Health Department Director in Zanesville

The director of the Ohio Department of Health was in Muskingum County today.

Dr. Alvin Jackson met with Health Department officials and state Senator Jimmy Stewart to tour the Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department.

Dr. Jackson is touring Health Departments across the state to see how local and state level health officials can better work together to serve the public.

“I think it gives me a better understanding of the area, what the people do and about the vastness of resources that we have in Ohio. We have some wonderful and great people who are working hard and I want them to understand that at the state level we are partners with them to help them address many of the issues and challenges,” he says.

Jackson says the main issues facing the state’s health right now are infant mortality, obesity, diabetes, and of course the H1N1 virus.

He wants people to remember to do their part to stop the spread of the virus by washing their hands, covering their mouths when coughing or sneezing and staying home when they are sick.

“I want everyone to know that the state is prepared and we have been preparing ourselves for this emergency, but we do need the cooperation of the public as they practice good public health measures,”

Jackson says they are working on a vaccine for H1N1 and are hoping to have it in place by October and the start of the regular flu season.