4/4/18 @ 10:55 a.m. - April 2 through April 8, 2018 has been designated as Public Health Week in Florida and in celebration, the Nassau County Health Department is releasing daily messages. Today's message is dedicated to Environmental Health. Please see the attached Press Release to learn more.

If you have any questions, please contact Michael Godwin at (904) 557-9152 or via email at Michael.godwin@flhealth.gov.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

4/3/18 @ 9:30 a.m. - April 2 through April 8, 2018 has been designated as Public Health Week in Florida and in celebration, the Nassau County Health Department has issued the attached Press Release titled "Public Health Week 2018 - Ensuring the Right to Health". This message includes information on accessing affordable, quality insurance coverage, preventing costly diseases, and creating conditions that enable good health.

If you have any questions, please contact Stefanie Thomas at (904) 557-9144 or via email at Stefanie.Thomas@flhealth.gov.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

3/26/18 @ 11:30 a.m. - The week of April 2 through April 8, 2018 is National Public Health Week. To celebrate, the Florida Department of Health will host a viewing of the film "Resilience - the Biology of Stress and Science of Hope" at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 5, 2018 at Wildlight Elementary Cafeteria located at 550 Curiosity Avenue, Yulee,

According to the attached Press Release issued by the Health Department, the documentary is regarding Adverse Childhood Events (ACEs) and their impact on health. Healthy Start Program Manager, Valerie Eldridge, states, "Through the Nassau Infant Mortality Taskforce, local service providers are examining how ACEs affect maternal and infant health outcomes and are developing strategies to prevent and to intervene when ACEs occur. The first step to lowering the occurrence of ACEs and caring for those who have experienced them, is community awareness and education. Screening the documentary, Resilience, aligns with that goal".

Light refreshments and information on local resources will be available at this free event. If you have any questions, please contact the Nassau County Health Department at (904) 875-6100.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

2/12/18 @ 3:30 p.m. - Attached is a message from the Florida Department of Health in Nassau County, regarding the flu. The message includes information on flu shots, as well as information on why you may have gotten the flu despite having received your vaccination.

If you have any questions, please contact Emily Cason with the Nassau County Department of Health, at (904) 557-9173 or via e-mail at Emily.cason@flhealth.gov.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

12/5/17 @ 1:45 p.m. - Attached is a Press Release from the Florida Department of Health in Nassau County regarding a fox that tested positive for rabies on December 4, 2017 in the Kings Ferry area. The Press Release includes boundaries for the rabies alert, as well as precautions on protecting yourself and your pets.

If you have any questions, please contact Environmental Health Supervisor, Michael Godwin, at (904) 557-9150.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

10/18/17 @ 8:50 a.m. - Attached is a Press Release issued by the Nassau County Health Department regarding an upcoming presentation by Laura DiBella, Nassau County Economic Development Board Director. The event will take place on Wednesday November 1st from 3:00-5:00 p.m. in the Nassau Room located in the Red Bean Center at FSCJ - Nassau. Ms. DiBella will provide a snapshot of the local economy from past, present to future and how it relates to healthcare. There will also be an update on the most recent Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) accomplishments including their identified strategic areas: Access to Care; Behavioral Health and Substance Abuse; and Transportation. 

​If you have any questions, please contact Mary von Mohr at (904) 557-9133 or via e-mail at mary.vonmohr@flhealth.gov. 

-Sabrina Robertson
​ County Manager's Office 

9/29/17 @ 2:30 p.m. - Nassau County Emergency Management and the Nassau County Health Department submitted a request last week to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for mosquito spraying in unincorporated areas of Nassau County due to flooding from Hurricane Irma. We were notified this morning that aerial spraying will take place very early tomorrow morning in Zones 1-4, as outlined in burgundy in the attached map.

Also attached is a sheet containing commonly asked questions and answers related to mosquito spraying

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

8/16/17 @ 9:15 a.m. - Please see the below Press Release issued today by the Florida Department of Health. It includes tips on protecting your eyes during the solar eclipse, as well as a list of vendors selling approved eclipse glasses.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 16, 2017
Contact: Communications Office
(850) 245-4111

Tallahassee, Florida - On Monday, August 21, Florida will experience a partial solar eclipse, and the Florida Department of Health reminds all Floridians to enjoy this rare event safely by following simple precautions and using proper protection. Severe retinal damage can occur from looking directly at the sun.

"The solar eclipse is a once-in-a-lifetime event that I'm sure many of us will want to experience,” said State Surgeon General and Secretary Dr. Celeste Philip. "I look forward to viewing the eclipse safely using approved solar eclipse glasses, and I encourage all of Florida's residents and visitors to practice caution while driving or walking outdoors during the period of darkness.”

Because Florida will not experience a total solar eclipse, it will not be safe the view the eclipse without the use of special solar filters like eclipse glasses. Sunglasses are not eclipse glasses. Not all glasses that market themselves as "eclipse glasses” are safe. Approved glasses have filters that meet the ISO 12312-2 international standard for safety. A list of vendors for approved eclipse glasses can be viewed on the American Astronomical Society (AAS) website. During the eclipse, be sure to take breaks and avoid staring at the sun for long periods of time, even with eclipse glasses.

Take simple precautions to protect your vision before, during and after the solar eclipse:

• Always inspect your solar filter before use; if scratched or damaged, discard it. Read and follow any instructions printed on or packaged with the filter;
• Do not look at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars, or other optical device;
• Always supervise children using solar filters; and
• Stand still and cover your eyes with your eclipse glasses or solar viewer before looking up at the bright sun. After looking at the sun, turn away and remove your filter — do not remove it while looking at the sun.

You can read more about solar eclipse safety on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Eclipse 101 website.
If you experience eye damage during the solar eclipse, please contact your health care provider.

About the Florida Department of Health
The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.
Follow us on Twitter at @HealthyFla and on Facebook. For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov
 
-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

8/1/17 @ 11:15 a.m. - The Florida Department of Health has issued the attached Press Release reminding residents to avoid contact with stray animals to protect themselves from the risk of rabies exposure. The Press Release also includes tips on protecting your pets, as well as information on how rabies is transmitted.

To report unusual acting animals, please call Nassau County Animal Services at (904) 530-6150 (Note: Animals located within the City of Fernandina Beach should be reported to Nassau Humane Society at (904) 491-0122). Anyone who is scratched or bitten by a stray or wild animal should report the incident to their doctor immediately, as well as their local animal control agency and the Department of Health at (904) 875-6100.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office