Health And Fitness
WINTER WEATHER IMPACTS LOCAL BLOOD SUPPLY
Extreme winter weather has caused widespread disruptions across the Midwest, resulting in canceled blood drives and closures of LifeServe Blood Center Donor Centers across Iowa, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Illinois. Unfortunately, this has led to the loss of more than 900 blood donations, significantly impacting the supply of lifesaving blood products for patients in need.
Benton County Hosts 10th Annual Health & Wellness Fair

Bill proposes funding for free tampons, pads in school restrooms
By Robin OpsahlA House Education subcommittee unanimously advanced a bill Monday to require school districts provide free feminine hygiene products, like tampons and menstrual pads, in school restrooms.The bill, House File 543, would provide state funding beginning July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2028 for the mandate that these sanitary products be available in at least half of restrooms for students in grades 6 through 12.
Iowa House panel advances bill to limit SNAP-eligible foods to healthy options
The Iowa House Health and Human Services Committee voted 14-6 to advance a bill that would allocate $1 million to the Double Up Food Bucks program, if federal food assistance for Iowans is limited to healthy food purchases only. Most food insecurity groups opposed the bill and urged lawmakers to separate the funding for the Double Up Food Bucks program, which allows Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients to double their spending on fruits and vegetables.
Bill banning mRNA vaccines in Iowa passes subcommittee
By Robin OpsahlSome COVID vaccines would be barred in Iowa. A bill banning gene-based vaccines, like some forms of the COVID-19 vaccine, received approval from a Senate subcommittee Monday.Senate File 360 would prohibit health care providers from administering gene-based vaccines, with penalties of a misdemeanor charge and a fine of $500 for each violation, as well as requiring a review of the provider’s license.
2024 Fall Tracking Portal Updates: Immunizations
The 2025 Winter Tracking Portal update includes new data for the data visualizations listed below.We have included a direct link to the webpage where the data visualizations are accessible. If you visit these visualizations often, we encourage you to create a new bookmark so that you can easily find them in their new location on the Iowa HHS website.
2024 Fall Tracking Portal Update: Lead Poisoning
The 2025 Winter Tracking Portal update includes new data for the data visualizations listed below.We have included a direct link to the webpage where the data visualizations are accessible. If you visit these visualizations often, we encourage you to create a new bookmark so that you can easily find them in their new location on the Iowa HHS website.
10th Annual Health and Wellness Fair Saturday, March 1, 8:00 a.m. to noon
It's time for the 10th Annual Health and Wellness Fair this Saturday, March 1, 2025 from 8:00 a.m. to noon. The event will be held at the Vinton Shellsburg High School gym. The event includes:-On site health screening-Facepainting-Welcome Bags-Prize Drawings-Demonstrations-Information Booths
2024 Fall Tracking Portal Updates: Tick Borne and Misquito Borne Diseases
The 2025 Winter Tracking Portal update includes new data for the data visualizations listed below.We have included a direct link to the webpage where the data visualizations are accessible. If you visit these visualizations often, we encourage you to create a new bookmark so that you can easily find them in their new location on the Iowa HHS website.