 Friday, December 6, 2024
Your questions answered: Learn more about WIC
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WIC – What is it? WIC stands for women, infants, and children. Our WIC program is a grant-funded program that provides supplemental foods, breastfeeding support, nutrition education, and referrals to healthcare and social services for income eligible families
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Who is eligible? Our program is for pregnant and post-partum women and children up to the age of 5. An person or household at or below 185% of the poverty level qualifies for the WIC program. Some people who have Medicaid health insurance will qualify regardless of income status.
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How many women, infants, children do we serve on average each year? Last year, our program served over 22,000 participants across our four clinics.
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What does the nutrition consist of? Infants can receive formula, baby foods, and cash value for fruits and vegetables. Participants aged two and up receive low fat dairy, whole grain products, cash value for fruits and vegetables, and a protein option like beans or peanut butter.
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Where can people find WIC-approved foods? Participants can use their WIC cards at Kroger, Walmart, Meijer, Save-a-Lot, and a few smaller state-approved vendors.
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Who do families meet with at their WIC appointments? Nutrition educators and dietitians work with individuals and families participating in our WIC program. They provide education and information about the basics of nutrition. They provide families with the tools and knowledge they need to eat healthily before during and after pregnancy. Our group of trained team members can also identify possible delays in child development, undercover additional needs outside our scope of practice, and make necessary referrals to outside programs.
Learn more about who we are and what we do
National Influenza Vaccination Week
highlights the benefits of flu vaccines
 This year’s National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW) is December 2-6. There’s still time to benefit from a seasonal flu vaccination this season.
Adults with certain chronic conditions are at higher risk of developing serious complications from flu.
In fact, during recent flu seasons, 9 out of 10 people hospitalized with flu had at least one underlying health condition – that's why getting an annual flu vaccine is especially important for people with certain chronic health conditions.
A flu vaccine reduces the risk of getting sick with flu. For people with certain chronic health conditions, a flu vaccine has been shown to reduce the risk of the illness worsening chronic conditions and preventing flu-associated hospitalization.
In addition to getting a flu vaccine, people with asthma should take the same everyday preventive actions the CDC recommends for everyone, including avoiding people who are sick, covering coughs, and washing hands often. This also can include taking steps for cleaner air and hygiene practices like cleaning frequently touched surfaces.
Our immunization clinics can help you stay up to date with vaccines. To schedule an appointment, call 502-574-5380.
Begin your career in public health
Are you interested in improving the health and wellness of all residents of our city? If the answer is yes, we invite you to be a part of a dedicated team. Visit our Metro jobs center page to learn more about various career opportunities in public health.
For more information, please email LMPHWCareers@louisvilleky.gov.
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