Jackson County Health Department Weekly Update for 7-23-21

(July 23, 2021 4:23 PM)  The Jackson County Health Department has released the weekly report:

The Michigan Vaccine Lottery Registration, ‘MI Shot To Win’ will continue until August 3^rd, 2021.  Vaccines must be received by July 31, 2021, in order to sign up for one of the prizes.  The first$1Million winner, Latonda Anderson of Grand Blanc was announced on Wednesday, July 21^st.   The lottery, which was announced on July 1st, has over 2 million people registered. According to the latest update on the Michigan Vaccine Dashboard on 7/21/2021, 62.9% of Michigan residents over the age of 16 have received at least one dose. The lottery is offering cash drawings and scholarship opportunities for eligible Michigan residents. Eligibility criteria for the drawings are available at: www.MIShotToWin.com. Parents must enter their children aged 12 -17 for one of the nine Scholarships which will be given away.

Veterans, spouses, independents, and caregivers who receive their COVID vaccines through the Veterans Administration or federal facility are encouraged to call (517)788-4468 or bring their shot records to their local health department and have them entered into the Michigan Care Improvement Registry in order to be eligible for the MI Shot to Win drawings.

News around the State of Michigan and the nation indicate the virus is still strong in certain areas of the country, particularly in those areas where COVID vaccination rates are lowest. The most common strain of COVID that is circulating, the Delta variant, has now been identified in several Michigan counties and this strain is shown to be more transmissible (easier to spread) than previous strains have been.  The following tips are reminders of what you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones from this deadly disease:

• Get your vaccine.  The vaccine has been proven to reduce the likelihood of illness and hospitalizations if you are exposed to Coronavirus, even the highly transmissible Delta strain.
• Wear a mask when in crowds or within six feet of others if you are unvaccinated. Consider wearing a mask when in crowds or in a group setting if you are vaccinated.  You do not know if someone is vaccinated or if they may have been around someone who is either sick with coronavirus or has been around someone who was sick.
• Be respectful of those who choose to wear a mask.  They are looking out for others as well as their own loved ones.
• Wash hands frequently with soap and running water.  You never know where you can pick up the coronavirus and avoid putting your hands/fingers on your face, particularly your mouth area.

The Michigan Covid Tracker is monitoring progress toward the state goal of 70% on 1st dose COVID-19 vaccinations (1 shot) provided to the 16+ age group in the State of Michigan.  In Michigan, we are currently at 62.9% as of 7/21/2021 for ages 16 and up. At the National level, we are at 68.4% with at least one shot for all adults aged 18 and over. The CDC National Tracker shows that out of the Population ≥ 65 Years of Age, 89.2% of people have at least one vaccine and 79.5% are fully vaccinated.

Vaccine Opportunities

Vaccine opportunities in the Jackson County area and location information can be found on the VaccineFinder webpage. Minors aged 12–17 are eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine with parent permission. 

Homebound individuals who are interested in a COVID-19 vaccine, please contact Disability Connections at (517) 998-3084, Region 2 Area on Aging at (517) 592-1976 or the Jackson County Department on Aging at (517) 788-4364.  

Jackson County Health Department Updates

If you are planning to come to the health department for any clinic-related service with a nurse or technician, please remember to bring your mask.  The policy of the health department is for all employees and individuals seeking service to wear masks when in close settings such as a small office or exam room, in order to reduce any potential spread of infection regardless of vaccination status.  You will be offered a mask if you don’t have your own.  This is done in order to protect our immunocompromised clients such as children or other vulnerable populations who may be at high risk of infection.  If you still need your COVID-19 vaccine, you can come to the immunization clinic and get your vaccine of choice! 

If you are EXPERIENCING ANY UPPER RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS (COUGH, DIFFICULTY BREATHING, ETC) OR FEVER, WE ASK THAT YOU RESCHEDULE ANY APPOINTMENT YOU HAVE scheduled.  If necessary, you may want to schedule an appointment with your physician or call 911, if it becomes life-threatening.

The COVID pandemic presented many challenges especially for women needing cancer and health screening services. During 2020, CDC analyzed data from all Breast and Cervical Cancer Programs nationwide to examine the impact of COVID-19 on low-income women receiving screening services. CDC found that the total number of cancer screening tests received by women through the Breast and Cervical programs declined by 87% for breast cancer and 84% for cervical cancer during April 2020 as compared with the previous 5-year averages for that month. Screening disparities among low-income, minority women were already evident prior to COVID and the pandemic intensified these disparities.  

The Jackson County Health Department Facebook page is updated regularly and contains information and updates on vaccine clinics, health department programs, as well as recalls on products such as:

• Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) Stop-Use and Stop-Removal Order for Purella brand hand sanitizer after finding the products do not protect the public and do not comply with the standards in the Michigan Weights and Measures Act, 1964 Public Act 283
• Voluntary recall for muffin products made by Give and Go Prepared Foods due to a possible health risk

Free Health Screenings Are Available

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has openings for program-eligible women to receive free cancer and health screenings.

• The Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Navigation Program (BC3NP) provides free breast and cervical cancer screening services, statewide to low-income women. This may include follow-up care, if needed, if a screening abnormality is identified.  The BC3NP does not pay for cancer treatment. However, women diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer may be eligible for a special Medicaid program that provides cancer treatment.

For the name and number of the local BC3NP agency nearest you, call (toll-free) 844-446-8727 or email BC3NP@michigan.gov.

• The WISEWOMAN Program, available in select areas of the state (not in Jackson County), helps participants understand their chronic disease risk factors and make healthy lifestyle choices. Every participant receives a free health screening. A health professional will review the results of the health screening, and the participant will have the opportunity to work with a Health Coach. In addition, participants can choose to participate in a number of free support services, such as the Diabetes Prevention Program, Weight Watchers (WW) Take off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) or Cooking Matters.

Data 

Jackson County Health Department reports the following data as of July 23, 2021. This information is also available on the Michigan Vaccine Dashboard which is updated on Tuesday and Fridays each each week by 3:00 p.m. Data now reflects the addition of the 12-15 year olds.

*Data as of July 16, 2021

**Recovered = alive 30 days after onset date (if onset date is missing, then referral date). This calculation is using the Patient Status variable to distinguish alive vs deceased.

*Data as of July 16, 2021

**Recovered = alive 30 days after onset date (if onset date is missing, then referral date). This calculation is using the Patient Status variable to distinguish alive vs deceased.

Additional Resources

Jackson County Health Department Webpage

State of Michigan Vaccination and Prioritization Strategy https://www.mistartmap.info/about

Centers for Disease Control Vaccine Information Page

JCHD COVID Information phone line – (517) 817-4469