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Maplewood health officer reports measles rise, expands outreach and crisis-response efforts
Summary
Health Officer Candice Davenport told the Board of Health about a recent community health fair, outreach for childhood immunizations, 935 recent measles cases cited in national reporting, low human risk from avian flu, revival of the county Medical Reserve Corps, and rising crisis-intervention caseloads locally.
Candice Davenport, Maplewood’s health officer, briefed the Board of Health on May 6 about recent public-health activity and trends and urged residents to use county and state resources for immunizations and crisis support.
Davenport highlighted the township’s recent community health fair and named partner organizations including the Hilton Neighborhood Association, Maplewood Police Department and the South Essex Fire Department. She noted the county’s Vaccines for Children program will offer services in Bloomfield, Orange and Irvington and that information is available in Spanish and Haitian Creole.
On communicable diseases, Davenport cited national measles totals shown in her slides: "the total cases as of last week is 935 cases," and reminded residents that outbreaks concentrate where vaccination coverage is low. She said New Jersey had not reported measles cases at that time but emphasized that the disease can spread rapidly and recommended routine childhood immunizations.
Davenport also reported no change in avian-flu risk to the public and said recent human cases have been tied to occupational exposure; she asked residents to report clusters of sick or dead wild birds to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and to call the Department of Agriculture for sick domestic birds.
The county is reviving the Medical Reserve Corps and three Maplewood residents signed up to volunteer at the health fair, Davenport said; the corps can be activated for medical and nonmedical support in local emergencies. Environmental-health updates covered routine restaurant inspections and a rise in mobile food trucks for outdoor events; animal-control funding and impound totals were also summarized.
On behavioral health, Davenport highlighted that crisis-intervention social workers handled 31 cases in April, with 24 new cases. She reiterated the township’s support for the federal 988 suicide-prevention line and other hotlines, and cited New Jersey mental-health statistics presented by the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
No members of the public asked questions during the Board of Health portion; the Board moved to adjourn and reconvene on June 4, 2025.
