Clallam County Health and Human Services - Public Health

06/09/2026

Life Jackets Save Lives — and They're Required by Law in Washington

Before heading out on the water this summer, make sure everyone is wearing the right life jacket.

In Washington State:
🦺 Children 12 years old and younger must wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket whenever they are underway in a boat less than 19 feet long (unless they are inside a fully enclosed area).
🛶 Every vessel—including kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards—must have a properly fitted life jacket available for every person on board.
🚤 Anyone riding on a personal watercraft (such as a Jet Ski) or being towed behind a boat must wear a life jacket.

Not having required life jackets on board or failing to follow boating safety laws can result in citations and fines.

Most boating fatalities happen suddenly and unexpectedly. A life jacket only works if you're wearing it.

Wear it. Zip it. Buckle it. Enjoy the water safely.

https://parks.wa.gov/about/rules-and-safety/boater-education-safety/wear-life-jacket

05/29/2026

For more information about this closure, call the Marine Biotoxin Hotline at 1.800.562.5632, or visit the Department of Health’s Marine Biotoxin Website at www.doh.wa.gov/shellfishsafety.htm

For additional information call the Washington State Department of Health, Office of Environmental Health and Safety at 360.236.3354.

These health-related closures are in addition to closures regulated by the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife. Fish and Wildlife closures can be found on their website:
http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/beaches/beach_names.php

Their emergency regulation hotline is 1.866.880.5431

05/22/2026

Have a fabulous Memorial Day Weekend!

05/22/2026

Taking care of your health can be accessible, confidential, and easy.

Public Health is now offering:
• Free at-home HIV test kits
• Free at-home Hepatitis C test kits
• Free glucometers and A1C readers for blood sugar monitoring

These resources are available to help support early detection, prevention, and ongoing health management in our community.

No judgment. No cost. Just tools to help you stay informed about your health. Contact Clallam County Public Health to learn how to access these free resources, 360-417-2274 or stop by our offices at 111 East 3rd St. in Port Angeles or 140 C St. in Forks.

05/21/2026

Open Hours on Fridays, 9am - 11am with Clallam County Food Safety Staff. Stop by and get your questions answered on the first floor, Room 130.

Keep your cookouts safe and delicious with a few food safety tips!

A few perennial reminders:
• Wash your hands before and after handling raw meat
• Keep raw meat separate from ready-to-eat foods
• Use a food thermometer to make sure meat is cooked safely
• Don’t reuse plates or utensils that held raw meat
• Keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot
• Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours (1 hour if it’s very hot outside)

Safe grilling helps prevent foodborne illness so everyone can enjoy summer gatherings safely.

05/21/2026

Tick season is here in Clallam County. As the weather warms up, ticks become more active in grassy, brushy, and wooded areas.

Protect yourself and your family when spending time outdoors:

• Wear long sleeves and pants when hiking or working outside
• Use EPA-registered insect repellent
• Check yourself, kids, and pets for ticks after being outdoors
• Shower soon after coming inside
• Remove ticks promptly with fine-tipped tweezers

Watch for symptoms after a tick bite, including fever, rash, fatigue, headaches, or muscle aches, and contact a healthcare provider if you become sick.

Learn more about ticks, tick-borne diseases and tick removal: https://doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/pests/ticks

05/20/2026

🎉 Join us for the Community Connection Baby Shower 2026! 👶💛

We are excited to welcome expecting and growing families for a morning of connection, wellness, education, and FREE resources!

📍 Vern Burton Center
308 E. 4th St., Port Angeles
📅 Saturday, May 30th, 2026
⏰ 9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

✨ Schedule of Events

🫶 9:15 a.m. – Doors Open for NOHN Wellness Discussion & Breakfast

💚 9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Managing Wellness During & After Pregnancy with NOHN
Join OB & Behavioral Health specialists from North Olympic Healthcare Network for breakfast, discussion, and Q&A focused on physical, mental, and emotional wellness during pregnancy and postpartum.
🎁 Participants will be entered to win a deluxe wagon stroller!

🚗 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Child Passenger Safety & Car Seat Event
Learn about car seat safety with First Step’s Child Passenger Safety Program.
✔ FREE car seat provided to participants
📞 Space is limited — register by calling/texting 360-477-8250

🎈 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Community Connection Resource & Wellness Fair
Enjoy:
✨ Free baby supplies
✨ Snacks & prizes
✨ Family wellness resources
✨ Kids Play Zone
✨ Family Photo Booth
✨ Resources for fathers & male caregivers

Connect with local medical, behavioral health, and family support organizations all in one place!

We hope to see you there! 💕

05/20/2026

Get familiar with measles symptoms. Viral rashes are common, especially in children following a fever. The measles rash is not common, because we have a 97% effective vaccine. These are measles symptoms:

• Early symptoms often look like a cold: fever, cough, runny nose, and red or watery eyes.
• A red rash usually appears a few days later, starting on the face and spreading downward.
• Tiny white spots inside the mouth (“Koplik spots”) can appear before the rash.
• Measles can lead to serious complications, especially for babies, young children, pregnant people, and those with weakened immune systems.
• The MMR vaccine is safe and highly effective at preventing measles.
• If you think you or your child may have measles, call a healthcare provider before going into a clinic to help prevent spread to others.

Since the measles vaccine was introduced in 1963, it is estimated that billions of people worldwide have received at least one dose of a measles-containing vaccine. Partake in prevention, stay updated!

Call Clallam County Public Health if you have questions, 360-417-2274. Learn more here: https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/illness-and-disease-z/measles

05/12/2026

Homelessness is often talked about as if it comes from one bad decision or one personal failure. In reality, it is usually the result of multiple challenges happening at the same time — rising housing costs, job loss, health issues, disability, domestic violence, mental health struggles, aging on a fixed income, and more.

If homelessness is caused by many factors, solutions must be multi-layered too: affordable housing, healthcare, treatment, prevention, economic support, and community connection.

Reducing stigma starts with understanding that homelessness can happen to people from all walks of life. Compassion and evidence-based solutions help communities heal and thrive. Many organizations across Clallam County put their best foot forward daily to continue to provide solutions to this complex issue. Ending homelessness takes all of us — with empathy, understanding, and community-based solutions. Keep learning!

05/12/2026

Clallam Neighbors,

CMOR (Condition Monitoring Observer Reports) is a free national tool where you can submit quick, on-the-ground observations about local drought conditions —gardens, wells, streams, wildlife, and more. Add up to 5 photos!

Your reports give real local insights that help improve the U.S. Drought Monitor. More accurate data supports better drought planning, relief efforts, and assistance for our farms, water systems, and community — especially with our ongoing statewide drought emergency.

It's quick, no training needed. Submit weekly or monthly via the free Survey123 app.

Report now: https://droughtimpacts.unl.edu/Tools/ConditionMonitoringObservations.aspx

You can use the Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) system to report drought-related conditions and impacts within the U.S. and its territories. This is a nation-wide service provided by the National Drought Mitigation Center, based at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, developed in partne...