Public Health News
HEPA Vacuum Loaner
HEPA vacuums are capable of removing up to 99.97% of ‘lead in dust’ hazards in the home. Residents living in pre-1978 housing who have older windows are encouraged to borrow the HEPA vacuum at least annually and thoroughly clean their floors, window wells and window sills, followed by weekly wet cleaning of window sills and wet mopping of floors to keep lead dust levels low.
Through the Fulton County Public Health, Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program grant from New York State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the HEPA vacuum is available for loan to Fulton County residents. Contact the Fulton County Public Health Department at 518-736-5720 to find out how to borrow the HEPA vacuum.
Residents use the HEPA vacuum at their own risk, it can be on loan for a one-week period and the borrower is required to provide picture I.D. and return the vacuum clean, and in good condition.
Lead Poisoning is Preventable!
5 Things You Can Do To Help Lower Your Child’s Lead Level
Upcoming Flu Clinic
Thursday September 21, 2023 from 4:00 – 6:00 pm.
Interested? Sign up here: https://booknow.appointment-plus.com/6z7p0e2q/?e_id=3727 or call Adirondack Health & Wellness at 518-886-8251 if you have questions or need help signing up.
Please help get the word out by sharing this information with your friends and family.
Sodium
Small food swaps can make your meals and snacks healthier. Look for opportunities throughout the day to add more fruits and vegetables to your plate.
cdc.gov/.../fruits_vegetables.html
National Preparedness Month
September is National Preparedness Month. The life you live is worth protecting. Prepare for disasters to create a lasting legacy for you and your family. Follow these tips to create an Emergency Kit today.
If you See Something, Say Something
Poison Control
Add Upstate New York Poison Center’s phone number to your cell phone contact list NOW before you need it.
1-800-222-1222
https://www.upstate.edu/poison/
SIDS
Despite decreases in rates of SIDS and other sleep-related infant deaths, more than one-third of sudden unexpected infant deaths that occur in the United States each year are from SIDS.Infant death due to unsafe sleep practices is preventable.
Check out NIH’s interactive safe sleep environment tool: safetosleep.nichd.nih.gov/.../room.
Open Window Lead Safety
Open windows can allow lead dust from chipping paint on sills and window wells to blow in.
To learn how weekly cleaning can reduce your family's risk visit: fultoncountyny.gov/lead.
Lead Testing
Speak To A Health Care Provider About Lead Testing For Children
Lead poisoning is preventable! Find out more about your state or local childhood lead poisoning prevention program!
cdc.gov/.../prevention
Upcoming Flu Clinic
Thursday September 21, 2023 from 4:00 – 6:00 pm.
Interested? Sign up here: https://booknow.appointment-plus.com/6z7p0e2q/?e_id=3727 or call Adirondack Health & Wellness at 518-886-8251 if you have questions or need help signing up.
Please help get the word out by sharing this information with your friends and family.
Prevent Rabies
Rabies, which is almost always fatal once a person becomes infected, can be prevented.
There are steps that can be taken to prevent rabies in homes and in the community.
1. Get pets vaccinated. This includes dogs, cats (even indoor cats) and ferrets. Have questions about vaccinating a pet against rabies? Talk to your vet or call Fulton County Public Health for low-cost rabies vaccination locations.
2. Don’t touch wild or stray animals. Some wild animals may be rabid. It is best to avoid wild animals and teach children not to touch wild animals as well.
Also, avoid touching stray animals. A stray cat may seem friendly, but can become scared and bite. If there is a stray animal in your neighborhood, contact your local animal control authority.
3. Report animal bites to Public Health. Seek medical care for the treatment of animal bites. Follow up with Public Health to determine the best plan for preventing rabies infection. This may include receiving rabies post-exposure treatment to prevent the transmission of rabies. If the owner of the biting animal is known and the animal can be observed for 10 days, it is possible that rabies post-exposure treatment can be avoided.
4. Report all bat exposures to Public Health, even if there are no bite marks. Sometimes bite marks are not able to be seen but a bite still occurred. Better to be safe and call. Call public health if a bat is found in a room with a young child or person who is incapacitated. Also, call public health if someone comes into contact with a bat or wakes up in a room with a bat flying around.
5. Planning to travel abroad? Talk to your doctor to see if you need any travel vaccinations. The risk for rabies exposure is higher in some countries.
Depending on where you travel to, your doctor may suggest a rabies vaccination before traveling. Make sure to call well enough in advance, to give time to receive needed travel vaccinations.
Want to learn more about rabies and how to protect yourself and your family? Check out the Kids Health article here: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/rabies.html
To report an animal bite, bat exposure or to find low-cost rabies vaccination locations in Fulton County, call 518-736-7520.
Baby Safety Month
September is Baby Safety Month! From crib safety to car seat installation, Safe Kids has provided a few pointers to keep babies out of harm’s way. Clicking the link will bring you to information that is not only for new parents, but it is useful for all caregivers of babies!
5 Tips for New Parents During Baby Safety Month from Safe Kids Worldwide : safekids.org/.../5-tips-new-parents-during-baby-safety-month
Outdoor Adventure Day
Join FCPH and many other Fulton County businesses for Outdoor Adventure Day on Saturday, September 23 beginning at 10 am.
The event hub is at the Fulton County Visitor’s Center, State Highway 30 and Route 29 corridor in Vail’s Mills. Many Fulton County business partners will host their own adventure opportunities at their locations.
For more information please visit: 44lakes.com
Prevent Dog Fights
To learn more about preventing dog fights, talk to your veterinary office and check out this site from the American Kennel Club (AKC):
https://www.akc.org/.../stopping-dog-fight-confrontation-fighting-dogs/
DMV Proposed change
DMV proposes regulatory changes to bolster the ability to get drivers who take dangerous risks off the road and make it harder for persistent violators to get back on the road.
Find out more about this proposal at: https://dmv.ny.gov/press-release/press-release-09-06-2023-1
Emergency Information
How you #StayInformed in an emergency isn’t carved in stone. Find several trusted sources of #emergency information & have multiple ways to receive alerts & warnings. Learn more at https://www.cdc.gov/prepyourhealth/planahead/stayinformed/index.htm #PrepYourHealth
To find Rehab Centers that provide alcohol, drug, and other substance abuse rehabilitation you can call 1-866-972-0589. To find a list of rehabs in each state, visit https://freerehabcenters.org/
A growing public health crisis is suicide. Freerehabcenters.org has put together resources for the prevention of suicide including crisis lines, veterans suicide resources, youth suicide resources, and other mental health and suicide prevention resources. Visit https://www.freerehabcenters.org/article/suicide-prevention-resources to learn more.
The Fulton County Public Health Department under the direction of the Fulton County Board of Supervisors and the New York State Department of Health, seeks to promote wellness, to protect from disease, to prevent injury/disability, to prepare for emerging illness/disease and to assist Fulton County residents in attaining and maintaining optimal health.
Each person and/or their family will be educated in accessing health care and will be empowered to be responsible for the decisions regarding their health care needs. Many services offered by FCPH are provided free of charge; others have eligibility criteria and sliding fee scales are available for the uninsured.
For immunization or car seat appointments call 518-736-5720 to schedule your visit.
If you are calling after hours, you will be directed to leave a message and your call will be returned the following business day. If it is an emergency you will be advised to hang up and call 911. If you need to speak to a Public Health On-Call Nurse, call 518-736-2100.
Pet immunization clinics are held periodically throughout the year. A copy of the current Rabies Clinic Vaccination flyer can be accessed here: https://www.fultoncountyny.gov/rabies. A nominal donation is requested. Rabies clinic dates are also advertised in local newspapers, on Facebook and posted in town halls. Clinic pre-registration is available by calling 518-736-5720 three weeks prior to each clinic.
Please visit the New York State Department of Health's website at www.health.ny.gov/environmental/lead/ or the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) website at www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/default.htm. For specific questions, please contact our Lead Nurse here at Fulton County Public Health at 518-736-5720.
You or your child need to have some type of public assistance (WIC benefits, Medicaid, food stamps) or be below WIC income guidelines (200% of poverty). Additionally, you need to have a valid reason for needing a car seat. You can sign up for an appointment by calling our office at 518-736-5720 and asking to speak with our Child Passenger Safety Technician.
Fulton County Public Health can provide copies of immunizations that were obtained in their office. If your immunizations were not done at Fulton County Public Health, immunization records can be obtained from doctors' offices and schools (K-12 or college) attended.
Visit the NYS Department of Health at https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/weather/cooling/about.htm
Visit the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) site at https://otda.ny.gov/programs/heap/#cooling-assistance
Visit the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) site at https://otda.ny.gov/programs/heap/#regular-benefit
Visit the NYS Department of Health Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program site at https://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/nutrition/hpnap/
