Now that she’s 7, Olivia Edwards gets her blood pressure checked without a whimper.
“She didn’t like it when she was little, but she’s fine now,” said her mother, Sara Edwards of Lake Wales, while Olivia finished her checkup at Kinder Clinic in Winter Haven, part of Nemours Children’s Primary Care.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children be screened for high blood pressure, from age 3 on, during their annual well child visits.
Although consistently elevated blood pressure or hypertension is rare in children Olivia’s age, it can occur. If it does, it’s often linked to obesity, but could signal undetected kidney disease, congenital heart disease or other problems.
LAKELAND Nurses and other front-line workers at Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center got their first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday morning as numbers of local infections remained high.
Hospital employees at the highest risk of exposure from patients with COVID-19 received injections of the vaccine developed by Moderna. They will need booster shots in about four weeks for the vaccine to be fully effective.
Lakeland Regional Health is not requiring workers to be inoculated against the viral illness, but executives are urging employees to receive the vaccinations.
“We highly encourage our team members to consider receiving this promising vaccine,” Dr. Timothy J. Regan, the hospital’s president and chief medical officer of Lakeland Regional Health, said in a news release. “As an emergency medicine physician, I just received my vaccination and have full confidence in the science behind these vaccines. This is an important next step in keeping our team, patients, the
Deputies: Polk County man arrested in November DUI crash had BAC more than three times legal limit
By FOX 13 news staff
Published
Booking image for Justin Mathis
LAKELAND, Fla. - Nearly one month ago, two Lakeland men were killed in a suspected DUI crash, and investigators announced the driver has been charged.
On Tuesday, Polk County detectives arrested 31-year-old Justin Mathis of Highland City. He faces charges of DUI manslaughter and DUI with property damage.
The deadly crash occurred around 9:46 p.m. on November 20 on U.S. Highway 98 and County Road 540A in the Highland City area of Lakeland. When deputies arrived, they found the passengers were dead: 34-year-old Christopher Lofton and 38-year-old David Weldon.
LAKELAND Polk County and Florida saw nearly record-breaking numbers of new COVID-19 infections on Thursday, as health care officials await word of possible federal approval of a second vaccine.
There were 466 new COVID-19 cases reported in Polk on Thursday, according to the Florida Department of Health s daily report. Of these, 432 were state residents and 34 were non-state residents, possibly either tourists or snowbirds. This is the county s second-highest day for new infections, following the 505 cases reported July 18. It brings the county s total to 32,432.
Florida reported 13,148 new cases Thursday, based on the state agency s report. This is the state s third highest day for new infections following July 11 and July 15, when Florida reported more than 15,000 cases.
Polk sees uptick in COVID-19 testing as cases climb, holidays approach
LAKELAND More Lakeland residents are seeking COVID-19 testing, whether it be because they have a stuffy nose or want to go home for the holidays. There are places to get tested for free, depending on your needs.
Lakeland Regional Health has seen an uptick in the number of people seeking to be tested for the virus at its main drive-thru site on the medical center s Lakeland campus, according to spokeswoman Jennifer Audette. What was a steady stream of about 60 vehicles a day is now averaging 90 to 100. The volume of our drive-thru testing center has increased greatly, she said.