Preventive Services, Oswego County Health Department

Front: Jennifer Purtell, Public Health Nurse; Diane Oldenburg, Senior Public Health Educator; Susan Reitz, Julie Kennedy

Back: Sonia Robinson, Public Health Educator; Shelly Denny, Penny Murphy-Potter, RN; Anna Reitz, Tina Bourgeois, Senior LPN; Jodi Martin, Debbi Murray, RN; Jennifer Walts

Missing from photo: Emily Boyle, Public Health Educator; David Wing, & Nelson Bartlett

In July 2019 Oswego County began to see an increase in Hepatitis A cases. Preventive Services staff, along with Public Health Educators sprang into action to help stop the spread of this disease. Contact investigations on all positive cases and timely preventive treatments are critical to controlling further spread of the disease. Preventive Services worked with educators and communication specialists to develop press releases and other public education materials. Vaccination clinics were held for identified close contacts at the local correctional facility and at substance abuse treatment facilities. The Hep A vaccination campaign was concurrent with the busy end of summer school vaccination season and the annual Fall flu vaccination season. With help from the Fiscal staff, Preventive Services was able to provide more immunization clinics and administer more doses to the public in 2019 than during the same time period in previous years. Clinics were held both on and offsite, and outside of normal clinic hours, to help accommodate NYS' School Immunization Requirements and meet the demand for Flu vaccine clinics. These were held at county buildings, senior homes, substance abuse treatment facilities, assisted living homes, a correctional facility and to homebound residents.