The mission of the Van Buren/Cass County District Health Department is to promote AND contribute to the highest level of health possible for the people of Van Buren and Cass Counties.

Click here for the Van Buren/Cass District Health Department 2007 Annual Report

New MI Booster Seat Law effective July 1, 2008

Children must be in a booster seat until they are 8 years old or 4’9” tall.

Children must be in a seat until they reach the age requirement or the height requirement, whichever comes first. For example:

• If your child is 8 years or older, but under 4'9" tall, the law does not apply.
• If your child is under 8 years old, but over 4'9" tall, the law does not apply.

For more information click here.

Summer Barbeque Fun: Remember to thoroughly cook your food! For more information click here.

Tomatoes and Salmonella- For more information please visit: http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/tomatoes.html

Vaccine Safety Realities  

• Vaccines are the single-most powerful, cost-effective public health intervention ever developed.
• Vaccines have significantly reduced and, in some cases, eliminated serious infectious disease.
• The consequences of a decline in immunization rates could be devastating to the health of our nation’s children.

For additional information see:

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/ Center for Disease Control

www.immunize.org    Immunization Action Coalition

www.vaccinesafety.edu    Institute for Vaccine Safety

West Nile Virus – Dead Bird Reporting

Testing of dead birds will not be provided by the Health Department. However, reporting of dead corvids (ravens, crows, and blue jays) is valuable and can be done at www.michigan.gov/emergingdiseases.

For more information on West Nile Virus, click here.

MRSA

MRSA is one type of bacterial staph infection.  These infections are generally indistinguishable from other staph infections which include; boils, deep skin infections, infected cuts and abrasions, and impetigo.  Recently the national media has generated significant attention on MRSA.  However, over the past decade the local health department, hospitals and physicians have been dealing with MRSA.  Whereas MRSA previously was mostly “hospital acquired”, now “community acquired” cases have become much more prevalent.  The vast majority of community acquired cases will not be severe or life threatening.  At high risk will continue to be those individuals in a compromised state of health, often in settings such as hospitals.

Click here for an excellent brochure on MRSA

Click here for more information on MRSA in the school setting

An excellent resource is also available from the CDC: MRSA In Schools

MI Prescription Drug Price Finder

If you don’t have prescription drug insurance coverage, the MI Prescription Drug Prices website can help you to find the best price, for the top 150 prescribed medications, in your area. Just enter your zip code or city, the name of the medication and the distance from your home you are willing to travel. A list of all pharmacies in the area you specified and the price they charge for the medication will be listed. You will probably find that there is a significant difference in the price of your medications, depending on where you shop.