Summer is in full swing, and activities at Monongalia County Health Department have also geared up as we continue to deal with the pandemic and promote our other initiatives.
After two years off, Threat Preparedness Program Manager Jamie Moore has been spending time in the woods in Monongalia County and the surrounding area, dragging for ticks to be sent off and tested for disease.
MCHD WIC is preparing to start seeing participants in person again, opening up to new participants Aug. 1 and rising to full capacity Sept. 1 (for more details, check out Monday’s paper).
MCHD Clinical Services has been giving COVID-19 vaccines and is also gearing up for back-to-school inoculations.
Below is a round-up of some tips to help you safely navigate the next two months of summer:
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, even though COVID-19 rates and deaths have fallen, the Delta variant is prompting numbers to rise again. Of the six COVID-19 cases in Mon County caused by the Delta variant, all have been travel-related — three nationally and three internationally. Just about anyone 12 or older planning a trip (or even if you’re not) should consider getting a COVID-19 vaccine. MCHD Clinical provides the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, which is approved for ages 12 and older. Call 304-598-5119 to make an appointment. That number is also good to call to schedule your children’s back-to-school vaccines.
MCHD Threat Preparedness, in conjunction with WVU, continues to conduct COVID-19 testing from 9 a.m.-noon Mondays and Fridays, with the exception of some holidays. Updated testing information can be found at monchd.org and on MCHD’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/WVMCHD. Some individuals are required to be tested for travel, but it’s a good idea to check your status sometimes, especially if you have an exposure and if you are not vaccinated.
MCHD got a message a few weeks ago from an urgent care physician about a dramatic rise in Lyme disease cases. Health department disease investigators confirmed they were following up with several patients with this tick-borne disease. If you plan to spend time outdoors, know how to prevent ticks and also to check for them daily on you and your pets when you return home. Find out all about ticks at cdc.gov/ticks.
It’s also that time to watch out for mosquitoes. Prevention methods are similar to those for ticks — use Environmental Protection Agency-approved bug spray, containing an ingredient, such as DEET. Also eliminate any standing water that can attract mosquitoes from your yard and around your house. More info: cdc.gov/mosquitoes.
MCHD WIC, which operates in Monongalia, Preston, Marion, Harrison, Doddridge and Taylor counties, will reopen Aug. 1 to new participants. WIC offers counseling and benefits, breastfeeding counseling and support and health screenings, immunizations and referrals to those who qualify. In addition to meeting income guidelines, those who qualify are pregnant women, women breastfeeding an infant up to the infant’s first birthday, postpartum women up to six months after delivery or end of pregnancy, infants up to their first birthday and children from age 1 until their fifth birthday. See the income guidelines at monchd.org/wic-eligibilty-guidelines.html.
MCHD WIC will fully reopen to all participants Sept. 1. In the meantime, weekly drive-through events have been held every Thursday in July. Those remaining include from 3-6 p.m. this Thursday at Clarksburg City Park for the Harrison and Doddridge county locations and from 3-6 p.m. July 29 at MCHD WIC in Morgantown.
If you’re interested in learning more or want to help celebrate MCHD WIC, drive on by! Goody bags will include items such as WIC cup and a food-themed children’s book, such as “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.”
