El Condado Lanza Portal de Asistencia de Alquiler para los Residentes de Skagit

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Los residentes del condado de Skagit ahora tienen una opción conveniente para obtener una aprobación previa para recibir ayuda con el alquiler y las facturas de servicios públicos. Esta semana, el condado y sus socios comunitarios lanzaron un nuevo portal en línea donde los inquilinos pueden completar una sencilla encuesta de elegibilidad y consiga un proveedor de asistencia para el alquiler o complete una aplicación para asistencia.

Para acceder al portal, vaya a: www.skagitcounty.net/renthelp.  

El Programa de Asistencia de Alquiler del Condado de Skagit proporciona asistencia financiera a los inquilinos del condado de Skagit que cumplen con los requisitos de ingresos, y sus propietarios, que tal vez están teniendo dificultades para pagar el alquiler y los servicios públicos debido a la pandemia de COVID-19.

El Programa de Asistencia de Alquiler del Condado de Skagit se ha hecho posible gracias a una subvención de $8.9 millones proporcionada por el Departamento de Comercio del Estado de Washington y financiado por el Programa de Asistencia de Renta del Tesoro (T-RAP). El programa está destinado a evitar los desalojos durante la crisis de salud de COVID-19 en pagando pagos atrasado y el alquiler y los servicios públicos actuales / futuros para las personas que necesitan ayuda.

“Sabemos que muchos residentes del Condado de Skagit han sido afectados por COVID-19, y algunos tienen problemas para mantenerse al día con el alquiler. Hay ayuda disponible, y tenemos la esperanza de que el nuevo portal en línea será más fácil para los residentes y propietarios para conectar con los proveedores de asistencia de alquiler.”

– George Kosovich, Analista de Salud Pública del Condado de Skagit

Los hogares deben cumplir con los cuatro de los siguientes criterios de selección para ser elegible para asistencia de alquiler:

  1. Alguien en el hogar ha estado desempleado durante al menos 90 días, o experimentó una reducción en sus ingresos, incurrió en costos significativos o experimentó dificultades financieras durante la pandemia de COVID-19
  2. Debe estar experimentando inestabilidad de la vivienda o riesgo de inestabilidad de la vivienda, lo que puede incluir tarifas de alquiler impagas o anticipación de la imposibilidad de pagar el alquiler futuro
  3. El ingreso familiar está en, o bajo de 80% del Ingreso Medio del Área
  4. El hogar está en el Condado de Skagit

Los residentes que completen la encuesta de elegibilidad en línea serán emparejados con uno de los siguientes proveedores de asistencia para el alquiler:

  • FORWARD Aplicaciones En Línea – Sirviendo a los residentes del Condado de Skagit
  • La Autoridad de Vivienda del Condado de Skagit – Sirviendo a los Titulares de Vales de la Sección 8 e inquilinos de propiedades propiedad de la Autoridad de Vivienda
  • Centro de Trabajadores Agrícolas CCS – Sirviendo a miembros de la comunidad indígena, latina y campesina
  • Voluntarios de América Oeste de Washington – Sirviendo a los residentes del Condado de Skagit
  • Northwest Youth Services – Sirviendo a adultos jóvenes de 18 a 24 años
  • Community Action of Skagit County – Sirviendo a todos los residentes del Condado de Skagit

También, hay tres organizaciones que ofrecerán alcance y asistencia adicional para completar la solicitud de asistencia en línea:

  • Skagit Legal Aid – Sirviendo a los residentes del condado de Skagit y a los hogares que enfrentan el desalojo por razones distintas a la renta atrasada
  • Community to Community Development (C2C) – Sirviendo a miembros de la comunidad de trabajadores agrícolas y Latinx
  • Padres a Padres – Sirviendo a familias donde una o más personas tienen una discapacidad del desarrollo y / o necesidades de atención médica complejas

Para obtener más información sobre el Programa de Asistencia de Alquiler, verificar la elegibilidad o solicitar asistencia, visite www.skagitcounty.net/renthelp o llame al (360) 416-1500.

Top 6 Things to Know About VAERS

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The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) has gotten a lot of attention on social media and in the news this year. This database, which includes hundreds of thousands of reports of health events that occurred minutes, hours, or days after vaccination, is a go to spot for many people looking for information about COVID-19 vaccine safety.

While VAERS is an extremely helpful tool used by experts to track adverse reactions and safety concerns associated with vaccinations (not just COVID-19, but all vaccines!), it is important to know a few things about the system before digging in too deeply.

Scientists and health experts consider VARES to be a starting point in the search for rare but potentially serious vaccine side effects. It is by no means the only system in place to track this data.

So, when reading about VAERS reports in the news or when talking with friends and loved ones about specific reports, be sure to have the following 6 things in mind:

1. VAERS is a national vaccine safety surveillance program that helps to detect unusual or unexpected reporting patterns of adverse events for vaccines.

Established in 1990, VAERS is the nation’s early warning system that monitors the safety of vaccines after they are authorized or licensed for use by the FDA. VAERS is part of the larger vaccine safety system in the United States that helps make sure all vaccines are safe. The system is co-managed by CDC and FDA.

Other pieces of this safety system include the CDC’s Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) and the Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment (CISA) project. These reporting systems are much better at assessing overall health risks and possible connections between adverse events and a vaccine.

2. VAERS accepts reports from anyone, including patients, family members, healthcare providers and vaccine manufacturers.

Anyone can submit a report to VAERS — healthcare professionals, vaccine manufacturers, and the general public. VAERS welcomes all reports, regardless of seriousness, and regardless of how likely the vaccine may have been to have caused the adverse event. Reports can be submitted successfully even if they are incomplete or are missing key details.

3. VAERS is not designed to determine if a vaccine caused or contributed to an adverse event. A report to VAERS does not mean the vaccine caused the event.

This fact has caused much confusion, specifically regarding the number of reported deaths associated with COVID-19 vaccines. In the past, there have been instances where people misinterpreted reports of death following vaccination as death caused by the vaccines; that is a mistake.

VAERS accepts all reports of adverse events following vaccination without judging whether the vaccine caused the adverse health event. Some reports to VAERS might represent true vaccine reactions, and others might be coincidental adverse health events not related to vaccination at all. Generally, a causal relationship cannot be established using information from VAERS reports alone.

Reports can also be made days, weeks, and months following a vaccination. That means that if a vaccinated person dies in a car accident, drowns, or dies from any other “natural” or “unnatural” cause, their death must be reported to VAERS as an adverse event. Since we’ve now vaccinated over 334 million people in the United States, it is to be expected that many deaths will occur coincidentally after vaccination.

4. VAERS is a passive surveillance system, meaning it relies on people sending in reports of their experiences after vaccination.

As a passive reporting system, VAERS relies on individuals to send in reports of adverse health events following vaccination.

The information collected by VAERS can quickly provide an early warning of a potential safety problem with a vaccine. Patterns of adverse events, or an unusually high number of adverse events reported after a particular vaccine, are called “signals.” If a signal is identified through VAERS, experts may conduct further studies to find out if the signal represents an actual risk.

5. Healthcare providers and vaccine manufacturers are required by law to report certain events after vaccination.

Healthcare providers are required to report to VAERS the following adverse events after COVID-19 vaccination under Emergency Use Authorization, and other adverse events if later revised by FDA.

Some things that healthcare providers are required to report on include:

  • Vaccine administration errors, whether or not associated with an adverse event.
  • Serious adverse events regardless of death. This could include:
    1.  Death
    2.  A life-threatening adverse event
    3.  Inpatient hospitalization or prolongation of existing hospitalization
    4.  A persistent or significant incapacity or substantial disruption of the ability to conduct normal life functions
    5.  A congenital anomaly/birth defect
    6.  An important medical event that based on appropriate medical judgement may jeopardize the individual and may require medical or surgical intervention to prevent one of the outcomes listed above
  • Cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS).
  • Cases of COVID-19 that result in hospitalization or death.

Further, healthcare providers are encouraged to report to VAERS any additional clinically significant adverse effects following vaccination, even if they are not sure if vaccination caused the event.

6. If VAERS detects a pattern of adverse events following vaccination, other vaccine safety monitoring systems conduct follow up studies.

The information that the VAERS system provides to the FDA and CDC is vitally important. If it looks as though a vaccine might be causing a wide-spread problem, the FDA and the CDC will investigate further and take action if needed.

We saw this system in action just recently when the CDC paused the Johnson & Johnson vaccine due to reports of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST). This pause allowed time for the FDA and CDC to investigate these reports and examine any possible linkages. A similar review process was followed when reports of myocarditis in the United States began to circulate. The J&J pause and investigation into cases of myocarditis are all signs that the VAERS reporting system is working extremely well! If at any point the CDC and FDA saw evidence showing a direct linkage between a vaccine and permanent disability and/or death, proper steps would be taken to ensure safety.

Note: For public awareness and in the interest of transparency, CDC is providing timely updates on the following serious adverse events of interest: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/adverse-events.html

Saturday, April 24th is National Drug Take Back Day

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National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is taking place this Saturday, April 24th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at various locations across Skagit County. This is a national event, organized by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in collaboration with community law enforcement and prevention partners.

Since 2010, Take Back Day events have provided easy, anonymous opportunities to remove medicines in the home that are highly susceptible to misuse, abuse, and theft. Through the National Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative, a grand total of 985,392 pounds of expired, unused, and unwanted prescription medications were collected during last year’s October event. In Skagit County alone, 289 community members participated in a Take Back Day event, disposing a total of 512.4 pounds of unwanted medication.

Events will be taking place on Saturday, April 24th from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the following locations:

  • Anacortes: Anacortes Police Dept., 1218 24th St.
  • Burlington: Public Safety Building, 311 Cedar St.
  • La Conner: Swinomish Police Dept., 17353 Reservation Rd.
  • Mount Vernon: Skagit Valley Family YMCA, 1901 Hoag Rd.
  • Sedro-Woolley: Sedro-Woolley City Hall, 325 Metcalf St.

Due to COVID-19, all locations will be operating a drive-through system for medication drop-off. Event coordinators ask that the public please wear their mask and practice physical distancing.

If you cannot attend a Take Back Day event this Saturday, please know that Skagit County operates a year-round Secure Medicine Return Program. Prescription medicines, legally prescribed controlled substances (e.g. narcotics and stimulants), over-the-counter medicines, and pet medications can all be disposed using a Secure Medicine Return drop box. Current Drop Box locations are listed at: https://med-project.org/.

For those with mobility concerns, pre-paid no-cost medicine return mailers are available, to be sent directly to your home. Please go to https://med-project.org/  or call 1-844-633-7765 to order mailers. You can get standard mailers or special mailers for inhalers and prefilled auto-injectors.

For updates and additional information on DEA’s Take Back events, please visit www.DEATakeBack.com.

Want to know more about Skagit County’s Secure Medicine Return program, substance use prevention, treatment, or local recovery options? Visit www.skagitrising.org or call Public Health at (360) 416-1500.

Getting There: Traveling to your Vaccine Appointment

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Vaccine roll-out has been slow over the past two months due to limited supply. Now that we will begin to see more supply arrive in Skagit County, more appointments will be available to those who are eligible. At present, only those who qualify under Phases 1a and 1b-Tier 1 are eligible; however, in the coming days, Public Health expects the State to move to the next phase.

Skagit County Public Health and our partner providers in the County have been working with local transportation providers to work through issues around accessibility. As eligibility widens and more people are able to make an appointment, providers must be able to respond to the needs of our diverse population.

Fairgrounds Clinic Layout

The Vaccine Clinic at the Skagit County Fairgrounds uses a walk-in clinic for first doses. This means that individuals will park their vehicle and enter the clinic on foot. For those with mobility issues, disabled parking is available next to the clinic entrance.

Those who arrive for a second dose at the Fairgrounds will be ushered through our drive-through clinic. Here, people will be able to receive their vaccine without leaving their vehicle. To date, this is the only drive-through vaccine clinic available in Skagit County.

For both first-dose and second-dose appointments, visitors will be required to wait 15 minutes post-vaccination for observation. It is important to keep this in mind when planning for transportation. Appointments can vary in length; it can take between 30-60 minutes from start to finish.

Foot Traffic versus Walk-ups

While there are no walk-ups permitted at the Fairgrounds Vaccine Clinic (meaning only those with an appointment will be permitted), the site does allow for individuals who arrive on foot. Because of this, people can absolutely use public transportation to get to and from the Fairgrounds Clinic. This applies to those arriving for both first-dose and second-dose appointments.

For information about how to schedule an appointment at the Skagit Fairgrounds Vaccine Clinic, visit: www.skagitcounty.net/COVIDvaccine.

Transportation Assistance Options

For those who need transportation assistance to the Fairgrounds Clinic (or other vaccine provider locations in Skagit County), you have some options:

1. Fixed Route Services through Skagit Transit

Those using the Fixed Route service may access any route—at no cost—by showing proof of a vaccine appointment. Since there are numerous vaccination sites in Skagit County, the driver will ask which location the person is trying to get to.

If traveling to the Fairgrounds Clinic, take Route 202 from Skagit Station and exit at South 2nd Street and Hazel Road. A short walk will get you to the site entrance at 1410 Virginia Street in Mount Vernon. Here, people will check in with staff at the front entrance and will be directed to Registration.

Any person who is unfamiliar with the Fixed Route service and/or bus stop locations should contact Skagit Transit’s Dispatch Center at (360) 757-4433 for assistance on where to catch the bus and/or which routes to take to their destinations. You can also use Skagit Transit’s online trip planner here: https://www.skagittransit.org/trip-planner/.

2. Paratransit Services through Skagit Transit

Those who cannot use the Fixed Route service can use paratransit services. If you respond “NO” to any of the following questions, you may qualify for the Paratransit service.

  • Are you able to get on or off a bus?
  • Are you able to get to or from the nearest bus stop?
  • Are you able to wait (standing) at a bus stop for 5 to 10 minutes?
  • Are you able to ride or to understand instructions on how to ride the bus?

To access this service, riders must call the Dispatch Center at (360) 757-4433 and speak to a Scheduler, who will work with them to find the best possible pickup location and arrange the pickup times. Since Paratransit is a reservation-based service, a minimum of 24-hour advanced notice is required. Riders must be prepared to show the driver proof of a vaccine appointment in lieu of bus fare.

If using the Paratransit service, please keep in mind that the Paratransit driver will most likely not be able to wait the full length of your vaccine appointment. As noted above, it can take 30-60 minutes for an appointment depending on wait-times. When scheduling your ride, be sure to let the scheduler know that you are going to a vaccine appointment and that there will be a wait.

Those arriving by paratransit (or any other service like a cab or Uber) will be dropped off at Registration and will be processed similar to someone who has arrived on foot. Please plan to schedule a pick up at the site following the 15-minute post-vaccine observation period. For those with mobility issues, staff will assist getting individuals to and from the Site entrance.

For more information about Paratransit Services, visit https://www.skagittransit.org/additional-services/dial-a-ride/.

3. Medicaid Transportation

Those who are eligible for Medicaid and have a Medicaid Provider One Identification Card (medical coupon) may be eligible for transportation assistance to a Skagit County vaccine provider location. People must call two days in advance to schedule a trip; call (360) 738-4554 to reserve a ride.

When reserving a Medicaid transport, be sure to let the scheduler know that you are going to a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, and that it may take 30-60 minutes. Your driver may be able to wait on site, or a pick-up will be scheduled. In this case, please let the Vaccine Clinic staff know about your arrangement, and staff can work to accommodate your specific needs. 

Carpooling to the Fairgrounds Site

We realize that it might make sense to carpool with a friend or co-worker if you both have an appointment on the same day. However, for safety reasons, it is still recommended that only those within the same household ride together in a vehicle.

If you do plan to come to the site with someone else, please try to limit to two people per vehicle. This allows for staff to process vehicles more efficiently than if there are multiple people getting a vaccine in a vehicle. Remember: Only those with an appointment will be permitted into the clinic unless assistance is required.

If you have any questions about the information above, contact the Vaccine Hotline at (360) 416-1500 or visit our webpage at www.skagitcounty.net/COVIDvaccine.

A Guide To Skagit County Public Health’s Online Vaccine Scheduler

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As many have heard, Skagit County Public Health recently launched an online COVID-19 vaccine scheduling tool. This new online tool will greatly increase our ability to register individuals as vaccine supply becomes available and as more clinic dates are added. We are anticipating that the online portal will streamline the registration process for people over the coming weeks.

We have heard from some individuals calling into our Vaccine Hotline that the online tool (called “PrepMod”) is a bit intimidating for those who are less familiar with online scheduling tools. It is our goal to decrease barriers to scheduling for a vaccine, and we want to do everything in our power to continue to make vaccines widely available to our community.

As more vaccines become available, Skagit County Public Health will be able to provide more clinic dates through the PrepMod online scheduler. We will communicate on our website at www.skagitcounty.net/COVIDvaccine and on our Facebook page when new clinic dates have been added.

So, here goes—a guide to Skagit County Public Health’s online registration process:

1. Get acquainted with the system…before you register!

While people can absolutely call into our Vaccine Hotline to get assistance with registering for an appointment, we want to encourage those who are able to do so, to register themselves online through PrepMod.

There are two reasons for this: (1) Our hotline has been experiencing extremely high call volumes. Though we have extended our hours and have increased staffing, there is still a chance that someone may have difficulties getting a hold of staff; and (2) Registering online will take about 10-15 minutes (depending on how tech savvy you are). By the time someone reaches our call center, all vaccine appointments may already be taken.

For these reasons, we encourage people who may be concerned about their ability to use the online scheduler to find a “Scheduling Buddy.” The online tool allows for people to register for someone else by proxy—we just ask that people be sure to enter all information correctly when doing so!

And if you need clarification on any of the directions below, please reach out to our Vaccine Hotline before you plan to register so that staff can walk you through the system. The Hotline is now available Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at (360) 416-1500.

2. Check your eligibility

Before attempting to schedule an appointment at the Skagit County Fairgrounds Clinic, be sure to check your vaccine eligibility. Visit www.findyourphasewa.org to do so. You will need to enter personal information such as location, age, occupation type, living situation, and some medical history. Your eligibility is based on the information that you provide.

3. Visit PrepMod for scheduling online

If you are currently eligible for a vaccine, go to https://prepmod.doh.wa.gov/ to begin scheduling your appointment.

Click on “Find a Vaccination Clinic,” and check “COVID-19 Vaccination” under service type on the following page. You can search for a clinic by entering your address, by searching for a specific clinic, or by searching by date.

The Skagit County Public Health Clinic is located at the Skagit County Fairgrounds and will appear as “Skagit County Public Health- Fairgrounds.”

4. Choose a location and date

Vaccine clinic dates are based on our current vaccine supply. If you search under “Skagit County Public Health- Fairgrounds” and there isn’t a blue button that says “Sign up for a COVID-19 Vaccination,” this means that all clinic spaces are currently filled. You can also check under “Available Appointments” to see how many appointments remain for that specific clinic date (see below for example).

You will find locations listed by date (the image below shows 01/29/2021). Find the date that works for you, check that there is—in fact—availability, and proceed.

Please note: It is possible that during the time it takes someone to enter information into the system that available spaces are taken by other users. We know that this can be extremely frustrating, but unfortunately it is just how online scheduling works. Vaccine clinics have been filled very quickly due to high demand in recent weeks. Please do not be discouraged if you do not book an appointment the first time you try. There will be many more opportunities to schedule an appointment over the coming weeks.

5. Personal Information

Please enter information for the person seeking an appointment, including phone number, mailing address, and email address. It is crucial that all of this information is entered correctly. PrepMod registration MUST be fully completed for each person being registered.  DO NOT enter two names into one registration or you risk not receiving vaccine.

6. Health Insurance Information

This page may seem overwhelming, but don’t worry! The scheduling tool will ask you some basic information about whether you are insured or not but we do not collect any detailed insurance information as we do not charge any administration fee at our vaccination site.

7. Medical History

If you are scheduling an appointment for someone else, it will be advantageous to register while on the phone with them. You will be asked a short series of medical questions, so please be prepared to answer these. Questions include things like chronic health conditions and previous reactions to vaccinations. It is very important that these questions are answered honestly in order to avoid any issues when the individual arrives at the Fairgrounds for their appointment.

8. Provide Consent

On this page, people will be asked to provide a signature allowing consent for vaccination. By signing this form, you are giving permission for a vaccination to be administered and a record of the vaccine to be entered into a database to monitor control of COVID-19. Further, you are agreeing that the information provided is correct and that you understand the risks and benefits of getting the vaccine.

Here, a proxy can sign for someone else, and can indicate their relationship to the patient. You will be asked to provide a signature by moving your cursor like a pen (see below for an example). As you can tell, the signature doesn’t need to be perfect!

9. Review, choose a time & submit

You will have an opportunity to review your information. If something is not correct, you can edit by clicking the “BACK” button. Please note: as you progress through the pages, your information will be saved! You will not lose information entered if you use the “BACK” button on the bottom of the page.

Finally, you will be asked to pick an appointment time; you would have already chosen the date when you began entering your information.

Please note: This is where frustration may happen. It is possible that you can get all the way through to this page before finding that no appointments are available. As mentioned above, please do not be discouraged! There will be other opportunities to schedule an appointment. You can also visit www.doh.wa.gov/YouandYourFamily/Immunization/VaccineLocations to see if there is availability with another vaccine provider.

You will know that you have successfully made an appointment when you receive an email confirmation from Skagit County Public Health. We are unable to maintain waitlists for clinics, even if PrepMod gives you this option.  If you make an appointment with Skagit County Public Health, you are committing to keeping that appointment.  DO NOT make appointments with multiple clinics.  If you have a confirmed appointment with our clinic you should remove yourself from waitlists with other clinics.     

Skagit County Public Health recognizes that this online scheduling tool may not meet the needs of everybody, and we understand that people are anxiously awaiting their opportunity to be vaccinated. It will take several weeks to get through our current vaccine phase (Phase 1b-Tier 1), and we ask that people remain patient as we wait for more vaccine supply to become available from the State. There will come a moment in the future when vaccines are much more widely available. It will take a bit of time, and we fully expect that adjustments will need to be made along the way.

For more information about Skagit County’s vaccine roll-out, please visit www.skagitcounty.net/COVIDvaccine.

Preventing Poisoning During COVID-19

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Earlier this month, the Washington Poison Center (WAPC) released its data “snapshot” for 2020. This is something that WAPC puts out annually in order to educate the public about poisoning trends at the state level. These trends are based on the types of calls that WPAC’s hotline receives throughout the year, compared to years prior.

This year has been one for the books in so many ways, and the new data snapshot tells an interesting story. I had the opportunity to talk with one of WPAC’s staff, and I’d like to share what I learned.

But first: What is the Washington Poison Center (WAPC)?

The Washington Poison Center (WAPC) provides immediate, free, and expert treatment advice and assistance on the telephone in case of exposure to poisonous, hazardous, or toxic substances. Each year, its specialists answer more than 63,000 calls from Washingtonians related to poisoning and toxic exposures. All calls are free, confidential, and help is available 24/7/365.

Major Takeaways

COVID-19 has increased our risks of accidental poisoning. Period. So what is the reason for this increase? WAPC staff believe that it is due to several factors, including:

  • We are home more due to social distancing and other safety guidance
  • We may have new daily routines this year that are out of the ordinary
  • More products in the home (perhaps due to stockpiling) may cause increased access
  • More stress can cause people to be less focused
  • Rumors and misinformation can lead to dangerous choices

Calls to the Center have increased in 2020, and staff have seen spikes in calls regarding substances common to COVID prevention (hand sanitizer and household cleaners). They have also seen spikes in calls for vulnerable demographics like adolescents and adults over 60.

This data is concerning, and parallels poison trends across the U.S.

Cleaners & Sanitizers

It isn’t unusual for WAPC to receive calls about household cleaners; however, this year has definitely seen a serious uptick. Most calls have been in regards to accidental poisonings, or poisonings due to misuse (mixing products, using in low ventilated areas, etc).

The vast majority of hand sanitizer exposures have been in children ages 0-12, most likely due to increased access to the products in the home. The high alcohol content in these products can be very dangerous for young children, so it is extremely important to supervise kids when using hand sanitizer and to make sure that bottles are always out of reach.

Nicotine

An interesting find this year has been the decrease in nicotine exposure calls. In 2020, nicotine exposure in children ages 0-5 actually decreased—a trend that even WAPC staff were a bit surprised about. Perhaps the decrease is due to parents being home more? Or perhaps the new Tobacco 21 law has decreased access to these products? While it is difficult to pinpoint direct correlations, it is certainly nice to see this type of data!

That said, it is still very important to keep nicotine products stored safely and away from children. The vast majority of calls for 0-5 year old’s were for raw tobacco, with vape products in second. WAPC staff explained that raw tobacco can be dangerous, but vape liquid—if ingested—can be fatal. Always, always, keep these products away from children, as flavored liquids can be especially enticing to little kids.

Cannabis

WAPC 2020 Data Snapshot

Trends for THC exposure are less rosy. All age groups saw an increase in THC exposures this year, with a sizeable increase among children 0-5. Among this group, exposures were almost 100% due to unintentional use (getting a hold of an edible, plant-based product, or concentrate). Safe and secure storage of these products is crucial to keeping kids safe.

Medications

This is another area that has historically been a concern for WAPC, however COVID has exacerbated the problem. Stress, distractions, and new routines can lead to user error and poor judgement. WAPC staff encourage people to use medication lists, trackers, and reminders in order to decrease risk of double-dosing or mixing meds.

It is also encouraged that people secure medications in the home. This simple step can decrease the likelihood of accidental poisonings in young children, or misuse among adolescents.

Adolescent Self-harm

By far, this data tells the most worrisome story. Historically, data has shown an increase in youth self-harm/suicidal intent since 2014, and this trend continues. COVID-19 related isolation and stress may increase these risks—something that mental health experts have been concerned about for months.

WAPC 2020 Data Snapshot

It is encouraging, however, to see this data and to realize just how amazing our kids are. Despite all the ups and downs of 2020, our youth are showing resilience in magnitudes. We must not forget that we can all make a positive difference everyday in the lives of our young people.

Two steps that each of us can take today are: 1) locking up medications (even over-the-counter meds like Tylenol and Advil); and 2) talking to our children about substance use. Don’t know where to start with this? Visit Start Talking Now for some ideas.

What to expect when you call

It doesn’t need to be an emergency to call the Washington Poison Center—you can call to get advice or directions if you are concerned or confused about poison-related issues.

You will speak with an expert (nurse, pharmacist, or poison information provider), and there are always Board Certified Medical Toxicologists on-call if necessary. You are not required to give your name, however providing your age and gender can be extremely helpful in order to gauge risk. What was taken, when, and how much are other vital details to provide to the staff.

These calls are always confidential. You do not need to be worried about law enforcement or CPS getting involved. WAPC is concerned about your safety and about providing care.

Staff are trained to provide direction on what to do, what to watch for, and most of the time this can all happen with the caller at home. If/when it is decided that the caller needs medical intervention, staff can advise the caller to go to the emergency room, or WAPC can actually contact EMS on the caller’s behalf.

Finally, WAPC staff will follow-up with you—just to make sure that everything is alright!

It is important to be vigilant when it comes to poisoning prevention—now more than ever. With that said, I feel comforted in knowing that there are trained professionals available to answer my questions. If you don’t have the Washington Poison Center’s phone number somewhere in your home, I encourage you to jot it down! 1-800-222-1222

You never know when you might need it!

To view the Washington Poison Center’s full data report, visit: www.wapc.org/programs/covid-19-resources-information/covid-19-data/.

Flu Vaccine for Uninsured Adults Available

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November 10, 2020

Today, Skagit County Unified Command announced that Skagit Public Health will use the drive through testing site to provide seasonal flu vaccine for uninsured adults on Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15 from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

“Flu vaccines are a good idea every year, but its more important than ever that all adults who are able get vaccinated. COVID-19 and the flu have several similar symptoms, so those with the flu could easily overwhelm limited COVID-19 testing resources, hospital beds and other parts of our medical system. Additionally, if someone were to contract both COVID-19 and the flu at the same time, they’d be at much higher risk for lower health outcomes. This is an important service we’re happy to provide.”

Jennifer Johnson, Skagit County Public Health Director

This service is for adult flu vaccine only; children’s vaccinations will not be provided. Vaccine will be available for those 19 years of age or older, who do not have medical insurance. COVID-19 testing or services will not be provided on those days, per the usual testing schedule. Vaccine doses for uninsured adults have been provided by the Washington State Department of Health.

“We’re really fortunate to have a site already set up that makes distribution of these extra vaccines possible. The Board fully supports Unified Command and Public Health in their efforts.”

Ron Wesen, Chair of the Skagit County Board of Commissioners

The testing site is located at Skagit Valley College in Mount Vernon (2405 East College Way, Mount Vernon, WA 98273). The site will be open to provide flu vaccinations for uninsured adults from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15. COVID-19 testing will not be available those days. Vaccines for children will also not be available, but uninsured children can get a free or low cost vaccination at their local pharmacy or through their primary care provider.

If you have questions, or need additional information, call Public Health at 360-416-1500.

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PARA PUBLICACIÓN INMEDIATA: El Condado de Skagit ofrecerá la vacuna contra la gripe para adultos sin seguro en el lugar de pruebas el 14 y 15 de noviembre.

Hoy, el Comando Unificado del Condado de Skagit anunció que Salud Pública utilizará el sitio de pruebas para proporcionar la vacuna contra la influenza estacional para adultos sin seguro el sábado 14 de noviembre y el domingo 15 de noviembre de 9:00 a.m. a 3:00 p.m.

Este servicio es para vacuna contra la gripe sólo para adultos; no se proporcionarán vacunas para niños. La vacuna estará disponible para aquellos de 19 años de edad o más, que no tengan seguro médico. Las pruebas o los servicios de COVID-19 no se proporcionarán en esos días, según el programa de pruebas usual. El Departamento de Salud del Estado de Washington ha proporcionado las dosis de vacuna para adultos sin seguro.

“Las vacunas contra la influenza son siempre una buena idea todos los años, pero es más importante que nunca que todos los adultos que puedan que se vacunen,” dijo la Directora de Salud Pública Jennifer Johnson, “El COVID-19 y la gripe tienen varios síntomas similares, así que las personas con gripe podrían fácilmente sobrepasar los recursos limitados de pruebas de COVID-19, las camas de hospital y otras partes de nuestro sistema médico. Más aun, si alguien contrajera COVID-19 y la gripe al mismo tiempo, correría un riesgo mucho mayor de sufrir resultados de salud más bajos. Este es un servicio importante que nos complace proporcionar”.

“Realmente somos afortunados de tener un sitio ya establecido que hace posible la distribución de estas vacunas adicionales”, dijo el Presidente de la Junta de Comisionados del Condado de Skagit, Ron Wesen. “La Junta apoya plenamente al Comando Unificado y la Salud Pública en sus esfuerzos”.

El sitio de pruebas se encuentra en Skagit Valley College en Mount Vernon (2405 Oriental College Way, Mount Vernon, WA 98273). El sitio estará abierto para proporcionar vacunas contra la influenza para adultos sin seguro de 9:00 a.m. a 3:00 p.m. el sábado 14 y domingo 15 de noviembre. Las pruebas de COVID-19 no estarán disponibles esos días. Las vacunas para niños tampoco estarán disponibles, pero los niños sin seguro pueden recibir una vacuna gratis o de bajo costo en su farmacia local o a través de su proveedor de atención primaria.

Si tiene preguntas o necesita información adicional, llamar a Salud Pública al 360-416-1500.