Disease Prevention & Control Services

Immunizations

Mower County Public Health offers vaccines for elgibile children 18 years and younger by appointment on the 2nd and 4th Thursday 2pm-4:30pm and Friday 10am-12pm.  Call 507-437-9782 to schedule your appointment.  For more information, please click this link.

Lead Screening

Mower County Public Health staff works with all high lead cases in Mower county.  Referrals are sent from the MN Department of Health and staff do follow up along with general education on lead.  Home inspections are done when the blood lead level of a child is above 15.  A member from the MN Department of Health Lead Compliance Unit will conduct that home inspection paired with health education from a staff member from Mower County Public Health.  Together they will try to determine where the source of lead is coming from, steps to lower the child's blood lead level, ensure proper follow up from doctors and other medical staff is met.

Perinatal Hepatitis B


Public Health Emergency Preparedness

Mower County has the primary responsibility for assuring the overall health of the community in the event of any disaster, either natural or man-made.  Public health disasters can pose significant health risks, both physical and psychological.  We continually work with state and local partners to prepare for all types of public health emergencies. 

Radon

Radon is the leading environmental cause of cancer deaths in the United States and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.  More than 21,000 lung cancer deaths are attributed to radon each year in the United States. Fortunately, the risk is largely preventable, by testing homes and fixing radon problems.  About 2 in 5 Minnesota homes have dangerous levels of radon gas and state health officials say every home should be tested. Radon is an odorless, colorless and tasteless radioactive gas that occurs naturally in Minnesota soils.  It can enter into all kinds of homes through cracks or openings in walls or foundations.  The only way for residents to know if their home has radon is to test. 

Testing is easy, inexpensive and only takes 3-7 days. The best time to test is during the heating season, but testing can be done year-round.  Test kits are available at no charge for Mower County homeowners at Mower County Health and Human Services.

TB Control and Prevention

Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious disease caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis.  The bacteria usually attack the lungs, but TB bacteria can attack any part of the body such as the kidney, spine, and brain. There are two phases: Latent TB infection and Active TB disease. 

Services Provided

  • Treatment of Latent TB infection (LTBI)
  • Treatment of active tb disease using Direct Observation Therapy (DOT)
  • Nursing Case management
  • Conduct contact investigations, testing and follow up of contacts.