More Kentucky youth received emergency care for self-harm in 2021 than in 2020, reversing decline in youths' intentional injuries

Ky. Injury Prevention Research Ctr. graph, adapted by Ky. Health News

By Melissa Patrick

Kentucky Health News

Fewer young people in Kentucky got emergency care in the first year of the pandemic for intentional injuries, but in the second year, the number rose, mainly due to a 15 percent increase in cases where youth, mostly girls, harmed themselves.

That's according to a report from the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center on intentional injury-related emergency department visits among Kentuckians aged 10 to 24. It says people in this age group, which it calls youth, have an increased risk for these injuries that often require medical care. 

Intentional injuries are violence-related injuries, whether they be directed toward oneself, called self-harm or intentional injury in this report; or directed toward others, which this report refers to as assault.

The researchers found that from 2016 to 2021, Kentucky resident youth made 40,579 emergency-department visits for intentional injuries, amounting to about 6,763 visits per year. It notes that the median cost of an ED visit for self-harm injuries was $2,577 and for assault injuries was $1,644.

In those years, most of the intentional injury-related ED visits occurred in people aged 15 to 24, followed by those 10 to 14, the report says. And when it comes to self-harm, an overwhelming number of those ED visits, or 71%, involved girls or women. 

Slightly more male youths, 52%, visited EDs as a result of assault. Most self-harm injuries (58%) and assault injuries (63%) were among youth living in metropolitan areas.

Most injuries were among white youth, 84% for self-harm and 71% for assault. For Blacks, the numbers were 11% and 24%, respectively.  

The report also breaks down injury-related ED visits by the nature of the injury. The top two self-harm injuries in 2016-21 were drug poisoning, 50.3%, and cut or pierce, 31.5%. The top two assault injuries were striking by or against, 68%, and child or adult abuse, 10.7%. Only 2.1% of the ED visits for assault injuries were related to firearms. 

Among self-harm injuries, the most common types were poisoning (52%), open wounds (22%), and superficial injuries or contusions (11%). The most common types of assault injuries were superficial or contusion (30%), open wound (18%), other effects of external causes (15%), and fractures (13%).

The report also found that most Kentucky youth ED visits for injuries related to intentional harm were discharged to home or to self-care: 48.4% of those admitted for self-harm and 93.8% of those admitted for assault. It said 13.5% of the self-harm patients were discharged to an inpatient facility and 34.2% were discharged to a health-care facility.

The ED visit rate for youth self-harm injuries varied by region in Kentucky from 181 per 100,000 people in the Buffalo Trace Area Development District to 333.7 per 100,000 in the Kentucky River ADD. The Green River ADD had the second highest rate, at 305 per 100,000. 

The ED visit rate for youth assault injuries ranged from 385.4 per 100,000 in the Barren River ADD to 718.3 in the Kentucky River ADD. Two other ADDs were among the highest rates for this measure, KIPDA, at 705.2 per 100,000 and Green River, at 565.6 per 100,000.

Graph by Kentucky Injury Prevention Research Center; for a larger version, click on it.

Women should start getting mammograms at 40, experts say now

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/05/09/mammogram-age-40-breast-cancer-screening/

American Psychological Association issues research-based recommendations for use of social media by young people

Shutterstock photo via The Conversation

The American Psychological Association has issued recommendations for adolescents' use of social media, noting that while the platforms can promote healthy socialization, young people should not use them until they have taken training in social media literacy to give them skills to have "balanced, safe and meaningful experiences," APA says.

Social media are “neither inherently harmful nor beneficial to our youth,” APA President Thema Bryant said. “But because young people mature at different rates, some are more vulnerable than others to the content and features on many social media platforms that science has demonstrated can influence healthy development. Just as we require young people to be trained in order to get a driver’s license, our youth need instruction in the safe and healthy use of social media.”

Bryant appointed an advisory panel to issue the 10 recommendations, titled the American Psychological Association Health Advisory on Social Media Use in Adolescence. It recommends psychological competencies that youth should possess before using social media, plus periodic booster training to minimize the chances for harm and maximize the benefits that social media can provide.

The advisory notes that not all findings apply equally to all youth: “Scientific findings offer one piece of information that can be used along with knowledge of specific youths’ strengths, weaknesses and context to make decisions that are tailored for each teen, family and community. Age-appropriate use of social media should be based on each adolescent’s level of maturity (e.g., self-regulation skills, intellectual development, comprehension of risks) and home environment.”

Among the report’s recommendations are:

• Tailor social-media use, functionality and permissions to youths’ developmental capabilities; designs created for adults may not be appropriate for children.
• Adults should monitor younger adolescents' social media use, including discussing and coaching about content. This should be balanced with youths’ appropriate needs for privacy. Autonomy may increase gradually as children age and gain more digital literacy.
• Minimize adolescents’ exposure to social-media content that depicts illegal or psychologically maladaptive behavior, including content that instructs or encourages youth to engage in self-harm or high-risk behaviors or those that encourage eating-disordered behavior (such as restrictive eating, purging or excessive exercise).
• Minimize adolescents’ exposure to online content that promotes discrimination, prejudice, hate or cyberbullying, especially directed toward groups targeted because of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion or disability status.
• Monitor adolescents for signs of problematic social media use that can impair their ability to engage in daily roles and routines and may present risk for more serious psychological harms over time.
• Limit social media use so as not to interfere with adolescents’ sleep or physical activity, as each is required for healthy brain and psychological development.
• Limit adolescents’ use of social media for primarily beauty- or appearance-related content.

The report acknolwledges that it is not yet possible to determine if social media harm youth. Relatively few studies have been conducted with youth from racial, ethnic, sexual, gender, socioeconomic or differently-abled populations, and/or youth with chronic developmental or health conditions.

Researchers at Baylor University in Texas recently reported that "immersion in a world created by the social media experience drives problematic social media behaviors and addiction." The report calls for “a substantial investment in research funding” and access to more data, including data from tech companies.

“We hope these recommendations will be helpful as we all try to keep pace with the rapidly shifting social media ecosystem,” APA CEO Arthur C. Evans Jr. said. “APA will continue to keep tabs on developments within the current and future platforms, with an eye toward safeguarding our youth and enabling them to benefit from the positive aspects of social media.”

The APA said its recommendations are based on scientific research in psychology and related disciplines, conducted with thousands of adolescents who completed standardized assessments of social, behavioral, psychological and/or neurological functioning, and reported engaging with specific social media functions or content, or were observed doing so.

National public-health emergency for Covid-19 ends Thursday but experts warn that another Omicron-like outbreak is still possible

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maps

To enlarge any image, click on it.

Covid-19 is no longer a global health emergency, and the U.S. public health emergency ends May 11, but the pandemic is not over and the disease remans a threat, the World Health Organization said Friday.

Experts recently warned the White House that "There’s a roughly 20 percent chance during the next two years of an outbreak rivaling the onslaught of illness inflicted by the Omicron variant" of the coronavirus, reports Dan Diamond of The Washington Post. "A forecast from one widely regarded scientist pegged the risk at a more alarming level, suggesting a 40 percent chance of an omicron-like wave." Thousands of people around the world are still dying from the virus every week, the WHO said.

"Fewer than 80,000 confirmed coronavirus cases were reported across the United States last week — the lowest figure since March 2020," Diamond notes. "But the actual rate of infection is almost certainly far higher than the reported numbers, with many Americans testing at home, if at all, and opting not to report their results. The potential for large indoor gatherings to fuel coronavirus infections remains high, as illustrated by about three dozen cases linked to a CDC conference last week. The virus remains on pace to be one of the top 10 causes of death this year, with fatalities concentrated among older and immunocompromised individuals."

The end of the national public-health emergency means that many broad federal measures, including vaccine mandates, will end. Also, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "will have less data to track the spread of Covid and new variants," CNBC reports. "The U.S. has a fragmented health-care system where the authority to decide what disease data gets reported largely rests with states and corporations, not the CDC," but the agency will continue to get "data from the nation's hospitals, a network of voluntary labs and sewage surveillance."

The latest CDC maps for Kentucky show all of the state's counties with a low risk of Covid-19, but another CDC map shows that transmission of the virus is still high or substantial in many counties. Most counties have a moderate level of transmission, indicated in yellow on the map; a few have low levels, indicatd in blue. The latter map is used mainly by hospitals and researchers; health officials say people should take their prevention guidance from the other map, which shows all Kentucky counties in green.

UK's new Food as Health Alliance will look at ways to use food to improve patient outcomes and Kentucky's overall health

The University of Kentucky Food as Health Alliance celebrated its official launch April 27 with a $200,000 contribution from the Kentucky Association of Health Plans, the trade group of insurance companies operating in the state.

The alliance, formed by UK's College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, will work with clinical, community, academic and industry leaders to improve the state's programs that use diet and nutrition to improve patient outcomes and the overall health of Kentuckians.

The association's gift will fund four research pilot projects in urban and rural communities by the college's Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition. The projects will work with partners to develop cost-effective and clinically meaningful food-delivery programs, such as prescriptions for groceries or medically tailored meals.

The projects will also measure clinical outcomes, along with impacts on health-care costs among food-insecure adults who are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes or heart disease.

One project will partner with Instacart, an online grocery-delivery service, to analyze the benefits of using food as medicine via prescriprions for groceries. It was noted in a White House announcement in March.

The alliance has produced 10 nutrition-focused cooking videos, made internal grants at UK, and developed plans for videos to train clinicians. Its director, Alison Gustafson, said in a news release, "I am so moved by the array of individuals and organizations across our state that are devoted to reducing food insecurity and improving the health of our residents."

FDA approves first-ever RSV vaccine for people 60 and older

ABC News photo

By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News 

People 60 and older now have access to the first approved vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus. The vaccine, developed by GlaxoSmithKline, is called Arexvy and was approved May 3 by the Food and Drug Administration.

“Today’s approval of the first RSV vaccine is an important public-health achievement to prevent a disease which can be life-threatening and reflects the FDA’s continued commitment to facilitating the development of safe and effective vaccines for use in the United States," Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologies Evaluation and Research, said in a news release. 

The release said the FDA concluded that the vaccine is safe and effective from scientific analysis of data from an ongoing, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study conducted in the U.S. and other nations among individuals 60 years of age and older. The trial had nearly 25,000 participants.

The study showed that the vaccine reduced the risk of people 60 and older from developing a lower-respiratory-tract infection from RSV by 83 percent, and severe disease by 94%.  

When a person gets RSV, they typically have mild, cold-like symptoms, but for some older adults, it can be deadly, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Each year, between 60,000 and 160,000 older adults in the U.S. are hospitalized due to an RSV infection and between 6,000 and 10,000 of them die from it, the CDC says. 

Older adults are at more risk of serious complications from RSV because our immune systems weaken as we get older. The CDC Says those with chronic lung or heart disease or weakened immune systems are at the highest risk for severe RSV. 

"With this vaccine, Americans over the age of 60, and particularly those with underlying health conditions like COPD, asthma, or congestive heart failure, will have a vaccine to help protect against potentially serious outcomes from RSV," Dr. John Kennedy, president of the American Medical Group Association, said in a GSK news release. 

Arexvy will be rolled out ahead of the fall and winter RSV season, Carolyn Y. Johnson of The Washington Post reports in an article that explores the new vaccine's side effects and what's in it.

Johnson notes that the new vaccine does not come from new technology: "This is a protein-based vaccine, similar to ones that are used against other diseases, including a hepatitis B vaccine, a shingles shot and an influenza vaccine. The protein in the vaccine is produced by cells in a laboratory."

Loneliness poses a public-health threat, prompting a rare advisory from the surgeon general, with a plan to rebuild social connections

By Melissa Patrick

Kentucky Health News

The physical and societal harms that come from loneliness are so bad that America's top public-health official has issued a rare advisory with a framework to rebuild social connection and community in the U.S. 

"Loneliness is more than just a bad feeling," Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy writes in an opinion piece for The New York Times. "When people are socially disconnected, their risk of anxiety and depression increases. So does their risk of heart disease (29%), dementia (50%), and stroke (32%). The increased risk of premature death associated with social disconnection is comparable to smoking daily — and may be even greater than the risk associated with obesity."

Social disconnection was worsened by the pandemic. 

“What Covid did is really pour fuel on a fire that was already burning,” Murthy told Fenit Nirappil of The Washington Post. “I want the entire country to understand how profound a public-health threat loneliness and isolation pose.”

Murthy's opening letter in the public-health advisory, titled Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation, adds, "The mortality impact of being socially disconnected is similar to that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day . . .  And the harmful consequences of a society that lacks social connection can be felt in our schools, workplaces, and civic organizations, where performance, productivity, and engagement are diminished." 

To further this point, the advisory says, "Data across 148 studies, with an average of 7.5 years of follow-up, suggest that social connection increases the odds of survival by 50%." 

In the Times, Murthy tells the story of his own experience with loneliness after his first term as surgeon general and how, with the help of others, he found his way out of it. Research shows he was not alone in this feeling, he reports: "About one out of every two Americans is experiencing measurable levels of loneliness. . . . Its invisibility is part of what makes it so insidious." 

Murthy goes on to say that loneliness and isolation have led us to a place where we "are less invested in one another, we are more susceptible to polarization and less able to pull together to face the challenges that we cannot solve alone." And this, he says, "has fueled other problems that are killing us and threaten to rip our country apart." 

For all of these reasons, Murthy writes, "rebuilding social connection must be a top public-health priority in our nation." To do this, he offers three key suggestions in the op-ed, which are outlined in greater depth in the 68-page advisory. 

First, Murthy says we must strengthen our social infrastructure, such as school-based programs that teach children about building healthy relationships and workplace design that fosters social connection.

Second, we must figure out how to create space in our lives without our electronic devices so that we can be more present with each other, with a commitment to promote conversation that amplifies understanding. 

Third, we need to take steps to rebuild our connections to each other, reaching out to people we care about, talking to our neighbors, checking in with co-workers who may be having a hard time, and seeking opportunities to serve.

Murthy has long advocated treating loneliness as a public-health issue wrote a 2020 book, Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World.

Research cited in the advisory shows that nationally, social connection decreased between 2003 and 2020 as time alone increased: Isolation increased by 24 hours per month and social engagement with friends dropped 20 hours per month.

Research also shows that loneliness and isolation are most prevalent in people with poor physical or mental health, disabilities, struggling financially or living alone, says the advisory. It adds that younger and older populations struggle the most. 

"For example, while the highest rates of social isolation are found among older adults, young adults are almost twice as likely to report feeling lonely than those over 65," it says. 

The advisory provides a national strategy to advance social connection that involves six pillars and the report goes on to lay out a detailed plan for how to support them. They include: strengthening social infrastructure in local communities; enacting pro-connection public policies; mobilizing the health sector; reforming digital environments; deepening our knowledge; and building a culture of connection. 

Graphic from Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation public health advisory 

The report says, "We can choose, in short, to take the core values that make us strong—love, kindness, respect, service, and commitment to one another—and reflect them in the world we build for ourselves and our children. This strategy shows us how to create the connected lives and the connected world we need."

Murthy talked to Christina Caron of the Times about how to build meaningful social connections in an increasingly lonely world. He offered five tips: 

• Reconnect with people: "To get started, take 15 minutes each day to contact a friend or a relative. Put a reminder in your calendar, if needed, so that it remains a priority. Your relationships cannot thrive unless they are nurtured," she writes
• Minimize distractions: For a more satisfying quality time, put the devices down and give your full attention.“Focus on the conversation,” Murthy told Caron. “Listening is as important as what we say.”
• When people call, pick up the phone: Even if you are busy, he said. Pick it up, make a time to talk later, and do it. "That 10 seconds feels so much better than going back and forth on text," he said. 
• Serve others: Studies show that volunteering can ease feelings of loneliness and broaden our social networks, she writes. “When we help other people we establish an experience or a connection with them — but we also remind ourselves of the value that we bring to the world,” he told her. 
• Get help: Murthy said to tell someone if you are struggling with loneliness, whether that be a relative, a friend, a counselor or a health care provider. And, if you are having thoughts of harming yourself, call the 988 crisis hotline.

Young Ky. woman battles two extremely rare health conditions

Brayli Steberl (Photo from GoFundMe page)

A young Kentucky woman is facing an uphill battle to fight two extremely rare health conditions, one affecting her blood and the other her liver,  Phil Pendleton reports for Lexington's WKYT-TV.

Pendleton reports that Brayli Steberl, a 21-year-old student at Campbellsville University, was sick for four years before they figured out that she had a blood disorder called paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, which causes part of her own blood to attack her, and Budd-Chiari syndrome, a liver condition that causes the veins in her liver to be blocked by blood clots. 

Both conditions are extremely rare, and it’s even more rare to have both together -- and, they are also extremely expensive to fight. Steberl has a  GoFundMe page to help her pay medical costs. 

Steberl's mother, Kathy Long, told Pendleton that treatments cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, and insurance co-payments cost $80,000. She has seen doctors in Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee and will likely face more travel in the future. 

Long also told Pendleton that her daughter's faith is so strong. She said, “Her desire is to just truly serve the Lord. She said this isn’t going to stop me. It is going to be part of the journey." 

When rural hospitals stop delivering babies, fewer expectant mothers receive prenatal care, Iowa study finds

University of Missouri Health Care photo

When rural counties lose their last labor-and-delivery unit, fewer expectant mothers in those counties get adequate prenatal care, even though that care is still available, according to a University of Iowa study.

 “Our study reflects continuing problems in our maternal health system in general, and in rural areas in particular,” Tom Gruca, co-author and professor of marketing, said in a news release. “It suggests a breakdown of maternal health care in rural areas.”

The study, published in the Journal of Rural Health, looked at the impact of the closure of seven labor and delivery units in 2018 and 2019 in rural Iowa, where prenatal care continued after the closure of those units. 

The researchers found that 18 percent of expectant mothers were making an inadequate number of prenatal care visits to a doctor in those hospitals before the closings. Following the closing, that number increased to 22%. “And 18% is not a great number, to begin with,” Gruca said.

Research shows that prenatal care reduces preterm birth and low birth weight babies. 

"All women in rural counties where the only labor-and-delivery unit closed have a 24% higher likelihood of having inadequate prenatal care compared to those in counties that still have a unit. For women enrolled in Medicaid, the difference is even more pronounced, with a 38% higher likelihood of receiving inadequate prenatal care," says the release. 

The researchers said the drop in prenatal-care rates might be attributed to expectant mothers' thinking that the hospital did away with all maternity services when the labor-and-delivery unit closed. They said poor mothers' access to prenatal care is complicated because not all health care providers accept Medicaid. 

Gruca said one solution could be creation of a central source of information that expectant mothers can use to find health-care professionals who provide the care they need and accept the insurance they have.

For National Motorcycle and Bike Safety Awareness Month, here are safety tips for drivers, motorcyclists and bicyclists

Urban Milwaukee photo

May is National Motorcycle and Bike Safety Awareness Month, and state officials are reminding Kentuckians to look out for one another – whether on two wheels or four.

“We’re entering the warmer months, which typically means more motorcycles and bicycles on our roadways,” Gov. Andy Beshear. “Safety is a mutual responsibility and we encourage all road users to do their part in making sure everyone makes it to their destination safely – every trip, every time.”

The state Transportation Cabinet points out that a motorcycle or bicycle is a vehicle with all of the rights and privileges of any motor vehicle though it may be in the blind spots of cars, trucks and SUVs.

“We’re asking motorists to take simple yet important actions when behind the wheel,” Transportation Secretary Jim Gray said. “Taking the extra step of looking twice at intersections and before changing lanes or making turns could be the difference between life and death for a motorcyclist or bicyclist.”

In 2022 motorcycle crashs in Kentucky caused 1,198 injuries and 99 deaths (all of them motorcyclists). Of the 1,575 crashes, 824 involved a motorcycle and at least one other vehicle.

Bicyclists' crashes resulted in 229 injuries and 13 deaths. Of the 344 crashes, 340 involved at least one other vehicle.

The Kentucky Office of Highway Safety offers drivers these tips:

• Put the phone down and pay attention. Driving while distracted increases risk for all road users;
• Perform a regular visual check by checking mirrors and blind spots before entering or exiting a lane of traffic, and at intersections;
• Use a turn signal before changing lanes or merging with traffic to alert others of your intentions;
• Don’t be fooled by a flashing turn signal on a mo­torcycle. Motorcycle signals are often not self-canceling and riders sometimes forget to turn them off. Wait to be sure the motorcycle is going to turn before you proceed;
• Obey the speed limit. Driving at the posted limit allows you to see, identify and react to possible obstacles;
• Drive sober. Alcohol and drugs affect judgment, balance and reaction time. Always make a plan for a safe ride home;
• Buckle up. Wearing a seat belt gives you the best protection against injury and death;
• Allow at least a three-second following distance between you and the vehicle in front of you;
• Do not use designated bike lanes for parking, passing or turning; and
• Pass to the left of a bicycle, allowing at least three feet clearance.

The office offers these tips for motorcyclists:

• Wear a Department of Transportation-compliant helmet;
• Use turn signals for every turn or lane change, and combine with hand signals;
• Wear brightly colored protective gear and use reflective tape and stickers to increase visibility;
• Position in the lane where most visible to other drivers;
• Pay attention by avoiding any action that takes your eyes, your ears or your mind off the road and traffic;
• Obey the speed limit. Driving at the posted limit allows you to see, identify and react to possible obstacles;
• Ride sober. Alcohol and/or drugs can impair your judgment, coordination and reaction time;
• Take a rider training course. Find information at www.ride.ky.gov.

And these tips for bicyclists:

• Ride in the same direction as traffic;
• Wear a properly-fitted helmet that meets that meets the Consumer Product Safety Commission standards;
• Use hand signals when changing lanes or turning;
• Wear brightly colored protective gear and use reflective tape and stickers to increase visibility;
• Pay attention by avoiding any action that takes your eyes, your ears or your mind off the road and traffic;
• Scan ahead for possible obstacles in your path, such as parked cars or cars pulling out or into parking spaces or driveways;
• Check your equipment before riding. Make sure your brakes are working and tires are properly inflated;
• Never ride when impaired. Alcohol and/or drugs can impair your judgment, coordination and reaction time.

May is Better Hearing and Speech Month; state says 700,000 Kentuckians have some degree of hearing loss; here are signs

From a Commonwealth of Kentucky press release

With approximately 15% of American adults reporting difficulty hearing, state officials are encouraging people to learn the signs of hearing loss—and to seek care during Better Hearing and Speech Month in May.

“We know that more than 700,000 Kentuckians of all ages are experiencing some degree of hearing loss. We encourage people to have a professional check their hearing and also to protect their hearing from loud noises,” Gov. Andy Beshear said.

Signs of hearing loss in adults include the following:

• Difficulty following conversations
• Difficulty hearing in noisy environments
• Hearing ringing, roaring or beeping in one or both ears
• Failure to respond to spoken words
• Muffled hearing
• Constant frustration hearing speech and other sounds
• Avoidance of conversation

“Our hearing is key to so many aspects of our lives, but it’s something that many people undervalue until they are having severe hearing difficulties,” said Virginia Moore, executive director of the the Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. “Even then, some people wait years to receive treatment, if ever. This is despite the fact that audiologists can help people in many different ways.

“Hearing loss is much more than a simple nuisance. Left unaddressed, it can affect us in a variety of ways, including increased risk for physical danger such as falling or missing warning signals like a fire alarm; mental health problems, including social isolation and depression; and cognitive decline, including earlier onset of dementia. Our personal relationships, career success and health-care costs can be affected as well.”

As a first step, Moore urged anyone concerned about their own hearing or that of a loved one to seek an evaluation from a certified audiologist. Private insurance, Medicaid and Medicare generally cover such evaluations. People can take this step even if they think they cannot afford hearing aids or other hearing services. Audiologists can advise people on ways to make hearing aids more affordable. In addition, various organizations offer financial assistance.

Aside from hearing aids, audiologists can identify other ways to improve a person’s listening and communication skills. They also can help families support loved ones affected by hearing loss.

If you are experiencing any of the signs above or if you think you have hearing loss, see your doctor or a licensed audiologist to assess the degree of your hearing loss, treat it and develop a plan to prevent further loss. There are several assistive technologies available through KCDHH’s Telecommunications Access Program, which can help you stay connected to emergency information and health-care providers. For more information, visit the KCDHH website.

This article was written and published several days before the May 6 death of KCDHH Executive Diretcor Virginia Moore.

All-day Immunization Summit to be held in Lexington May 10 to confront declining rates of vaccination in Kentucky

For a larger version of this poster, click on it.

By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

As vaccination rates in Kentucky decline, the Kentucky Rural Health Association is sponsoring an Immunization Summit on May 10 at the Embassy Suites in Lexington. 

The keynote speaker will be Ruth Carrico, a senior research scientist with the Norton Infectious Diseases Institute, who will speak about promoting public confidence in vaccines. 

The conference will touch on several topics, including information on the state of immunizations in Kentucky, the role of mobile units in vaccination, barriers to immunization and messages to overcome them, attitudes about immunization research, and more. 

The summit is timely because Kentucky children are behind on their routine immunizations and most Kentuckians still haven't gotten the latest, recommended bivalent Covid-19 booster.

During a recent Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky webinar, Kathleen Winters, state epidemiologist for Kentucky and the director for the Division of Epidemiology and Health Planning with the Kentucky Department for Public Health, talked about how well-child visits got off track during the pandemic, resulting in many Kentucky children missing routine vaccinations. 

She said the Kentucky School Immunization Survey shows that particularly among seventh graders, the DTaP or Tdap vaccination, which protects against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, has been on a steady decline since the 2018-19 school year. 

"This is particularly concerning because we have had recent outbreaks of pertussis here in the state," Winters said of the disease known as whooping cough. "We do see cyclic peaks every several years and we are primed to potentially be leading into a major pertussis epidemic in the coming year or two if we don't really push to get our pertussis vaccine rates up to where we want them to be at that 90 percent threshold." 

Looking at last year's rates for the vaccine that protects against measles, mumps and rubella, Winters said Kentucky's rate of 86.5% of kindergarteners receiving two doses of the MMR vaccine was well below the national rate of 93.5%, and among the lowest five states for MMR coverage.   

Further, she said, children have the biggest gap in Covid-19 vaccine coverage.

Kentuckians are also lagging behind when it comes to getting boosted, with only 12% of the state's total population having received the bivalent booster, which has extra protection against the Omicron variant, according to The New York Times Covid-19 data tracker. 

The Immunization Summit is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 10 at the Embassy Suites, 1801 Newtown Pike.  Click here to register and click here for the full agenda. 

KRHA has formed the Immunize Kentucky Coalition, which says its vision is to "work to increase immunization rates and prevent disease by fostering a partnership of Kentucky parents, patients, businesses, healthcare organizations, and others by promoting health equity that supports the delivery of safe and effective immunizations through stronger community buy-in and public health education." Click here to learn more about the coalition. We want to work to increase immunization rates and prevent disease by