Champaign-Urbana Public Health District

Parents can get an early start on the required school physicals, immunizations and dental exams this month, thanks to a collaborative effort to offer these services well in advance of the school year.

On Thursday, July 6, a team of service providers will offer school physicals and immunizations to about 50 local children. School physicals are required for kindergartners, fifth and ninth grade students. Collaborators on this project include: the HERMES Student-Run Free Clinic, the Champaign Unit 4 School District and its Marshall K. Berner Family Information Center and the Champaign-Urbana Public Health... more...

Public Health to Offer Rapid HIV Testing at Restoration Urban Ministries

In the United States, half of all new HIV infections occur in people under age 25; one-fourth in people under the age of 21.

June 27th is National HIV Testing Day. The goal of National HIV Testing Day is to encourage you to know your HIV status by participating in an anonymous or confidential HIV testing program.

HIV counseling and testing helps people with HIV take steps to protect their own health and that of their partners, and helps people who test negative get the information they need to stay... more...

Three Groups Partner to Fill the Gap

Hundreds of families in Champaign are finding it difficult to meet the state requirements for annual physical exams for kindergarten, fifth and ninth graders. Without documentation of a school physical, children cannot attend classes in the fall. Either because they don't have insurance or because local "KidCare" providers are overwhelmed with too many patients, these families don't have many options for medical... more...

See press release for... more...

Health Tests, Healthy Snacks, Exercise and Education Available to All

Everyone is invited to start the weekend with a little exercise and fun at the Fun Run/Walk and Health Fair on May 13 in Douglass Park, Champaign. The Champaign Park District will provide healthy refreshments to all and is giving out free t-shirts to the first 50 participants.

Wellness on Wheels, the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District mobile health clinic, will offer participants a chance to meet privately with Public Health nurses to get blood pressure screenings, pregnancy tests, rapid HIV tests and tests for sexually transmitted diseases. Participants will learn about diabetes and smoking cessation programs, and eligible women and children will also be able to enroll in nutrition and health programs offered at Public... more...

Public Health Urges Those at Risk of Hepatitis A or B to Get Vaccinated

May is National Hepatitis Awareness Month, an observance to draw attention to viral diseases of the liver.

Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B are vaccine-preventable diseases. Public Health offers both Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B immunizations to those who visit one of its Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) clinics in Champaign, Urbana or Rantoul. Anyone 19 years of age or older who visits an STD clinic is eligible for the vaccines, as is anyone who is HIV-positive. (See STD Clinic schedule,... more...

New Program Will Help Track West Nile in Birds

The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) and Champaign County Public Health Department (CCPHD) will begin collecting dead birds to test for West Nile Virus. Reporting of dead birds is a good way to check for West Nile Virus activity in the environment and allow implementation of prevention and control measures to minimize the spread of the virus.

The Illinois Department of Public Health has determined that CUPHD and CCPHD combined may send a total of 10 birds in 2006 to the laboratory for testing. Birds that may be accepted for testing are perching birds such as crows, blue jays, robins, grackles, starlings, sparrows, finches, cardinals, flycatchers, swallows, catbirds, mockingbirds, warblers and wrens. To be useful for testing, the birds must have died within the 24 hours, have no maggots or other visible injuries and be in general good... more...

Next Meeting at Parkland College to Hear Views on Local Health Services and Needs

On Thursday, May 4, the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District and the Champaign County Public Health Department will hold the last of four Town Hall meetings in Champaign County. The meetings highlight health programs available throughout the county and canvas participants for their ideas about the future of Public Health.

Newly appointed Public Health Administrator Vito Palazzolo, representatives of the Champaign County and Champaign-Urbana Boards of Health, and Public Health division and program directors will be on hand to describe the many public health services available in Champaign County and to discuss the future of Public... more...

Health District Has Already Conducted Hundreds of Required Exams

Children in Kindergarten, 2nd and 6th grades that have not yet had required dental exams risk having their report cards withheld if they do not do so by a May 15 deadline.

Health District dentist Dr. Trina Blunt has already provided the required exams to over 400 schoolchildren, and urges parents whose children have not yet received their dental checkups to make appointments right... more...

Public Health is Watching a Handful of Local Cases

As of April 28, 2006, a total of 193 mumps cases had been recorded in Illinois. So far this year, Champaign County has seen a total of six cases of mumps (four confirmed and two probable; one of the probable cases dates from February). While the outbreak is slow to affect Champaign County, the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District and the Champaign County Public Health Department are offering mumps vaccine to those who have no evidence of... more...