October Was Flu Vaccine Month in the Upper Valley

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Medical students from the Geisel School of Medicine provide free flu vaccines in Bradford, VT.

This fall in the Upper Valley there have been many opportunities for residents to get seasonal flu vaccine. This year, getting vaccinated against the flu is more important than ever. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot afford to overburden the health care system with flu-related hospitalizations. Also, because the symptoms of flu and COVID-19 are similar, it is difficult to distinguish the two infections and health care providers may use scarce resources assuming cases are COVID-19 when they are not.

Fortunately, it appears many Upper Valley residents have heeded the warning and gotten their vaccine. Dartmouth-Hitchcock and the Vermont Department of Health both report higher numbers of vaccines given this year over recent years. The Public Health Council is proud to have been part of this effort, providing over 1,350 free flu vaccines in five community drive-thru clinics during the month of October.

This was a true collaborative effort and we want to thank the partners who made these clinics possible. Thank you to the 99 students from the Geisel School of Medicine who volunteered 514 hours of service to administer vaccines. To Dr. Annika Brown who trained the students and recruited eleven of her colleagues from Dartmouth-Hitchcock to supervise the clinics. To Dartmouth-Hitchcock for donating vaccines and clinical supplies. To Novo Nordisk and the Lebanon Rotary Club for providing grants to cover expenses of setting up outdoor clinics. To community partners who helped coordinate and staff the clinics:

  • Creigh Moffett of Rivendell Academy
  • Stephanie Schell of Plainfield
  • Phil Neily of the Town of Enfield
  • Little Rivers Health Care
  • Canaan Elementary School
  • Canaan Fire Department.
  • Members of the Lebanon and Cohase Rotary Clubs who staffed our registration tents.

Cars line up for flu vaccine in Orford.

We are certain to have missed someone on this list of partners because we received so very much support. Our oversight does not diminish our gratitude.

May the seasonal flu vaccine effort next year be less complicated by other factors. But may we never forget how fortunate we are in the Upper Valley to have so many partners working together to protect our community’s health.

Sincerely,

Alice Ely, Executive Director
Rudy Fedrizzi, Board Chair

Other News About Seasonal Flu Vaccine from Around the Region

From Weekly VT Governor’s Report (submitted 10-13-2020): Bi-State Collaboration to Combat Flu

“For the past 10+ weeks the White River Junction District has been engaged in a bi-state working group to expand flu vaccination.  This effort includes representation from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and its affiliates, Geisel Medical School, Visiting Nurse Associations, the Public Health Council of the Upper Valley, the Upper Valley Medical Reserve Corps (also a bi-state group), and the Vermont Department of Health.  Already flu uptake is exceeding previous year volumes.  VT school flu clinics in collaboration with local provider groups like those of Little River Healthcare and Gifford Pediatrics are more robust this year with many providing immunizations to school staff. ”

Dr. Annika Brown and Geisel students prepare flu vaccines in Enfield.

Local Media Share Vital Information

Public urged to get Flu Shot

By Nora Doyle-Burr
Valley News Staff Writer
Published: 10/12/2020

LEBANON — Now is the best time to get a flu shot, a Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center epidemiologist told participants in a virtual community conversation last week about the importance of such vaccinations as the COVID-19 pandemic persists.

Influenza activity often begins to increase in October, peaking between December and February. Because it takes about two weeks following a flu shot to develop immunity, people who wait too long to get their shots may risk getting sicker than they would if they had gotten them earlier, said Dr. Jose Mercado, a hospital epidemiologist at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. READ MORE

NH Officials Stress Need for Flu Shots

Concord Monitor
Published: 8/18/2020

As fall approaches, health officials are worried about an unprecedented flu season in which two potentially deadly respiratory illnesses would stress the same limited health care resources. Getting a flu shot is important now more than ever, state officials say, because the health care system can’t handle two simultaneous outbreaks.

Complicating the issue is that while the flu and COVID-19 are different, they present almost identical symptoms in patients. Beth Daly, the chief of the Bureau of Infectious Disease Control in New Hampshire, said there is virtually no way to distinguish between the two illnesses based on symptoms alone. READ MORE

Windsor Enacts Smoke/Vape Free Policy

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As of September 2020, Windsor, Vermont will have smoke/vape free town-owned parks and lands. In addition, any events sponsored by the town or held on town property will fall under the policy. The policy ban includes smoking and vaping of tobacco, nicotine products, and marijuana.

What Prompted The New Policy?

There is no safe level of secondhand smoke. In some circumstances, levels of secondhand smoke exposure outdoors can match those indoors. Secondhand smoke (even outside) can negatively impact health. Several areas in downtown Windsor demonstrate evidence of smoking that is likely impacting nonsmokers using the sidewalk, visiting businesses, or living in apartments near sites of heavy tobacco use.

Cigarette butts accumulating in Windsor’s storm drains.

In August 2017, Mt. Ascutney Prevention Partnership members Alice Stewart and Courtney Hillhouse conducted a visual survey of tobacco litter around Windsor. They took photos of areas with high concentrations of cigarette butt litter and presented their findings to the Windsor Rotary Club. Based on the presentation, the Wild Women of Windsor became interested in cleaning up the litter and conducted a fundraising push to purchase and install buttlers in town. In March 2019, Alice and Courtney created a town survey with questions around support for smoke/vape free town-owned parks and land. They distributed the survey at town meeting and through the Windsor town newsletter.  Of those who responded to the survey:

  • 85% supported smoke-free and vape-free town parks and lands
  • 93% supported smoke-free and vape-free town events

Courtney and Alice shared the survey results with Select Board Chair Heather Prebish and Town Manager Tom Marsh. They had discussions with Heather about her concerns regarding youth vaping, zoning options for age restricted products, and smoke/vape free town parks and lands.

Windsor Select Board Takes Action

Heather invited Alice and Courtney to the June 2019 Windsor Select Board meeting, where they provided the survey results and briefed the board on options to address community concerns. In March 2020, Courtney and Alice met with Heather for a follow-up discussion, in which Heather suggested a second select board presentation. In an April 28, 2020 select board meeting (conducted virtually because of COVID-19), Alice and Courtney presented options around smoke/vape free town-owned parks and land as well as zoning options (i.e., away from schools, daycares, libraries, etc.). for age-restricted products.

The Windsor Select Board conducted follow-up conversations based on the April 28 meeting. Town Manager Tom Marsh reached out to an attorney for advice on policy processes. The select board placed a vote on the agenda for its June 23rd meeting, during which a unanimous vote passed in favor of a policy for smoke/vape free town-owned parks and lands. The policy will go into effect September 2020.

The Windsor Select Board is pleased to have passed the recent smoke/vape-free town parks and land policy. This policy is a significant step towards promoting the health and well-being of our community members and mitigating the negative health effects associated with smoking and vaping. Windsor is a community that offers many outdoor and recreational opportunities and we want to ensure that our residents can enjoy these spaces safely, and free from potential health risks. The passing of this policy is a reflection of putting our community values into action and we’re proud that it won unanimous support. – Heather Prebish, Select Board Chair

Mt. Ascutney Prevention Partnership Sets Sights on More Policy Change To Protect Residents’ Health

Municipalities have a role to play in promoting factors that protect healthy choices and mitigate factors that encourage risk or unhealthy choices. In addition to their policy work on smoke/vape free town-owned parks and lands, Mt. Ascutney Prevention Partnership members will leverage their relationship with the Windsor Select Board to continue policy work on retail bans and buffer zones (around schools, day care centers, libraries, and churches) to prevent children from being exposed to businesses that focus on selling age-restricted products, including tobacco, alcohol, and pornography. These policies will promote health by limiting exposure to second-hand smoke and vapor, reducing youth access, and creating cultures that promote health as a norm.

— Submitted by Elizabeth Kelsey, Mt. Ascutney Prevention Partnership

PHC Expands Advocacy Capacity Through Online Resources

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In the months following the advocacy training held in March, the Public Health Council worked to build out two online advocacy initiatives: a newsletter and a directory of public policy-related organizations. The organizations highlighted are involved in policy work on the priority health issues for the Upper Valley and operate in either Vermont, New Hampshire, or on the national level. The two resources serve as more informal, on-demand resources for our members and community members. Coupled with advocacy trainings and legislative events we have held over the past year, these two additional forms of outreach help expand the Public Health Council’s capacity to support advocacy. We hope we are now better positioned to reach legislators, public health stakeholders and community members, and better facilitate collaboration on public health policy among them all for the years to come.

Directory of Upper Valley Organizations Dedicated to Public Health Advocacy

To leverage the work and commitment of organizations who are both committed to legislative public health advocacy and are aligned with our priority areas, we created a directory accessible via our website. On the table display, each organization is characterized by which of our priority areas they align with. We have linked to their respective public policy agendas and encourage regional partners and community members to connect with these organizations on policy issues of interest to them.

You can view this resource, as well as other information on our advocacy initiatives here.

Advocacy Newsletter

As a more regular form of outreach to our local legislators, the Public Health Council developed an e-newsletter to clearly communicate our policy goals and interests. We intend to send this out three times a year, mainly to highlight how public policy initiatives affect work in our communities, and to highlight recent advocacy initiatives in the community.

You can view our first newsletter here, or subscribe via the link to our news page, attached here.

— Written by Claire Thomas, Dartmouth College Student and Class of ’82 Upper Valley Community Impact Fellow

Governor Phil Scott Announces the State of Vermont is Distributing 300,000 Free Cloth Face Coverings

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Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott today announced that the State of Vermont will distribute up to 300,000 cloth face coverings to the public, emergency responders and select agencies throughout the month of August. The State Emergency Operations Center procured the masks from those donated to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Face Coverings Mandatory in All Public Places

As of August 1, face coverings are mandatory in all public places in Vermont(link is external). While wearing a mask is not a substitute for physical distancing and other mitigation measures, public health experts advise that masks help limit the spread of COVID-19 and should be worn in public when physical distancing is not possible.

“We’ve made considerable gains in our effort to limit the spread of this virus and it’s critical that we protect this progress by following all public health guidelines, including wearing a mask,” said Governor Phil Scott. “I’m so proud of Vermonters for stepping up to keep their families, friends and neighbors safe, and I’m thankful to our federal, state and local partners who are helping to get these free masks to communities across the state.”

Vermont Emergency Management, the Health Department, the Agency of Transportation and the Vermont National Guard are facilitating the distribution effort. 200,000 masks have already gone out or will soon go out to towns, school nurses, community action agencies, the Vermont Department of Health Equity Team and district offices, emergency response agencies, the Vermont National Guard and food distribution sites.

Masks Available by Contacting Towns

Vermonters may access these free face coverings through their towns. Municipalities are responsible for distributing the masks and many are working with their emergency services departments (i.e. fire and police) to aid in that effort.

To obtain a face mask, please visit vem.vermont.gov/maskdistribution(link is external) to find your local contact. If your town is not listed, then your local officials may have not requested their allotment or provided contact information.

For more information on:

— Reprinted Press Release issued on August 13, 2020

PHC Partners in Statewide Initiative to Keep New Hampshire Healthy

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#MaskUpNewHampshire Initiative Focuses on Reducing the Community Transmission of COVID-19

As part of a collaborative effort to limit the spread of COVID-19 across the state and keep our Upper Valley healthy, the Public Health Council is partnering with business and organizations statewide on a grassroots movement to encourage the use of face masks in public and work settings. The initiative, #MaskUpNewHampshire, aims to strengthen efforts led by the Common Man family and the Rotary Clubs of New Hampshire. These organizations are helping to raise awareness around the importance of wearing masks, and how doing so along with other measures like handwashing, practicing social distancing and staying home when we are sick, can reduce the community transmission of COVID-19.

While there is still much to learn about COVID-19 and its transmission, what is known is that wearing a mask is one of the most simple and effective things that can keep the virus from spreading.  It’s also a visible way to demonstrate concern and protection for others and an important way that everyone can help.

Keeping our Communities Thriving, Healthy, and Safe

“Public health professionals and Rotarians agree that keeping our communities thriving, healthy, and safe are goals where everyone can play a part. Wearing masks when you can’t physical distance is a simple and effective way to be of service to those around you. It protects them from unintended exposure to COVID-19. One of Rotary’s core principles is to always ask whether an action will be beneficial to all concerned. Seems to me when it comes to wearing a mask the answer is YES!,” says Rudy Fedrizzi, MD, Board Chair for the Public Health Council and member of the Rotary Club of Lebanon, NH.

In accordance with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services, state and public health officials recommend cloth face coverings whenever in public in order to limit the spread of COVID-19. According to a recent study from global investment firm Goldman Sachs, mask-wearing by every American could save the U.S. economy from a 5% drop in GDP, or approximately $1 trillion in reduced economic spending.

This grassroots initiative aims to remind both residents and visitors that wearing a mask can make a significant difference in helping to reduce risk of exposure and stop the spread of COVID-19. By wearing a mask regularly when out in public or at work, both New Hampshire residents and visitors can help slow the spread and keep the Upper Valley healthy, safe and open.

For more information or to participate in the statewide initiative to keep New Hampshire healthy, please visit maskupnewhampshire.com or contact Alice Ely at alice.ely@uvpublichealth.org.