August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM). This annual observance highlights the importance of getting recommended vaccines throughout your life. We know the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all aspects of life, including your ability to attend important appointments and receive routine vaccinations. During NIAM, we encourage you to talk to your doctor, nurse or healthcare provider to ensure you and your family are protected against serious diseases by getting caught up on routine vaccination.

August is also a critical time for those who are eligible to get vaccinated against COVID-19. To learn more about COVID-19 vaccination, check out the following websites:

During NIAM, The Saline County Health Department will share information and resources on social media to highlight the importance of vaccines. Help us spread the word! Follow the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and use #ivax2protect to share why you choose to vaccinate.

As the Saline County Health Department's Child Care Surveyor, Jessica Pickering is charged with inspecting licensed child care homes to ensure that regulations to maintain a safe and healthy environment for children are met.

"I enjoy the opportunity to see so many wonderful providers in action," explained Pickering. "It is heartwarming to see safe, happy, and healthy little ones as a result of great providers and their hard work."

If anyone would know what it takes to be a great provider, it would be Jessica! She worked as a child care provider for almost 12 years before coming to the Health Department four months ago. 

"I really like working with the folks here at the health department," she said. "Everyone has been welcoming, helpful and kind. I'm also looking forward to the future of child care where providers are willing to go the extra mile and not just meet the minimum standards."

Jessica is married to Quintin, whom she says "continues to be a wonderful source of joy." Together they have five children who like to go camping and one puppy who is learning not to eat everything in sight. You wouldn't know it until you stepped into or near her office, but Jessica also has a brag-worthy collection of hippopotamuses. 

Did you know the Saline County Health Department Nurses Clinic provides foreign travel immunizations, communicable disease prevention, TB testing and treatment, lead poisoning prevention, family planning services, pregnancy testing, sexually transmitted infection testing, HIV counseling and testing, and HIV/AIDS case management?

Some services may be provided for free or at a reduced cost determined by your income. Appointments are required to be seen at the clinic. 

More questions? Call 785.826.6602 to talk to one of our amazing nurses today!

Noah has fond memories of his childhood and the close relationship he shared with his father, Rick. His dad lived life to the fullest, and he was a loved and respected member of the beauty and personal care industry. He worked hard and enjoyed his leisure time entertaining colleagues and friends. Noah describes a belt that his dad used to wear that was inscribed with the phrase, “Too fast to live, too young to die,” as a way to describe his father’s passion for life. Noah was aware that his father’s social lifestyle involved drinking and cigarettes, but it never seemed to be in excess. Noah and his brother felt no cause for concern at first, but they began to notice pills missing from their own opioid prescriptions for their back pain and dental work. Noah and his brother weren’t sure their father was to blame, and they didn’t feel that they could address the missing pills with him. In addition, they didn’t think that he was showing outward signs of drug abuse or addiction.

Rick also suffered from an autoimmune disease called scleroderma, which negatively impacts the functioning of the kidneys, lungs, and heart. He was hospitalized in his mid-fifties after suffering minor strokes, and although the doctors weren’t sure what had caused his stroke and collapse, opioids were found in his system while at the hospital. He received further treatment for the autoimmune disease, which seemed to be a turning point for a healthier lifestyle. However, two years later, Rick was found unconscious in his home with opioids in his system. This time he would not recover. Rick died in the hospital at age 58.

Noah regrets not challenging his father about his addiction and wishes he and his family had known about the risks of prescription opioids and had spoken up sooner.

Find out more about the COVID-19 situation in Saline County, Kansas -