Robert Chacon
Officials lift restrictions on flu shots
An unexpected surplus of nearly 700,000 doses of a flu vaccine
have led health officials to lift all age and health restrictions.
Public health officials are urging those who want the vaccine to
call their doctor to request it or visit a county health center.
The state now has 265,000 doses available for children and more
than 400,000 for adults, and because the flu season has not peaked in
California, there is still plenty of time to get vaccinated.
Officials say there has not been an outbreak of the influenza in
California, but they predict it will peak in late January or February
and continue into March and April, when the vaccine will lose its
effectiveness.
Call the Glendale Health Clinic, 501 N. Glendale Ave., (818)
500-5750, or the North Hollywood Health Clinic (adults only), 5300
Tujunga Ave., N. Hollywood, (818) 766-3982 for information.
To find other health clinics in the county, visit the County of
Los Angeles Department of Public Health website at
www.lapublichealth.org/ip/flu/2004-2005/clinics.pdf.
-- Jacqui Brown
