RCAHD Health Updates Newsletter
10.11.23
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Health updates for residents of the
Roanoke City & Alleghany Health Districts (RCAHD)
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Reduce Your Chances of Getting Sick This Fall |
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Get protected against the worst effects of illness with the updated COVID vaccine. Available at pharmacies near you, and as of October 10, COVID doses are available from RCAHD offices.
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Call an RCAHD office near you to make an appointment at an upcoming immunization clinic. Visit the RCAHD website for a list of locations and contact numbers.
Doses are available for ages 3 and up at pharmacies and over 6 months from RCAHD. Most Americans will continue to pay nothing out-of-pocket for their vaccination.
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For people with health insurance (such as private insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid), most plans will cover the COVID vaccine at no cost to you. Bring your insurance card to your appointment. Federal government programs for uninsured adults and children offer no-cost COVID vaccines at health departments and at select pharmacies participating in the program.
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2023 Respiratory Vaccine Guide
As temperatures cool, the risks of respiratory illness rise. This year, there are updated vaccine options to consider that are designed to prevent serious illness from flu, COVID and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus).
October is an ideal time to get your doses, for protection in advance of fall and winter gatherings.
Visit VDH for more information about respiratory illnesses.
Graphic courtesy of "Your Local Epidemiologist"
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They're back!
Rapid, at-home COVID-19 tests are free again through USPS. Visit COVID.gov to order your four free tests per household. The website also offers options for people who are blind or who experience low vision. If you need help placing an order call 800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489) for help in English, Spanish, or more than 150 other languages.
You can also use the website to learn whether the expiration date has been extended on any older tests you may already have.
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RCAHD Health Situation Update
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Do you have questions about how to enroll in programs like the Affordable Care Act or Medicaid?
Help is available with renewals, reapplying for benefits, and other options!
Medicaid applications are accepted year-round.
Contact Certified Health Navigator Lois Caliri at Enroll VA at 540-613-1696 to discuss your options. A navigator can help you review your options and reapply for Medicaid or transition to new health coverage.
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During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, public health organizations promote screening and prevention of the disease, which affects one in eight US women every year.
VDH offers a FREE program, Every Woman's Life (EWL), to help uninsured women gain access to free breast and cervical cancer screening services. Regular screenings typically begin at age 40 for most women, or at an age appropriate for your personal breast cancer risk, and can greatly reduce death rates, improve treatment options, and increase survival.
Eligible women must be Virginia residents, between the ages of 18-64, meet federal income guidelines and be uninsured. Services provided by the program include a clinical breast exam, mammogram, pelvic exam, Pap test, and any diagnostics needed to reach a final diagnosis. If a woman enrolled in EWL is diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer she may be eligible for Medicaid to pay for treatment.
Visit the VDH Every Woman's Life (EWL) webpage or call 1-866-EWL-4YOU to learn more and find participating providers in the Roanoke-Alleghany Highlands area.
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The More You Know!
October is Substance Abuse Awareness Month.
Register now for a free upcoming REVIVE training workshop to learn how to use naloxone- a medication that reverses an opioid overdose- in an emergency situation. The workshop also covers information on addiction, common opioids, how to identify an overdose, and how to administer naloxone to reverse the overdose. REVIVE and naloxone should be part of every household first aid kit.
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RCAHD In-Person Revive Workshop
October 12, 5:30pm
Roanoke Health Department
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RCAHD Virtual Revive Workshop
October 17, 12noon
Virtual Event
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Celebrating Henrietta Lacks
On October 4, Virginia’s first Henrietta Lacks Day, her hometown of Roanoke unveiled a life-sized statue in her honor. With members of her family present, about 300 people attended the ceremony to commemorate her contributions to biomedical research.
Henrietta Lacks’ cells, so-called “HeLa cells,” were harvested without her knowledge or consent in 1951 when she was being treated for cancer at the age of 31. She unknowingly became a public health pioneer when her fast-replicating cells were used in achieving countless medical breakthroughs such as the development of vaccines for polio and COVID-19, cancer treatments, and the study of genetics.
Celebrating her memory and contribution to science is also an opportunity to recognize the important role of ethics and patient consent in public health. Learn more about her contributions to science at the National Institutes of Health.
Check out a Johns Hopkins University ~6min video describing her impact (right) and an RVTV ~4min video showing highlights from the ceremony (below).
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