Vermont Public Health in Focus

Welcome to the second edition of our new newsletter, Vermont Public Health in Focus, which highlights the work of your Health Department, both behind the scenes and in the field. While we don't know exactly what the future of public health looks like for the U.S., we do know that public health benefits entire communities, and we remain committed to supporting the mental, physical, and social well-being of everyone in Vermont. Thank you for standing with us and supporting the work we do.

In this month’s issue, we’re taking a closer look at oral rabies vaccine bait drops and community water fluoridation.

See last month's edition here.

Small Bait, Big Impacts

Click the image to watch the Instagram Reel.

Thumbnail image to click to watch an Instagram video of a Health Department employee place oral rabies vaccine bait blister packs.

Oral Rabies Vaccine Bait Drop

Rabies is a deadly disease caused by a virus that infects the brain of mammals. To help stop the spread of rabies, we work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Wildlife Services, Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife, and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets to vaccinate wild animals like raccoons and skunks.

Rabies vaccine is hidden inside sweet-smelling bait that attracts raccoons and skunks.

When these animals eat the bait, they’re protected from getting or spreading rabies to other wildlife, pets and people. The bait is not harmful to people, pets or wildlife.

The USDA uses Health Department rabies testing data to decide where to distribute the bait. About 350,000 of the quarter-sized vaccine packs are being dropped this month from low-flying aircraft or placed by hand in more populated areas in response to an increase in rabies in northern Vermont. Another bait drop is planned for August.

To learn more, check out this year’s rabies bait drop fact sheet or watch this In stagram Reel our staff made while out hand baiting.

Say “hi” if you see one of our staff or partners dropping bait, and remember to please leave bait undisturbed for the animals!😊

The Latest in Public Health

Child filling up glass of water at the sink.

Fluoride in Vermont: A Public Health Success

Community water fluoridation has been around for 80 years and is considered one of the top ten public health successes. Even with widespread use of fluoride toothpaste and other tooth decay prevention efforts, studies continue to show that water fluoridation reduces dental decay by at least 25% in children and adults. Community water fluoridation ensures everyone in the community — regardless of their age, income, or ability to get dental care — has an equal chance of getting enough fluoride to prevent cavities.

In Vermont, about 57% of people on public water systems get water with added fluoride (40 water systems). Water operators monitor fluoride levels daily. The Health Department supports these community programs by providing testing supplies, equipment and tracking monthly fluoride levels. We also manage an internal private well fluoridation tracking system and work to promote water testing as a whole.

Here are the facts:

Fluoride is a mineral found naturally in the air, water, soil, plants, and many foods. It supports strong and healthy teeth by strengthening enamel, which can stop cavities.

You need the right amount of fluoride to get the benefits. Not enough fluoride won’t protect against tooth decay, while very high fluoride levels can be dangerous. In the U.S. and Vermont, water operators monitor fluoride levels daily to make sure just enough fluoride is added to reach the ideal level of 0.7 milligrams per liter (mg/L)—which is less than half of the World Health Organization’s advised safe limit of 1.5 mg/L.

Tooth decay increased when communities stopped water fluoridation programs. In the Canadian city of Calgary, cavities increased significantly in elementary school children five years after the city council banned water fluoridation in 2011. They ended up voting to put fluoride back in the water in 2021. After Juneau, Alaska, banned water fluoridation, children under six were found on average to need almost one additional cavity procedure per year.

Poor dental health has a big impact. Cavities are painful, make it hard to eat certain foods and can be expensive to treat. Tooth decay and tooth loss can also be stigmatizing and negatively affect mental health, self-esteem, and even job opportunities. Dental disease can also increase a person’s risk for uncontrolled diabetes, heart disease, stroke and more.

To learn more about fluoride and water fluoridation, check out these resources:

To learn more about how the Vermont Department of Health’s Oral Health Program works every day to improve dental health, check out the Vermont Oral Health Plan.

To sum it up

Community water fluoridation gives everyone an equal chance to get enough fluoride to prevent cavities—no matter their age, income, or access to dental care. It’s proven that when communities stop adding fluoride to their water, cavities go up. That’s why in Vermont, the Health Department supports water systems in keeping fluoride at safe levels and encourages communities to continue fluoridating their water. It’s a simple, effective way to protect healthy teeth and benefit overall well-being.