The West Coast Health Alliance, a coalition formed between the governors of California, Washington, and Oregon, aims to provide the public with health information, starting with vaccine guidelines.
Dr. Becky Howsmon, the teacher coordinator for HOSA and science teacher, believes that this alliance could benefit student health.
“Throughout history, our ability to drive public health and make sure that people have accurate information about diseases, about treatments, has shown to have a positive impact,” Howsmon said.
Sophomore HOSA member Charlotte Roble believes that remaining informed on public health information is essential to students and their school community.
“People wouldn’t be as educated and wouldn’t know what to do as easily if we didn’t have a universal way to know what’s going on,” Roble said.
Advocates for public health information are essential to keeping everybody, including students, safe and healthy.
“I’m grateful to the individuals saying, this is an important thing and we need to make sure that it [remains] available so people have the information they need to make the right decisions for themselves,” Howsmon said.
Elizabeth Guynes, the school nurse, believes that the alliance could provide guidance in times of uncertainty.
“I think that having [the West Coast Health Alliance] step up and make recommendations is actually really helpful for everybody to know and to be able to look to their guidance,” Guynes said.
The tight-knit community at school is heavily impacted by diseases, and vaccines are essential to ensuring student health.
“Historically, data has demonstrated that vaccines save lives, that vaccines prevent [disease] spread,” Howsmon said.
Vaccines have proven their effectiveness, especially in combatting pandemics.
“With COVID, we definitely turned a corner once those vaccines were more readily available,” Howsmon said.
The effects of public health serviced funding cuts on school healthcare have yet to be fully determined.
“It hasn’t really affected schools for the most part because we’re funded through the district,” Guynes said. “The federal cuts haven’t trickled down yet.”
When it comes to outbreaks of disease within the student community, funding cuts may put student health at risk.
“I think last year we had four [whooping cough] outbreaks at school and the state health department was amazing,” Guynes said. “But I know they were really short staffed. There’s just not as many resources to guide schools and to guide us.”
Students can do their part to protect themselves against disease.
“I think the biggest thing is just prevention,” Guynes said. “Washing hands, getting enough sleep, making sure that you stay home when you’re sick.”
