Lafayette County Health Department

Blood Sugar Testing & Blood Pressure

The Lafayette County Health Department can help you with Glucose Testing or Checking your Blood Pressure.

COST: Blood Sugar Test: $8.00
Blood Pressure: $2.00

Please call for an appointment. 776-4895

Foot Care

The nurses at the Health Department travel around the county to offer foot care to people who can no longer perform this task on their own. Often, physicians will recommend that people with diabetes have their feet assessed and toenails trimmed by a medical professional. We offer this service to Lafayette County Residents.

COST: $22 Per visit
In collaboration with the ADRC, the out-of-pocket cost for people over 60 years old is $11.

To make an appointment, please call the Health Department 776-4895.

View the Foot Care dates schedule.

Flu Vaccine

Flu shots are available through the Lafayette County Health Department. Cost for flu shots for the 2010-11 flu season are as follows:

Children Ages 6 months through 18 years – NO CHARGE
Adult Flu Vaccine - $30 per shot
High-done Flu Vaccine (ages 65 and older) - $40 per shot

The health department accepts the following insurance: Medicare, Badgercare, and All County Insurance Plans.

Flu vaccine is not always available. Please check the current Flu Clinic Schedule or call the Health Department for inquiries. 776-4895

What is influenza (flu)?
The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. The best way to prevent the flu is by getting a flu vaccine each year.

Symptoms of flu
People who have the flu often feel some or all of these symptoms:

fever* or feeling feverish/chills
cough
sore throat
runny or stuffy nose
muscle or body aches
headaches
fatigue (very tired)
Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.
It’s important to note that not everyone with flu will have a fever.

How flu spreads
Most experts believe that flu viruses spread mainly by droplets made when people with cough, sneeze or talk. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby. Less often, a person might also get flu by touching a surface or object that has flu virus on it and then touching their own mouth, eyes or nose.

Period of contagiousness
You may be able to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick. Most healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5-7 days after becoming sick. Some people, especially children and people with weakened immune systems, might be able to infect others for an even longer time.

infections, dehydration, and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes.

Preventing seasonal flu: Get vaccinated
The single best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu vaccine each season. There are three types of flu vaccines:

The "flu shot"–an inactivated vaccine (containing killed virus) that is given with a needle. The seasonal flu shot is approved for use in people 6 months of age and older, including healthy people, people with chronic medical conditions and pregnant women.
The nasal–spray flu vaccine –a vaccine made with live, weakened flu viruses that do not cause the flu (sometimes called LAIV for "Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine"). LAIV is approved for use in healthy* people 2-49 years of age who are not pregnant.
The “high dose flu shot” – a higher dose of the regular “flu shot” that is given with a needle. This “super vaccine” is approved for older adults ages 65 and greater. Since the aging immune system has been proven to have a lesser immune response, the cdc

About two weeks after vaccination, antibodies develop that protect against influenza virus infection. Flu vaccines will not protect against flu-like illnesses caused by non-influenza viruses.

When to get vaccinated against seasonal flu
Yearly flu vaccination should begin in September, or as soon as vaccine is available, and continue throughout the flu season which can last as late as May. This is because the timing and duration of flu seasons vary. While flu season can begin early as October, most of the time seasonal flu activity peaks in January or later.

Who is at high risk for developing flu-related complications?

Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old
Adults 65 years of age and older
Pregnant women
Also, last flu season, American Indians and Alaskan Natives seemed to be at higher risk of flu complications
People who have medical conditions including:

Asthma
Disorders of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerve, and muscle such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy (seizure disorders), stroke, intellectual disability (mental retardation), moderate to severe developmental delay, muscular dystrophy, or spinal cord injury
Chronic lung disease
Heart disease
Blood disorders
Endocrine disorders (such as diabetes mellitus)
Kidney disorders
Liver disorders
Metabolic disorders
Weakened immune system due to disease or medication (such as people with HIV or AIDS, or cancer, or those on chronic steroids)
People younger than 19 years of age who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy
People who are morbidly obese

Use of the nasal spray seasonal flu vaccine
Vaccination with the nasal-spray flu vaccine is an option for healthy people 2-49 years of age who are not pregnant. Even people who live with or care for those in a high risk group (including health care workers) can get the nasal-spray flu vaccine as long as they are healthy themselves and are not pregnant. The one exception is health care workers who care for people with severely weakened immune systems who require a protected hospital environment; these people should get the inactivated flu vaccine (flu shot).

Who should not be vaccinated against seasonal flu?
Some people should not be vaccinated without first consulting a physician. They include:

People who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs.
People who have had a severe reaction to an influenza vaccination in the past.
People who developed Guillian-Barré syndrome (GBS) within 6 weeks of getting an influenza vaccine previously.
Children younger than 6 months of age (influenza vaccine is not approved for use in this age group).
People who have a moderate or severe illness with a fever should wait to get vaccinated until their symptoms lessen.

What are High Dose Flu Shots?
New to the 2010-2011 flu season is a high-dose flu option. This vaccine is recommended for people greater than 65 years of age. It has been proven that human immune defenses become weaker with age, which places older people at greater risk of severe illness from influenza. Also, ageing decreases the body’s ability to have a good immune response after getting influenza vaccine. A higher dose of antigen in the vaccine is supposed to give older people a better immune response and therefore better protection against flu. Since the vaccine is essentially the same, just a higher dosage the same recommendations apply for who should not receive the vaccine. NOTE: The Lafayette County Health Department no longer has high dose flu shots available for the 2010-2011 flu season.

There is a LOT of information available online about flu vaccine. We recommend the following sites:
www.cdc.gov
http://pandemic.wisconsin.gov/
www.flu.gov

Or download either of these fact sheets from the CDC:
Inactive Influenza Vaccine Fact Sheet
Live Intranasal Influenza Vaccine Fact Sheet

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is a serious disease caused by a virus that attacks the liver. The virus, which is called hepatitis B virus (HBV), can cause lifelong infection, scarring of the liver, liver cancer, liver failure, and death.

Hepatitis B vaccine is available for all age groups to prevent HBV infection

The Lafayette County Health Department offers the Hepatitis B series to adults. The vaccination schedule that we recommend for adults is three intramuscular injections, the second and third administered 1 and 6 months after the first.

Cost : $35 per shot (series of 3)

Download the fact sheet from the CDC:
Hepatitis B Vaccine Fact Sheet

Pneumonia

Pneumonia shots are available through the Lafayette County Health Department. Please call for to make an appointment. 776-4895

Charge for Pneumonia vaccine - $50
(The health department is able to bill Medicare or County Insurance for this vaccine)

What Is Pneumonia?
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs that can cause mild to severe illness in people of all ages. Signs of pneumonia can include coughing, fever, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, rapid breathing or shortness of breath, chills, or chest pain. Certain people are more likely to become ill with pneumonia. This includes adults 65 years of age or older and children less than 5 years of age. People up through 64 years of age who have underlying medical conditions and people 19 through 64 who smoke cigarettes or have asthma are also at increased risk for getting pneumonia.

Reduce Your Risk
Pneumonia can be prevented with vaccines. Following good hygiene practices can also help prevent respiratory infections. This includes washing your hands regularly, cleaning hard surfaces that are touched often (like doorknobs and countertops), and coughing or sneezing into a tissue or into your elbow or sleeve. You can also reduce your risk of getting pneumonia by limiting exposure to cigarette smoke and treating and preventing conditions like diabetes and HIV/AIDS.

Who should get the Pneumonia Vaccine?
We recommend that all adults 65 years of age and older ask their healthcare professional about this vaccine. Some younger adults should also be vaccinated if they live in a long-term care facility or have a medical condition that puts them at high risk.

How often can I receive the shot?
The pneumonia shot can only be given two times in an adult’s life. Be sure to make a plan with your physician before receiving the vaccine.

Download the fact sheet from the CDC:
Pneumonia Vaccine Fact Sheet

TB Skin Test

Mantoux tuberculin skin test
The TB skin test is performed by injecting a small amount of fluid (called tuberculin) into the skin in the lower part of the arm. A person given the tuberculin skin test must return within 48 to 72 hours to have a trained health care worker look for a reaction on the arm. If you need a 2 step TB Skin Test, the tests must be applied 1-3 weeks apart.

Who Should Get Tested for TB
Most of the TB Skin tests that we perform are requirements for employment (either medical careers or teaching typically) or persons who must report to jail

Cost: $8 per TB Skin test applied. Please let us know if we are to bill your employer.

Basic TB Facts
"TB" is short for tuberculosis. TB disease is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria usually attack the lungs, but TB bacteria can attack any part of the body such as the kidney, spine, and brain. If not treated properly, TB disease can be fatal.

How TB Spreads
TB is spread through the air from one person to another. The TB bacteria are put into the air when a person with active TB disease of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, speaks, or sings. People nearby may breathe in these bacteria and become infected.

TB is NOT spread by:

shaking someone’s hand
sharing food or drink
touching bed linens or toilet seats
sharing toothbrushes
kissing

Please call the Health Department for an appointment 776-4895

Tdap (Tetanus, Pertussis, and Diphtheria) or Td

*Tetanus (lockjaw) is a serious disease that causes painful tightening of the muscles, usually all over the body. It can lead to "locking" of the jaw so the victim cannot open his mouth or swallow. Tetanus leads to death in about 1 in 10 cases. Several vaccines are used to prevent tetanus among children, adolescents, and adults including DTaP, Tdap, DT, and Td.

*Diphtheria causes a thick covering in the back of the throat. It can lead to breathing problems, paralysis, heart failure, and even death. There are several combination vaccines used to prevent diphtheria: DTaP, Tdap, DT, and Td.

*Pertussis— commonly known as Whooping cough — is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection. Although it initially resembles an ordinary cold, whooping cough may eventually turn more serious, particularly in infants. Whooping cough is most contagious before the coughing starts. The best way to prevent it is through vaccinations. The childhood vaccine is called DTaP. The whooping cough booster vaccine for adolescents and adults is called Tdap. Both protect against whooping cough, tetanus, and diphtheria

In the past few years, the United States has seen an increase in cases of Pertussis, otherwise known as “Whooping Cough.” As a parent, one of the most important things you can do to protect your children from Pertussis is to surround them with people who have been vaccinated against the disease.

For the BEST Protection, who should get vaccinated?

Mothers – before pregnancy or after giving birth
Anyone who lives with the child (Fathers, siblings)
Anyone who is in contact with a baby or young child (childcare providers, grandparents, other close relatives)
Since immunity to whooping cough fades 5-10 years after childhood vaccination, the CDC recommends that all adults ages 19-64 get the Tdap vaccine.

*Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County offers the Tdap vaccine to mothers who have just given birth before they leave the hospital. Most of the other hospitals in our area have adopted the same practice. For everyone else in your family, please contact your regular provider or the Health Department to schedule an appointment for this vaccine.

What is the vaccine?
Tdap is a vaccine given to older children and adults that contains vaccines for Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis. We recommend that anyone over 10 years of age receive the Tdap booster at least two weeks before they have contact with a baby.

Td is a vaccine for older children and adults that contains vaccines for Tetanus and Diphtheria.

How often should adults receive a Tdap shot?
The Tdap is only needed one time after the childhood series. Tetanus is recommended every 10 years. (If an injury occurs, it is recommended that a tetanus shot be given if the patient has not received one is 5 years or more.)

For More Information regarding Pertussis, Tetanus or Diphtheria, please visit www.cdc.gov or call the Health Department and speak to a nurse. 776-4895.