Please see the attached memo regarding the New Jersey Tick-borne Disease Education Toolkit available online at www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/vectorborne.shtml. Toolkit materials include age-appropriate PowerPoint presentations with script, student handouts, activity sheets and quiz, parent letters, a tick check calendar, and a teacher guide which includes learning objectives and suggested activities. We encourage schools to use these materials when developing or updating their tickborne disease curricula.
NJDOH is also looking for feedback regarding the Tick-borne Disease Education Toolkit. Please respond to a brief survey by August 19, 2022: http://healthsurveys.nj.gov/NoviSurvey/n/tickborne.aspx.
As we begin to prepare for a new school year, it is a good opportunity to remind people of all ages about the importance of the identification, prevention, and treatment of Lyme disease and other tickborne diseases. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis. Information on preventing tickborne diseases is available online at the NJDOH website mentioned above.
This information has been broadcast to: School Administrators; NJLINCS and Local Contacts; Public Health Sector; Local Boards of Health; NJDOH Staff; NJLINCS Community; Public Health Associations; Public Health Council; Educational Institutions; School Nurses