Good Idea to get Immunized for Measles

With the recent measles outbreak in Clark County, Dr. Wood, the Thurston County Health Officer reminds us to: Get the facts about measles, then be sure you’re immunized.

Got Picky Eaters?

Want your little eaters to  try more new foods?  Roll up their sleeves and let them help you in the kitchen.  Open their world to a lifetime of self-sufficiency and nutritious foods! 

https://www.eatright.org/food/planning-and-prep/cooking-tips-and-trends/toddler-and-preschooler-tasks-in-the-kitchen

Thurston County Awarded Spolight For Progress in National Challenge

                                                                 County Commissioners

John Hutchings - District One

Gary Edwards - District Two

Bud Blake - District Three

                         NEWS RELEASE                       

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  1 February 2018

CONTACT:  Chris Hawkins, Community Engagement, Evidence & Partnerships, (360) 867-2513 or hawkinc@co.thurston.wa.us

Thurston County Awarded Spotlight for Progress in National Challenge

Project aims to boost physical activity through improved community design.

OLYMPIA –  Thurston County has been selected to receive $25,000 as part of the Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge (the Challenge) Spotlight Award for its “Active Design for a Healthier Community” project. Ten winners and five honorable mentions were selected to improve opportunities for all Americans to take an active role in healthy living – regardless of income, education or ethnic background.

The award is part of the Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge, an initiative launched in 2016 by the Aetna Foundation, along with the American Public Health Association (APHA) and the National Association of Counties (NACo), supporting small-to-midsize cities and counties to implement innovative solutions for their local public health issues. The $1.5 million “Challenge” competition is awarded among communities around the U.S. for programs to improve access to healthy foods, increase physical activity and reduce violence and crime. 50 finalists were chosen based on strategies to improve the health of their communities in at least one of five areas: healthy behaviors, community safety, built environment, social/economic factors and environmental exposures.

The Thurston Thrives Community Design Action Team project focuses on identifying and supporting improvements to Thurston County’s regional trails, to make them more accessible for people living nearby to use. It’s part of an overall strategy to make daily physical activity easier for local residents, boosting their levels of exercise (30 minutes per day for adults, 60 minutes per day for children and youth). The project has posted its results at Thurston County Public Health & Social Services website: http://bit.ly/2eZeQ7J. These include places where trail access paths are needed, number of nearby residents or employees, and locations for benches, signs and other improvements.

“This award recognizes the great partnerships at the heart of Thurston Thrives, and our continuing efforts to build a healthier community,” said Schelli Slaughter, Director of the County’s Public Health & Social Services Department. “The Community Design team and other local partners are working hard to make it easy, enjoyable and safe to go for a walk or engage in active transportation, so residents can get more healthy activity every day.”

“At the Aetna Foundation, we know that a positive health impact can be made when communities work together to tackle social determinants of health,” said Dr. Garth Graham, president of the Aetna Foundation. “We are honored to showcase these innovative organizations as Spotlight Award winners for their commitment to improving local health conditions and creating healthier, safer places.”

For more information on the Spotlight Awards, the recognized organizations and the Challenge, visit www.healthiestcities.org. Information on the local team’s work will be shared at the February 13 Board of Health meeting and at a regional active community design forum in March.

-MORE-

-30-

What you should know about Pertussis (Whooping Cough)

Since the school year began about a month ago, there has been five reported cases of pertussis in Thurston County.

While typically a relatively mild illness for older children and adults, pertussis can be life threatening for infants and young children, and dangerous for pregnant women.

Pertussis is spread through the air and by secretions of the nose and throat in the same manner as a cold. The illness starts with mild cold symptoms, followed in 4 to 5 days by a cough. The cough can become severe, causing children to vomit or have difficulty breathing. Difficulty breathing causes the characteristic “whoop” sound in children with severe illness. Most children are immunized during infancy and preschool years and are protected while they are the most vulnerable. Immunity wanes over time leaving older children and adults susceptible to the illness.

Pertussis containing vaccine is available for older children and adults. The recommendation is that all individuals 11 years of age and older receive one dose of Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccine. Vaccine for children is available from their health care provider and most pharmacies will vaccinate older children and adults.

The three most important ways to prevent the spread of pertussis as well as many other illnesses are:

     1. Frequent hand washing.

     2. Cover your nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing.

     3. You and your child stay home when ill.

If you or your child has a severe or persistent cough, or one that lasts longer than a week, please see your family health care provider for an evaluation. If you have questions, please contact your healthcare provider or school nurse.

Safe and Healthy Travel for Back-to-School Time

It’s time to prepare for the new school year, making sure young students in our community are ready to learn. Kids’ success in school depends on getting there on-time and in good shape, and their readiness to learn starts before they even get to school. How they get there matters – if they are walking or bicycling to school, the travel to school gives them valuable physical activity. This contributes towards the recommended “at least 60 minutes per day” of exercise for their long-term health. These forms of travel also emit no air pollution, so going to school this way helps keep the environment around the school more healthful. Taking active transportation to school like this can also be a valuable family time or social experience for you and the youngsters.

My child’s school is two miles away from our house. We aren’t able to walk that distance each day, but on many days we walk to the bus stop (about ½ mile) and often we bicycle together to and from school. I think these times are helpful to my son feeling more connected to me and our neighborhood.

While getting this activity on the way to school, I try to help prevent injury to my child through attention to safety. School buses are known to be a very safe way to get to school. If you are walking or bicycling with your child, take these steps:

• Be visible (wear bright colored clothing or walk in groups.)
• Help kids learn traffic safety by modeling safe behaviors such as looking back and forth at intersections, and making eye contact with drivers. 
• Use well-marked crossings and well-lit routes with sidewalks, whenever possible. 
• Kids' backpacks shouldn't be too loaded with heavy books or school work. Help their "back helath" by keeping their loads manageable or getting rolling backpacks for them to use. 

Events to encourage safe walking and bicycling coming up during this new school year include Walk to School Day (Oct. 5, 2016) and the Bicycle Commuter Challenge (May 2017).

Also contributing to kids’ safety are changes to the built environment, the places where we live in cities and towns such as parks, sidewalks, and streets. You can check with the school district for your neighborhood’s schools to find out what the recommended safe walking routes to school are and try them out. You may notice things that you think should be addressed – is the walking area (pathway, sidewalk, or side of street) clear of obstructions?  Does the route have lighting for those shorter winter days? Are the recommended walking routes fully connected to the school or are there gaps? Are there well-marked, well-lit street crossings? Are people driving attentively and not speeding in the vicinity?

You can also contact the local government for your area (usually the Public Works department) to find out more about what’s being done to improve the traffic safety and walkability of your neighborhood. Thurston County PublicHealth and Public Works departments, along with partners in ThurstonThrives such as Intercity Transit (and its Walk ‘n’ Roll program), Safe Kids Thurston County, Thurston Regional Planning Council and city governments, work together to support Safe Routes to School here in our community.

Try a walk in your neighborhood – you can not only learn more about your local area, you can help young people get healthy activity and be more ready to learn themselves.

Every Kid in a Park

In September 2015, the United States government launched the “Every Kid in a Park” program. This program provides every fourth grade student in the country (including those who are home schooled) with a pass that allows them, and any family members accompanying them, to enter national parks, national forests, national wildlife refuges, national monuments, and all other federally-owned lands – over 2000 sites in total – completely for free.

Why fourth graders? Studies show that when children are regularly exposed to the natural world before age 11, they develop a more positive and caring attitude toward the environment. With climate change and air and water pollution continuing to pose problems for residents of Thurston County and the Puget Sound region, we need our future generations of leaders and residents to be knowledgeable and passionate about protecting the environment. Children currently in the fourth grade are also part of an age group that better reflects our country’s growing diversity and changing demographics, meaning that the greatest number of children from all racial and socioeconomic backgrounds will have equal opportunity to participate. Additionally, fourth grade is often the last time children in school will be part of one-teacher classrooms, which makes it easy to plan class field trips. If you are a fourth grade teacher, find out how you can get passes for your entire class on the program website. Adults who engage fourth graders as part of religious groups, after-school organizations, or camps also qualify as educators can also print passes for their fourth graders.

 

The opportunity for kids to get outside and experience nature has never been more important. A study supported by the National Institutes of Health detailed the dangers of “nature deficit disorder” in young adults and how even short amounts of time spent in nature can produce significant and long-lasting health benefits. The report noted that young adults who spend time “in or near green spaces” demonstrate higher academic test scores, better self-control, and fewer behavioral problems at home and in the classroom. Here in the Evergreen State, we’re lucky to have easy access to many green spaces, but the greenest ones are most likely to be found in some of our nearby national parks.

If you don’t have any fourth graders in your family this year, don’t worry. The program will continue, with next year’s fourth graders getting the opportunity to see and experience the beautiful natural wonders of our country with their families for free. If your child completed the fourth grade this spring, they have the opportunity to use their pass until August 31, 2016. If your child is entering the fourth grade this fall, they will be able to get their fourth grade passes starting September 1, 2016.

As the program says, “No matter where you live in the U.S., you’re within two hours of an included site.” If you live in Thurston County you won’t have to travel far to take part in this program. The Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge is located in the northeastern corner of the county, and is about a half-hour drive from anywhere in the county. There are also several other national lands within easy driving distance. Depending on where you live in Thurston County, Black River Unit of the Nisqually refuge, Julia Butler Hansen and Ridgefield national wildlife refuges, Mount Rainier and Olympic national parks, Gifford Pinchot, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie, Okanagan-Wenatchee or Olympic national forests, and Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument are all relatively close. Fourth graders and their families will find excellent opportunities for recreation and education at each of these locations. Let’s get every Thurston County fourth grader outside in a forest, park, or wildlife area!

Warber, S. L., DeHudy, A. A., Bialko, M. F., Marselle, M. R., & Irvine, K. N. (2015). Addressing “Nature-Deficit Disorder”: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study of Young Adults Attending a Wilderness Camp. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : eCAM, 2015, 651827. http://doi.org/10.1155/2015/651827

Wash Away Those Back-to-School Germs

By Kateri Wimsett, Education and Outreach Specialist

September is here once again back to school time here in the South Sound. Kids and parents are adjusting to new schedules and new teachers. As kids go back to school they share close contact with other kids and teachers all day, five days a week. That means they are exposed to lots and lots of germs and can bring illnesses home with them. So right now is the perfect time to talk to your kids about effective handwashing. Handwashing has been called the single most effective way to keep from getting sick. This would depend on how well hands are actually washed.

As a mom of two, the main focus of my efforts is to cease the “rinse and run” my children are inclined to do. They often resort to “washing their hands” by running their soap-less hands quickly under water while running for the door. Because of this I’ve instituted the happy birthday song rule - after soaping they’ve got to sing “Happy Birthday” twice while scrubbing their hands. We’ve talked about how it’s the rubbing and scrubbing of your hands that actually is the most important step to get the germs off of your hands. I’m happy to report that as they’ve gotten older they appreciate the grossness of not washing their hands and are coming along in their efforts. 

A note about hand sanitizer, washing hands with soap and water really is better and advised.  If you are in a place where soap and water are not available and you have to use hand sanitizer use an alcohol based one with at least 60% alcohol (check the label).  Hand sanitizers do not eliminate all type of germs, nor do they remove the chemicals that may be on our hands .  They also are not as effective when hands are visibly dirty or greasy. 

It sounds kind of silly, but learning when and how to properly wash hands and making it a habit is important.  Remind your kids to always wash their hands:

• After they use the bathroom.
• Before they eat.
• After touching animals or animal poop.
• When they come into contact with someone who is sick.
• When they come in from being outside.
• When their hands are dirty.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the “right way to wash your hands” includes:

• Wetting your hands with clean running water and using soap. There is no need to use antibacterial soap. Regular bar or liquid soap works best.
• Rub hands together, lathering or scrubbing for 20 seconds. Make sure to scrub between fingers, the backs of your hands, and under your nails. (As a side note it takes about 20 second for the scrubbing action to dislodge and remove germs.)
• Rinse your hands under clean running water.
• Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

Interested in the science behind this? Check out the CDC's "Show Me the Science-- How to Wash your Hands" web page.

Washing Your Hands – It’s really as important as they say!

By Elisa Sparkman, Education and Outreach Specialist

Since I was a small child, the importance of washing your hands was emphasized. It was part of a routine. After using the restroom and before eating hand washing was almost robotic. There were no questions about it.

If there is one thing that I can say I have learned since I began working for this public health department it is that washing your hands is really as important as they say. Actually I would say that it is even more important than they say! And I will answer the question you are probably thinking, No, I am not germophobic. I finally understand and appreciate how much hand washing does for us.

The fact that washing your hands well can reduce the spread of disease is probably not new to you. Bacteria gets on our hands easily from touching everyday items like hand rails, gas pumps, crosswalk buttons, toys, raw unwashed food, and our pets.

Did you know that frequent and thorough hand washing can also reduce your exposure to toxic chemicals? Toxic chemicals and metals from pollution float around in the air and make their way into dirt and into indoor air and dust. Toxic chemicals from agricultural, industrial, and residential pesticide application also make their way into homes as dust. Think about all of the dusty or dirt-covered items you touch each day. There is a good chance that toxic chemicals wind up on your hands and on many items you touch. We touch our faces, our lips, our water bottles, our phones, our computers, our food... you see where I am going with this? Washing your hands is important.

To be sure you are washing your hands well follow these simple rules.

• Rub and scrub with soap for 20 seconds (singing the ABCs or Happy Birthday twice).
• Use warm water.
• Tip hands downward so water rinses the suds and yucky stuff off of your hands.
• If possible, turn the faucet off with a paper towel.
• At home, sanitize faucet handles often.

So when anybody asks me what the one thing is that I've learned since I started working at the health department I say, “Washing your hands is really as important, if not, more important, than they say!”

Back-to-school tips for parents of children with asthma

By Kateri Wimsett, Education and Outreach Specialist 

It’s here – the back-to-school season. As a working professional, married to a high school teacher, and a mom to two elementary school students, August signals parental prep time. I'm starting to organize my lists about childcare, school supplies, and managing all the other daily life responsibilities that go along with a new school year. If your child has asthma, this is the time to update your action plans to help manage your child’s illness.

Asthma is a severe chronic lung disease. Approximately 1 in 10 children suffer from this disease in Thurston County. Asthma is a leading cause for school absenteeism, and can lead to academic, social and emotional consequences for kids.  During the summer months parents can help manage asthma by reducing exposure to triggers like secondhand smoke and other irritants. Returning to the school environment can pose challenges for kids with asthma because of increased exposure to possible triggers and respiratory infections. Here are some tips that can help you prepare your children to go back to school.

• Have an Asthma Action Plan (also known as a management plan). Asthma Action Plans are developed with your doctor and tell others what your child’s daily treatment is. They also describe how to control asthma in the long-term and how to handle worsening asthma symptoms or attacks. You can download a free version of an Asthma Action Plan here.

• Schedule a check up with your child’s doctor to update your plan. Even if your child’s asthma is well managed, your Asthma Action Plan should be updated every school year. This is vital to making sure that your child’s asthma continues to be effectively controlled. It also gives a chance to review any medications and physical activity restrictions.

• Meet with your child’s school nurse and teachers. Share up-to-date information with them about asthma. Take some time to discuss your child’s specific triggers and symptoms so that they can be prepared to help your child if an asthma attack occurs. Discuss how your child can get their medicine.

• Know your school’s Asthma Emergency Plan. Ensure that your child’s school knows how to contact you in case of emergency. Also make sure your child’s action plan has your doctor’s phone number, your preferred hospital (emergency room), as well as contact numbers for other guardians or emergency contacts.

• Be sure your child and everyone in the family is fully vaccinated, including against the flu. The flu is a serious illness and the CDC recommends that everyone over six months old gets vaccinated. This helps further protect your child.

• Advocate for your child. If your child has just been diagnosed you may feel hesitant to make special requests of the school. But remember many children have asthma.  You can work with the school to help improve indoor air quality for all students. One good place to start is: www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/parents.html

• If your child has asthma, talk regularly with them about their Asthma Action Plan. When your child is older, consider having your child carry their Asthma Action Plan in their backpack or purse. That way, your child can show or tell others where to find the plan should they have trouble breathing suddenly.

Take the time to review and update your child’s asthma care plan. This simple step can improve your communication with others regarding your child’s needs and help you feel more confident that the illness is well managed. Keep school staff and faculty updated to so they have the tools to help your child succeed.

What is an Asthma Action Plan?

Asthma is a chronic disease of the lungs that can be serious and even life threatening. People with asthma have increased sensitivity to things we are exposed to in our daily surroundings. This increased sensitivity puts people with asthma at risk for getting slightly sick to very sick just by being around substances and situations that other people without asthma don’t even think about. Triggers like dust, pet dander, smoke, cleaning products, perfumes, cold weather, and exercise can set off an asthma attack. 

Medical professionals agree that every person with asthma should have a personalized Asthma Action Plan. Various organizations, such as American Lung Association, American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, and Kids Health, have templates for an Asthma Action Plan. The Center for Disease Control has a compilation 
of templates from health departments across the United States.

What is an Asthma Action Plan? An Asthma Action Plan is a written document that contains information specific to the person and their asthma. The plan is provided to others who spend a lot of time with the person with asthma. For example, if your child has asthma, copies of the plan should be given to their teacher(s), the school nurse, bus driver, day care provider, and parents of friends. An adult may give copies of their action plan to their family, co-workers, friends, neighbors, and their children (if they are old enough).

What does an Asthma Action Plan include? General information such as name, emergency contacts, and healthcare provider is included in the plan. The plan also includes the severity level of the person’s asthma, their triggers, and a list of their medications with detailed instructions. Another important part of an Asthma Action Plan is a description of what symptoms and signs to look for in the person with asthma.  These symptoms and signs indicate when asthma is well managed, getting worse, or a medical emergency.  The plan describes what actions to take in response to the symptoms and signs.

Why create an Asthma Action Plan? An Asthma Action Plan gets everyone on the same page. In case of an emergency, people who spend the most time with the patient will know exactly how to respond. Also, the plan can help prevent an emergency situation by knowing when the severity level is increasing, and responding before it becomes an emergency. When a teacher knows what a student’s asthma triggers are, they can reduce triggers in the classroom and know to keep a special eye on the student when specific triggers are present. Knowing that key people have the Asthma Action Plan can provide peace of mind to parents with children who have asthma. It can also set the person with asthma at ease to know that there are people who know how to help nearby.

How often should an Asthma Action Plan be updated? An Asthma Action Plan should be updated when information included in the plan changes. For example, the plan should be updated if the person changes medications, new symptoms emerge, or if any of the contact information has changed. The plan should also be reviewed and updated each year. A great time to do this for kids is at the beginning of each school year. This helps parents review the plan, make changes, and assess whether new school staff and faculty should receive the plan.

Why are children more vulnerable to chemical exposures?

Kids move fast. They can get into things and make a mess in no time at all. So it’s not hard to imagine that children are more vulnerable to accidents than adults. But did you know that children are more vulnerable to chemical exposures?

Little bodies. Because they are small, anything that children eat, drink, or breath is more concentrated in their bodies than it is for adults.

Growing bodies. Children are at greater risk for harm because their bodies are still growing and developing. Some toxic chemicals have similar properties to nutrients that bodies need – so a growing body can mistake a toxin for a nutrient and happily absorb it. For example, lead has properties similar to calcium, so growing bones tend to absorb lead.

Location, location, location. Kids are closer to the ground than adults are. They crawl and play on the ground where heavy metals, dust, dirt, and all sorts of yucky stuff settle. Find out what is in dust here.

Busy little hands and little mouths. Children tend to put hands and objects in their mouths, they touch more stuff, and they don’t always know what something is before licking it or putting it in their mouths. This can lead to unnecessary exposure and accidental poisoning.

  
What can you do to reduce a child’s exposure? 

Wash hands often. Washing hands is not only effective to reduce germs; it reduces toxic chemicals that wind up on our hands. Heavy metals, pesticides, flame retardants, and other toxics are found in dust and dirt. Often times, chemicals can be all over something we touch without ever knowing it. Washing hands well (rubbing for 30 seconds with soap and warm water) each time you come inside, before nap time – especially for thumb suckers, after using the restroom, and before eating or handling food is one of the easiest ways to reduce exposure. 

Choose least toxic products. Household cleaning products, yard products, or even personal care products (like shampoo and lotion) can contain toxic chemicals. Choose green cleaning methods or purchase cleaning products that do not say Danger or Poison on the label.  Use the Environmental Working Group’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning to help you make safer choices for cleaning products. The Skin Deep Cosmetics Database is an easy-to-use tool to research safer personal care products. The Environmental Working Group organizes many consumer guides that can be helpful in making purchasing decisions for you and your family. To find the least toxic lawn and garden products use Grow Smart, Grow Safe, available online or download the free app.

 
Store and use products safely.  Keep hazardous products locked up and out of reach of children.  When using hazardous products, keep track of where the kids are.  The poison control center reports more children are getting poisoned when products are in use. For some prevention tips, see our recent blog post, 8 Tips to Prevent Accidental Poisoning in Children. 

Manage dust. Vacuum well each week (or more if you have a lot of dust) and use a water-dampened cloth to dust hard surfaces. Microfiber cloths work great. 

Clean toys regularly. Toys get dusty and dirty. Toys go in hands and mouths. 

Provide nutritious foods. When growing children have enough nutrition, they are less likely to absorb some toxic materials. Visit www.choosemyplate.gov for food planning and tracking tools.

  

We can’t always control all of the chemicals around us. But, we absolutely can reduce our chemical exposure by taking some of the simple steps listed above.