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To local health officials who have dealt well with the H1N1 flu outbreak in spite of some less than stellar planning by federal health officials.

Immanuel St. Joseph’s — Mayo Health, the Mankato Clinic and county health departments have worked together well to keep the public and media informed about developments with H1N1 and seasonal flu.

They have coordinated public events for business managers and residents to tell them what they can do to limit the spread of flu and provided information on how flu vaccine will be distributed.

Production and distribution problems with the vaccine has been the most distressing thing for the public. Federal officials first gave projections too optimistic of how much vaccine would be coming and how soon. They then gave vague reports as it became clear not enough vaccine would get out quick enough.

Local health officials, at a recent public meeting, were much more honest, saying they did not expect large quantities of H1N1 vaccine for the general public to arrive for at least a month or more.

The cooperation between ISJ and the Mankato Clinic is particularly refreshing following years of contentious competition between the two. New leadership has led to a new sense of cooperation.

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Twice as nice

To the generosity of those who responded to the Fletcher family’s plight and made sure 7-year-old Anna had a special trike to ride.

The uniquely designed trike, which Anna rode for therapy and fun, was taken from the yard of the Mankato family a few weeks ago. When the theft received media attention, all kinds of outside help was offered. That help included a Good Samaritan buying Anna a nearly $400 trike, and she was off and riding again.

And then, this week, Anna’s old trike showed up back home. Whether the original thieves felt guilty and returned it or whether someone else found it isn’t known. But now the family will share some of the goodwill that’s been sent their way by donating the returned trike to another child who has the same diagnoses as Anna.

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