Frequently Asked Questions

As a result of our 2009 public survey, our hours of operation from Monday through Thursday have been extended to 6:00 PM. We continue to operate from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Friday. The Health Department is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and every fourth Wednesday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Please remember to check the county holiday schedule for days when the department will be closed.

The clinic FAX numbers are:

• Medical Records: 919-989-5278
• Primary Care: 919-989-5279
• Epidemiology: 919-989-5287
• Family Planning: 919-989-5266
• Maternity: 919-989-5266
• Child Health: 919-989-5199
• WIC: 919-989-5298

Yes. Appointments are available from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. To schedule an appointment, call us at (919) 989-5200.

No, there is not.

Some services are income based; others are free; still many others are a set charge. For more information about payment, you can call (919) 989-5200 to get more information on a particular service. For income based services, documentation of income must be provided for the previous five weeks, if possible.

Medicaid and Medicare are accepted insurances. We also accept Health Choice and Medicare Advantage plans such as Humana, Wellcare, and Advantra. Patients should ask their insurance company if the Health Department is a covered provider.

The Health Department employs: nurses, nurse practitioners, physicians, physician assistants, secretaries, laboratory technicians, nutritionists, health educators, environmentalists, social workers, administrators and interpreters.

Yes. Some childhood immunizations are available free of charge. The Johnston County Health Department is not set up to bill private insurance for childhood immunizations. Immunizations are scheduled by appointment. For questions regarding vaccine availability, please call the Health Department Pediatric Clinic at (919) 989-5200. The parent is required to bring their child's up-to-date immunization record with them, child's Medicaid card or Health Choice card, and proof of identity (either parent's driver's license or other photo ID).

The Health Department offers immunizations for travel. Adults may receive tetanus vaccine that is recommended every 10 years for adults. The flu vaccine is available from October through March. Many others are available. Please call (919) 989-5200 for more information.

The Health Department is a preventive and medical operating facility. However, in order to accommodate patients, you must call for an appointment in Child Health or Primary Care and the program manager will establish the urgent care needs of the call if you are an established patient of the Health Department.

Smithfield office: 8:00 AM to 11:45 AM, 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 8:00 AM to 11:45 AM on Wednesdays and Fridays. Benson and Clayton satellite clinics: 2nd Wednesdays from 8:00 AM to 11:45 AM and 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM.

It means that there is a possibility that you have been exposed to Tuberculosis (TB) at some point in your life. It does not mean that you have TB or that you are contagious. If a person has a positive TB skin test, there are several other tests that must be performed to confirm the diagnosis. Many people with positive TB skin tests will have a negative chest x-ray and are not contagious at all. Preventative medication may be an option for those people.

Yes. The tests may vary based on your symptoms. We offer appointments daily. It is requested that you call at 8:00 AM on the day you would like to be seen for an appointment

Your child must be vaccinated against 10 diseases to enter school in North Carolina. Those diseases are:

• Diphtheria
• Tetanus
• Pertussis
• Polio
• Measles
• Mumps
• Rubella
• Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib)
• Hepatitis B
• Chickenpox

Many people from the community, including other physicians, contact the Health Department for information about foreign travel. We are glad to assist you by reviewing your vaccination record and informing you which vaccines may be necessary for your trip. We can discuss this information with you by scheduling an appointment or calling to talk with a nurse.

Your child must be vaccinated against 10 diseases to enter school in North Carolina. Those diseases are: Diphtheria Tetanus Pertussis Polio Measles Mumps Rubella Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib) Hepatitis B Chickenpox

A federal program, called the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, provides these vaccines at no cost to children through age 18 who are one of the following:

• Medicaid-eligible
• American Indian or Alaska Native
• Uninsured
• Underinsured. Underinsured means your child has health insurance, but it won't cover the vaccine(s) because:
  • It doesn’t cover any vaccines.
  • It doesn’t cover certain vaccines.
  • It covers vaccines, but it has a fixed dollar limit or cap for vaccines. Once that fixed dollar amount has been reached, your child is eligible.

NOTICE:    Once the transitional supply of vaccine is depleted, patients with private insurance will be required to pay for the vaccine (if available) and file their own insurance claim.

No. A child with NC Health Choice is considered insured and is not eligible for the VFC program.

For more information about the VFC Program, immunizations required for school entry in North Carolina, and general information on vaccines, visit http://www.immunize.nc.gov/

To protect against pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, and diphtheria. Over time, protection wears off so a booster is needed to stay fully protected.

If it has been more than five years since your child received a tetanus shot (DTaP, DTP, or Td), they will need the Tdap booster. Almost all rising 7th graders will need to get the Tdap booster. However, if it has been less than five years since your child has received a tetanus containing vaccine, they will be deferred until five years has passed from last dose of tetanus (DTP, DTaP DT or TD).

To protect against four causes of meningococcal disease (meningitis), an infection of the lining of the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis kills 10-15 infected people out of every 100 infected. Of the survivors, 10-20% suffer severe life-long disabilities such as brain damage, loss of limbs, hearing loss, and more.

1st dose: At age 11 or upon entering 7th grade. 2nd dose: At age 16 or upon entering 12th grade.

Talk to your child's doctor to find out if vaccinations are needed. Make sure your child gets vaccinated before school starts. Get a copy of your child's shot record to take to school. While at the doctor, check to make sure your child is up to date with other vaccines and their yearly check up.

Your child's doctor or health care provider. If your child does not have a health care provider, contact the Johnston County Health Department. Contact us and ask for the Child Immunization Coordinator at (919-989-5200) if you have any questions. Registration is necessary to ensure vaccine is available, to avoid wait time and to check eligibility. Appointments are also available during regular clinic hours.

Cost of the vaccine is depends on your insurance status and/or financial status. Regulations on vaccines have changed and your child may or may not qualify for a free vaccine. Johnston County Public Health Department accepts Medicaid, North Carolina Health Choice, Medicare and some other insurances. For all other patients we accept cash, personal checks, debit cards, and MasterCard/Visa/Discover credit cards. No vaccine will be given unless accompanied by a parent or an authorized adult. We must have the child's official immunization record and any insurance information.

Currently, there are avian flu varieties in the US that do not pose a health threat to humans. (August 2006)

North Carolina is better prepared to respond to a flu pandemic or any other public health threat emergency than we have ever been before. In large part this is the result of new federal funds invested in public health following the events of September 11, 2001.

• NC has had a Pandemic Flu plan since October, 2004.
• The Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response has been created to provide expertise, establish partnerships with other first responders and lead the response.
• Most local health departments have preparedness coordinators, who are working at the local level to prepare for a pandemic flu and other public health threats.
• Regional hospitals host medical epidemiologists to further enhance public health surveillance.

Get a flu shot every year. Practice good health hygiene - wash hands frequently, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, stay home from work if you are sick, and keep children at home if they are not well. Contact your physician if you become ill so you can be evaluated for the flu.

Yes, chicken available in the US is safe to eat. Always cook it thoroughly to protect yourself from foodborne illness like salmonella.

Planning for a public health emergency is similar to planning for other types of emergencies. For more information on how to plan, please visit www.ready.gov and www.readync.gov.

Often epidemic and pandemic are used similarly. However, an epidemic is a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community. Normally this is a disease we are familiar with, have some level of immunity, and is limited in how far it spreads. Epidemics occur regularly. An example of this is when all people attending a social function become infected by the seasonal flu.

A pandemic is also a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease but one in which ther is little to no immunity, covers a whole country or the world at one particular time, and has much greater impact than an epidemic. An example of this is the COVID-19 pandemic that impacted all of our lives.

No. The strain of avian flu that has public health experts concerned is not found in North Carolina or North America.

North Carolina is better prepared to respond to a flu pandemic or any other public health threat emergency than we have ever been before. In large part this is the result of new federal funds invested in public health following the events of September 11, 2001.

• NC has had a Pandemic Flu plan since October, 2004.
• The Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response has been created to provide expertise, establish partnerships with other first responders and lead the response.
• Most local health departments have preparedness coordinators, who are working at the local level to prepare for a pandemic flu and other public health threats.
• Regional hospitals host medical epidemiologists to further enhance public health surveillance.

Communication has improved dramatically since the last flu pandemic in 1968. The COVID-19 pandemic was a direct example of how communication has advanced and would occur during any pandemic, including a flu pandemic. Today, we will know very quickly if a flu virus mutates and starts affecting humans in large numbers. Public health experts will advise the public on how they can best protect themselves and their families.

Many state and local agencies are involved in the response. The NC Pandemic Flu Response Plan is part of the NC Emergency Operations Plan, which outlines who is responsible for the different components of an effective response. Public Health, working with laboratories and healthcare providers, will probably be the first to identify potential pandemic flu cases in NC, but the rapid response will involve many other partners.

Isolation is when a person who is already ill is kept away from others to keep from spreading the disease. Quarantine is when people who may have been exposed to a contagious disease but not yet sick are kept away from others also to keep from spreading the disease. Both measures will be important to controlling disease in a flu pandemic.

The Women's, Infant's and Children's program is a federally funded program providing nutritional food supplements for pregnant women and their children from birth to five years of age. Participants are eligible based on nutritional need and income.

Our Smithfield office hours can be found on our Contact page. We are closed most major holidays.

While most appointments to apply for WIC are in person, benefit issuance is being done by phone. Please call (919) 989-5255 to schedule your WIC appointment, or if you have any questions or would like to discuss options for alternative appointments.

You may also request a WIC appointment by visiting https://www.ncdhhs.gov/ncwicreferral.

Please note WIC is a well clinic. We ask that you let us know if you or someone in your immediate family has tested positive for COVID-19, FLU or other contagious illnesses such as RSV, chicken pox, or hand, foot and mouth disease.

Women who are currently pregnant, have had a baby in the past six months (past 12 months if breastfeeding), infants and children under the age of five may apply. In addition, foster parents and grandparents/family members who are the legal guardians of a child under age five may also apply on the child's behalf.

WIC applicants must live in the state of North Carolina and have a family income that is less than 185% of U.S. Poverty Income Guidelines. A person receiving Medicaid, SNAP, or TANF will automatically meet income eligibility requirement. Applicants must also be at nutritional risk, which will be assessed by a WIC Nutritionist at time of application or certification. Income must be verified by salary receipts for everyone working in the home for the last 30 days. A Medicaid card is proof of income. Additional information needed includes:

• Proof of residency and identity, such as a driver's license, birth certificate, photo ID
• Work or home information with a valid address.

Click here to view additional information on WIC eligibility.