Source: Sasha, Yaves / Station Event
Update: The final day of temporary blood lead testing at the Durham County Department of Public Health will be this Thursday, October 12.
Beginning Thursday, August 31, the Durham County Department of Public Health will offer free blood lead testing to children ages six months to six years, including children age six years old, and pregnant women. No insurance is required, but all children and pregnant women must be Durham residents to receive testing. Testing will be available until further notice on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, 9:00AM-11:00AM and 1:00PM-4:00PM at the Durham County Department of Public Health, 414 E. Main St., Durham, NC 27701. Testing is available by walk-in only; no appointments are required or accepted. Parents may also contact their child’s primary care provider for testing.
Testing will involve a blood sample drawn from the vein, with results returned within three weeks. Results and follow-up guidance will be shared directly with the child’s primary care provider and/or with their parent/guardian, or directly with pregnant women receiving testing. Additional steps following initial blood lead testing, if necessary, will be provided in accordance with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) Follow-Up Schedule for Blood Lead Testing.
This testing is being provided as an opportunity for Durham residents in response to soil and property testing in five of Durham’s parks, led by the City of Durham and Durham Parks and Recreation in partnership with NC DHHS. For more information on this assessment and its findings, visit the Durham Parks and Recreation Website at DPRplaymore.org.
For more information on lead safety, visit the Durham County Department of Public Health website at DCoPublicHealth.org/Lead.
Source: PEO Productions / PEO Productions
