When news broke that a tornado hit El Reno recently, the Oklahoma State Department of Health sent out nurses and secretaries to administer 44 tetanus shots days later.

That’s just one of the roles of the department, according to Jan Fox, the regional director of the Kingfisher County Health Department.

Fox spoke to Lions Club on Thursday, May 30, about the health department’s services and urged members to get measles and tetanus vaccinations.

Fox is also over the Canadian, Lincoln and Logan County departments.

She has been working for the Oklahoma State Department of Health for 30 years, but has only been a regional director for six months.

She graduated from Southwestern Oklahoma State University as a nurse before obtaining her master’s degree in public health.

Fox first worked as the director over the HIV and STD services before taking over as a regional director.

Fox told the club about the various services the department provides.

“One of our services is emergency preparedness and response,” Fox said. “This one is on my mind because of the recent flooding.”

Fox explained that Tetanus comes from a spore in the soil.

Due to the recent flooding, Fox urged members to check their records to ensure their tetanus shots are up to date, especially if they had been helping with cleanup efforts.

Tetanus shots are needed once every 10 years and after five years if you experience an injury, she explained.

“Tetanus, or lockjaw, can be deadly,” she said. “It is not going to hurt to double up on your immunizations if you are unsure when your last one was.”

Fox also discussed the recent controversy surrounding the vaccination for measles.

According to Fox, in 2012 the United States was declared free of measles.

Since January, there have been 940 cases reported, she said.

However, they have only been reported in 23 states.

“Most cases have been in people who have been traveling internationally in Jewish-Orthodox communities,” she said.

There have been four recent cases of measles in Oklahoma in Okmulgee county, Fox said.

Measles is an extremely contagious disease and 90 percent of unvaccinated people exposed to the disease acquire it, she explained.

The disease is transmitted through a cough or sneeze, similar to the common cold.

The difference is that measles lingers in the air for up to two hours after someone coughs or sneezes so anyone who walks through that area can be exposed.

Fox added that Measles leads to a fever, cough, runny nose and conjunctivitis.

Two to four days later, a rash of red small, raised bumps may appear in the hairline, then expand to the ears then to the entire body and disappear in the same order.

Fox added that one to two out of every 1,000 kids with measles can develop encephalitis, or swelling of the brain, that leads to death.

“If you were born before 1957 you are considered to have already had the disease and do not need a vaccination,” she said. “You also do not need a vaccination if you have lab confirmation that you have already received it.”

Fox also discussed the traditional clinic services, family planning services, and walk-in services for immunizations, STD testing and pregnancy testing.

Fox said the health department is the best place to go for STD testing.

“It is what we’ve always done and we do it really well,” she said.

Other services provided through the health department include social work, C1 home visits for infants up to the age of 2, early intervention home services for developmental delays and wellness efforts with the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET).

The general clinic in Kingfisher County is open every day and serves 15-20 people on average per day, according to Fox.

The family planning clinic is open one time per month on the third Thursday.