September 23, 2023

Community Health Nurse

Pandemic Flu Information

Vacines

Influenza Vaccines available for children 6 months to 18 years of age FREE of charge!

  • Please call (605) 356-2644 to schedule an appointment on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays
  • Union and Clay County will hold a free flu shots clinic for Union County employees and families at the Dakota Dome on November 4th, from 9am-1pm. Please call 356-2644 for more information!
  • For more information on the seasonal influenza virus visit the SD Department of Health web site, http://h1n1.sd.gov.
  • Seasonal influenza information may also be found at the SD Department of Health  website: http://doh.sd.gov.
TDap (Tetanus, Diptheria, and acellular Pertussis) Vaccine is being offered to children 11-14 years of age for FREE at your local doctor’s office, the Union County Nurses’ Office in the Union County Courthouse, or in your child’s school. 

  • For more information on the whooping cough (pertussis) please visit the State of South Dakota website, go to Agencies, and click on Department of Health.
  • Go Green this month! Visit the Healthy South Dakota website for tips and recipes, www.HealthySD.gov
    • Vegetables offer a wide variety of vitamins and trace minerals, besides the fiber we can get from them. This fiber helps in the potential reduction of various disease and illnesses.
    • Shopping for groceries along the inside walls of the grocery store, helps to keep the focus on less-processed, more nutritious foods.
    • Have children choose fruits and vegetables in the produce aisles when they go grocery shopping with you. They are more likely to try something if they picked it out.
    • Always offer children small portions of what the adults are eating. They might not try it today, but their tastes change and mature daily and one day they’ll watch your example and give it a try.
    • The “More Matters” website is: www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org, look there for additional yummy vegetable and fruit recipes!

    Top 12 Reasons to Breastfeed your Baby

    Your baby will:

    1. Be getting the best nutrition available
    2. Be smarter
    3. Have a stronger immune system
    4. Have a lower risk of leukemia. MS, and heart disease
    5. Be leaner for life
    6. Have fewer ear infections

    You will:

    1. Have a stronger bond with your baby
    2. Have a lower risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and cervical cancer
    3. Lose weight quickly
    4. Have stronger bone density
    5. Avoid higher expenses through buying formula and bottles and having fewer visits to the doctor during baby’s first year
    6. Know that you are giving your baby the greatest gift: milk made for especially for human babies!

    The above information was gathered at the website: Breastfeeding.com, please visit this website or LLLI.org for more information about breastfeeding.

    Look to your local library for books on breastfeeding and through local hospitals and Community Health Nurses’ Offices for classes on breastfeeding.

    Union County Nurses’ Office offers a minimum of 3 breastfeeding classes a year. Call us at: 605-356-2644!

    Making Summer Outings Safe!!

    1. Dress in layers! The inner layer should be a breathable, synthetic polypropylene or thin wool, material that can wick moisture away from skin, but still keep you warm if it’s wet
    2. Remember a child’s body temperature changes faster than an adult.
    3. Check the forecast before heading out on your adventure.
    4. Pack essentials: flashlights, extra snacks, extra bottle of water, and rain gear or a garbage bag to use in case of rain, bandaids, sunscreen, an extra hat, and a bandana or cloth.
    5. Inform others where you are headed and when you plan on returning.
    6. Bring your cell phone, or get the phone number of the nearest ranger station and give the numbers to your contact person.
    7. Never let children get ahead of the group. Teach them to hug a tree and wait in one spot if they happen to get separated during a hike.
    8. Teach children about reading maps. Map out your hike and emphasize staying on the trail.
    9. Never leave children unsupervised around water. Small children can drown in 2 inches of water! Floatation devices help, but children still must be supervised. Some children can get turned and cannot flip themselves back over due to the bulk of the life jacket.
    10. Always wear protective foot gear before wading into water.
    11. Watch for possible currents even in water that looks still.
    12. Before letting children dive into water, make sure there is atleast 9 feet of clear space below.
    13. Practice fire safety around campfires. Always keep matches out of reach of children.
    14. Practice food safety: Keep Cold Foods Cold and Hot Foods Hot!
    15. Always bring insect repellent for mosquitoes and ticks. Mosquitoes that carry the West Nile Virus are usually out early in the morning and late in the evening. Wear long sleeves and pants when possible.
    16. Know what poison ivy looks like! It is a three-leaved vine growing by trails and clinging onto trees. The leaves look very similar to box elder leaves. Do not itch poison ivy bumps! The bumps will spread by the ‘poisonous’ oil in the eruption getting onto fingernails and going to wherever you touch next! Especially do not itch at poison ivy bumps and then touch your face! Simple handwashing rids your hands of the ‘poison’. Wash the area with soap and water to help dry it out. Use Calamine or Caladryl lotion. These special lotions are pink in color and help to stop the itch and dry out the poison ivy.