Choze Powell

How to Become a Volunteer Vaccinator in St. Clair County

Port Huron, MI — As vaccine eligibility and supply increases in St. Clair County, a new shortage is revealing itself: the vaccine effort needs volunteers.

Jim Kaski, President of the St. Clair County Pharmacists Association and head of the Blue Water Immunization Partnership, said his main focus right now is encouraging the community to volunteer to help with COVID-19 vaccine clinics.

The county is particularly in need of vaccinators which could be active or retired RNs, LPNs, Medical Assistants, Phlebotomist, Pharmacists, EMTs, and doctors, but Kaski also said non-skilled individuals are needed as well.

“Anyone that feels they can dedicate some time to do temperature checks, help direct people at the holding areas, that would be fantastic!” said Kaski.

Volunteers will be trained, and even those who have been credentialed to vaccinate in the past but haven’t used their skills in awhile will receive a refresher before working with patients.

For those concerned about their skills, Kasksi said, vaccinating isn’t a skill you typically lose. “Freshen up on the basic things like CPR, first aid, and blood born pathogens, and then we’ll give you tutorials and make you feel comfortable before you actually do some vaccinating.”

Potential volunteers can start by registering with the MI Volunteer Registry at mivolunteerregistry.org. This state of Michigan portal serves to register, notify, and inform individuals who are interested in volunteering in the event of a natural or public health emergency.

When registering, select St. Clair County as the organization, create a username and password for the site, and fill out your personal and contact information. Once registration is complete, you will need to complete your profile on the site to become eligible for potential deployments. The entire process takes around 20 minutes, and it doesn’t obligate you to volunteer.

Once you’ve registered and completed your profile with the MI Volunteer Registry, a health department official will retrieve your information from that site and contact you with further instructions.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

 

Op-Ed from Dr. Mercatante – Let’s Get to Work

St. Clair County, MI — With the alarming surge in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, we are left with only a few options in how we can respond: (a) ignore it and take your chances (not advisable), (b) panic and make up our own rules, or (c) follow evidence-based guidance. I hope you are all in line with option “c”. I understand how difficult it is to keep up with the latest science and recommendations so here is what we know at this point:

  • Masks: They work …they really do. Wear one all the time in public and at home if you are with vulnerable people who are unvaccinated.
  • Physical Distance: The virus cannot fly or move on its own…it hitches a ride on respiratory droplets that can only go so far to water droplets that can only go so far. Distance is your friend.
  • Handwashing/Sanitation: This germ dies with soap and water.
  • Stay Home if Sick: Isolate for 10 days if you know, or think, you have COVID19. Before you go out again, make sure 10 days has passed AND you are feeling better. The SARSCov2 virus can be transmitted up to 48 hours before you get sick and even if you are not having symptoms (tested positive only).
  • Testing: Regular testing helps everyone. By no means is it perfect, but frequent testing can reduce the time people go out while infected and help us at the Health Department identify where the outbreaks are. Choosing NOT to test does not eliminate the risk…it just prevents people from knowing.
  • Quarantine: A basic tenet of public health that has been used for centuries to control the spread of infectious disease. Quarantine means staying away from other people after an exposure to someone who is sick or has tested positive for COVID-19, which ensures you do not unwittingly pass it on. The SCCHD is advising those exposed to complete a full 14-day quarantine period due to high rates of transmission and a growing number of variant cases. Remember, testing at any time does not alter your quarantine time. The 7-day option (with testing) has NOT been adopted by MDHHS nor SCCHD and should not be considered at this time of elevated risk.

And finally, vaccines. Those that are currently available are safe and effective. Get the first one that is available to you. The sooner we disrupt the transmission of this virus, the sooner we can spend more time with the people we love and do the things we want to do. Vaccines protect the community even more than they protect you so I urge everyone to make a plan to get vaccinated when you are eligible and to continue employing all the mitigation strategies outlined above until we reach herd immunity.

That’s a lot to take in, but much more likely to work than doing nothing or doing the wrong thing. It’s going to take everyone doing their part to beat this virus…let’s get to work!

Yours in Health,
Annette Mercatante, MD, MPH
Medical Health Officer
St. Clair County Health Department

Vaccine Survey Scams Circulating

The Federal Trade Commission is warning consumers about a new email scam that could be coming to your text or email inbox: a fake vaccine survey.

The surveys look like they are sponsored by vaccine manufacturers such as Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Moderna. They ask participants to take a limited-time survey about their vaccine experience and promise a reward in exchange.

When the consumer takes the survey, they are asked for credit card or banking information to cover the cost of shipping and handling for their reward. This is simply a way for scammers to receive your personal information and access your money.

For those who want to share their vaccine experience in a legitimate way, the V-Safe app is smartphone-based tool that uses text messaging and web surveys to inform the CDC of any side-effects experienced after the vaccine.

More information about the legitimate vaccine reporting tool is available at cdc.gov/vsafe

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

810 Phone Numbers Will Undergo Dialing Change

Port Huron, MI — There is plenty of time to get ready for a change affecting anyone with an 810, 616, 906, or 989 area code. Beginning on April 24th, callers are encouraged to start transitioning to 10-digit dialing instead of 7-digit dialing. In other words, dialing the area code along with the telephone number.

The change comes as a result of a new abbreviated dialing code for the suicide prevention hotline. The new code to reach the hotline will go into effect in July of 2022, and  the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) wants callers to be ready for the change well in advance.

The new code for the Suicide Prevention Hotline will be 988, which is currently being used as an area code in Michigan.

The Michigan Public Service Commission recognized that, “in order for 988 to dial directly to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, any area code that includes the 988 prefix must transition from 7-digit dialing (dialing without the area code) to 10-digit dialing (area code with the telephone number.”

Michigan residents calling numbers with an 810, 616, 906, or 989 area code can begin using 10-digit dialing at any time to get ahead of the change.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Learn How to Protect Butterflies in Your Backyard

St. Clair County, MI — Friends of the St. Clair River (Friends) is hosting a virtual chat to help residents learn how to protect butterfly species in the Blue Water Area.

Friends has been monitoring butterfly species for the last five years, and more than 50 species have been identified. Although butterflies appear to be thriving in most areas of St. Clair County, they are sensitive to environmental changes and require specific plants and conditions to remain healthy.

Melissa Kivel, Restoration Coordinator for Friends of the St. Clair River, said, “We can easily picture a butterfly drinking nectar from a flower, but as caterpillars these creatures require specific plants for food.  Monarchs, for example, can only survive on Milkweed. We are helping people become aware of the butterflies in their area and more confident in creating a welcoming habitat in which they can lay eggs and propagate”

To participate in the free butterfly chat on April 13th from 10 – 11 AM, pre-register at www.scriver.org/events.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

United Way of Sarnia-Lambton Adjusts to Change – Makes Plans for Future

Sarnia, Ontario — The United Way of Sarnia-Lambton recently held its 64th Annual General Meeting, providing the community with a recap of last year’s work and plans for the future.

Reflecting on the organization’s response to the pandemic, Al McChesney, outgoing Vice President, said, “It will come as no surprise when I say COVID-19 forced us to change how we tackle the challenges facing Lambton County’s most vulnerable. In total, over  $550,000, in addition to the $1,750,000 that was raised during the fall campaign, was  available to flow through United Way to agencies in need. More than 40% of those funding decisions were to Lambton County non-profits that were not previously funded by United Way of Sarnia-Lambton.”

McChesney just completed a ten-year term and had his last meeting with the organization along with several other exiting board members. The new board is moving forward with a refocused funding strategy concentrating on addressing the cycles of poverty, helping youth be successful in school and relationships, creating strong, inclusive communities, and supporting those with addiction and mental health challenges. They will also focus on helping senior citizens live independently.

The new board also approved funding requests for a snack program through River City Vineyard and a Handyman Program through Habitat for Humanity.

For more information on The United Way of Sarnia-Lambton, visit www.TheUnitedWay.on.ca

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand