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The updated COVID-19 vaccine for the 2024-2025 respiratory season is recommended by the CDC and will be available soon. Getting this vaccine can decrease your chances of getting sick. It also helps protect you from getting very sick and can lower your risk of having long-lasting symptoms. Who should get it? Everyone ages 6 months and older should get the updated COVID-19 vaccine. It's especially important for people at higher risk, like older adults, pregnant people, those with disabilities, and anyone with a weaker immune system. When should I get vaccinated? When you should get vaccinated depends on your situation. Protection is strongest in the several months after you get vaccinated. If you recently had COVID-19, you can choose to wait 3 months before getting the updated vaccine. This lets you take advantage of the natural protection you got from the infection and stretch out your immunity through winter. If you haven’t had COVID-19 recently, you can choose to get it now for extra protection during the current summer wave, or you can choose to wait until later in September or October to provide more protection for the winter and holiday season. If you choose to wait, you can take extra precautions to protect yourself when COVID-19 is spreading in your community. If you have a weakened immune system, you may need more than one dose. This means you can get one now and another one later when protection begins to fade. Can I get COVID-19 and flu shots at the same time? Yes. COVID-19 and flu vaccinations can be safely given at the same time. Why is there an updated COVID-19 vaccine each year? Just like the flu, the virus that causes COVID-19 changes over time. Each year an updated vaccine is made to target the latest versions of the virus that are making people sick. Getting the updated vaccine will help protect you better against the current version of the virus. Also, protection against COVID-19 from previous vaccinations decreases over time. Are COVID-19 vaccines safe? Hundreds of millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been safely administered. Serious adverse events have been very rare. By the end of 2022, COVID-19 prevented an estimated 18.5 million hospitalizations and 3.2 million deaths. Where can I get vaccinated? Like the annual flu vaccine, the updated COVID-19 vaccine will be available at pharmacies, medical providers, and grocery stores and will be covered by health insurance. Uninsured individuals can get low cost or no cost vaccine at their local health department or community clinics. See where to get COVID-19 and flu vaccines at vaccines.gov. Additional resources Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Healthy Habits to Help Protect Against Respiratory Viruses Staying Up to Date with COVID-19 Vaccines
Kristy Mattey The School Health Division is pleased to announce the inaugural winner of the new School Health Aide of the Year award for the 2023-24 school year. Implemented this year, the award recognizes an exemplary School Health Aide who has demonstrated excellent health room practices, exceptional customer service, extraordinary teamwork, and contributions linked to the vision, mission, and values of the Health Department. This year’s School Health Aide of the Year awardee is Kristy Mattey who was assigned to Daniels Run Elementary School and now works at Frost Middle School. Kristy was nominated by her supervisor JeanHee Jeong. School Health Aides are trained paraprofessionals assigned to work in the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) health rooms during school hours. School Health Aides provide care for illness or injury, help to ensure students take medications appropriately, coordinate vision and hearing health screenings for students, respond to health emergencies, and monitor student absence data. Kristy serves as a coach for new School Health Aide hires; pays meticulous attention to detail; exhibits high organizational skills; and ensures health room care cards and screening results are well documented. Kristy, who has worked as a School Health Aide for 2.5 years, is being recognized for taking initiative and continuously seeking ways to improve. For example, Kristy proposed the idea of documenting puff counts for the inhaler [a medical device used by students with asthma to help open airways] and developed a FCPS Inhaler Administration Chart, which was implemented. The new Inhaler Administration Chart not only enhances accurate documentation, but it also makes the number of priming readily accessible on the chart which can impact the proper administration of the student’s inhaler. Furthermore, Kristy suggested to the school administrator at her school to add a Hearing and Vision screening in the Welcome Tour for the new students. By collaborating with the school counselor, Kristy was able to successfully implement the new process to create a more proactive approach in identifying any potential barriers to learning, create less disturbance for the teachers, and less learning interruption for the students. She demonstrates a strong understanding of school health policies and protocols by keeping up to date and inspires others by consistently going above and beyond. “I am honored to receive the School Health Aide of the Year award and appreciate the continued support of my peers and leaders,” said Kristy. “Working for the Health Department has shown me the importance of bridging the gap between the community and the school system to keep our students safe and healthy and I couldn't be prouder to be part of the amazing School Health team who set out every day to make that difference.” Learn more about FCPS' school health services and sign up to receive the FCPS Wellness Newsletter.
Although it may feel like summer is winding down, the Health Department urges everyone to prevent mosquito bites while spending time outdoors. The Health Department reminds residents to prevent mosquito bites and prevent mosquitoes from breeding on their property. Some mosquito bites are just annoying, but others are more than just a nuisance and can cause serious health issues. The best way to prevent mosquito bites include: Use repellent containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol, or 2-undecaone, making sure to follow label instructions. Wear loose fitting long pants and long sleeves to cover exposed skin. Limit exposure to mosquitoes during peak biting times, especially at dusk and dawn. Mosquitoes breed in standing water. Many of the places where mosquitoes develop on private property are artificial containers holding small amounts of water. Checking your yard for standing water or containers holding water weekly and eliminating that water can help reduce the number of mosquitoes around where you live. Any kind of container can become a mosquito breeding site, but the most common ones found in our yards are gardening equipment, tarps, household items that are left outside, and corrugated downspout extensions. The Health Department offers free yard inspections for anyone in the Fairfax Health District who is trying to manage a mosquito problem in their yard. Request a mosquito inspection of your yard from the Health Department’s Division of Environmental Health online or call 703-246-2201, TTY 711. Another reason to protect yourself from mosquito bites and eliminate mosquito breeding from your yard is to help prevent West Nile virus (WNV). This virus is present in mosquitoes in our region every year. Positive mosquitoes have been collected in Fairfax Health District, underscoring the importance of preventing mosquito bites. No human cases have been reported. Some infected mosquitoes can spread WNV to people and some of those people can become sick. People at greatest risk for serious disease associated with WNV infection are adults over the age of 60. People with certain medical conditions such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, and organ transplant recipients, are also at greater risk. Anyone experiencing symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiff neck, confusion, and lethargy should seek medical attention right away. The Health Department uses an integrated approach to mosquito management to minimize the risk of human disease, including the following: Educating the public about ways to reduce their risk of WNV Collecting and testing adult mosquitoes throughout the Health District from May through October. Investigating human cases of mosquito-borne disease. Responding to requests from homeowners for help with mosquitoes on their property. Performing routine mosquito inspections and treatments of stormwater ponds throughout Fairfax County. For more information, visit https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/health/fightthebite or call 703-246-2201, TTY 711.
The Fairfax Health District is experiencing an increase in pertussis illness, which is also known as “whooping cough.” An increase is also occurring across Virginia and nationwide. What is pertussis? Pertussis is an illness caused by bacteria. It is spread from person to person through the air. When an ill person coughs or sneezes, tiny droplets are released in the air that other people can breathe in. It spreads more easily when people spend a lot of time together or share breathing space. At first, pertussis can seem like a common cold. Symptoms can include: Runny or stuffed-up nose Low fever Mild cough. These symptoms can last 1 to 2 weeks. Then, people may develop coughing fits (paroxysms) which can last weeks to months. During these fits, people may: Make a high-pitched “whoop” sound when they breathe in after a coughing fit Vomit during or after coughing fits Feel tired after the fit, but seem well in-between fits Have trouble sleeping at night Struggle to breathe Fracture (break) a rib from coughing too hard. Babies may not have a cough at all but instead gasp for air or have pauses in breathing (apnea) which is life-threatening. Apnea can cause the baby to turn blue. About 1 in 3 babies younger than 1 year old who get whooping cough need care in the hospital. Others who are at higher risk for getting very sick include people with weakened immune systems and those with moderate or severe asthma. How can I prevent getting pertussis? The best way to avoid whooping cough is to get vaccinated. There are two types of vaccines that protect against it: DTaP and Tdap. They also protect against diphtheria and tetanus. Children should get five doses of DTaP, including at least one dose on or after their 4th birthday. Preteen ages 11 to 12 years should get a booster dose of Tdap before they start 7th grade. Adults should get a booster dose of Tdap every 10 years and during every pregnancy. These vaccines work well, but protection fades over time, so booster doses are needed to ensure you are protected. How is pertussis treated? Healthcare providers usually treat whooping cough with antibiotics. It is important to start treatment early to prevent medical complications and to help prevent the spread of disease to others. How can I protect myself and loved ones? Stay up-to-date on vaccines that protect against pertussis . Talk to a healthcare provider if you or your child have been around someone with whooping cough. They may give you antibiotics to prevent illness. See a healthcare provider if you or your child have coughing fits. Seek immediate care if you or your child has trouble breathing. Additional information Learn more about whooping cough (pertussis) from the CDC. Check out required childhood immunizations on our website. See when we are hosting back-to-school immunization clinics for the 2024-25 school year. Visit our web page and follow us on social media for updates on respiratory illnesses and other health topics.
