Friday marks a day off for government workers to observe an important holiday: Veterans Day.

Nov. 11 was formerly called Armistice Day for the anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I in 1918. The federal legal holiday was observed on the fourth Monday in October in the mid-1970s. It reverted to Nov. 11 in 1978.

I’m thrilled we have a day set aside to honor the sacrifices and service of all veterans of the U.S. armed forces. With the support of their families, those in the military protect democracy and the freedoms that come with it. I am extremely grateful for their service.

The Department of Health and Welfare has at least 132 veterans who also are employees. There are probably many more – we don’t know about their service unless they choose to disclose it to us. I want to thank them all specifically for their service in the armed forces, but also for their continued dedication to serving Idahoans.

Military service can be challenging, and I’d like remind Idahoans experiencing any challenges from their service that we can help. The 2-1-1 Idaho CareLine works with community partners and agencies throughout Idaho and the nation to list information and resources that might be helpful for Idaho's veterans and military service members. 

Veterans and their families can search our online database at https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/services-programs/veteransmilitary or dial 2-1-1 or 800-926-2588 anywhere in Idaho to learn more.

If you know a veteran, please thank them for their service this weekend.

I hope you have a safe and healthy weekend. 

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

RSV season has been officially declared in Idaho with virus activity increasing over the past two weeks across the state. There is no vaccine to protect against infection with RSV, but you can take action to help prevent spread. Many of the actions we recommended to prevent COVID-19 and seasonal influenza (the flu) can also help prevent RSV and are increasingly important, especially as the weather turns cold and we spend more time inside together.

RSV, an acronym for respiratory syncytial virus, is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover without medical care after a week or two. Nearly all children in the U.S. have been infected with RSV by the age of 2. Although RSV is common, young children and older adults can develop serious illness requiring hospitalization.

The spread of RSV occurs through contact with respiratory droplets, often from a cough or sneeze of someone with RSV, or through direct contact by touching your face with unwashed hands after touching surfaces that have the virus on them. RSV can persist on surfaces for several hours and on hands for 30 minutes or more. People can spread the virus to others for three to eight days after showing signs of illness, but RSV can be spread even a few days before symptoms appear. Young infants and people who are immunocompromised can be contagious for up to four weeks.

In most healthy infants, RSV infection causes a mild upper respiratory tract illness with nasal congestion, a runny nose, cough, and low-grade fever. Infants less than 6 months old, those born prematurely (less than 34 weeks gestational age), and children 6 months to 2 years of age with chronic lung or heart disease, neuromuscular disorders, or immunocompromising conditions or therapies could be at risk of severe illness from RSV. In very young infants (particularly those born prematurely), the only signs and symptoms of infection may be lethargy, irritability, poor feeding, or even short periods when they stop breathing (apnea).

Adults infected with RSV may not have symptoms or develop mild symptoms such as runny nose, sore through, cough, headache, feeling tired or weak, and fever. Adults at high risk for severe illness, such as developing pneumonia, include those who are 65 years and older, have chronic lung or heart disease, or are immunocompromised.

It is important to protect people in high-risk groups from exposure to RSV. Parents, older adults, and caregivers should know the symptoms of RSV and who might be at risk for severe disease. People who have a higher risk of severe illness should avoid contact with sick people or settings, such as childcare centers, where RSV can easily spread. To prevent the spread of RSV, take some simple precautions:

• Cover coughs and sneezes
• Wash hands frequently
• Clean potentially contaminated surfaces
• Avoid sharing personal items like cups and utensils
• Avoid contact with those who are high risk of severe RSV, and
• Stay home and keep children home when sick.

Although there is no licensed vaccine for RSV, some are in clinical trials and could be available in the future. Being knowledgeable about RSV and how to avoid exposure are keys to halting the spread of the virus and protecting vulnerable people. Contact a healthcare provider if you think you or someone in your family might have RSV.

• For more prevention recommendations visit: https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/about/prevention.html
• To learn more about RSV in Idaho, visit the Idaho RSV website: https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/health-wellness/diseases-conditions/respiratory-syncytial-virus
• To view Idaho RSV data: https://www.gethealthy.dhw.idaho.gov/resp-synct.
• To learn more about RSV, please visit: https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/index.html

Luis Vela, MPH is an Epidemiologist within the Department of Health and Welfare, Bureau of Communicable Disease, Epidemiology Section

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.

It can be a scary thing to have a baby, even in the best of situations.

When situations are not the best, it can be downright terrifying.

In my best world, all babies would be born to parents who can care for them. While I would hope that no parent feels the need to give up their child, I know the reality is very different for too many.

The Idaho Safe Haven Act, passed in 2001, offers a safe option for parents who might otherwise abandon their baby. If a parent turns a baby over to a safe haven, the parent can remain anonymous and be sure that their baby will be taken care of and adopted by a family in a permanent home. The parent won’t be prosecuted for neglect or abandonment.

A safe haven is legally allowed to accept a baby if the baby is less than 30 days old and the baby is being taken to the safe haven by at least one of its parents. The parent is not required to give any information to the safe haven, but they may give medical or other details to make sure the baby gets the care he or she needs.

A safe haven is defined under the act as:

• Hospitals licensed in Idaho.
• Advanced practice professional nurses, including certified nurse midwives, clinical nurse specialists, nurse practitioners and certified registered nurse anesthetists licensed or registered as listed in chapter 14, title 54, Idaho Code.
• Physician assistants licensed as listed in chapter 18, title 54, Idaho Code.
• Medical personnel acting or serving in the capacity as a licensed provider, affiliated with an Idaho EMS agency, including first responders and all levels of emergency medical technicians.
• A fire station operated by a city, a county, a tribal entity, a fire protection district, or a volunteer fire department if there are personnel on duty.

The safe haven would provide any urgent health and safety needs for the baby and then notify a peace officer. The peace officer would take protective custody of the baby and then deliver the baby to the Department of Health and Welfare. The baby would be placed with a foster family approved for adoption, and Child and Family Services workers would begin the process of finalizing a permanent home for the baby.

In my role as director, I sign 300-400 foster child adoptions a year . A very small number of those come from safe haven placements. Since the law has been enacted, we have had fewer than 35 children come into the department’s care through the Safe Haven Act, or one or two each year. But I’m grateful the biological parents of those children loved their babies enough to make the hardest choice of all, and that we as a state have been compassionate enough to give those children a chance.

If you are a parent who is struggling to provide healthcare for your children, or to put food on your table, help is available.

• Learn more about Medicaid for children
• Learn more about food assistance

If you would like to know more about adoptions in Idaho, more information is available by calling the Idaho CareLine at 2-1-1, or 800-926-2588.

I hope you have a safe and healthy weekend.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

Each fall as the weather cools, the Department of Health and Welfare gets questions from anglers eager to cast lines in lakes or rivers where water quality warnings were made.

Water quality warnings are often because of detection of harmful cyanobacterial blooms (“harmful algal blooms”), caused by cyanobacteria and the toxins they can produce. Cyanobacterial blooms, which can be made worse by such things as nutrient pollution and warm water, can have public health, environmental, and economic effects.

As days shorten and the weather cools, it’s the final phase of the annual bloom season. Cyanobacteria populations are still present —but are beginning to decline. However, cyanobacteria do not disappear, and a portion of the bacteria will remain near the surface of a water body even when most of the population settles to the bottom.

Idahoans who love fishing, swimming, and dog walking  should consider avoiding areas that were recently still blooming and keep pets away. The toxins the bacteria produce are not visible and may remain in the water after the bloom has vanished.

This summer and fall, a number of warnings or advisories were issued for cyanobacterial  blooms in Idaho, most recently for Cascade Lake on the Payette River and Henry’s Lake at the headwaters of the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River.

As a general rule for anglers eager to return to their favorite fishing holes or dog walkers who want to let their pets swim, a body of water should not be considered free and clear until it is removed from the Public Health Warnings map at Get Healthy Idaho. Even then, advisories will be removed when toxins meet human health criteria, and dogs can become ill at lower levels, so relying solely on a public health advisory may not protect your pets.

Harmful algal blooms are a health concern throughout the United States. According to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 13 states reported 227 harmful algal blooms that resulted in illness in 95 humans and at least 1,170 animals in 2020—the most recent year reported by the agency in depth. Of the affected animals, 94 percent died from their illnesses.

The bottom line for a number of Idaho waterways is that we can expect cyanobacteria don’t immediately disappear with cold weather and will be in the surface water for a while longer. We’re likely to see green patches of water until Idaho’s rivers and lakes ice over.

More resources:

Idaho Recreational Water Health Advisories: https://www.gethealthy.dhw.idaho.gov/recreational-water-health-advisories

Idaho Department of Health and Welfare FAQ about harmful algal blooms: https://publicdocuments.dhw.idaho.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=22995&dbid=0&repo=PUBLIC-DOCUMENTS

CDC resources about harmful algal blooms: https://www.cdc.gov/habs/index.html

Idaho Department of Environmental Quality about harmful algal blooms: https://www.deq.idaho.gov/water-quality/surface-water/cyanobacteria-harmful-algal-blooms/

Brigitta Gruenberg is the Environmental Health Program manager in the Division of Public Health.  

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening Idahoans' health, safety, and independence. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.

The weather in Idaho has officially tipped toward fall and winter, with cooler (even freezing!) temperatures, and more rain and snow. That means we’ll all be spending more time inside, and viruses like those that cause COVID-19 and the flu will become more widespread.

By all accounts, public health officials are expecting this season to be especially difficult because of respiratory illnesses. COVID-19 continues to spread and is very likely to increase. Flu is expected to be worse than previous seasons, based on what happened in the Southern Hemisphere, where they reported their worst flu season in five years.

I’m as tired of the ominous predictions as the next person, but I also want to be realistic. I don’t want to get sick or spread illness. These viruses are not to be dismissed. And we have some excellent tools to protect ourselves and our loved ones from serious illness and death that both viruses can cause.

For COVID-19, we should stay home if we feel sick, wear masks in crowded places, and get vaccinated and boosted. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people ages 5 years and older get one updated bivalent booster if it has been at least two months since their last COVID-19 dose. Staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccines is the best way to prevent serious illness and death. Getting vaccinated after you recover from a COVID-19 infection provides added protection against COVID-19.

The actions we recommend to prevent COVID-19 also prevent flu – stay home if you’re sick, wear a mask in crowded public places, and get vaccinated every year. The flu vaccine lowers your risk for serious illness and death due to influenza. It is recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older.

It also helps to wash your hands often throughout each day.

As the holidays approach, I am looking forward to spending time with my children and grandchildren, and I don’t want COVID-19 or flu to wreck my plans. If you get boosted or vaccinated very soon, your immune system will be good and primed for Thanksgiving dinner. I encourage everyone to take the precautions we know work to keep ourselves and our loved ones as healthy as possible.

I hope you have a safe and healthy weekend! 

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

There is no known safe level of lead in the human body. Children are especially at risk because their bodies absorb more lead than adults, and their nervous systems, including their brains, are not fully developed.

Lead is a naturally occurring metal, and exposure often goes unnoticed because people may have no symptoms and appear healthy. Lead can enter the bloodstream through breathing or swallowing. Children’s brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead, and exposure can result in difficulty learning, behavioral problems, hearing issues, slowed growth, and headaches. Even low levels of lead in blood can cause developmental delays.

Where can a child be exposed to lead?

Lead can be found in the home, air, soil, and water -- all places where children live, learn, and play. The most common exposures include:

• Lead-based paint: Homes built before 1978 may have lead paint. Deteriorated surfaces where lead-based paint may be peeling, chipping, or cracking can create dust that contains lead.
• Lead contamination from clothing: Contamination of the home can occur from clothing worn by adults who work in mines, auto shops, and construction sites. Clothing worn during recreational activities in locations containing lead can also bring lead into a home.
• Lead in drinking water: If your home was built before 1986, it may have lead pipes, fixtures, and solder. Lead can enter drinking water when lead service pipes corrode. 
• Lead in soil: Soil in yards or playgrounds can contain lead from different sources, including the ground where exterior lead-based paint may fall after it flake or peels. The use of leaded gasoline in cars or industrial sources, such as former lead smelters or mines, can also be sources of soil contamination.
• Lead used in jobs and hobbies: Jobs and hobbies that may expose you to lead include welding, auto or boat repair, making ceramics or stained glass, target shooting at firing ranges, furniture refinishing, and home remodeling . People may bring lead dust into their cars or homes by carrying it on their clothes or body.   
• Lead in products: Lead may be found in certain foods, cosmetics, and traditional medicines imported or purchased in other countries. You cannot tell if a product contains lead by looking at it or tasting it. 
• Lead at old mining sites: Historical mine sites can have high levels of lead and other metals in waste rock, tailing piles, soil, water, and buildings. 

What are steps I can take to protect my child from lead?

Work with your doctor: Lead exposure often has no obvious symptoms and can go unrecognized. Testing is the only way to know if your child has lead in their body. If you have never had your child tested, or think your child has been exposed to lead, contact your doctor to arrange a simple blood test.

Be sure to follow up: If your child has an elevated blood lead level, work with your doctor for information about how to lower it. Follow-up testing should be scheduled until the level of lead in the blood is no longer a concern.

Find sources of lead exposure:

• Find and remove sources of lead from the environment before a child is exposed. This is one of the most important things that can be done.
• For more information on sources of lead, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention website and the Idaho Environmental Health Childhood Lead Prevention website. 

Ways to reduce lead exposure:

• Repair deteriorating surfaces containing lead-based paint that are peeling, chipping, and cracking. This repair should be done immediately by an EPA-certified contactor. Home repairs such as sanding or scraping paint can create lead dust and should be carried out by an EPA-certified contractor. 
• Wash your hands often. Everyone should wash their hands before eating and sleeping, especially after playing outside. Lead dust is so small it cannot be seen. Children can get lead poisoning from swallowing dust on their hands and toys.
• Keep lead-associated hobbies separate from living space. If you have hobbies that involve lead, such as bullet reloading, fishing, or antiquing, prevent the build-up of lead dust by regularly cleaning your work area and keeping your hobby separate from your living space.
• Remove shoes and dirty clothing before entering your home, especially if you have a job that includes welding, auto or boat repair, making ceramics, stained glass, target shooting at firing ranges, furniture refinishing, and home remodeling.
• Clean play areas, toys, and toy containers often. If toys come from outside, clean them before bringing them inside.
• Lead may be found in the paint, metal, and plastic parts of toys and toy jewelry, particularly those made in other countries, as well as antique toys and collectibles. Check the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) website or call 800-638-2272 to be sure your child’s toys are safe.
• Lead can be found in foods, cosmetics, and medicines from other counties. Pregnant women and children should avoid use of any product that may contain lead. More information can be found here.  

Feed your child healthy foods:

• Foods that contain calcium, iron, and vitamin C may help keep lead from building up in the body.
  • Calcium is in milk, yogurt, cheese, and green leafy vegetables like spinach.
  • Iron is in red meats, beans, peanut butter, and cereals.
  • Vitamin C is in oranges, green and red peppers, and juice.

For additional information

• Lead | Idaho Department of Health and Welfare
• Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program | CDC
• Lead | US EPA

Kelly Berg is an Environmental Health Program Specialist in the Division of Public Health. Kelly is responsible for developing Idaho’s first Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, aimed to raise awareness of childhood lead exposures and increase blood lead testing rates for children 6 years and younger throughout Idaho.

Follow the Department of Health and Welfare on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for daily updates and information you can trust.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

Preventing suicides and helping Idahoans who are experiencing a behavioral health crisis is an important priority for the Department of Health and Welfare. It’s so important that it’s one of four goals in our strategic plan. Goal 3 is to help Idahoans become as healthy and self-sufficient as possible, and reducing the number of suicides in Idaho is the first objective.

The launch of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline earlier this summer was a big moment for Idaho. And I’m extremely pleased to be able to report that since the launch of 988, the Idaho Crisis and Suicide Hotline has seen an increase in call volume of about 39 percent when compared to the same timeframe in 2021. Nationally, reports show call volume increasing 50 percent and texts answered increasing 1,000 percent.

This is wonderful success! Even so, we still have work to do. As we continue to improve the crisis care continuum in Idaho, we are pleased that Idahoans now have an easy-to-remember number to call when they or a loved one is in need, and they are using it.

Anyone experiencing behavioral-health related stress -- thoughts of suicide, mental health issues, substance use crisis, or any other kind of emotional distress — can call or text 988 at any day and time. People can also dial 988 if they are worried about a loved one who may need crisis intervention.

Veterans can call 988, and then press 1 when prompted to reach the Veterans Crisis line.

Help is available. Suicide is never the answer.

For more information, visit call988idaho.com.

I hope you have a safe and healthy weekend! 

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

In the last 30 days, Idaho has experienced eight earthquakes with a magnitude 2.5 or greater, all of them clustered in the Sawtooth or Salmon River mountains of central Idaho—and all of them relatively benign.

Most of central Idaho’s recent seismic activity consists of aftershocks from a magnitude 6.5 earthquake that shook the region near Stanley on March 31, 2020, but it underscores that Idaho is a seismically active place where a major earthquake could impact the health and safety of Idahoans.

This Thursday, Oct. 20, is the Great Idaho ShakeOut, a day to think about and prepare for the possibility of a serious earthquake. At 10:20 a.m. (local time), people around the globe will join the ShakeOut to practice earthquake safety in their homes, businesses, and civic groups.

Great Idaho ShakeOut resources include drill manuals and guidance for schools, workplaces, museums, and government offices, including specific guidance for conducting drills during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earthquakes aren’t Idaho’s only potential natural disaster, however, and this week’s ShakeOut is a reminder that Idahoans can prepare for a wide range of emergencies, whether it’s flood, drought, wildfire, or a major blizzard. Being prepared means reducing the immediate negative impact when disaster strikes, and by having a plan, you can connect quickly with family or friends because you’ve planned ahead.

During a public health emergency, access to food, water, daily medications, and other resources may be limited. Individuals, families, businesses, and communities can prepare for all public health emergencies by following a few simple steps.

How to prepare

Create a plan. Your plan should include how you’ll cover or obtain the five basic necessities, including: water, food, energy, shelter, and security.

Setting copies of important documents aside is another important piece of preparedness planning for families and individuals. Important documents include medication lists, marriage certificates, birth certificates, and medical insurance information.

In addition to collecting necessary basics, your plan should focus on the following:

1. The best way to get to safety (in your home and away from it)
2. Methods of communication
3. How to reunite after the disaster

Talk with your whole family and agree on communication signals. Remember that a lot of times during a crisis, phone lines and cell towers may not work. Choose a family member or friend who doesn’t live in your area to be a point of contact, and if disaster strikes that person can be a hub with whom everyone checks in. Note that sending a text message may be more effective during a disaster due to the high volume of phone calls likely being placed.  

When to prepare

Preparing for an emergency begins long before anything happens. Your plan should be developed and practiced. 

Early preparation should also include an emergency preparedness kit that you or your family members can grab quickly.

For more information about emergency preparedness, visit DHW’s Emergency Preparedness webpage where you’ll find resources to get a kit, make a plan, and be informed.

Influenza season is here, and now is the time to get your annual influenza (flu) vaccine, also known as the “flu shot.”

Although the U.S. has had mild flu seasons the last two winters, this flu season could be different. In the countries of the Southern Hemisphere the most recent flu season was the worst in five years, with influenza A (H3N2) circulating.

The A (H3N2) viruses have been associated with more severe influenza seasons compared to other flu viruses that have circulated in years past, and the U.S. could see it this season. As people resume their normal routines, more people may be exposed to circulating respiratory viruses like flu and the virus that causes COVID-19.

Public Health officials expect both influenza and SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, to be present and spread in Idaho at the same time. Vaccination against respiratory viruses can help prevent hospitalization and death.

To protect against the flu, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends everyone 6 months of age or older get the flu vaccine each year in September or October. However, vaccination after October can still be helpful since flu seasons generally last into spring. CDC bases recommendations on the Advisory Committee on Immunization (ACIP).

Getting the flu vaccine is the best way to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your community against the flu. In the U.S. flu vaccination prevented an estimated 7.5 million illnesses, 3.7 million medical visits, 105,000 hospitalizations, and 6,300 deaths associated with influenza during the 2019-2020 flu season.

The 2022-2023 flu vaccinations are estimated by scientists to protect against four different influenza viruses that may circulate during the upcoming flu season: two different influenza A viruses and two different influenza B viruses. Medical visits for the flu can be reduced up to 60 percent when the vaccines effectively match the viruses circulating in a season.

Read more about vaccine effectiveness: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/vaccines-work/vaccineeffect.htm.

Other ways to protect yourself during the flu season include wearing masks, physical distancing, hand washing, and staying home when you’re sick. These actions can prevent flu, COVID-19, and other respiratory infections.

To learn more about influenza and the influenza vaccine, please visit the CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/index.html.

To learn more about influenza in Idaho, visit the Idaho influenza website: https://flu.idaho.gov.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.

Women’s Health Check is a breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic testing program for low-income, uninsured women in Idaho. It is a valuable resource for eligible women to get screening services such as mammograms, Pap tests, pelvic exams, and  other diagnostic testing.

During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it’s important to me that women in Idaho know these services are available so they can get screened regularly – it could help save their lives. Strengthening the health and safety of all Idahoans is a critical part of our mission at the Department of Health and Welfare.

Idaho has one of the lowest breast cancer screening rates in the United States, even though breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women. Idaho ranks 50 out of 52 for breast cancer screening. I would love to change that number. 

When breast or cervical cancer is found early, it increases the chance of successful treatment. Ninety-eight percent of women will survive at least five years after an early detection. That’s why regular screenings are so important.

In addition, women screened or diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer may be eligible to receive treatment through the Breast and Cervical Cancer Medicaid Program, which may include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and drug therapy. 

You can learn more about the Idaho Women’s Health Check Program on our website at https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/services-programs/medicaid-health/womens-health-fit-fall-quit-smoking/womens-health-check.

To see if you are eligible for Medicaid, visit https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/services-programs/medicaid-health/apply-medicaid.

I hope you have a safe and healthy weekend! 

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.