Do you know how to remove ticks from your body? Removing blacklegged ticks promptly can reduce your risk of getting Lyme disease, but it’s important to do it correctly. Irritating or killing the tick while removing it can cause it to vomit bacteria into your body, increasing your risk of Lyme disease. Here’s what NOT to do: WRONG: Burning the … Read More
Emergency Preparedness for Children
Are you and your family prepared for an emergency? Children in particular can feel extremely vulnerable and stressed during an emergency. It is important to remember that your child looks to you for guidance and comfort. Help kids cope by: Keeping calm Talk openly and honestly about what is happening Take their fears seriously and tell them it’s okay … Read More
After Immunization…in case you didn’t know
Side effects of immunization are mostly mild, such as a sore arm or mild fever for a day. But there is no way to absolutely predict how a person may react to a shot. If a more serious reaction or adverse event is suspected, you should report it to your healthcare provider or Public Health Unit — wherever the vaccine was given. … Read More
Do you have a child enrolled in a childcare centre?
Chatham-Kent Public Health is required by law in Ontario to maintain immunization records for every child attending a licensed childcare centre. The health unit assesses immunization records to ensure they are accurate and up to date. This is done to protect your child in the event of an outbreak of a vaccine preventable disease. Many parents think their healthcare … Read More
What is Pertussis and how can I prevent it?
Pertussis (also called whooping cough) is a respiratory infection that can cause spells of violent coughing for weeks or months. It is spread easily through coughing and sneezing. Pertussis can also cause pneumonia, ear infections, seizures, swelling of the brain and death. Children younger than one year of age have the highest risk of complications. However, pertussis protection is … Read More
Get active on National Health & Fitness Day
National Health and Fitness Day is an initiative to make Canada the Fittest Nation on Earth! Saturday June 2nd, 2018 provides an opportunity for all citizens to Get Up, Get Out and Get Active. Here are some activity ideas for your family and friends; Let your kids plan the activities for the day! If you’ve never played Grounders or Manhunt, … Read More
My TB skin test came back positive… Now what?
When someone has a positive TB skin test, often their first question is “now what?”. After receiving positive results the first step is for the individual to get a chest x-ray to make sure there is not an active infection going on in the lungs. If the chest x-ray is clear and they are not having any symptoms, chances … Read More
Every Child Needs Protection
Children in Ontario receive immunizations to help protect them from serious childhood diseases. Vaccines help the immune system learn how to recognize and fight the germs that causes diseases. Children begin immunizations at the age of 2 months. Many vaccines require more than one injection before they can offer protection, so it is important to receive all shots. Any immunization … Read More
Everything You Wanted to Know About Lyme Disease, but Were Afraid to Ask
Questions about Lyme disease? Read our FAQ to learn how you can protect yourself. What is Lyme disease? How do you get it? How do you know if you have Lyme disease? Are there ticks in Chatham-Kent? What do blacklegged ticks look like? How can I protect myself from Lyme disease? I found a tick on my body! What do … Read More
World No Tobacco Day 2018: Tobacco and heart disease
On May 31, 2018, World No Tobacco Day, will focus on the impact tobacco has on the heart health of people worldwide.Tobacco use is an big risk factor for the development of heart disease, which includes coronary heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease. Despite the devastating harms of tobacco to heart health, not many people are aware that tobacco … Read More
Changing the Health Conversation on May 7th
Chatham-Kent Councillor Carmen McGregor and Dr. April Rietdyk, Chatham-Kent’s General Manager of Community Human Services, will lead a discussion entitled Our Health: How Are We Doing? Monday May 7. The forum will take place in Council Chambers at the Civic Centre at 6 p.m. It will raise issues and promote discussion concerning the state of chronic disease in Chatham-Kent and … Read More
Having a Baby?
Congratulations – you’re expecting! There is so much to think about at this exciting time – What can I do to have a healthy pregnancy? What should I, or shouldn’t I, eat? How will I cope with labour? How can my partner help me when I am in labour? How will my life change with a new baby? Let us … Read More