DIRECTORS' CORNER

Vaccines Key to a Healthy School Year

Summer is winding down, and we’re gearing up for another school year! We want to help make sure the upcoming school year is a healthy one. That’s why we’re urging all parents and caregivers to check your children’s vaccination records now, and make sure their vaccines are up-to-date before the school year starts.

In many Colorado schools, measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination rates are too low to protect the community from an outbreak. Measles is a disease that can have serious complications and can mean time away from school for kids and work for parents. If there is a case of measles in your child’s school, all children not protected by two doses of MMR will be excluded from school for their safety. Measles is easily prevented with two doses of MMR vaccine. The second dose is required before kindergarten entry in Colorado.

Parents and caregivers, we’re calling on you to do your part to keep our community safe. Check your children’s records or check with your health care provider to make sure they are up-to-date on all their vaccinations.

Wishing you all a healthy start to the school year!

Sincerely,
Dr. Margaret Huffman
Director of Community Health Services
Jefferson County Public Health

NEWS YOU CAN USE

Arvada Garden Grows Strong Community

“Some just throw seeds in the ground and see what happens,” said Meredith Quenzer, nutrition supervisor at Jefferson County Public Health. “For the kids, it teaches them how to be adventurers and how to be patient. I think it’s a good life lesson for everybody.” Read about the Sunshine Community Garden and how the Arvada community is coming together around health, nutrition and connection.

1 Billion+ Prescription Opioids Came into CO during Natl. Crisis

As the opioid epidemic arrived in CO, 1,022,073,725 prescription pain pills flowed through the state in 7 years, according to new federal data. Read more in The Denver Post.

DATA ROUNDUP: OVERDOSE

224,000 Coloradans misuse prescription drugs each year.

1,012 Coloradans died due to drug overdose in 2017. 57 percent of those deaths involved an opioid.

158 prescription opioid-related overdose deaths in Jefferson County from 2013-2017

Impact of Overdose on Jefferson County, CO

August 31, 2019 is International Overdose Awareness Day, and JCPH joins organizations across the world to raise awareness and commemorate those who have been lost to drug overdose. In Jeffco, overdose remains a serious public health issue, and we must all join together to prevent overdose and save lives. Read more about overdose in Jeffco and find resources for healthcare providers and the community.

GET INVOLVED

Save the Date: End Overdose Jeffco

JCPH is pleased to invite you to End Overdose Jeffco, a special community event on Tuesday, August 27 from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Edgewater Civic Center, 1800 North Harlan Street. Honoring the people that have lost their lives to drug overdoses, this event will include memorial activities, stigma reduction activities, distinguished speakers, personal experiences, naloxone training and coalition updates. To learn more and sign up, visit http://bit.ly/EndOverdoseJeffco.

Join Us: What's Really Driving Youth Tobacco Use & Vaping?

Please join the Tobacco-Free Jeffco Alliance on Wednesday, September 4, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. for a FREE DINNER and discussion exploring root causes of teen vaping and tobacco use. A main goal of this session is to gain a shared understanding of why an intersectional approach is important both when addressing youth vaping and other issues affecting young people. To register, please visit http://bit.ly/TFJASept2019.

Announcement: August Board of Health Meeting

This month’s Board of Health meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 20, 2019, beginning at 4 p.m. at Jefferson County Public Health (645 Parfet St., Lakewood, CO 80215).

PARTNER PROFILE

Creative Treatment Options

Creative Treatment Options is a local organization that is working to reduce the burden of substance use disorders, including opioid misuse, on our community.

Join the conversation! Follow Jefferson County Public Health on Facebook at @jeffcopublichealth and on Twitter and Instagram at @jeffcoph. Visit our website at www.jeffco.us/public-health.

August 2019 // Volume 1, Issue 8