BOH announces new ACO

The Norwood Board of Health (BOH) met last week and discussed recent vaccine concerns with Regional Epidemiologist Sarah Sarah Lavari regarding vaccination rates in Norwood and Massachusetts.

Lavari recently joined up to be the regional epidemiologist for the Norfolk County-8 Public Health Coalition, of which Norwood is a member. She said she used to work in the immunization division of the Department of Public Health. She is currently tasked with working for health data analysis.

Lavari said so far, they’ve been seeing normal rates of flu and COVID-19 infections for the winter months; however, she said measles cases have been popping up around the country, and they should be ready for some infections to make it to Massachusetts.

“Vermont has just had a confirmed case, Maine also now has five confirmed cases and that’s on my radar now,” she said. “The warmer weather is coming, and people are starting to travel to those warmer states, especially South Carolina, which has a pretty big outbreak right now. If people travel there, there is potential we could see something in Massachusetts.”

And it was something they’d see. Two days after the meeting, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced two Massachusetts residents confirmed to have the disease. One who was diagnosed while they were out of state and the other who recently returned from international travel – https://tinyurl.com/2e7v98mx

Lavari said a few of the cases in South Carolina have been breakthrough cases in children, where the patient has had the vaccine.

“But the vast majority of cases are happening in unvaccinated individuals,” she said.

Public Health Director Stacey Lane added that breakthrough cases result in milder illness.

Lane said Massachusetts has very strict vaccination laws and so unless you have a medical exemption or a previously documented religious exemption, children cannot normally attend school in Massachusetts without a vaccination.

“We don’t see a lot,” she said. “Massachusetts has one of the highest vaccination rates, but recently there has been a little bit of pushback and a bit of a dip,” she said.

“We do have an international airport so that’s going to be a part of that as well,” said BOH Chair Kathleen Bishop. “That’s the chance, but I think we’re always pretty well on top it.”

Lane added that she sent a notice to the Norwood Public Schools informing them the department has Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccines available for any child who needs them.

“We didn’t get any takers on that, so hopefully that means their population is vaccinated,” she said.

Lane said the MMR vaccine is not seasonal and can be taken at any time.

“It’s 97 percent effective with two doses,” Lane added.

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The Board voted unanimously to finalize her appointment to the Norfolk-8, which was held up by snow.

In other news, the Town welcomed new Animal Control Officer Dave Champagne to take over the night shift for former ACO Henry Cerqueira’s position. ACO Briana Hernandez has already taken over as the primary ACO – Cerqueira officially retired last year but stayed on to give Hernandez some off time – and the new ACO will take over the night shift. Lane emphasized that ACOs are on call 24/7 for any issues.

“Henry’s actually back this week, he’s very busy, but Briana’s on vacation,” Lane said. “In the spring I hope to bring Briana and the new ACO here and just talk about wildlife.”

“Are we going to have a show-and-tell?” member Joan Jacobs asked.

“I don’t think we’re going to have a coyote here or anything like that,” Lane said with a laugh.

According to Norwood Animal Control, Champagne had previously worked at the National Animal Care & Control Association and the Taunton Animal Control Office.