2019 marks the 25th anniversary for the Vaccines for Children program also known as VFC program.
The VFC program provides vaccines at low or no cost to children when their parents do not have insurance coverage or cannot afford vaccines. In 1989 there was a measles epidemic in the U.S. When the CDC investigated the epidemic they found more than half of the children who got the measles had not been vaccinated even though they had been seen by a doctor. These findings helped to bring about the VFC program so that all children could have the opportunity to be vaccinated regardless of a parent/guardi
ans ability to pay.
Is your child adequately vaccinated? If not, what’s stopping you? Currently our nation is facing the possibility of another measles epidemic. Measles is very preventable with a simple vaccination. As of April 4, 2019, 19 states that have reported measles cases to the CDC since January 1, 2019. Neighboring states, Nevada, Arizona and Colorado have reported cases.
Measles is extremely contagious. The CDC reports measles is so contagious that if one person has it, 90 percent of those near that person who aren’t immunized will become infected. It spreads through the air and once in the air can infect individuals for up to 2 hours.
The vaccine is very effective and can be given to anyone 12 months of age or older in good health and 2 doses of the MMR vaccine are required for all students K-12 in Utah schools.
Take the time to check you and or your child’s vaccine record to make sure you’re up to date. The old adage is true, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”.
September is National Family Meal Month and is a great time for families to make renewed efforts to enjoy the benefits of conversing and eating together.
There are few greater investments parents can make in their family than sitting down together and sharing a meal. Let’s bring back this lost tradition to Utah’s homes.
Children who participate in consistent family mealtimes eat an overall healthier diet, perform better academically, develop larger vocabularies; along with less likely to engage in risky behaviors including tobacco, drug, and alcohol. Children are less likely to struggle with eating disorders and less likely to experience depression or low-esteem.
Parents who engage in family mealtime have overall healthier diets, enjoy strengthened family bonds and less money is spent on food by eating at home. Remember, family mealtime is not only for dinner – it can be whichever meal works best for your family’s schedule.
Come join our Create Better Health Classes this fall, the last Thursday of each month excluding December. Each class will be combined of three components. A nutrition topic based on the dietary guidelines, a physical activity, and a Create recipe demonstration and samples. Classes will last approximately 1 to 1.5 hours. With regular attendance to the classes, you will receive cooking recipes and kitchen appliance/tools. Registration can either be done online at https://goo.gl/forms/N5QeH8DuOLsOF9tr2 or call the office at 435-781-5452.
On UBMedia
TriCounty Health Department, in collaboration with Uintah County Teen Outreach Program, is raising awareness for congenital heart defects by collecting infant sized red hats for Little Hats, Big Hearts.
Teen Outreach Program (TOP), a program that is offered to youth after school through TriCounty Health Department, in both Uintah and Duchesne counties.
TriCounty Health Department’s Health Educator, Katie Lucio, is spearheading the drive and said, “ TOP teaches youth how to make healthy choices, with a big component being community service learning (CSL).”
“Youth do 20 hours of CSL that they choose as a group,” Lucio said. “Little Hats, Big Hearts is a project organized by American Heart Association in conjunction with the Children’s Heart Foundation with a goal to empower moms to live a heart-healthy life, encourage their children to do the same, all while bringing awareness about congenital heart defects.”
This year, Uintah County TOP youth chose to participate in Little Hats, Big Hearts to bring awareness to the Uintah Basin communities about congenital heart defects.
“Our goal is to be able to donate 50 red crocheted or knitted hats to be given to newborns during the month of February,” Lucio said.
All donations need to be in cotton or acrylic yarn and submitted by Jan. 5, 2018.
TriCounty Health Department donations will also include skeins of red yarn that the youth can use to make infant hats at home prior to donation.
TriCounty Health Department will have donation boxes at the Roosevelt and Vernal offices, giving the community an opportunity to pull together, raise awareness and provide warmth for babies born in Utah.
The donation of red hats is part of celebrating American Heart Month. Little Hats, Big Hearts started in 2014, in Chicago, Illinois, raising 300 hats the first year. Since then, the donations have spread throughout 40 states, and now right here in the Uintah Basin.
TriCounty Health is located in Vernal at 133 S. 500 E. and in Roosevelt at 409 S. 200 E.
For more information, contact Katie Lucio at 435-247-1174.
http://www.ubmedia.biz/announcements/article_01aa2ab8-dae4-11e7-9d22-83223c9d24e5.html
September will kick off Fruits & Veggies- More Matters month to help you remember to eat more fruits and vegetables. It’s a great time to try something new as more than 90% of of adults and children do not eat the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables.
Every step taken towards eating more fruits and vegetables helps you and your family be at their best. Because eating fruits and vegetables may reduce your family’s risk of many diseases, we should be eating more fruits and vegetables than any other food group.
Fruits and vegetables add color, texture, and appeal to your plate and are nutritious in any form whether fresh, frozen, canned, dried or in 100% juice. They provide fiber that helps fill you up and keeps your digestive system happy while naturally low in calories.Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables may help reduce the risk of may diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and some cancers while rich in vitamins and minerals to help you feel healthy and energized. You will find fruits and vegetables in an almost infinite variety. There’s always something new to try and they’re easy grab for a snack.
It’s easier to use more fruits & vegetables when you have them on hand. After shopping, use your perishable produce before reaching for frozen and canned so you have less waste. In order to incorporate more into your diet, try a favorite dish in a new way such as using spaghetti squash in place of pasta, topped with your favorite sauce or turn your favorite vegetable into soup by taking pureed, cooked vegetables, add flavor with some herbs, and thin with broth. Use fruits for dessert in place of cakes and pastries. (1)
Choosing assorted colors of fruits and vegetables is a great strategy for making sure you get the most nutritional value from your produce choices. In many cases, the deeper and darker the color of the fruit or vegetable, the greater the amount of nutrients it contains. Just look at some of the fruits and vegetables that come in a variety of colors and why they’re good for you. (2)
Red– apples, cherries, red grapes, watermelon, beets, red peppers, and tomatoes.
Benefits- Help maintain heart health, memory function and urinary tract health as well as
lower the risk of some types of cancer.
Yellow/Orange– cantaloupe, peaches, oranges, squash, corn, and carrots
Benefits-Promote heart and vision health and healthy immune system.
White or Tan/Brown– Bananas, dates, cauliflower, mushrooms, turnips
Benefits- Help maintain healthy cholesterol levels, may lower risk of some cancers.
Green– avocado, kiwi, green grapes,pears, asparagus, broccoli, cucumbers, spinach
Benefits-Help lower cancer risk, improve eye health, and keep bones and teeth strong.
Blue/Purple– Blueberries, blackberries, plums, black olives, purple cabbage, eggplant.
Benefits-Protects against some types of cancer and urinary tract infections, may boost brain health and vision.
Next time the farmer’s markets are running, visit one and pick up some fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables. Find them in Vernal near the library on Saturday mornings from 9-1 and in Roosevelt on Thursday afternoons from 3:30- 6:30 at the old park.
Sources:
(1)http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org