Health Department Alert:
Each year, June 27 is recognized as National HIV Testing Day to call attention to the importance of knowing your status as well as learning about options for HIV prevention and treatment. HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the virus that can cause AIDS if it isn’t treated.
The only way to know for sure if you have HIV, is to get tested. This is also true for other a sexually transmitted infections (STIs), like syphilis, gonorrhea, or chlamydia. People who have HIV or an STI may still feel healthy and be unaware that they have an infection. However, these infections can cause serious health problems and be spread to others if left untreated.
If you are sexually active, STI testing is one of the most important things you can do to protect your health. When you know your status, you have powerful information to keep you and your partners healthy. Most infections can be cured, and all are treatable.
Throughout the last week of June, the Fairfax County Health Department is offering free HIV and STI testing and education at our health clinics. If needed, care and treatment support will also be offered. Free walk-in testing is available only at the following times and locations:
Appointments are not necessary. However, please plan to arrive no later than 1 hour before closing time.
The Northern Virginia STI/HIV Task Force is also hosting pop-up testing events throughout Northern Virginia. The Task Force is a group of organizations, including the Fairfax County Health Department, dedicated to preventing HIV infections and supporting people living with HIV/AIDS in Northern Virginia. Learn more about the pop-up testing events in English and Spanish.
National Nutrition Month® is observed each year in March to help people learn how to make informed food choices and develop healthful eating and physical activity habits. This year’s theme from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is “Beyond the Table”.
This theme encourages us to think about our health and the environment in our daily food choices. Thinking about food from “farm to fork” can help us make more sustainable, health-minded choices — and it can be done on a budget.
Join us at a Nutrition Month Event where you can learn about building a healthy plate with MyPlate with an emphasis on food portion sizes. We will also share tips for cooking on a budget while practicing sustainability.
The event will take place on Saturday, March 30, 2024, 10:30am–1pm, at the Sully Community Center (13800 Wall Road, Herndon, VA 20171).
See these nutrition and food resources in Fairfax County:
Visit our web page and follow us on social media for more information on nutrition and other health topics.
The Partnership for a Healthier Fairfax invites you to use your voice to change health and opportunity!
Learn about the health status of the Fairfax Community by participating in a Community Data Walk. Using data from the 2023 Community Health Assessment, we have created a unique opportunity to understand key health concerns and collect feedback for the next Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). Your input will help inform the goals and strategies in the CHIP, so attend a Community Data Walk and be involved in the process.
Please register to attend a data walk. They are free and open to the public.
The Partnership for a Healthier Fairfax is a coalition of community members and organizations that are working together to explore new approaches for addressing critical public health issues. Learn more about the work of the Partnership for a Healthier Fairfax
The Fairfax County Health Department Speech and Hearing team is pleased to announce they will host a summer reading program. The program will help school-age children (5 – 21 years), who have a diagnosis of dyslexia develop language and reading skills.
The program begins with participants completing an on-site evaluation in the spring. An ASHA-certified Speech Language Pathologist will then develop and lead an individualized treatment plan over the summer. That treatment plan will start with the LindaMood Phonemic Sequencing (LIPS)® program, a multisensory program that’s used to improve phonological awareness. It then phases into an Orton-Gillingham based program to teach the rule base for reading and writing.
By providing engaging materials, along with assessment tools for setting attainable goals, the therapist is dedicated to help each child improve their literacy skills.
Participating in the program is intensive in the beginning, meeting five times per week for 6 weeks. It typically then drops back to two-to-three times per week for the remainder of the academic year, if needed.
The program will take place during normal business hours, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.at the Herndon-Reston Health Clinic. The cost is $88 per session. A sliding scale is offered for all Fairfax County Residents who may qualify based on income qualifications. Medicaid is accepted.
Don’t delay, sign up today! To participate, you must register by April 15, 2024, by completing the Speech and Hearing Program request form. Select “Reading Program” in the Service Being Requested drop down menu.
If you have questions about the program, please call 703-246-7120.
To learn more about Speech and Hearing Services, visit our website.
On Monday, December 11th at 7:15 p.m., the Cinema Arts Theater in Fairfax, VA (9650 Main St., Fairfax, VA 22031) will be premiering the award-winning documentary Common Ground, a story of the pioneers of the “Regenerative Movement” who are creating a new food system that produces tremendous quantities of nutritionally dense food while balancing the climate, healing our bodies, and bringing our entire ecosystem back to life. Following the screening, there will be a panel discussion where attendees can engage with leaders in the field. Watch the trailer.
Attendees are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance.
Fairfax County Health Department announced today that it has successfully maintained its national accreditation status through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). The national accreditation program sets standards against which the nation’s state, local, tribal, and territorial public health departments can continuously enhance the quality of their services and organizational performance.
In maintaining its accreditation status for another five years, the Fairfax County Health Department has reconfirmed that it meets PHAB’s standards and has the capacity to evolve, improve and advance the health of residents in the Fairfax Health District.
In addition, the Fairfax County Health Department demonstrated its ability to:
“We are pleased to be recognized again by PHAB for achieving national standards that foster effectiveness, promote continuous quality improvement and prioritize community engagement," said Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensu, Director of Health with the Fairfax County Health Department. “We hope this announcement will reassure our community, partner organizations, funders and elected officials that the services we provide are responsive to meeting the complex needs of our community.”
The Fairfax County Health Department earned initial PHAB accreditation in 2016. In 2021, The Department began its reaccreditation journey with an agency-wide effort led by Lila Vizzard, Public Health Strategic Planner and Nicole Greer, Quality Improvement & Accreditation and a 60-member committee. With this latest achievement, the Health Department remains one of only 325 accredited local health departments out of nearly 3,500 nationwide.
“This designation validated our continued efforts to become a values-driven, high performing organization committed to protecting, promoting, and improving health for all in our community,” said Dr. Addo-Ayensu.
The Fairfax County Health Department is the largest local public health department in Virginia, serving some 1.2 million residents from diverse ethnic, cultural, and economic backgrounds. Its mission is to protect, promote, and improve health and well-being for all in our community. The agency provides services at 13 locations throughout the county, serving the residents of Fairfax County, the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, and the towns of Herndon and Vienna. Learn more about Fairfax County Health Department online or by calling 703-246-2411, TTY 711.
The Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) was created to serve as the national public health accrediting body and is jointly funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Vital Records/Health Statistics accreditation is funded, in part, by the National Center for Health Statistics. The development of national public health department accreditation has involved, and is supported by, public health leaders and practitioners from the national, state, local, Tribal, and territorial levels. Learn more about PHAB and accreditation.
Each year World AIDS Day is observed on December 1st. This annual event serves as a reminder of the global struggle to end HIV-related stigma, an opportunity to honor those we have lost, and a rallying cry to commit to working toward a day when HIV is no longer a public health threat. This year’s theme is “World AIDS Day 35: Remember and Commit.”
This year, the Fairfax County Health Department, Alexandria Health Department, Virginia Department of Health, the Northern Virginia Clergy Council for the Prevention of HIV/AIDS, IMPACTO LGBT, the NOVA Section of the National Council of Negro Women, and the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. is hosting a community-wide program. Join us at:
World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims is a global event that takes place annually on the third Sunday in November. This year, on November 19, Northern Virginia Families for Safe Streets hosted a World Day of Remembrance event at Wakefield High School in Arlington. Fairfax County Health Department staff participated in the event to share new data on the state of pedestrian safety in the county. Northern Virginia Families for Safe Streets is a non-profit organization whose mission is to end pedestrian and cyclist fatalities and injuries caused by motor vehicles.
The World Day of Remembrance event recognized the 18 pedestrians killed in traffic crashes in Arlington, Alexandria, and Fairfax County since November 20, 2022 as well as unnamed pedestrians who were killed or seriously injured in the region. Seventeen of these 18 deaths occurred in Fairfax County. On average, there are 172 crashes involving pedestrians every year in Fairfax County and new data shows that Black and Hispanic people are both injured and killed at more than double the rate of Whites.
Traffic safety is recognized as a public health concern in the U.S. and across the world. Healthy People 2030, developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, set a target to reduce deaths from motor vehicle crashes by 10%.
“We have analyzed the past eight and a half years of traffic crash data and see traffic safety, especially for pedestrians, as a health issue that requires a multidisciplinary, systems level response,” said Anna Ricklin, MHS, Health in All Policies Manager at the Fairfax County Health Department. A forthcoming pedestrian and bike safety report will take a deeper dive on the state of pedestrian and bicycle safety in Fairfax County as well as recommended actions to reduce pedestrian and bicycle crashes.
In recognition of this solemn day, the Fairfax County Health Department developed a fact sheet, Pedestrian Safety Isn’t Just a Transportation Problem, to highlight factors related to pedestrian safety as a public health concern.
It is the time of year when many friends and family gather to celebrate. Here are two reminders to help make sure you spread joy, not germs this holiday season.
Gatherings, travel, and more time indoors with others are prime opportunities to spread viruses, like COVID-19, flu, and RSV. Fortunately, we have tools available to prevent these viruses from spreading. Every tool you use increases your protection.
See more information about staying healthy this holiday season from the CDC.
No matter which foods gets you in the holiday spirit, remembering food safety basics can make sure your dish is memorable for the right reasons.
Visit our website Food Safety information.
After identifying a rabid raccoon and skunk within a mile of each other over the last 25 days, the Fairfax County Health Department is asking residents in the Centreville/Bull Run area to steer clear of wild animals and to report any animal attacks right away.
The rabid animals were in the western most part of the county near Cub Run Stream Valley Park & Trail, Pleasant Hill Park, and James McDonnell Recreation Center. They were found close to Pleasant Valley Road north of Highway 29 in residential areas. Both animals interacted with domestic pets, resulting in the testing of the wild animals.
During the time they were sick, the rabid animals may have had contact with other people or pets. If you, someone you know, or a pet touched or was bitten or scratched by any wild animals between 9/19/23 and 10/14/23, you are urged to call the Fairfax County Health Department’s Rabies Program at 703-246-2433, TTY 711.
Rabies is a serious disease caused by a virus that can infect wildlife, particularly foxes, racoons, skunks and bats, and domestic animals, such as dogs and cats. The rabies virus is found in the saliva and central nervous tissue of an infected animal. People get rabies when they are bitten or scratched by an animal that is sick with the disease. The virus can also be passed along when an infected animals’ saliva, brain or spinal nervous tissue enters an open wound, mouth, nose or eyes of another mammal. To date, 22 animals have been diagnosed with rabies in the Fairfax Health District in 2023.
Animals with rabies may act normally during the early stages of the disease, making it difficult to know if the animal is infected. As the disease progresses, animals often show changes in behavior. For example, wild animals may act very docile and domestic animals may become aggressive. Rabid animals may stagger, drool, or become paralyzed. Protect yourself and your family from rabies: stay away from wild animals and be sure pets are vaccinated against rabies every year. Remember, if the animal is not your own, leave it alone!
Here are other important steps to protect yourself and your pets from rabies:
If bitten or scratched by an animal that might have rabies, wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water and seek medical attention right away. When vaccinations are provided in time, rabies treatment is 100 percent effective in preventing the disease. But if not treated, rabies is 100 percent fatal.
More information about rabies can be found at on the Health Department’s website at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/health/rabies.