Health Department Holding "Diabetes and the Holidays" Class
It’s hard enough to manage your diet if you have diabetes, but the holidays add another level of difficulty with the food-centered celebrations. If you would like to learn how to manage your diabetes through the holiday season, the Northern Kentucky Health Department is offering a class titled “Diabetes and the Holidays.” The free class will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday, November 24, at the Mary Ann Mongan branch of the Kenton County Public Library, 502 Scott Blvd., Covington, Ky. Learn more.

Training Offers Tips for Working with Lead
The Health Department will host a Lead Safe Work Practices class. The class will meet during two sessions—participants must attend both to complete the course—from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 25, and from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, December 2, at the Brighton Center, 741 Central Ave., Newport, Ky. Attendees will learn about the health effects of lead, personal protective equipment, setting up work areas to reduce dust, performing renovation work safely and safe disposal of possible lead contaminated debris. Learn more and register online.

Volunteer Your Skills to Help in Your Community by Joining the Medical Reserve Corps
If a disaster or crisis threatened Northern Kentucky, volunteers may be needed to help take action if the event has overwhelmed traditional resources. The Northern Kentucky Medical Reserve Corps provides citizens of both medical and non-medical backgrounds with a way to respond. Anyone interested in joining the Medical Reserve Corps is invited to attend a two-hour training session scheduled for Saturday, January 10, 2009.

Arm Yourself and Your Family with the Best Weapon Against Seasonal Influenza:
An Annual Flu Vaccine
Protect yourself and those you love from the flu by getting an annual flu vaccine. The Health Department is encouraging any Northern Kentucky resident wanting to reduce his/her risk of getting influenza to be vaccinated this fall or early winter. The Health Department will offer the flu vaccine by appointment only at its county health centers this year. All centers will schedule the appointments for flu shots during regular hours, which are 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Learn more about flu.

HIV Continuing Education Course
The Health Department is offering a continuing education course on HIV for health care providers from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 6, 2009, at the Erlanger branch of the Kenton County Public Library, 401 Kenton Lands Road, Erlanger Ky. The course will cover basic medical information about HIV disease, progression, transmission and prevention; management of HIV in the workplace; legal issues; testing strategies; and local resources for HIV testing and case management. Learn more and register online.

Pertussis
The Health Department has received higher than usual reports of cases of pertussis, commonly known as whopping cough, this fall. Since September 1, seven cases of pertussis have been reported for Boone, Campbell, Grant and Kenton counties. Petussis is particularly dangerous in infants. A vaccine against pertussis is available for both children and adults. Read the pertussis fact sheet.

Walktober
Thanks to everyone who participated in Walktober. Participants tracked their physical activity during the month of October using scorecards. The goal of Walktober was to dramatically boost walking in just 31 days — from the national average of 4,000 steps a day to 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day. Winners of the $100 cash prize will be announced soon. If you participated in Walktober, please consider taking a survey as part of the evaluation of the program.

Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are small, flat insects, usually brown or reddish-brown in color. Bed bugs are typically about 1/4 of an inch long. Bed bugs do not fly, but can quickly move across floors, walls and other surfaces. They are typically active at night. Bed bugs are typically found in luggage, clothing, bedding and furniture. They can live in almost any crevice or protected location. Learn more by reading the bed bugs fact sheet.

Northern Kentucky Health and Social Needs Assessment
One of the main thrusts of Northern Kentucky's Vision 2015 strategic planning initiative is to build livable communities. The Health Department has partnered with Vision 2015 to implement the livable community strategy of “conduct ongoing health and social assessments and implement a comprehensive regional approach to meet and fund those needs.” An 18-month planning process to address these issues is underway.

Community Health Fair Requests
The staff from the Health Department is open to requests to participate in community health fairs in Boone, Campbell, Grant and Kenton counties or serving populations from those counties. A health fair is defined as a community outreach event designed to promote Health Department services and is characterized as brief interactions which include opportunities to share small bits of information and/or educational materials. Learn more about health fairs and request participation from the Health Department using an online form.

Food Inspection Listings Upgraded
Checking food inspection scores for all licensed food establishments in Boone, Campbell, Grant and Kenton counties is now even easier, with the launch of a new searchable database for the inspection scores. Web site visitors can now look for food inspection scores by establishment name, city, ZIP code or inspection score. Previously, the scores were only available as a complete list, in a large downloadable file. Registered sanitarians inspect local food service establishments twice a year, unless otherwise needed. The purpose of the inspection is to assure that the food is being properly handled and protected when stored, prepared, displayed, served and transported. Learn more about the inspection process and view the latest scores.

Birth and Death Certificates
The Health Department does not provide copies of official birth and death certificates locally. They must be obtained from the Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics. Northern Kentucky residents wishing to obtain an official copy of a birth of death certificate have several options to obtain a birth or death certificate, including by phone, online, mail or in person. Learn more about obtaining a copy of a birth or death certificate.