RCAHD Health Updates Newsletter 11.30.22

RCAHD Health Updates Newsletter

11.30.22

Health updates for residents of the

Roanoke City & Alleghany Health Districts (RCAHD)

Forwarded from a friend? Subscribe here

World AIDS Day is December 1

What is World AIDS Day?

World AIDS Day is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to remember those who have died from an AIDS-related illness. Founded in 1988, World AIDS Day was the first-ever global health day.

Approximately 1.2 million people in the U.S. have HIV. About 13 percent of them don’t know they have it and are in need of testing.
HIV continues to have a disproportionate impact on certain populations, particularly racial and ethnic minorities and gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. People who use injection drugs are also at higher risk.

Today there are more tools than ever to prevent HIV, including several strategies to prevent HIV with medication. Getting tested is the first step in receiving medical care.

The RCAHD Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) program aims to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections through education, outreach and clinical services. STI clinics offer counseling, testing, treatment, and partner referral services for patients at risk of or currently experiencing STIs. For more information about screening or other clinic services, call your local health department office or 540-283-5050.

Hot Topics in Public Health: Car Seat Safety

Car crashes are a leading cause of preventable deaths and injuries to children.

Eight-out-of-ten car seats in family vehicles are installed incorrectly
Properly installed child safety seats can reduce the risk of fatal injury by as much as 71 percent (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

The RCAHD Car Safety Seat program promotes safety seat use for children through education and outreach. The health department offers FREE child safety seats and booster seats to income-eligible children. Class instruction covers Virginia safety seat laws, safety seat use based on the age and weight of the child, and proper placement of a seat in a vehicle. Call 540-283-5050 with questions or to schedule attendance at an upcoming class, including classes in Spanish.

NEW! Check out this ~3min video overview of commonly-asked questions about car seat safety.

Video produced in cooperation with Carilion Children's Safe Kids Coordinator and

Child Passenger Safety Instructor Jill Lucas-Drakeford, and with video production partners Roanoke Valley Television (RVTV).

Car Seat Safety - VDH Hot Topics in Health

Looking for a flu shot or COVID-19 booster?

Find a dose at a pharmacy near you!

New! Beginning this week, residents aged 50+ in the Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts may receive text or voice messages reminding them that they are eligible for the COVID-19 bivalent booster.

Members of this population will only receive a message if records indicate they are eligible for, but have not yet received, a bivalent booster.

The voice/text messages are just one more way VDH is reaching out to let Virginians know they can get a free bivalent booster at many locations, including health care providers, local pharmacies, and health departments.

The message will read: “VA Dept of Health records indicate you are eligible for a COVID-19 bivalent booster. Appts at https://vase.vdh.virginia.gov or call your local health dept.”

Bivalent doses are also available at pharmacies. Contact information from the resident’s immunization record will determine whether they receive a text message or a phone call.

Individuals do not need to wait for this notification to get a bivalent booster. If you have questions about your eligibility to receive a bivalent booster, or believe you have been contacted in error, please contact the VDH call center for a review of your record. Call 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-829-4682, TTY users call 7-1-1). Assistance is available in English, Spanish, and more than 100 other languages.

You can safely receive a flu shot and COVID-19 booster at the same time. The best way to reduce your risk of the most severe effects of these illnesses is to get vaccinated.

Flu shots are typically available at no cost to the individual with most insurances. RCAHD offers sliding scale services to people without insurance.

Visit our website for a list of routine RCAHD health department office locations near you!

RCAHD Health Situation Update

11.29.22

More dashboards at vdh.gov

We're Hiring!

Make a difference in the health of your community

1. Program Support Tech - Roanoke City

Positions that especially target the health of women and children:

2. Nutritionist Sr. - oversees the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program in Roanoke City

3. Nutritionist Supervisor Sr. - oversees all nutritional programs including WIC and supporting staff for both the Roanoke and Alleghany health districts

These opportunities are full-time, salaried positions with full state benefits including 12 paid holidays, health insurance, short-term, and long-term disability coverage, VRS retirement, parental leave, and group life insurance.

Positions are open until filled.

Public Health

RECALL ALERT:

Children's clothing sets recalled

for lead content

Children's clothing sets sold by TJ Maxx, Ross, Burlington, Amazon and elsewhere contain levels of lead that exceed the federal lead content ban, posing a lead poisoning hazard. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health issues.

Visit the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission for more information about the clothing sets under recall and for instructions on how to return or dispose of the recalled clothing to receive a refund.

Visit the RCAHD Lead Case Management page to learn more about prevention and treatment of elevated lead levels in children ages 6 years old and under.