brand  

Lake County Health Update 
May 2014   

 

 

This community e-newsletter is produced by the Lake County Health Department/Community Health Center 

 

Featured Videos 

 

Healthy Lake County

      

Spring time has arrived and people are heading outdoors.  In this month's edition of "Healthy Lake County," learn how to protect yourself against ticks and where to check if your favorite beach is open or closed. Also learn about a new resource guide to help people facing crises.  

  

Beach Season is Around the Corner

Beaches throughout Lake County will be opening during the Memorial Day weekend. Throughout the summer, the Lake County Health Department monitors beaches and posts swimming bans on its website when water sampling tests indicate high counts of E. coli. Before you head out to your favorite beach, check its status by visiting the Beach Advisory page of the Health Department's website. 

 

New Requirement for the Coming School Year

To help prevent illness and outbreaks due to vaccine-preventable diseases, Illinois has new immunization requirements for the 2014-2015 school year.  Children entering school at any grade level (kindergarten through 12) need to show proof of having received two doses each (instead of just one) of rubella and mumps vaccines. In addition, any child entering kindergarten, sixth grade or ninth grade for the first time shall show proof of having received two doses of varicella (chicken pox) vaccine.

 

New Resource Guide Available for People Facing Crises

The Lake County Suicide Prevention Task Force has published a new resource guide to help people and families in times of crisis. The guide includes resources, such as food pantries, shelters, counseling services, hotlines, and  help for everything from foreclosures to domestic violence. Most of the services listed are free or provided on a sliding fee scale.  To review the resource guide, click here. 
Tony Beltran
Dear Lake County Residents:

  

Now that warmer temperatures are finally here, many people are spending more time outdoors. One thing to remember as you head out the door is to take precautions against ticks, which can carry Lyme disease.  Last year 46 cases of Lyme disease were reported in Lake County, up from 17 in 2012.  
 
To address this issue, the Lake County Health Department is working with academia, state, regional and county partners. We are communicating with health care providers and developing educational messages for the general public regarding Lyme disease. This year, in addition to environmental tick surveillance, the Health Department is conducting an extensive analysis of human cases, and implementing a "Fight the Bite" educational campaign. You will soon see our messages on billboards and Pace buses.

Click here for tips on how to avoid ticks and how to find and remove them.   

 

Sincerely,

Tony Beltran, M.B.A.
Executive Director
Lake County Health Department/
Community Health Center

World No Tobacco Day is May 31 

Every day, millions of people of all ages continue to be affected by the harmful effects of tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke. However, children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of secondhand smoke because they are still developing physically. When exposed to secondhand smoke, children are at increased risk for:
  • sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
  • upper respiratory and lung infections
  • ear infections
  • more severe and frequent asthma attacks
This World No Tobacco Day, let's help every child grow up healthy, happy and able to reach their potential.  Here are three steps you can take to help reach that goal:
  • Do not smoke in your home and do not allow others to do so
  • Live in smoke-free housing or buildings
  • Quit if you smoke
The Tobacco Free Lake County (TFLC) Program of the Lake County Health Department provides one-on-one counseling free of charge for interested quitters. Free telephone counseling is also available through the Illinois Tobacco Quitline: 1-866-QUITYES or
www.quityes.org. For information on smoke-free homes please contact TFLC at:
TFLC@lakecountyil.gov or 847-377-8090.  

June Pet Vaccination Clinic

The Health Department's Animal Care and Control program is partnering with The Regent Center in Mundelein to provide a pet vaccination clinic for pets of seniors on Saturday, June 7.

Pets of seniors who are 55 and older will receive free rabies inoculations. Additionally, Animal Outreach will provide pet nail trims for $5 donations.  Click here to learn more.
Training Prepares Volunteers for Public Health Emergencies

A group of enthusiastic volunteers with the Mundelein Citizen Emergency Response Team participated in an emergency preparedness training on a recent Saturday morning. The exercise helped prepare them to respond in the event of a public health emergency. Click here to read more.

Check the Quality of the Air You Breath
Would you like to know more about the quality of the air in your area on a daily basis? The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency provides daily updates on the air quality of specific Illinois areas at: AirNow.gov. This site rates the air quality from good to hazardous and provides recommendations.   

Links to good health

Sign up to receive this newsletter

Search food inspection reports

Find community health services

Find food recall information

Read releases sent to news media 

Go to our Web site