 Friday, March 3, 2023
Measles case linked to revival service at Asbury University
 The Kentucky Department for Public Health recently reported a confirmed case of measles in a resident of Jessamine County. The individual had recently returned from international travel and was not vaccinated against measles. They attended a Christian revival at Asbury University on Feb. 18. It has been reported that large numbers of people attended the event.
There are currently no confirmed cases of measles in Jefferson County. The last confirmed case of measles in Jefferson County was prior to the year 2000.
Measles can be serious but can be prevented through vaccination. It is extremely contagious and can result in severe illness, especially in babies and young children. It is spread through the air in respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The virus can stay in the air for up to two hours after an infected person has left the area. A person can become infected simply by being in a room recently occupied by an person with measles.
Jefferson County residents who are unvaccinated and went to Asbury University’s revival on Feb. 18 are encouraged to:
- Watch for symptoms. Typically, they occur an average of 7-14 days after exposure but may take up to 21 days. Common symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, red, watery eyes and rash.
- If you attended the event and develop symptoms, please see a healthcare provider immediately. Call ahead before visiting a healthcare facility to let them know you think you have measles. Wear a mask to the appointment.
If you were not at Asbury University over the weekend but believe you may be at a higher risk of catching measles, make sure you are up to date on your vaccinations, wear a mask in large gatherings, and practice good hand hygiene to prevent illness.
According to the latest vaccination report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Kentucky kindergartners are ranked among the lowest in the nation for measles vaccine coverage. It’s important to ensure children are vaccinated with the MMR vaccine to prevent measles outbreaks and illnesses.
The two-dose vaccine is safe and effective. The vaccine is 93% effective against measles after one dose and 97% effective after two doses.
If you or your child need the MMR vaccine, contact your healthcare provider or make an appointment with the Department of Public Health and Wellness immunization clinic by calling 502-574-5380.
If you aren’t sure if you or your child has been vaccinated against measles, you can request vaccination records from the Kentucky Immunization Registry online, by calling 1-502-564-0038 or by emailing KYIRHelpdesk@ky.gov.
Mental Health Lou and Louisville Free Public Library host free series
 Mental Health Lou and Louisville Free Public Library will offer free workshops focused on mental health and wellness starting in March. The Mind-Body Wellness Series is a four-part series that focuses on the ways in which our thoughts, feelings, and beliefs can positively or negatively impact our bodies and vice versa.
Taught by licensed experts from Mental Health Lou’s partner groups and providers, the series will be offered at six library locations: Southwest, Northeast, Newburg, Main, Western, and Bon Air.
Each workshop in the series addresses a different topic:
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Discovering the Mind-Body Connection: Participants will learn ways to identify and connect feelings, thoughts and somatic responses and develop tools to help manage stress, anxiety, depression and more.
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Movement & Mental Health: This workshop looks at the impact of movement on our mental health by extending into yogic practices and breathing techniques for individuals to use as a means of self-care and deepen their connection with their bodies.
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Practical Mindfulness for Stress Management: Participants will learn basic tools to help identify stressors and implement Mindfulness techniques to manage/decrease stress response. This will be an experiential workshop that focuses on skill building of stress management tools.
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Taking Charge of Your Wellbeing: Workshop participants will begin developing a realistic and easily executable self-care plan with the help of a mental health therapist.
Mind-Body Wellness Series Schedule
Click here to learn more information about the series.
Mayor Greenberg declares Severe Weather Awareness Week
Mayor Craig Greenberg this week, along with first responders, city agencies and service providers, announced Severe Weather Awareness Week in Louisville during March 1 – 7, 2023.
The week is a reminder to use these helpful tips to conduct a tornado drill at home or work:
- Announce the start of the drill.
- Participants should act as though a tornado warning has been issued for the immediate area or a tornado has been sighted nearby.
- They should move as quickly as possible to the pre-designated tornado shelter.
- Once people reach pre-designated safe areas, they should crouch as low as possible to the floor, facing down, covering their heads with their hands.
- Once everyone has reached safe shelter, announce the mock tornado has passed and the drill is complete.
- After the drill, perform an assessment to determine if the designated shelter was large enough for everyone, easy to access and uncluttered.
If you’d like to receive notifications of severe weather events and other emergencies, sign up for LENSAlert. Individuals can receive alerts via phone call, email, push notifications and/or text. You can add alerts for multiple addresses such as your home address, school address or work address. LENSAlert is connected to Smart911 – a lifesaving service.
There are three ways to sign up for LENSAlert:
Visit https://www.smart911.com/smart911/ref/reg.action?pa=JeffersonCountyKYEMA
Download the Smart911 app: https://safety.smart911.com/smart911app
Text “LENSAlert” to 67283 to start receiving emergency notifications.
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