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Escambia County Health Department

Tradition-Service-Leadership   •   Protecting You Since 1821

 
   

Recent Hot Topics

06-07-10

Active minutes add up!
10 + 10 + 10 = 30 minutes a day


Adults need about 30 minutes of moderate activity each day to stay healthy. Thirty minutes a day can seem like a lot of time, but you don’t have to do it all at once! Break it up into three segments of 10 minutes. As long as you are active for at least 10 minutes at a time, it counts towards your 30 minutes a day!

Moderate activity means you are working hard enough to raise your heartbeat. Examples include:

  • Walking fast
  • Doing water aerobics
  • Riding a bike on level ground or with few hills
  • Playing doubles tennis
  • Pushing a lawn mower

You may already be doing activities like these throughout the day; do at least three a day for 10 minutes at a time and you will find that active minutes add up!
For more information, visit CDC - Physical Activity.

 

   
05-10-10 Women's Conference Planned for May 15
Emmy-award winning activist Rae Lewis-Thornton will keynote the S.O.S. -- Sistas Organizing to Survive --
women's health & empowerment conference
(22.1kb; pdf) on May 15.
   
05-04-10

The 5 D’s: Stop the Bite!

Mosquitoes are more than just a nuisance; they are carriers of dangerous diseases like West Nile Virus.

To stay healthy, remember to follow the five D’s:

  • Avoid going outdoors at Dusk and Dawn
  • Dress to cover most of your skin
  • Use repellents containing DEET
  • Drain any standing water            

Mosquito Billboard (645.1kb; pdf)
Mosquito Radio Address (645.1kb;mp3) / Test Version (645.1kb; pdf)
 

   
04-21-10 Public invited to join tobacco-free partnership
The Healthy Environments are Tobacco Free (HEAT) Partnership is looking for new members and
inviting the interested public
(22.4kb; pdf) to their next quarterly meeting.
   
04-06-10

Did you know that chickenpox can be prevented?

  • The two-part varicella vaccine is 90% effective in preventing chickenpox.
  • Besides protecting those who are vaccinated, the varicella vaccine also reduces the risk of contracting chickenpox among those in the community who cannot be vaccinated for health reasons.
  • The two-part series is required for children entering kindergarten.
  • Those who are vaccinated but do get chickenpox experience a very mild case.
  • The vaccine is FREE for kids under 18 at the health department.

To prevent chickenpox, it takes two!

Immunizations for Kids  2010-2011 School Entry Requirements  (1.02mb; pdf)
Varicella Billboard (1348kb; jpg)
Varicella Radio Address (1.89mb; mp3)/Text Version (9.24kb; pdf)

   
03-01-10 March is National Nutrition Month

As a parent or caretaker, you play a major role in your child’s eating habits. Studies show that parents influence their child’s behavior more than anyone else!

This month, try the following tricks to improve your family’s diet:
  • Involve your kids in grocery shopping and meal preparation.
  • As a family, try a different fruit or vegetable every week.
  • Have your kids find healthy recipes online and in cookbooks, or work together to come up with your own creations.
  • Set a positive example by eating (and enjoying!) a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.
   
02-17-10 Know Your Status
Delayed HIV testing is a leading cause of preventable AIDS deaths in our area. From July-December 2009, 7% of people reported as AIDS cases in northwest Florida died within one month of being diagnosed. Read the news release (23.1kb; pdf) or find a testing 63.0kb; pdf)pdf) site in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa or Walton counties.
   
02-17-10 Health Rankings for Escambia
The Univ. of Wisconsin today released county health rankings for each state in the nation. You can read Health Department Director
Dr. John Lanza's statement
(20.7kb; pdf) on Escambia's rankings, the summary report on Florida's counties (737.2kb; pdf), or visit www.countyhealthranking.com for more detailed information.
   
02-17-10
February is American Heart Month

Keeping your heart healthy is up to you! Heart disease is a lifelong condition and the number one killer in America. Once you have it, you cannot get rid of it.

There are many ways to lower your risk of getting this disease:

  • Eat 5 to 9 servings of fruits & vegetables a day.
  • Do at least 150 minutes of physical activity a week.
  • Don’t smoke or use tobacco products.
  • Talk with your doctor about your risk factors for heart disease.
  • Ask your doctor about your cholesterol numbers and blood sugar level.

American Heart Month Billboard (72kb; jpg)
American Heart Radio Address (2.4mb; mp3)/  Text Version (3.8kb; pdf)

   
12-28-09 Role of Public Health In Escambia (279kb; pdf)
   
12-28-09

H1N1 Vaccine Availability Extended to All
The H1N1 vaccine will now be made available to anyone 6 months and older who would like to receive it.

Vaccine Available at Local Pharmacies
Many local pharmacies now have, or will soon have, the H1N1 vaccine.

For local information regarding vaccine availability, please call our Regional Distribution Center at 850.595.6727.

For general information or questions about H1N1, please call the statewide toll free information line at 1.877.352.3581.
 

   
11-30-09 Dec. 12 H1N1 Vaccination in Century
Voluntary H1N1 vaccination will be offered to any individual six months of age and older at a vaccination clinic on December 12 in Century. It's at the Carver-Century School from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. or for as long as vaccine is available.
   
11-25-09 Join Dec. 1 World AIDS Day Event
Join us on Tuesday December 1st in downtown Pensacola at 6:30 p.m. for a candlelight vigil, choir performances and quilt dedication commemorating World AIDS Day in Pensacola. There is an alternate site in case of rain. Event Program (39.3kb; pdf)
   
11-20-09 Have a safe Thanksgiving
Don't let foodborne illness ruin your Thanksgiving! Follow these simple food safety tips. (25.9kb; pdf)
   
10-01-09 Restriction on Striped Mullet from Escambia Bay
A
fish consumption advisory (55.4kb; pdf) has been issued for Escambia Bay (Upper and Lower). Residents should eat no more than one 6-ounce meal (cooked weight) of skinless striped mullet from the Escambia Bay (Upper and Lower) per week due to increased levels of chemicals known as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB). Map of the Area (1.7mb; jpg) Final Report from Dept. of Health (5.19mb;pdf)
   
09-29-09 Rabies Alert Extended to Nov. 29
Three additional wild animals are confirmed to have rabies. The Health Department is extending the Rabies Alert for the same geographical area (26.8kb; pdf) to November 29. 
   
09-14-09 New WIC Foods
Starting in October, the WIC program will offer better food choices for you and your family including fruits, vegetables, whole wheat bread, brown rice, corn tortillas, whole grain cereal and baby foods. Children over the age of two will receive 1% or fat free milk. Happier and healthier children…made a little easier by the WIC program.

Listen to the Radio Advertisement (1.9mb; mp3)/Text Version (35.7kb; pdf)
   
08-18-09 Whooping Cough
Pertussis or Whooping Cough is named after the “whoop” sound children and adults make when they try to breathe in during or after a severe coughing spell. Grandparents and parents should be vaccinated to prevent spreading the disease to babies. Babies also need a series of shots to protect them from Pertussis. Please see the
Pertussis article (19.1kb; pdf) for more information.
High School Student Pertussis Flyer (314.5kb; pdf)
Pertussis Billboard (71kb; jpg)
Pertussis Radio Address (2.4mb; mp3)/Text Version (6.4kb; pdf)
   
07-13-09 How Environment Affects Health
The CDC's new Environmental Public Health Tracking Network and the state-level Florida network can help you find out how the environment may be affecting your health and your family or community. These networks offers information for hazards and health conditions such as asthma, cancer, and water contaminants. This fact sheet (34.1kb; pdf) tells you more about the Florida network.
   
04-29-09

Sources for Discounted or Free Medications
Check this list of local agencies and companies for help in getting the medications that you need (19.8kb; pdf)

Sources for Discounted or Free Clinic Services  

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