COVID-19 Bivalent Boosters Now Available for People 5 ears and Older at KCHD
The Kent County Health Department is now taking appointments for people aged five and up to get their bivalent COVID-19 booster shots.
The announcement comes after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) amended the emergency use authorizations of the Moderna and Pfizer Bivalent COVID-19 vaccines for use in children in younger age groups. The Pfizer shot has been approved for people five years and older while the Moderna vaccine has been authorized for people 6 years and up.
The FDA says children can get the boosters two months after receiving the their primary series or two months after getting their previous booster. The updated boosters protect against the Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, which now account for the majority of COVID cases in the U.S. The bivalent vaccines also include protection against the original strain.
Following the FDA's October 12 decision, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also expanded the use of the updated vaccines. The CDC said in a news release, "FDA's authorization of updated (bivalent) COVDI-19 vaccines for this younger age group, and CDC's recommendation for use, are critical next steps forward in our country's vaccination program - a program that has helped provide increased protection against sever COVID-19 disease and death."
To make your appointment at KCHD, call 616-632-7200.
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KCHD Vaccine Equity Efforts Garner CDC Praise
The KCHD and the West Michigan Hispanic Center are being recognized by the CDC for their efforts to reduce disparities in COVID-19 immunizations. In a recent publication called "Stories From The Field," the CDC shared the work of the partnership in the hopes that other agencies can learn from this partnership.
In the early days of the pandemic, our staff identified barriers to vaccination among Hispanic populations. Working with the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan and other partners, our team increased the number of doses administered from 165 in November of 2021 to more than 330 doses monthly by the end of 2022.
This level of success would not have been possible without properly identifying and addressing underlying issue that had created barriers. Some of the efforts cited by the CDC were providing access to information through flyers, videos, in person conversations, developing accessible educational materials, addressing transportation issue, and eliminating the requirement of state issued identification and proof of health insurance at vaccine clinics.
The CDC concludes, "The collaboration was successful because governmental institutions and healthcare providers partnered with community-based organizations that have the trust and cultural sensitivity to affect real change among vaccine-hesitant populations."
You can read the entire CDC article here.
 KCHD Mobile Vaccination Clinic at the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan.
Photo courtesy: CDC
National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week
 National Lead Poisoning Prevention week is observed every October and October 23-29 is the week set aside by the CDC for this year's campaign. This observation is designed as an opportunity to increase lead poisoning prevention awareness to reduce childhood exposure to lead.
Throughout the week, you will see social media posts about the topic. We are asking you to share those posts on your social media to help us reach a larger audience. The themes of this year's campaign are:
- Get The Facts
- Get your Home Tested
- Get your Child Tested
The story of lead poisoning prevention in Kent County is a story of real public health progress with much remaining work yet to be done. Significant progress has been made in preventing children under six from being lead poisoned in Kent County. In 2010, more than 854 children tested had elevated blood lead levels which at the time was defined by the state tracking site as a blood lead level equal to or greater than 5 micrograms per deciliter of blood. In 2019 (the last year before testing was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic), the number of children had fallen to 222, which is still far too many but does represent significant progress.
The number of lead tests done on children declined in 2020 and 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This means that there are children who have elevated blood lead levels who have not been tested. Without testing, families will not know if their child has an elevated blood lead level and not have the opportunity to reduce or remove the lead in their home. The good news is that during the summer months of 2022, testing rates have increased and begun to approach the levels seen in 2019.
Most children who have elevated levels of lead in their blood (higher than 3.5 µg/dL) do not have obvious symptoms. The only way to know if a child has been exposed to lead is with a blood test. There still are many children in Kent County in need of lead testing. Children should have their blood lead level tested at ages 12 and 24 months. If you have a child under the age of six who has not been tested for lead, please ask your child’s doctor if they should have their blood lead level tested. If your child does not have a doctor, call your insurance company for help finding a doctor or call KCHD at 616-632-7063. Parents can also visit Home - Don't Play Around (dontplayaround.org) to access a self-assessment of lead risk in their children’s environment as well as a list of available resources.
You Can Help Bring High-Speed Internet Access to More Residents
 What would your life be like without high-speed internet? Not having access to many of the resources we now take for granted is hard to imagine but there are a large number of people in Kent County who do not have access to high-seed internet access.
The first step is identifying the geographic locations that do or do not have high-speed internet. We are asking for your help in this part of the process. Please take five minutes to complete this simple survey. The information that we gather will be essential in helping us deliver high-speed internet to as many Kent County residents as possible.
Internet Access as a Public Health Issue
The pandemic exposed the impacts of the "digital divide" in new ways. Those who had high-speed internet were able to work, take part in school, be seen virtually by their doctor, and even shop without leaving the house but people who lacked the service could not.
The National Institute of Health says that high-speed internet must now be recognized as a social determinant of health.
Social determinants of health, as defined by the CDC, are conditions in the places where people live, learn, work and play that affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes. Issues such as access to healthcare, education, economic stability, and food security have long been identified as social determents of health. Now there is a growing body of evidence that shows people who did not have access to high-speed internet during the pandemic took the vaccine less and got the disease more often than those who had high-speed internet access.
A CDC study of the city of New York shows that zip codes with the highest rates of broadband access were the same zip codes that highest rates of vaccination. The CDC says about the study, "Although this association neither implies nor precludes causation, and does not control for possible confounders, it is consistent with the hypothesis that lack of internet access is a barrier to vaccination. Internet access is a known social determinant of health."
There is no doubt that as more studies are completed we will gain a better understanding about the issues presented by the lack of high-speed internet but for now it seems evident that the more people who have access to high quality internet, the better prepared we will all be for a brighter future.
Vaping and Opioids in Our Schools: Community Experts Present Open Conversation
You may heave heard about vaping, but what do you know about dab pens or pressed fentanyl pills? All of these things are present in our community and more are being found in our schools. "A Dose of Reality" is a free event that is open to all where you will hear from physicians, nurses, prosecutors and the Kent County Opioid Task Force during an evening of education and conversation addressing the latest drug issues in our community. The event is being held at the Kent Intermediate School District at 2930 Knapp Street NE in Grand Rapids on Thursday, October 27 at 6 p.m. You can register for the event by clicking here, or it can be seen on livestream by clicking here.
Come Work With Us
Every single day we are working to improve the lives of Kent County residents. From vision tests for every student to inspecting every restaurant, the work is always rewarding, challenging, and satisfying. Combine that with a competitive wages, a robust benefits package, and generous paid time off and it adds up to an experience that few other employers can match.
We currently have openings for Vision and Hearing Technician, Medical Assistant, and a Public Health Nurse. Find out more about these jobs and other employment opportunities with Kent County by clicking here.
DEA Drug Take Back Day
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Our staff organized and participated in a blood drive held at the health department on October 13. Working with Versiti Blood Center of Michigan, 17 employees rolled up their sleeves and donated enough blood to save 39 lives in our community. Versiti is the sole provider of blood and blood products to all Kent County hospitals.
Versiti says donations dropped off significantly during the pandemic and while the donors are returning the need is never ending. Every two to three seconds someone needs blood. Whether it is used for cancer treatments, surgeries, or traumatic injuries, the American Red Cross says that almost 30 thousand units of red blood cells are used in the U.S. everyday. Find out how you can donate blood by clicking here.
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Pet of the Week
Blimpie came into the shelter as a stray on April 9 and has been here ever since. Not adopted once. One of our awesome volunteers busted him out of here for a few nights last week and guess what we learned? Blimpie is just a normal dog. He is house trained, loves his tennis ball and dish and likes to cuddle once he has time to relax. He’s a go-getter that no one has taken a chance on yet. Let’s get Blimpie into his forever home!
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