Health Department

  To raise awareness about disorders related to hearing, voice, speech or language, the Fairfax County Health Department joins the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and other organizations in observing National Speech-Language-Hearing Month in May. Throughout the month, trained personnel from the Health Department's Speech and Hearing program will present free, 30-minute informational sessions at several county libraries. Designed for parents who want to learn more about speech and hearing development, local experts will share signs to look for, tips to support children at home and information about early intervention options. Attendees will have a chance to ask questions and connect with other parents.  Following the information sessions, speech therapists will return to the libraries to offer no-cost speech screenings (testing) for children ages 3 to 7 years.   Location Free Workshop Date & Time Free Screening Date & Time Culmore Library 6101 Knollwood Dr. Falls Church, VA 22041 Thursday, May 1 4:00 p.m. Thursday, May 8 1:30–4:30 p.m. George Mason Regional Library 7001 Little River Tpk., Annandale, VA 22003 No workshop at this location Wednesday, May 28 1:30–4:30 p.m. Herndon Fortnightly Library 768 Center St., Herndon, VA 20170 Friday, May 9 4:00 p.m. Friday, May 23 1:30–4:30 p.m. John Marshall Library 6209 Rose Hill Dr., Alexandria, VA 22310 Saturday, May 17 4:00 p.m. Saturday, May 24 1:30–4:30 p.m. Lorton Library 9520 Richmond Hwy., Lorton, VA 22079 Monday, May 12 4:00 p.m. Monday, May 19 1:30–4:30 p.m. Reston Regional Library 11925 Bowman Towne Dr., Reston, VA 20190 No workshop at this location Friday, May 30 1:30–4:30 p.m. Richard Byrd Library 7250 Commerce St., Springfield, VA 22120 No workshop at this location Saturday, May 24 1:30–4:30 p.m. Sherwood Regional Library 2501 Sherwood Hall Ln., Alexandria, VA 22306 No workshop at this location Tuesday, May 20 1:30–4:30 p.m. Thomas Jefferson Library 7415 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church, VA 22042 Wednesday, May 21 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 28 1:30–4:30 p.m.   For more information about the workshops or the free screenings, call the Fairfax County Health Department Speech and Hearing Services Program at 703-246-7120. Early detection can make a big difference A child can quickly fall behind if speech and language learning is delayed. Studies show that when children with speech and language disorders and delays are identified earlier, they make faster progress and have a better chance to catch up to same-aged peers. Signs that indicate a potential need for screening include: children not talking as much as other children their age, trouble pronouncing words, and not responding when called by name.     Speech-Language-Hearing Month observances provide an opportunity to learn about the importance of human communication and what we can all do to prevent and address communication disorders, and to encourage people to think about their own hearing and get their hearing checked. In the United States, at least 46 million people have a hearing or other communication disorder. Approximately 3 percent to 16 percent of U.S. children and adolescents between the ages of 3 and 21 experience speech and language disorders. This means that around 1 in 12 children may have a disorder related to voice, speech, language or swallowing.

The fourth annual National Fentanyl Awareness Day takes place this year on April 29, 2025. Fentanyl Awareness Day is observed to help inform communities like ours about the dangers of illegally made fentanyl. Across all ages, almost all (95%) fatal opioid overdoses have involved fentanyl since 2020 in the Fairfax Health District. Illegal fentanyl is dangerous, but there are steps you can take to prevent overdoses. See the infographic below to get the facts on fentanyl and learn how to help prevent fentanyl overdoses in our community. 

From the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is reporting the state's first measles case of the year. The patient is a child (0-4 years) in the Northwest Region who recently traveled internationally. To protect the family's privacy, VDH will not provide any additional information about the patient. Health officials are coordinating efforts to identify anyone who might have been exposed. "This first case of measles in Virginia this year is a reminder of how easily this highly contagious disease can spread, particularly with internation travel," said VDH State Epidemiologist Laurie Forlano, D.O., M.P.H. "Vaccination remains our best defense against measles and is safe and highly effective at protecting people and preventing outbreaks. We urge Virginians, especially those planning to travel, to check their vaccination status, talk to their health care provider, and get the MMR vaccine if needed." Listed below are the dates, times, and locations of the potential exposure sights in Virginia: Location Date and Time Kaiser Permanente Caton Hill Medical Center, Advanced Urgent Care Located at 13285 Minnieville Road in Woodbridge From 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 15 Kaiser Permanente Fredericksburg Medical Center, Pediatrics Department Located at 1201 Hospital Drive in Fredericksburg From noon to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 16   What should you do if you were at the above locations on the day and time specified? If you have never received a measles containing vaccine (either the measles, mumps and rubella [MMR] vaccine or a measles-only vaccine which is available in other countries), you may be at risk of developing measles. Anyone who might have been exposed and is considered to be at risk of developing measles should contact their healthcare provider immediately. Watch for symptoms for 21 days after the date of your potential exposure. If you notice symptoms of measles, immediately isolate yourself by staying home. Contact your healthcare provider right away. If you need to seek healthcare, call ahead before going to your healthcare provider’s office or the emergency room to notify them that you may have been exposed to measles and ask them to call the local health department. This call will help protect other patients and staff. Anyone with an immunocompromising condition should consult with their healthcare provider if they have questions or develop symptoms. If you have received two doses of a measles-containing vaccine, or were born before 1957, you are protected and do not need to take any action. If you have received only one dose of a measles-containing vaccine, you are very likely to be protected and your risk of being infected with measles from any of these exposures is very low. However, to achieve the highest level of protection, contact your healthcare provider about getting a second vaccine dose. Measles is a highly contagious illness that can spread easily through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. Measles symptoms usually appear in two stages. In the first stage, most people have a fever of greater than 101 degrees, runny nose, watery red eyes, and a cough. These symptoms usually start seven to fourteen days after being exposed. The second stage starts three to five days after symptoms start, when a rash begins to appear on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. People with measles are contagious from four days before the rash appears through four days after the rash appeared. Measles is preventable through a safe and effective MMR vaccine. Two doses of the vaccine are given to provide lifetime protection. Virginia has high measles vaccination rates, with approximately 95% of kindergarteners fully vaccinated against measles. However, infants who are too young to be vaccinated, and others who are not vaccinated, are very susceptible to infection if they are exposed to measles. Infants six months through 11 months of age who will be traveling internationally, or to an outbreak setting, should receive one dose of MMR vaccine prior to travel. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have questions about the MMR vaccine. To check your immunization status, call your healthcare provider or request your vaccination records using the VDH Immunization Record Request Form. Virginia residents with additional questions about their potential exposure can email epi_response@vdh.virginia.gov or contact your local health department. For more information about measles visit www.vdh.virginia.gov/measles/