Central Montana Public Health District

The Central Montana Health District (CMHD) Public Health and Environmental Health programs perform communicable disease activities. CMHD communicable disease prevention services work to protect the community from the spread of communicable diseases, including: investigates individual cases, as well as outbreaks, in a private and confidential manner, monitors trends in particular diseases, contains or controls the spread of these diseases, and provides statistics to Montana DPHHS.

Communicable diseases are those that are spread by touch, direct contact or even through the air. It is necessary for CMHD to track these illnesses to prevent the transmission of disease. Some of the diseases investigated are Chickenpox, Influenza, Chlamydia, Hepatitis, Pertussis, Norovirus, as well as Giardia, Salmonella, and Campylobacter.

Reportable Diseases are those that healthcare providers are required to report; CMHD is obligated by law to perform follow-up on all reportable diseases and conditions. The CMHD conducts monthly Epidemiology Team meetings with the local Unified Health Team to review communicable disease concerns in the six county area.

CMHD is also available as an educational resource for parasite infestations such as: head lice, bed bugs and scabies. A printable brochure is available here for the programs available with the Central Montana Health District.

Central Montana Health District is obligated by law to perform follow-up on all reportable diseases and conditions.

State of Montana List of Reportable Diseases

Administrative Rules of MT- Communicable Disease Reporting and Control

HIPAA Privacy Rule and Disease Reporting Obligations

Communicable_Disease_Case_Report_Form.pdf

Animal_bite_form_2023.pdf

STD_Case_Reporting_Form_2021.pdf

This information is under review and will be updated in the near future.  We appreciate your understanding and apologize for any inconvenience.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Montana Communicable Disease Epidemiology Program
State of Montana Administrative Rules for Reporting

CMHD Public Health Programs provide their communities with protection from diseases through immunization services. Vaccines help prevent diseases that used to be the top killer of children in this country. Maintaining high rates of childhood immunizations protects not only vaccinated children, but also those too young or too ill to have completed their full series of shots. A reduction in immunization rates inevitably results in an increase in disease. Therefore, immunizations are crucial to the health and safety of the community at large.

CMHD Public Health conducts school and daycare immunization record reviews to ensure compliance with the State of Montana immunization laws and offers traveling and school based clinics for children and adults. CMHD Public Health participates in the Vaccine for Children program offering federally funded vaccines for children aged 18 and under for routine childhood vaccines.

NO CHILD IS DENIED VACCINES DUE TO INABILITY TO PAY!  Our Public Health office is also available as a resource for suggested/required immunizations for out of country travel.

The CMHD Public Health programs offer health/safety education and are a health resource for community members, senior centers, employers, daycare providers and public schools. Capillary blood lead and hematocrit testing is offered to the HeadStart programs in the Health District communities.

Notice of Privacy Practices applies to the Central Montana Health District (CMHD) and all satellite vaccination/immunization sites.

Health Resources:

Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease

Montana has enacted laws that require children to have certain immunizations before entering school or day care.

SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS

In order to be enrolled in kindergarten, children must have at least four (4) doses of DTaP and three (3) doses of Polio (one dose of each must have been after their 4th birthday) and two (2) doses of MMR (one dose must be on or after their 1st birthday). A Tetanus booster is required for 7th grade entry.

DAY CARE REQUIREMENTS

Immunization requirements for day care attendance are based on the child's age and generally follow the recommended childhood schedule for DTaP, Polio, Hib & MMR. By 18 months of age, a child must have received a minimum of 3 doses of DTaP, 2 doses of Polio, 1 dose of Hib & 1 dose of MMR. Also, a Varicella (chicken pox) vaccine is required by age 19 months. In addition, Head Start requires enrolled children to have completed their 3 dose series of Hepatitis B.

Thanks to state laws, the availability of low-cost vaccines and the cooperation of parents, Montana ranks among the best in the nation for childhood immunization rates. In most years, 90% of Montana's three year-olds had completed their primary series of vaccinations (4-DTaP's, 3 Polio, 3 Hib's, 1 MMR & 3 Hep B's!)

CDC Immunization Schedule for Children Age 0-18

CDC Immunization Schedule for Adults

Vaccine Information Sheets (VIS)

COMMON QUESTIONS PARENTS ASK ABOUT INFANT IMMUNIZATIONS

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines-children/about/index.html

IMMUNIZATIONS FOR PRE-TEENS

Information on pre-teen vaccines
Information for parents about pre-teen vaccines

INFORMATION ABOUT VACCINES & AUTISM

http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2068.pdf
http://www.immunize.org/autism/
http://www.vaccinesafety.edu/cc-mmr.htm

CONSENT FORMS

Save time at the immunization clinic by printing and filling out the following forms prior to the clinic.

Child Consent form (0-18 years)

Adult Consent form(19+)

Annual TB Questionnaire

TB Screening Tool/Consent Form

Lead and Hematocrit Form

CMHD Public Health is responsible for coordinating and supporting the overall public health emergency preparedness activities including research, training and education, simulated exercises, public information and response.

Our goal with emergency preparedness is to provide and support effective planning both with community partners and within the Health District Public Health Programs. The planning process includes both management of public health emergencies and education within the community to make people aware of what to do before an emergency arises. During an actual public health emergency, we will play a vital role in maintaining the health of our community. We aim to keep “well people well” and prevent the spread of disease in the event of a major health event through timely and effective public information and if warranted, making sure people have access to needed medication.

CMHD Public Health cannot prepare the community alone. Therefore we have built strong relationships with community organizations within our six county area. By working together, the organizations that will be involved in a public health emergency will all use the same incident command structure, know how to communicate with each other and effectively keep the community safe and healthy.

The Ready Campaign of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, educating and empowering Americans to prepare for emergencies including natural disasters and potential terrorist attacks.

• Central Montana Health District Board of Health Participant
• Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Participant
• Human Services Coalition Participant
• Community Health Fair Participant

To submit a complaint regarding public or environmental health issues, please complete the following form and return it to our office.  All complaints must be submitted in writing.

COMPLAINT FORM