This April, make sure you and your
family are up to date on your immunizations. April 23-29 is World Immunization
Week and National Infant Immunization Week is April 22-29.
National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) is an
annual observance to highlight the importance of protecting infants from
vaccine-preventable diseases and celebrate the achievements of immunization
programs and their partners in promoting healthy communities. Learn more about NIIW(https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/events/niiw/overview.html).
Since 1994, hundreds of communities across the
United States have joined together to celebrate the critical role vaccination
plays in protecting our children, communities and public health.
But it’s not just infants and children that
benefit from vaccination. Without the proper immunization, adults are also at
risk of contracting vaccine-preventable diseases, which can cause serious
illness, hospitalization, disability and in some cases, death, according to the
Centers for Disease Control.
To learn more about immunization rates in
Colorado, view the Colorado Department of
Public Health and Environment’s Immunization Rates and Data web page. JCPH urges everyone to be sure they and their children
have the vaccinations they need.
Please
call 303-239-7078 to schedule an immunization clinic visit at our Lakewood
clinic.
Each year during National Public
Health Week, April 3-9, 2017, Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) honors some
of the people who work to prevent illness and promote health in our
communities.
While they may not have made public health their profession, the
work they do, partnerships they provide and their enthusiasm for making health
a priority in Jefferson County makes them the 2016 Public Health Champions.
This year, all the honorees share a common trait: heroism. They are everyday
superheroes, like police and firefighters. They provide childcare for
low-income families, believe housing should be affordable and healthy and make
food safety a top priority. They are business owners that believe in providing
a Thanksgiving meal to those in need.
An award ceremony hosted by JCPH, the Jefferson County Board of Health and the
Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners was held for these heroes —
these champions — 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on Thursday, March 30, 2017 in the Lookout
Mountain Room of the Jefferson County Courts and Administration site, 100
Jefferson County Parkway, Golden, CO 80419.
JCPH is pleased to announce the
following 2016 Public Health Champions:
Ensuring Safe and Healthy
Childcare for Homeless and Low-Income Families Susan Dunn — Director, Renaissance Children’s Center
Renaissance Children’s Center (RCC) in Lakewood is one of the few childcare
centers in Jefferson County that primarily serves low-income and homeless
families. Susan Dunn, director of RCC, is a Public Health Champion for her work
to create a safe, stable and healthy environment for children who may otherwise
not have one.
Research shows that chronic exposure to stressors like food and housing
insecurities can have a profoundly negative impact on a child’s overall growth
and development. Under Dunn’s leadership, RCC strives to buffer these troubles.
Dunn and her staff recognize that sound, appropriate nutrition and
opportunities for physical activity in early childhood are key factors in
determining lifelong health outcomes.
Staff and parents converted the grassy area in front of the center into a
community garden, which supplies produce for the children’s snack and lunch.
The children can take extra produce to share with family. The community-wide
“5210 Jeffco” posters — which recommend five fruits and vegetables daily, two
or fewer hours of screen time, at least one hour of physical activity and zero
sugary beverages— are hung at RCC to educate both parents and children.
The RCC staff also teaches life skills, manners and problem solving, as these
children are more susceptible to learning disabilities, mental illness and
other health issues. RCC works in partnership with public health organizations
throughout the metro area, including JCPH, Culture of Wellness in Preschools
and Go Farm.
Assuring the Safe Dispensing of
Medication in a Public Health Emergency and Increasing Access to Immunizations
for Children and Teens Arvada Fire Protection District’s EMS Chief Dave Mitchell, EMS Captain
Robert Putfark and Firefighter/Paramedic Andrew Higgins
Arvada Fire Protection District partnered with JCPH on two important projects
in 2016.
Emergency Medical Services Chief Dave Mitchell worked with the JCPH Emergency
Preparedness and Response (EPR) program to ensure the county is prepared to
address and provide medication dispensing in a disaster. Arvada Fire became a
dispensing partner and volunteered to test a new process by the EPR program. In
just six weeks, Arvada Fire met with JCPH EPR many times, found resources to
staff an internal dispensing site and offered to become a site for the
community to receive medications in an emergency. These plans were tested
during an exercise called Operation Bubble Blast. Without Arvada Fire, this
important emergency preparedness activity could not have happened.
In addition to becoming a partner in preparedness, the Fire Protection District
partnered with JCPH for a Shots for Tots and Teens program. Firefighter and
paramedic Andrew Higgins approached JCPH with the idea in late 2015.
Emergency Medical Services Captain Robert Putfark, along with Mitchell and
Higgins, engaged in more than six months of planning for the clinics. Along
with public health nurses, they provided immunization training to all
paramedics, several of whom were at each clinic. Arvada Fire also contributed
funds for equipment and prizes for children.
The firefighters’ and paramedics’ interactions with families were amazing to
watch. Anxious children going into the immunization area came out smiling. They
made getting immunized a fun and rewarding experience for children, all while
supporting their preventive health care. In four clinics held in 2016, nearly
80 clients received about 200 immunizations.
Throughout both projects, Arvada Fire and these Public Health Champions
demonstrated superb attitude, flexibility and community spirit. Learn more about Operation Bubble Blast here:
Reducing the Toll of Tobacco in
Our Communities through Smoke-Free Housing Policies Jefferson County Housing Authority’s Henry Wehrdt, Senior Asset
Manager, and Leslie Ross, Housing Program Specialist
On February 1, 2016, subsidized housing property Green Ridge Meadows became
smoke and vapor-free. On November 1, 2016, seven more Jefferson County Housing
Authority (JCHA) properties did the same. Henry Wehrdt, senior asset manager at
JCHA, and Leslie Ross, JCHA housing program specialist, are Public Health
Champions for their work to protect the more than 1,200 residents at these
properties from the dangers of secondhand smoke and aerosolized emissions from
vaporizing devices, like e-cigarettes.
Wehrdt and Ross worked closely with JCPH’s Tobacco Prevention Initiative to
design a resident-engaged process to transition properties to being smoke and
vapor-free. Their commitment to supporting all residents in having smoke-free
environments is matched by their compassion for the challenges these policies
create for people who have smoked for many years and for whom housing
insecurity is already a concern.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that prohibiting
smoking in subsidized housing can yield annual cost savings of nearly $500
million, with the greatest majority of the savings going toward reducing health
care expenses related to smoking and secondhand smoke exposure. This data has
helped many housing providers make their buildings and properties smoke-free,
many without much concern that residents who can’t or don’t comply will be
evicted.
This wasn’t the case with Wehrdt and Ross at the Jefferson County Housing
Authority. They are very familiar with the impact of homelessness, as they
serve some of our county’s poorest. They understand the conflicting dilemmas of
residents with limited mobility or serious mental illness who have smoked for
many years in their apartments, just as they understand the struggles of a
family with an asthmatic child or parent with chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease who suffers because of a neighbor’s smoking. Their primary goal was to
find a way to implement a smoke-free policy that supports the people who smoke,
helps protect everyone’s health and improves community cohesion and housing
stability — and make eviction a last resort.
Ross and Wehrdt recently attended a resident celebration event, where both
residents who do and don’t smoke spoke about the successes of the process and
identified opportunities for improvement. According to a post-policy survey,
more than 13 percent of the residents who smoke or vape (and took the survey)
have quit since the policy went into effect November 1.
Advocating for the Health and
Safety of People who Inject Drugs in the County Lakewood Police Department — Chief of Police Daniel McCasky, Commander
Pat Heffner, Commander Rob Buchan, Sergeant Marc DiRezza, Agent Aaron Lowe,
Division Chief Steve Rickels, Commander Randy McNitt and Commander Mike Maestas
In an effort to decrease HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C transmission and to
better address the needs of people who inject drugs, JCPH started the Points
West Syringe Access Program in February 2016.
The program allows people who
inject drugs to exchange used syringes for new, sterile ones, and provides new
injection equipment, low-cost HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C testing and
education, as well as referrals to other services and more.
The Lakewood Police Department’s Chief of Police Daniel McCasky, Commander Pat
Heffner, Commander Rob Buchan, Sergeant Marc DiRezza, Agent Aaron Lowe,
Division Chief Steve Rickels, Commander Randy McNitt and Commander Mike Maestas
are 2016 Public Health Champions for embracing this important cause from the
beginning and always being the first to volunteer to help.
Lakewood Police was the first Jefferson County law enforcement agency to carry
Points West cards to hand out to those in need of services and the first to
train officers on responding to a suspected opiod overdose and equip officers
with naloxone, a life-saving medication that can reverse an opiod overdose. In
late 2016, officers were able to reverse several overdoses in the field.
These champions also helped to create three educational videos — two for
officer training and one as a Public Service Annoucement for Points West. Chief
McCasky and officers helped design and star in the videos, which are now being
widely shared and used among law enforcement and public health agencies in the
metro area.
The Lakewood Police Department is a strong advocate for Points West and
continues to find ways to partner with JCPH in addressing the complex needs of
people who inject drugs and promoting public health.
Supporting Local Food Access and
Increasing Food Security GoFarm — award accepted by Eileen Regan, founder and CEO, Kim Massey,
program manager of GoFarm to Seniors, and Anna Schott, program manager of
GoFarm to Families
GoFarm is a 2016 Public Health Champion for its work to increase the supply of
healthy food available from local sources at an affordable price.
GoFarm, based in Golden, operates a Local Food Share program. The organization
provides assistance to beginning local farmers and connects them to a local
market of consumers. Community members can purchase local produce and egg
shares for weekly pick-up and know their food was grown locally and
sustainably.
The Local Food Share program supports GoFarm’s grant-funded outreach programs,
GoFarm to Families and GoFarm to Seniors, both implemented in 2016. GoFarm to
Families supports healthy eating for young children and their families through
education and by increasing access and affordability of fresh produce. During
the growing season, families at participating preschools can purchase low-cost
produce boxes filled with fresh, local fruits and vegetables. The boxes also
include family-friendly recipes and information about where the produce was
grown.
GoFarm to Seniors focuses on increasing access to healthy food by providing
one-on-one, mobile application assistance for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program) enrollment. GoFarm to Seniors also partners with community
organizations to increase SNAP eligibility awareness, and promotes healthy
eating through cooking demonstrations and food distribution events.
In 2016, GoFarm’s second year of operation, the Local Food Share program
supplied more than 150 shareholders local produce. More than 1,100 produce
boxes were sold to families at four Jefferson County preschools and more than
100 produce boxes were distributed and eight cooking demonstrations were
provided to the residents of two affordable senior housing complexes in Golden.
In addition, more than 80 Jeffco seniors were screened for SNAP eligibility in
2016.
GoFarm accepts SNAP benefits for all of its programs and is a Double Up Food
Bucks partner, meaning SNAP customers benefits go twice as far. GoFarm works
with community partners such as: Centura Health, Colorado School of Mines, Hunger
Free Golden, the Healthy Jeffco Food Policy Council, Health in Early Childhood
Collaborative, Jeffco Conservation District and, Jeffco CSU Extension Office.
Assuring Food Safety Casa Bonita’s General Manager Mike Mason, Assistant General Manager
Peer Osby and Store Manager Rob Hall
Casa Bonita has a dedicated staff of employees that are innovative,
conscientious and diligent in assuring they serve food that is safe for public
consumption. The managers have been there for many years and continually think
of new ways to promote safe food and solve issues that arise.
Management ensures that every two years, every employee in the establishment
takes the Online Food Safety Course from the Colorado Department of Public
Health and Environment website. This includes the food handlers, servers,
maintenance staff, office employees and management.
They have also developed an internal communication system using cell phones
that informs all of the employees of observed violations and an efficient
system for correcting the violation immediately. They have shared this system
with other restaurants so they can also be more compliant with the Colorado
Retail Food Service Regulation. This has led to collaboration with other
restaurants to problem solve food safety issues that arise on a day-to-day
basis.
Casa Bonita has been active in attending the JCPH Food Safety Forum for the
last five years to learn more about food safety and to share ideas with other
attendees. They also participated on the Advisory Committee that helped JCPH
launch the Jefferson County Excellence in Food Safety Course, which has has
been offered by JCPH’s Environmental Health Services for the last 23 years.
Casa Bonita is a progressive restaurant that is proud to promote food safety
and give guests the most pleasant experience possible. They care about their
staff and the public, and it shows in how well they perform on their food
safety inspections.
Providing Happiness and Thanksgiving for Jefferson County WIC Families White Fence Farm’s Volunteer, Liz Breuer, and Owners, Craig Caldwell and Tom Piercy Approximately
24 percent of households with children in Colorado struggle to afford enough
food for themselves and their families. White Fence Farm, a homestyle-cooking
family restaurant, farmhouse and entertainment facility, generously fed more
than 100 of the Jefferson County Women, Infants and Children (WIC) participants
for free on Thanksgiving Day in 2016.
Owners Craig Caldwell and Tom Piercy jumped on the opportunity to help families
in need when Liz Breuer, avolunteer, suggested the gift of a free Thanksgiving
meal for WIC participants. Liz knew that the WIC Program serves families who
sometimes struggle to have enough food in their homes, especially during the
holidays. She contacted JCPH’s WIC clinics and made it happen. WIC participants
were very grateful for White Fence Farm’s kindness and for the delicious meal
they received.
In 2015, Colorado ranked 14th among U.S. states for childhood immunizations,
with over 24 percent of children under-immunized at 36 months of age and 472
Colorado children hospitalized with vaccine-preventable diseases, resulting in
$35 million in hospital and emergency department charges.
That’s according to
an independent report released today by the Colorado Children’s Immunization
Coalition (CCIC) and Children’s Hospital Colorado (Children’s Colorado). The
report, Vaccine-Preventable Diseases in Colorado’s Children, also finds that in
17 Colorado counties less than 50 percent of children are up to date on routine
immunizations – well below the coverage level necessary to prevent the spread
of vaccine-preventable diseases.
Prepared annually by pediatricians and researchers from the
Department of Epidemiology at Children’s Colorado, the report provides an
analysis of the state of health of Colorado’s children based on the most recent
National Immunization Survey, Colorado Hospital Association inpatient and
emergency department data and Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment data.
The report examines vaccination rates, hospitalizations and
costs associated with vaccine-preventable disease in children. For the first
time, the report also includes emergency department visits for
vaccine-preventable diseases, county-level rates and school exemption data.
Findings show that, despite improvement, there are significant gaps in
vaccinating Colorado’s children.
Local health departments in the Denver Metro area work to
increase vaccination rates in our communities as an important and life-saving
public health practice. Colorado’s current rate of children immunized with
all of the recommended vaccines remains well below the majority of U.S. states
and the national goal of 90 percent, with under-vaccination resulting in
preventable childhood illness, hospitalization and death.
Jefferson County Public Health is part of the Denver Metro
Alliance for HPV Prevention, a regional collaborative working to increase human
papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates across five counties in the Denver
metropolitan area. Other members include Denver Public Health, Tri-County
Health Department, the Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition and the Adult
and Child Consortium for Health Outcomes Research and Delivery Science. The
project is funded by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s
Amendment 35 grant program to address cancer, childhood obesity, and tobacco
use and exposure in and around the Denver Metro area. For more information,
please visit HPVFreeCO.org.
Get your child vaccinated!
Jefferson County Public Health will offer low cost immunizations
to the children in the community at the Shots for Tots and Teens clinic on
Saturday, March 4, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at Arvada Fire Station #2, 5250 Oak
Street.
Orlando Lucero, 7, watches as Mountain View Fire Rescue fire-medic Micah Arnold applies a bandage to
the site of his vaccine at the Shots for Tots and Teens clinic Feb. 4, 2017 in Arvada.
Getting an annual flu vaccine is the first and best way to protect yourself and your family from the flu. Flu vaccination can reduce flu illnesses, doctors’ visits, and missed work and school due to flu, as well as prevent flu-related hospitalizations. The more people who get vaccinated, the more people will be protected from flu, including older people, very young children, pregnant women and people with certain health conditions who are more vulnerable to serious flu complications.
Only injectable flu shots are recommended for use this season.
Flu vaccines have been updated to better match circulating viruses.
There will be some new vaccines on the market this season.
The recommendations for vaccination of people with egg allergies have changed.
Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) recommends everyone 6 months and older get a flu vaccine each year, preferably in the fall before the U.S. flu season begins. Flu season can begin as early as October and can last as late as April or May. Remember that influenza is a respiratory illness that can cause life-threatening complications.
Do your part to stop the flu by getting an annual flu vaccination, washing your hands frequently with soap and water (use anti-bacterial gel if soap and water are not available), and covering your sneezes and coughs with a tissue or your elbow.
And, take extra care of yourself as the temperatures change and cold and flu season begins:
Get extra rest;
For aches, take whatever your doctor or pharmacist recommends;
For cough and mucus, run a humidifier (especially in this dry Colorado air!); and,
Drink 8-12 glasses (8 oz) of fluids daily, such as water or juice.
Flu vaccination is the best way to prevent flu illness this season. Flu vaccines are offered at JCPH by appointment and there is an administrative fee of $21.68 per vaccine. Make an appointment by calling JCPH’s clinic appointment line at 303-239-7078. Get more information by visiting the JCPH influenza web page.
National Infant Immunization Week (April 16-23, 2016) is an annual observance to highlight the importance of protecting infants from vaccine-preventable diseases and celebrate the achievements of immunization programs and their partners in promoting healthy communities.
Thanks to immunizations, children can be protected against more diseases than ever before. In fact, some diseases that once injured or killed thousands of children, have been eliminated completely and others are close to extinction– primarily due to safe and effective vaccines. Take polio for example, this was once the most-feared disease in America, causing death and paralysis across the country, yet today, thanks to vaccination, there are no reports of polio in the U.S.
Despite advances in immunizations, too many children in Jefferson County, Colorado and in the U.S. still get vaccine-preventable diseases. View the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Immunization Rates and Data web page. JCPH urges everyone to be sure their children have the vaccinations they need.
Please call 303-239-7078 to schedule an immunization clinic visit at our Lakewood clinic. For more information about the importance of infant immunization, visit http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines
From January 1 to January 23, 2015, 68 people from 11 states were reported to have measles. As reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most of these cases are part of a large, ongoing outbreak linked to an amusement park in California. The U.S. has already seen a record number of measles cases in the past year, with 644 cases from 27 states reported to CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases in 2014. This is the greatest number of cases since measles elimination was documented in the U.S. in 2000.
Those infected with measles aren't the only ones suffering amid the ongoing Disneyland outbreak, as our partners at the National Public Health Information Coalition have recently shared, the anti-vaccination movement is enduring its fair share of criticism from the media. Here are just a few media excerpts:
Time magazine: “Less than two weeks into 2015 come the year’s first stories about the latest victims of the nation’s declining vaccine rate,” referring to the Disneyland outbreak. “And this time, ground zero is the self-proclaimed Happiest Place on Earth, which is in danger of becoming the decidedly less consumer-friendly Most Expensive Disease Vector on Earth.”
Los Angeles Times: “the anti-vaccination movement is a corner of the United States that is backsliding into medieval ignorance. Alarmingly, it finds a welcoming embrace in some of our most affluent and ostensibly educated communities, such as Marin County. Entertainment figures such as the starlet Jenny McCarthy and the talk show host Katie Couric have played their role in spreading the darkness.”
Vox Media noted that this article, quoting Melinda Gates of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, topped its list of most-read articles. "Women in the developing world know the power of (vaccines). They will walk 10 kilometers in the heat with their child and line up to get a vaccine, because they have seen death," said Gates. "We (Americans) have forgotten what measles deaths look like."
Jefferson County Public Health’s Immunization Program urges everyone to stay up-to-date on immunizations, including the Mumps, Measles, Rubella (MMR) vaccine. Please call 303-239-7078 to schedule an immunization appointment.
Get Your Flu Shot, Wash Your Hands, Stay Home When Sick
Now is the time to start paying close attention to protecting yourself and your loved ones from influenza (flu). Influenza is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness. Serious outcomes of flu infection can result in hospitalization or death. Some people, such as older people, young children, and people with certain health conditions, are at high risk for serious flu complications. While it is impossible to say just how severe the 2014-2015 season will be, public health officials expect flu to be circulating and urge everyone to do their part in preventing its spread.
Seasonal Flu Immunization Clinics: Vaccines are our best prevention tool against flu. Get your annual flu vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends everyone six months of age and older receive an annual flu vaccine. Schedule your vaccination through your healthcare provider, stop by a local pharmacy or call Jefferson County Public Health to schedule an appointment.
Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) provides seasonal flu vaccinations for individuals 6 months and older at our Lakewood clinic. Vaccinations are available by appointment only, so please call 303-239-7078 to make an appointment. There is an administrative fee of $21.68 per vaccine. Vaccine fees for adults and children vary depending on the vaccine requested and insurance coverage. Service will not be denied due to inability to pay for any child qualifying for publicly funded vaccine, and fees may be waived. We can bill for Medicaid, Medicare, CHP+, and a number of private insurances. Please inquire about coverage when making an appointment.
Remember, influenza is a respiratory illness that can cause life-threatening complications. Do your part to stop the flu!
Get a seasonal vaccination;
Wash hands frequently with soap and water (use anti-bacterial gel if soap and water are not available);
Cover your sneezes and coughs with a tissue or your elbow;
Avoid others with respiratory illnesses; and,
Unless it’s an emergency, call a health care provider about your flu-like symptoms. The best option may be to stay home until your illness has resolved.
For more information on influenza, visit: http://jeffco.us/public-health or call 303-232-6301.
Wonder if you have the flu or just a bad cold? Download our flu or cold brochure.
Jefferson County Public Health recommends everyone 6 months and older get a flu vaccine each year, preferably in the fall before the U.S. flu season begins. Flu season can begin as early as October and can last as late as April or May. Flu vaccination is the best way to prevent flu illness this season. Make an appointment by calling JCPH’s clinic appointment line at 303-239-7078. Get more information by visiting our influenza web page. Remember that influenza is a respiratory illness that can cause life-threatening complications. Do your part to stop the flu!
Get an annual flu vaccination
Wash hands frequently with soap and water (use anti-bacterial gel if soap and water are not available).
Cover your sneezes and coughs with a tissue or your elbow.
Everyone 6 months of age and older should get a flu shot, that is the recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and public health officials nationwide. A recent study of influenza associated pediatric deaths in the United States supports those recommendations and just might compel parents who have waived their children’s vaccinations to reconsider. The report shows that flu-related deaths occurred in many healthy children and that most of the deaths were in children who had not received a seasonal flu vaccination. Read more here: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/spotlights/flu-children-impact.htm . Jefferson County Public Health offers flu vaccinations to children and adults. Please call to make an appointment: 303-232-6301. For more information, please visit our influenza web page.
Wonder if you have the flu or just a bad cold? Download our flu or cold brochure.
As Jefferson County students go back to school, its important to keep a few public health lessons in mind. Eating healthy, staying active, staying up to date on immunizations, and knowing the signs of bullying are ways to make sure that kids have a healthy and safe start to the school year.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers tips to help you stay ahead of the curve this year. Please visit their website for more information.
The Colorado Department of Public
Health and Environment (CDPHE) and its partners across the state are asking
that everyone be up to date on their measles
vaccinations and to be on the lookout for signs and symptoms of this
highly contagious respiratory disease.
The CDPHE announced the first measles case in Colorado since 2006 in an
adult male from India on June 4, 2013. The
first case was known to have visited a private physician’s office
and later was hospitalized at Sky Ridge Medical Center. A second case was reported on June 7, 2013 and was exposed at
that physician’s office, Dermatology and Laser Institute of Colorado, located
at the Lone Tree Medical Plaza, 9695 S. Yosemite St., Lone Tree.Health officials warn others may have been exposed.
The
incubation period for measles ranges from 7 – 21 days, and susceptible
individuals exposed to the secondary case could develop measles symptoms between June
9 and June 27. In addition to
staying up to date on immunizations, people should be alert
for the symptoms of measles and contact a health care provider if
they become ill.
JCPH Immunization Program offers vaccines to prevent many childhood
diseases. Call 303-232-6301 to make an appointment or visit the JCPH Immunization
web page.
Fourth grader, Colin Barber likes to read books. “I like the way you can learn new things and meet different people. I like to go to new places in my books.” At only 10-years old, Colin understands why reading is so important in child development and he wants to share his love of books with other children. That is why Colin chose the Reach Out and Read Program as his community service project, part of his black belt testing requirements for Taekwondo. “I heard about a girl who didn’t have any books and I thought maybe I could change that.” And that is exactly what he did. With a little help from his parents, Colin set up collection boxes for used or new books at his school, his church and his Taekwondo school, Ken Caryl ATA Martial Arts. “I had a goal of collecting 300 books, because that is how many books I have and I reached my goal.” Not only did Colin reach his goal, but he surpassed it, collecting 511 beautiful children’s books. Colin arrived at the Jefferson County Public Health Immunization clinic recently to donate all 511 of those books. The modest smile on his face as he handed over the boxes of books said it all. Thank you, Colin Barber for the wonderful books and for sharing your love of reading with other children.
Jefferson County Public Health’s Immunization Program nurses and staff are advising parents about the importance of reading aloud to their children and also providing age-appropriate books to take home. JCPH is one of the more than 180 participating clinics in the Reach Out and Read Colorado program. This non-profit distributes more than 143,000 books to more than 82,000 Colorado children annually. For More Information:
Jefferson County, Colorado--Public Health is what we as a society do collectively to prevent illness and premature death and promote health in our communities. Each year, during National Public Health Week, April 1-7, 2013, Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) honors some of the many people it works with throughout the year that help to make our county healthy. While they may not have made public health their profession, the work they do, the partnerships they provide and their enthusiasm for protecting the health of Jefferson County residents makes them the 2012 Public Health Champions of the Year.
Preventing Pertussis and Other Vaccine Preventable Diseases among Jefferson County’s Children, Jeffco Public Schools Health Services Director, Linda Buzard and Coordinator, Margaret Huffman
Jeffco Public Schools and its Health Services Division play a key role in promoting the health and safety of children throughout the County. In 2012, the Health Services Division teamed up with JCPH to prevent the spread of pertussis or “whooping cough” in our communities. Health Service Director, Linda Buzard, and Health Services Coordinator, Margaret Huffman are 2012 public health champions for their dedication and hard work assuring that Jefferson County’s school age children are up-to-date on immunizations. 2012 brought increased cases of pertussis disease in the County and across the state of Colorado. As pertussis threatened the lives of some of our most vulnerable populations, the very young, the elderly and those with chronic health conditions, these two women made it their mission to protect children through immunization.
Linda Buzard has been a champion for improving immunization rates and preventing spread of communicable disease in the school district for many years. Her support of school nurse and public health nurse communication and collaboration is phenomenal and sets a very positive professional role model for her school nurses. This year, Linda was instrumental in getting Jeffco Schools to participate in the Colorado Immunization Information System. This system is designed to increase and sustain high immunization coverage rates by consolidating immunization records from multiple providers. She also selected JCPH Immunization Program as the recipient of community partnership funds to increase and enhance immunization services for all Jefferson County children. Linda invited JCPH public health nurses to present to school nurses at their district wide meetings and she also included the public health nurses in a celebration of Public School Nurses’ Week.
Health Service’s Coordinator, Margaret Huffman is also a public health champion for her work preventing pertussis and other vaccine preventable diseases in the County. This past year, Margaret committed countless hours meeting with JCPH Immunization Program nurses to identify barriers to immunization for students in at-risk schools. Her commitment to developing strategies and solutions and sharing resources in order to increase immunization rates for these populations is to be commended. In addition, Margaret’s responsiveness, openness to ideas and dialogue, and her positive and congenial demeanor have made her an ideal community partner and catalyst for action.
There is no question that these two public health champions, Linda Buzard and Margaret Huffman, have improved immunization rates among Jeffco school age children and reduced the spread of pertussis in the county. Jefferson County Public Health congratulates you on being 2012 Public Health Champions of the Year and thanks you for your contribution to public health in Jefferson County.
It’s the season for joyful celebrations with family and friends. It’s also flu season and a common time for the spread of disease and illness. Following basic public health practices during the holidays, such as washing hands, staying home if you’re sick and adhering to proper food handling and preparation techniques, can help you and your family from getting sick or from spreading illness to others.
You can also protect yourself and your family by getting flu shot. It is not too late to get immunized. Call Jefferson County Public Health to schedule your flu shot at 303-232-6301 or click here for more information.
In response to rising
rates of pertussis disease in Jefferson County and throughout the state of
Colorado, Jefferson County Public Health will hold a pertussis (DtaP)
vaccination clinic at no cost for kids on:
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
and on
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
from 2:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. at our
Lakewood
offices, 260 South Kipling Street.
The target population for these clinics is
preschoolers and kindergartners, however we urge everyone to check with their
health care providers and be sure they are up-to-date on pertussis
vaccinations. Please call 303-232-6301 to register for the October 24 or
November 14, 2012 clinics.
Get Your Flu Shot, Wash Your Hands, Stay Home
When Sick
Now is the time to start paying close attention to protecting yourself
and your loved ones from flu. While it is impossible to say just how bad the
season will be, public health officials expect flu to be circulating and urge
everyone to do their part in preventing its spread. According to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, in the United States, on average 5% to 20% of the population gets the flu
and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from seasonal flu-related
complications. Everyone has a role in preventing the spread and severity of
this year’s flu season. More details at www.jeffco.us/healthor call 303-275-7555.
Everyone knows the importance of keeping our
families healthy. But, many of us don’t
think about rabies when it comes to protecting the ones we love. Recently, skunk rabies cases have been on the
increase right here in Colorado. Other
animals like bats and foxes can also carry the virus. These unwanted intruders
can get into your yard and on your property, putting you and your family at
risk. As of August 10, 2012, there have
been 131 confirmed
rabid wild animal cases in Colorado. The best way to keep your family and
pets safe is to make sure all your pets have been immunized for rabies.
JCPH urges all pet owners to make sure their pets have current rabies shots
and to keep their pets from roaming free. Please report any incidents to the Jefferson
County Animal Control office, call 303-271-5070 or email, Animal-Control@jeffco.us
Information is also available on the Colorado
Department of Health and Environment web site: www.cdphe.state.co.us
or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at www.cdc.gov.
Pertussis, also
known as whooping cough, a contagious bacterial infection spread by
coughing/sneezing, continues to circulate around the country. It is most
notable for the persistent, often severe, and long-lasting cough in those
infected and can be life threatening in infants and
young children.
JCPH urges everyone
to be sure they are up-to-date on vaccinations. The childhood vaccine, DTaP
protects against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. However, a booster vaccine,
called Tdap is required when a child enters 6th grade. Children 7-10
years of age who are not up-to-date should also receive the Tdap vaccine. Due
to an ongoing increase in reported pertussis cases throughout Colorado, Tdap is
also recommended for all adults. This is especially important for adults who
live with an infant and for childcare providers. To make an appointment,
call 303-232-6301.
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