Check this page frequently to find up to date information on health and wellness topics. If you have any questions, please contact our school nurse at [email protected].
Community Health Resources Page
Click here to access important community health resource links and phone numbers.
Gun Violence Resources Page
Click here to access helpful resource links relating to gun violence and trauma support.
In the News
Social media’s impact on the mental health of children and adolescents cannot be deemed sufficiently safe, according to the Office of the US Surgeon General. Up to 95% of teenagers (aged 13 to 17) and 40% of children aged 8 to 12 are on social media. Adolescence is a particularly vulnerable period for brain development.
Growing concerns include: (1) social media can expose children to potentially harmful content and (2) social media use can be excessive and problematic for some children. The Surgeon General’s Advisory outlines some immediate actions that can be taken to make social media safer and healthier for youth.
In the first three months of this year, 629 children in Virginia were admitted to hospital emergency rooms after ingesting hemp-derived products, according to the most recently available data from the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association. The most concerning part of this trend is the impact on the toddler age group. Toddlers typically get into their parents’ edible cannabis products that may be packaged as copycat products to look like candy such as Skittles, Nerds ropes and Pop Rocks. Most commonly when toddlers are admitted to the hospital for cannabis consumption, they have fast heart rates and are very sedate, and their bodies can make quick uncontrollable jerking movements that may look like seizures. Learn more about this concerning trend.
Vaccines remain one of our best protections against COVID-19 and flu. In December, the federal government added one more layer of support for people who are sick and can’t leave the house or for folks who are uninsured. The expanded Home Test to Treat program now provides free testing, telehealth, and treatment options.
The NIH press release explains that Home Test to Treat “is the first public health program that includes home testing technology at such a scale for both COVID-19 and flu.” And while the focus is on two illnesses for now, the program also aims to “better understand how technologies such as at-home tests and telemedicine can improve health care access across the country.”
Who is eligible for this program?
Home Test to Treat currently focuses on two groups of people:
People who are currently positive for COVID-19 or flu. These participants can enroll to receive free telehealth care and treatment.
People who are uninsured or underinsured adults (18+); on Medicare, or Medicaid; in the VA healthcare system; or who receive care from Indian Health Services. If you are part of this group, you can register now without a positive COVID-19 or flu test.
What services does the program offer?
If you enroll as part of the second group, the program will ship you free COVID-19 and flu tests. If you enroll while currently positive, you do not receive access to tests.
For anyone who enrolls and is positive for COVID-19 or flu, the program provides free telehealth care. If your telehealth provider determines that you need any treatment—like Paxlovid for COVID, for example—the treatment will be sent to your home for free.
The program is really and truly free?
It is! Home Test to Treat will never ask for or try to bill any insurance. The program is funded by the federal government and is part of important research about the possibilities of telehealth. And while data about participants will be used in that research, the program will not use identifying information and will follow all HIPAA requirements.
How do I get started?
Learn more and register at the Home Test to Treat website. You can also call 1-800-682-2829 for more information.
It’s normal to feel worried or afraid sometimes. But if worry or fear is making it hard for you to do your usual activities, talk with your doctor. Use this tool to help you know where to start.
Anxiety can also affect children and interfere with their usual activities. Find out more with this factsheet.
Having a primary care doctor is important for keeping up with annual health exams and for helping when you are sick. Whether you and your family are covered by insurance, under-insured, or without coverage, the Richmond/Henrico Health Department can help you connect to primary care, including local pediatric providers that accept Medicaid. Schedule your appointment now as a goal for a successful and healthy 2024!
HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. When it’s not detected or treated, it can cause cancers like cervical cancer. The good news is that cervical cancer can be preventable! Screening tests can help find precancerous lesions or cervical cancer itself. These tests include a pap smear, which looks for changes in the cervix that could become cervical cancer over time if they aren’t treated, and a specific HPV test, which finds the virus itself. The two tests can be done at the same time in a primary care clinic or a gynecologist’s office. Your primary care provider or gynecologist can help you decide when it’s the right time for a screening.
Vaccination at a younger age has also been shown to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer. Routine HPV vaccination is recommended at 11-12 years of age but can be administered starting at 9 years of age. The best time for HPV immunization is before a person becomes sexually active. The HPV vaccine is offered in most pediatric clinics and other primary care clinics. You can talk to your health care provider or pediatrician about recommendations and obtaining the vaccine.
The inconvenience and cost of a routine doctor’s appointment are nothing compared to the potentially debilitating, costly, and time-consuming effects of a preventable condition. The momentary pain from the stick of a needle is a small investment that offers a big return in the form of disease prevention. The cost and time invested in getting screening tests can lead to lab results that may convey important information about one’s personal health. Having a conversation with a friend or a loved one and encouraging them to seek preventive care services only takes a few moments but may literally make a lifetime of difference. Prevention truly is the best medicine, or perhaps prevention is better than any medicine.
Effective January 1, 2024, Virginia Medicaid and FAMIS provide 12-months of continuous coverage to children under age 19. This means that the coverage is protected and cannot be reduced or ended during that period, with limited exceptions. An annual renewal, or re-evaluation of eligibility, is conducted at the end of the continuous coverage period and a new 12-month coverage period is granted if the child remains eligible. To learn more about the 12-months continuous coverage policy, visit the CoverVA website.
The CDC launched a new campaign this year to allow former smokers to share their experiences with cigarettes and their quitting journeys. This campaign features more than 45 real people impacted by the serious long-term health effects from smoking and secondhand smoke exposure. It includes stories from loved ones who describe how taking care of someone living with a smoking-related condition affected their own lives and health. Use this link to learn more about the impact of menthol cigarettes, and find resources to quit smoking.
CDC recently released updated recommendations for how people can protect themselves and their communities from respiratory viruses, including COVID-19. The new guidance brings a unified approach to addressing risks from a range of common respiratory viral illnesses, such as COVID-19, flu, and RSV. CDC is making updates to the recommendations now because the United States is seeing far fewer hospitalizations and deaths associated with COVID-19 and because we have more tools than ever to combat flu, COVID-19, and RSV. As part of the guidance, CDC is emphasizing core prevention steps that include staying up to date with eligible vaccinations, handwashing, air filtration, and cleaning. The SAS COVID Response Plan remains the same at this time. Even though the CDC updated recommendation shortens the amount of time to isolate if testing positive for COVID, the infection is still contagious and has implications for others during the infectious period.
The CDC now recommends that adults ages 65 years and older receive an additional updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine dose. The recommendation acknowledges the increased risk of severe disease from COVID-19 in older adults, along with the currently available data on vaccine effectiveness. Data continues to show the importance of vaccination to protect those most at risk for severe outcomes of COVID-19. An additional dose of the updated COVID-19 vaccine may restore protection that has waned since a fall vaccine dose, providing increased protection to adults ages 65 years and older.
Spring can be a challenging season. Visit pollen.com to find out what allergens are high in your neighborhood. Download the app to your phone to help manage your allergies on a daily basis.
Due to an increase in measles cases in the US and abroad, the CDC recommends children 6 months of age and older stay up to date with MMR vaccinations (measles, mumps, rubella). Measles (rubeola) is highly contagious: one person infected with measles can infect 9 out of 10 unvaccinated individuals with whom they come in close contact. To prevent measles infection and reduce the risk of community transmission from importation, all U.S. residents traveling internationally, regardless of destination, should be current on their MMR vaccinations.
The focus of Alcohol Awareness Month is to help us understand the health effects of alcohol use and misuse — and encourage us to make healthy choices. Use these tips on starting conversations about alcohol use, drinking alcohol in moderation, and talking to your kids about tobacco, alcohol, and drugs.
