Latest news with #SouthDakotaDepartmentofHealth
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Mobile clinics aim to boost rural health care measles vaccinations amid outbreak
The "Wellness on Wheels" program launched in spring of 2024. (Courtesy of South Dakota Department of Health) The South Dakota Department of Health plans to send its fledgling mobile clinics to underserved and undervaccinated areas of the state in response to the nationwide measles outbreak making its way to the state. Last year, South Dakota reported its first measles case in nine years. The state Department of Health recently reported the state's first case this year in Meade County in western South Dakota. Last week, on Friday, a second case was reported in Rapid City. People who visited Sam's Club in that city on June 1, or Dakota Premier Medical Center the following day were urged by the department to monitor themselves for symptoms for 21 days. Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that spreads through the air. Those who lack immunity from vaccination or past infection are highly likely to catch it from an infected person. As surrounding states report more cases, Health Department Secretary Melissa Magstadt said the state's 'Wellness on Wheels' clinics can help encourage vaccinations. 'I question it myself': South Dakota vaccination rates fall amid mistrust and misinformation The fleet boasts five vehicles equipped to provide immunizations, test for sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis, as well as provide screenings, prenatal care and other support. The effort fills in gaps to public health care access across the state, especially in rural and tribal communities, Magstadt said. 'It's about how we can actively use these tools to reach underserved populations,' Magstadt said. 'It's not something I would have thought about looking to leverage for something like measles vaccinations before.' The department hasn't decided where to send their fleet. Counties with the fewest kindergarteners vaccinated per capita for measles, mumps and rubella include Faulk, Jones and Hutchinson, state data shows. South Dakota counties that share tribal land and rural counties in south-central areas of the state rank the worst for clinical care use and access in the state, according to the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute's 2023 report. Federal COVID relief funds paid for Wellness on Wheels. 'Because of the pandemic, public health infrastructure was found to be wanting,' Magstadt said. That infrastructure missed 'critical pieces' that hadn't been invested in, she said, such as health care access in rural areas. More than a hundred rural hospitals in the U.S. have closed in the last decade. The program, launched in April of last year, cost about $800,000 in federal funding. The state's public health COVID funding was also used to support a community health worker program, update emergency medical service equipment and telemedicine access, analyze the state of emergency medical services in South Dakota, and build a Public Health Lab and department training center. Magstadt said staff working with the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program requested the mobile units. WIC is a federal-state program that provides healthy food, nutrition education and health care referrals to low-income women and their young children. So far, Wellness on Wheels staff have mainly driven to events. Magstadt said the department has focused on increasing awareness of the program and building trust in communities and among tribal leaders. She plans to have staff drive the buses to rural communities more regularly to increase exposure and encourage use. 'Being consistently at a facility or place every other week will help people find it,' Magstadt said. 'We talk about the importance of STI testing, for example, but if you don't know where to get tested then that's another barrier.' Magstadt plans to have the department park one of the vehicles at a homeless shelter in Rapid City this summer as well to encourage underserved urban communities to seek services. 'We like people to be connected to primary care services, but there are unique situations where it's harder to get to health care facilities,' Magstadt said. She compared the mobile clinics as a return to home visits by doctors. That practice largely ceased in the 1960s due to cost efficiencies. 'It's a part of this menu of health care access and options no longer requiring people to come to a clinic or health care system,' Magstadt said, 'but health care being taken to patients and families who need it.' Mobile health care clinics are available in every state. They range from public entities like South Dakota's Wellness on Wheels, to specialized, private care. Other mobile clinics operating in South Dakota, according to Mobile Health Map, include: Delta Dental Mobile Program Horizon Health on Wheels Midwest Street Medicine Mobile Women's Health Unit VA Mobile Counseling Program
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
What a Doctor wants you to know about Measles
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The South Dakota Department of Health has reported the state's first case of measles in 2025. A man in Meade County developed the infection after traveling internationally. The most common symptoms of measles start off much like a cold, a cough, a runny nose, and red watery eyes, called conjunctivitis. 'That is accompanied by a fever, which is often very high, up to 104 105 degrees. Several days after those symptoms start, 4 or 5 days, is when the characteristic measles rash usually pops up. It's bright red, it starts at the hairline and works its way down the body,' said Doctor Ashley Sands, an infectious disease expert. Remembering The Children Memorial sculpture honors those who lost their lives What makes measles so dangerous is that it can cause pneumonia and encephalitis, which can be fatal. Measles is one of the most contagious infectious diseases known to man. To give you an idea of how contagious measles is, if someone in this room had coughed an hour ago. And if I walk through that airspace, I could become infected if I'm not vaccinated. Dr. Sands says the measles vaccine is very safe and very effective, and has been around since the 1960s. 'We know that with the first dose of measles given around one year of age, that confers around 93 percent immunity, meaning that of 100 people who receive the measles vaccine, 93 will be fully protected for the rest of their lives,' said Dr. Sands. Most people are vaccinated at 12 months old and receive a second dose at age second dose raises a person's protection from 93 percent to 97 in the rare case of a vaccinated person becoming infected, she says the infection is much less severe and contagious. If you are unsure if you were vaccinated as a child, doctors suggest talking with your can also check with your doctor or request your immunization records from the South Dakota Department of Health. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Miami Herald
03-06-2025
- Health
- Miami Herald
State health worker uses job to forge medical marijuana card, SD prosecutors say
A 24-year-old woman used her job as a state employee to forge her medical marijuana card, South Dakota prosecutors said. Alexandra Feiner, of Pierre, is now facing multiple criminal charges including forgery, offering false or forged instrument for filing, possession of a forged instrument and falsification of public records by a public officer or employee, the South Dakota State's Attorney's Office said in a June 2 news release. The woman was working for the South Dakota Department of Health where she was able to use her job to avoid medical provider certifications and fees necessary to obtain the card, according to prosecutors. She fraudulently obtained the card between March 2024 and March 2025, officials said. McClatchy News reached out to the South Dakota Department of Health but did not immediately receive a response. 'This type of conduct reflects poorly on those state government employees who work hard for South Dakotans,' Attorney General Marty Jackley said in a statement. According to court documents, the employee fraudulently created a new medical marijuana card for herself after her card obtained in 2023 expired, KELO reported. Officials said she had the ability to create and issue these cards through her work at the health department, according to the local news outlet. Marijuana is only legal for medical use in South Dakota after voters rejected a ballot measure to legalize recreational use in 2024, according to the South Dakota Searchlight. If convicted, Feiner faces up to 10 years in prison, according to the state's attorney's office. Pierre is about a 220-mile drive northwest from Sioux Falls.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
DOH reports first measles case in South Dakota
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The South Dakota Department of Health (DOH) has reported the state's first case of measles in 2025. According to a release sent Monday afternoon, a man in Meade County developed the infection after traveling internationally. The man visited several public locations and those who were in the following locations are asked to self-monitor or symptoms for 21 days. AG: Marshall's belongings found in Fall River County The locations: Rapid City Medical Center Urgent Care waiting room (2820 Mt Rushmore Road, Rapid City, SD May 28, 2025, from 7:15 am to 10 am MT Monument Health Sturgis Urgent Care waiting room (2140 Junction Ave, Sturgis, SD) May 29, 2025, from 9:45 am to 3 pm MT The DOH says symptoms appear in two stages. The first may include a runny nose, cough and a slight fever, while the eyes may become reddened and sensitive to light and the fever consistently rises each day. The second stage begins on the third to seventh day of symptoms and consists of atemperature of 103-105°F, and a red blotchy rash lasting for four to seven days. The DOH says the rash usually begins on the face and spreads down to the torso and out to the legs and arms. The DOH notes that measles is highly contagious and spreads through the air. 'Individuals who lack immunity from vaccination or past infection are at high risk of measles infection if they have contact with an infected person,' said state epidemiologist Joshua Clayton. Clayton spoke to KELOLAND News about the risks of measles last week, telling us that it was a question of when, not if, the disease would appear in South Dakota amid a wider nationwide surge in cases. The DOH states that the MMR vaccine offers the best protection against infection. 'Measles vaccine (MMR) is typically given at 12-15 months of age. The second dose of MMR is given at 4-6 years of age. The vaccine is highly effective at preventing measles infection, and two MMR doses usually produce lifelong immunity. If you are planning to travel internationally with children, MMR vaccines can be given to children starting at six months of age,' reads the release. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
1st measles case of the year in South Dakota as CDC updates travel guidance
South Dakota has reported its first case of measles this year. The state is now the 33rd in the country to confirm a measles case, with at least 1,088 cases reported nationally so far this year. An adult who recently traveled outside the country tested positive for measles in Meade County, South Dakota, according to the South Dakota Department of Health. It comes as federal officials are urging all Americans to get vaccinated against measles before traveling abroad, according to guidance updated last week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Previously, the guidance stated that those traveling to countries with an ongoing outbreak should be vaccinated before leaving. The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is part of the routine immunization schedule and has been shown to be up to 97% effective after two doses, the CDC says. Adults without immunity through vaccination or infection should also get vaccinated, the agency notes. At least 62 people in the U.S. were infected with measles while traveling on an airplane this year, a CDC spokesperson told ABC News in part of a statement. "There has been only one situation during this period in which measles appeared to have been transmitted during air travel, " the spokesperson added. In South Dakota, the person infected with measles visited two medical centers where others may have been exposed to the virus. The Department of Health says anyone who was at the Rapid City Medical Center Urgent Care waiting room on May 28 between 7:15 a.m. and 10 a.m., or at Monument Health Sturgis Urgent Care waiting room on May 29 between 9:45 a.m. and 3 p.m., should watch for signs of illness. MORE: Most US counties saw decline in childhood MMR vaccination rates: Report Health officials explain that the early signs of measles appear in two stages. In the first stage, symptoms include a runny nose, cough and slight fever. The eyes may become red and sensitive to light while the fever rises each day. The second stage begins between three and seven days after symptoms start, with temperatures reaching 103 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit and a red blotchy rash that lasts between four to seven days. The rash typically starts on the face before spreading to the shoulders, arms and legs. "Measles is a highly contagious viral disease and spreads through the air from an infected person," Dr. Joshua Clayton, state epidemiologist, told ABC News. "Individuals who lack immunity from vaccination or past infection are at high risk of measles infection if they have contact with an infected person." MORE: Measles cases seem to be slowing down in the US. What's behind it? According to state health officials, the measles vaccine offers the best protection against infection. People are considered immune to measles if they were born before 1957, received one dose of the measles vaccine (MMR) as an adult, received two doses of the measles vaccine (MMR) as a child or high-risk adult, have measles antibodies shown by a lab test, or had a previous measles infection confirmed by a lab test. The Department of Health notes that the MMR vaccine is typically given at 12 to 15 months of age, with a second dose at four to six years. For international travel with children, MMR vaccines can be given starting at 6 months of age. Learn more about measles on the Department of Health website, where information includes fact sheets, frequently asked questions, and a webinar for healthcare providers.
