Health Department receives “Best Practice in an Outbreak” award
BURLINGTON – Members of the Alamance County Health Department were recognized at the 2012 NC Communicable Disease Conference on Thursday, June 26th in Chapel Hill with the “Best Practice in an Outbreak” award. Ayo White, RN and Christie Sykes, RN accepted the award on behalf of the department for dedication and effort in fighting Pertussis in Alamance County. White serves as the Communicable Disease Coordinator and Sykes serves as the Immunization Coordinator for the health department.
White said of receiving the award, “This is wonderful recognition for our staff and all the work that has gone into protecting our community. Our response to Pertussis and the steps we took to control the disease may serve as a model for other communities”.
Since December 2011, 153 total Pertussis, also known as Whooping Cough, cases have been identified. Health department officials report that while the magnitude of cases identified has declined since February, Pertussis is still present in Alamance County.
“Our staff has worked tirelessly to inform the community about the importance of vaccination, especially in adult caregivers. Tdap vaccination helps protect our most susceptible residents, like infants, from Pertussis” says Health Director Barry Bass.
Tdap, the combined Tetanus and Pertussis vaccine, is available for free at the health department for a limited time. The health department has walk-in clinics available for Tdap vaccinations every day from 8am-11am and again from 1pm-4pm. For more information, call 336-227-0101.
