Events

April 18, 2023

Schedule changed rabies clinics

MOBILE, Ala. — The Mobile County Health Department provides low-cost rabies shots for dogs, cats, and ferrets that are good for one year during weekend clinics. The schedule previously announced for April has changed.

The clinic at the Prichard Animal Shelter originally set up for last weekend will now take place this Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon at 2404 Rebel Road.

The clinic originally announced for April 22 at Glamour Paws Grooming in Theodore took place last weekend.

There are no changes for the clinic set for Saturday, April 29. It will be from 10 a.m. to noon at Pine Air Baptist Church, 10341 Highway 188 in Grand Bay.

In order to adhere to social distancing recommendations, these events will be drive-through clinics. The cost of the rabies vaccine per pet is $12. All rabies shots are payable in cash.

Each month, MCHD’s Rabies Officer provides residents with low-cost vaccines for their pet dogs, cats, and ferrets at a variety of locations. The state of Alabama tasks local health departments with providing affordable rabies vaccinations to pet owners. MCHD’s Rabies Officer provided 118 vaccinations (93 dogs and 25 cats) during March.

Rabies is a virus that attacks the central nervous system. It is transmitted from infected mammals to humans and is fatal once symptoms appear. Symptoms of rabies include unusual behavior, irritability, headache, fever, inability to eat or drink, balance problems, circling, seizures, coma, and, finally, death. All warm-blooded mammals, including humans, are susceptible to rabies.

MCHD’s Rabies Officer vaccinated 1,537 household pets (1,247 dogs and 290 cats) in 2022. To learn more about our program, visit https://mchd.org/disease-control/#rabies.

A Rabies Quarantine Fact Sheet is available through the Alabama Department of Public Health at https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/infectiousdiseases/assets/rabiesquarantinefactsheet.pdf.

April 18, 2023

MCHD supports Take Back Day for prescription medicines

MOBILE, Ala. — Opioid overdose deaths and overdose visits to emergency rooms have been increasing. The Drug Enforcement Administration announced its next National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is scheduled for Saturday, April 22.

At its last Take Back Day in October, the DEA collected a large amount of expired, unwanted, and unused prescription medications, with the public turning in close to 324 tons of unwanted drugs.

The public can drop off expired, unwanted, and unused prescription medications at collection sites across our community. You can learn more about the event by visiting https://www.dea.gov/takebackday.

On Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the following organization will have sites established: The Mobile Police Department will provide a drop-off location at its headquarters (2460 Government Street in Mobile). The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office will have drop-off locations at Costco (1450 Tingle Circle East in Mobile), Walgreens #15151 (5707 Cottage Hill Road in Mobile), Walgreens #6085 (5530 Three North Road in Mobile), CVS #4888 (4453 Old Shell Road in Mobile), CVS #7671 (1401 Hillcrest Road in Mobile) and the Mobile County Sheriff Office’s Southside Sub-Station at the Theodore Shopping Center (Suite A, 5808 Highway 90 West).

“This is a great community program to support our residents by reducing the amount of unneeded prescription medications that lead to substance use in our community,” said Dr. Kevin Philip Michaels, Health Officer for Mobile County. “Many studies show that the abused prescription drugs come from family and friends who unknowingly allow them to be taken by others.“

To learn more about the Mobile County Health Department’s Overdose Data to Action (OD2A) program, call 251-410-OD2A (6322). OD2A focuses on the complex and changing nature of the drug overdose epidemic. It highlights the need for an interdisciplinary, comprehensive, and cohesive public health approach.

The DEA has brought in approximately 8,318 tons of prescription drugs in its Take Back Day program.

April 13, 2023

MCHD to host environmental health events next week

MOBILE, Ala. — The Mobile County Health Department’s (MCHD) Alabama Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (ACLPPP) will host a week dedicated to the environmental factors that affect Mobile County.

The events will begin on Monday, April 17. The environmental health-themed week will end with an Eco-mmunity Day Festival on Saturday, April 22, a celebration to raise awareness of the need to protect our community for ourselves and future generations.

Here is a list of the events scheduled for next week:

Monday — Clean Water: In collaboration with Environmental Services, the MCHD Alabama Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program will teach about the importance of clean water and how to prevent lead exposure in water. Find out more on https://mchd.org.

Tuesday — “Mother” Nature: Join the Lead Poisoning Prevention and Maternal Child Health programs for “Story time at Parkway.” Join us at the Parkway Branch Library to learn about the factors contributing to maternal and child health and how to reduce the risk of lead exposure in children. In addition, we welcome children ages 3 and up to attend arts and crafts and green activity.

Wednesday — Easy Breezy (Clean Air): The MCHD Alabama Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program will collaborate with the MCHD Tobacco Education Program. You can learn about the environmental effects and dangers of first and secondhand smoking. Join us on Facebook and check out some fun photos of children at local schools and find out what they have to say about staying “smoke-free.”

Thursday — #Teamuptocleanup: The MCHD Alabama Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program and Community Health Workers will collaborate with the Health Equity Office team for the second annual #teamuptocleanup program hosted by the Bay Area Women Coalition. The programs will provide clean-up, beautification, and soil sampling for the Trinity Gardens Community.

Friday — MCHD Goes Purple: Purple pinwheels will be placed around the city and at local schools in observation of the “Keep Alabama’s Kids Lead-Free” initiative sponsored by the Alabama Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. For more information on how to reduce lead exposure, please visit https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/aclppp.

Saturday – Eco-mmunity Day Festival: “A Healthy Environment Yields a Healthy Community.” Join us for an “Eco-mmunity Day Festival” at Highpoint Park (4328 Highpoint Boulevard in Prichard) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. On this day, community members will be able to bring soil samples from their homes and have them tested for the presence of lead by a team from the University of South Alabama. In addition, there will be vendors, educational resources, as well as an egg hunt, food, and fun crafts.

April 11, 2023

MCHD observes STI Awareness Week

MOBILE, Ala. — STI (Sexually Transmitted Infections) Awareness Week is observed the second full week in April. This time is used to raise awareness about STIs and how they impact peoples’ lives; reduce STI-related stigma, fear, and discrimination; and ensure people have the tools and knowledge for prevention, testing, and treatment.

“This is an opportunity for health centers and individual providers to educate their patients about STIs, and to help normalize sexual health discussions,” said Dr. Kevin Philip Michaels, Health Officer for Mobile County. “We continue to have approximately 80 cases of STIs a week in our county residents.”

“The CDC offers resources you can use in these efforts. Check out their STI Awareness Week website (https://www.cdc.gov/std/saw/index.htm) for ideas and materials.”

Dr. Michaels encourages the community to visit CDC’s Get Healthy and Ready for Summer 2023 website (https://www.cdc.gov/lgbthealth/summer/index.html). The warmer months are full of events that celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. Preparing for this season is a great opportunity to make sure that you stay healthy before, during, and after these celebrations.

The Mobile County Health Department (MCHD) continues to offer mpox vaccine. Clients who take part in Family Health’s Ryan White Program should make an appointment to receive the Jynneos vaccine by calling 251-690-8889. Other individuals interested in receiving the vaccine may register through MCHD’s Bureau of Disease Surveillance and Control at this link — https://redcap.link/MPXmchd. A mpox vaccine locator (https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/mpox/vaccines/index.html#mpoxvaxlocator) is one of the many resources to help LGBTQ+ patients proactively manage their sexual health.

“The CDC reports a significant increase in congenital syphilis in the U.S. since 2012,” Dr. Michaels said. This is a disease that occurs when a mother with syphilis passes the infection on to her baby during pregnancy.

MCHD has also created a website titled “Project Barrier.” Its goal is to promote sexual health through outreach, social media, surveying, and testing. Information on chlamydia, gonorrhea, mpox, HIV, and syphilis can be found at https://project-barrier-mc-hd.hub.arcgis.com/

The CDC estimates that about 20 percent of the U.S. population – approximately one in five people in the U.S. – had an STI on any given day in 2018. STIs acquired that year cost the American health care system nearly $16 billion in health care costs alone.

April 3, 2023

National Public Health Week set for April 3-9

MOBILE, Alabama — Since the first full week of April was declared National Public Health Week (NPHW) in 1995, communities have observed the time as an opportunity to recognize the contributions of public health and highlight issues that are important to improving the public’s health.
At the Mobile County Health Department, NPHW will be observed this year from April 3-9. The theme in 2023 is “Centering and Celebrating Cultures in Health.” MCHD and Family Health — its primary care division — will recognize these daily themes:

Monday, April 3 is “Community”: Community is where we are. It’s our connections with others who share similar interests, attitudes, and goals.

Tuesday, April 4 is “Violence Prevention”: National data show gun-related deaths are on the rise: in 2020, the U.S. was home to 19,384 homicides and 24,292 suicides involving guns. Those numbers are the highest documented levels in a decade.

Wednesday, April 5 is “Reproductive and Sexual Health”: When people receive quality reproductive and sexual health care, education, and access, they can fulfill a happier and healthier life.

Thursday, April 6 is “Mental Health”: Mental health is important at every stage of life. It continuously affects how we think, feel and act. It also plays an important role in our physical and social well-being.

Friday, April 7 is “Rural Health”: Fourteen percent of Americans live in rural areas. Rural Americans have higher rates of cigarette smoking, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Saturday, April 8 is “Accessibility”: About 26 percent of U.S. adults have a disability, though Native Americans and senior citizens are disproportionately affected by disabilities.

Sunday, April 9 is “Food and Nutrition”: Food and nutrition are at the core of many public health concerns, from chronic disease to climate change.

In 2021, MCHD established a Health Equity Office to address health disparities in Mobile County. Members of the team will appear in videos throughout NPHW to discuss the daily themes, as well as be the guests on the next Wellness Wednesday episode slated for April 5 on MCHD’s social media channels.

Public health saves money, improves our quality of life, helps children thrive and reduces human suffering. To learn more about the celebration, visit www.nphw.org.