News from the Rehoboth Town Nurse

Hello to you all,
Back to school time! Where did the summer go!
We have been very busy here in the Public Health Nurse’s Office.

We continue to be concerned with tick and mosquito borne disease and occurrences in Rehoboth. We are still seeing some of the more serious tick-borne diseases. We have not had an occurrence of mosquito borne illnesses in humans in Rehoboth yet, but, as you’ll see on the Town Hall Scroll, we are currently considered a “moderate risk” for West Nile Virus, according to the Department of Public Health. So, PLEASE be extra careful when you are outside to use an FDA approved insect repellant according to its directions and avoid outdoor activities during dusk and dawn which are prime mosquito biting hours!

On September 15th, the Public Health Nurse will run a vaccination clinic in conjunction with CVS pharmacy here at 27 Francis Farm Rd. in the Arcade Building. The vaccination that will be available are: COVID, ‘flu, RSV, Shingles and pneumonia vaccines. The registration link to sign up for the vaccine clinic is available on the town website under “Our Town Services” on the Public Health Nurse’s web page. If you do not have access to a computer, or have difficulty registering, you can call the Public Health Nurs’s phone at 508-252-5946, ext. 3127 and leave you NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER, DATE OF BIRTH AND E-MAIL ADDRESS. If you do not have e-mail, don’t worry, I can help with that also. If you are leaving a message, just know that it is a password protected phone and your information is safe.

In October, on the 8th, we are planning an interview with the District Attorney’s office for the Healthy Living Program. The topic is Domestic Violence and a short review of scamming. These Healthy Living presentations are also recorded by our media specialist and can be viewed on the Rehoboth TV local channel, channel 9.

Our usual services continue: BP screening clinic on Monday’s from 11:45am -1:15pm at the COA building @ 27 Francis Farm Rd. The Bereavement Support Group meets on Wednesday mornings from 9:30am-10:30 am and home wellness check are available by appointment on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.

As the little ones head back to school, it’s a good idea to review road and school bus safety. Remind them that they should still be careful to look both ways, even when the bus’s blinking lights are lit and the road block bar is opened. Also review cough etiquette and handwashing, two of the best ways to help protect your little ones from illness, as they turn into little petri-dishes in the first few weeks of school. In our working, child rearing and otherwise busy schedules, if is a bit of a challenge to manage keeping sick children home from school. However, if your child has a fever along with other sign and symptoms of illness, please keep them home until the child is fever free for 24 hours without medication to keep a fever down. This will help break the chain of infection, and protect your child from becoming sick with the same virus weeks later. And a quick word to our new drivers heading to school under their own wheel in September. Be safe, you have your permit or license because you have been deemed to be safe on the roads! It will be a different experience for you on school days with buses and parents taking children to school. Allow for bus stops, school zone speed limits and the roundabout construction. Give yourself an extra few minutes to get to school on time.
On that note, I’ll sign off for now, and chat with you again in September,
Most sincerely,
Geri
Geri Hamel, RN MSN
Rehoboth Public Health Nurse
ghamle@rehobothma.gov 
508-252-5947, ext. 3127