Lead screening in Milwaukee; CDC visit follows awarding of $400K grant

Lead screening in Milwaukee

Staff from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are visiting Milwaukee's Keefe Avenue School to meet with local partners and observe a free lead screening clinic in action.

MILWAUKEE - Staff from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention visited Milwaukee's Keefe Avenue School on Tuesday to meet with local partners and observe a free lead screening clinic in action. 

Free lead screening clinic

What they're saying:

MPS will host a series of free clinics, which are funded by a nearly $400,000 CDC grant that will cover the cost of screening up to 8,000 children for lead.

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"We're expanding the access, and students will be able to get access inside the comfort of their own school and at no cost to them or their family," said Mayor Cavalier Johnson.

"Our program is committed to ending childhood lead poisoning as a public health problem in the entire United States," the CDC's Paul Allwood said."

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The lead screenings allow health care workers to identify elevated levels of lead in children's blood, the school district said. Children can develop health and developmental issues when they have elevated levels of lead, so early detection is vital.

"The progress we have made is significant," said Mike Totoraitis, Milwaukee health commissioner. "By providing testing directly in these schools, the health department can identify elevated blood lead levels in Milwaukee children earlier, begin our investigations sooner and connect families to resources quicker."

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Most lead exposure occurs in older housing, according to the Milwaukee Health Department, but schools provide an opportunity to conduct large-scale screenings. 

Keefe Avenue School was selected based on location and convenience to families and not because of any lead risk to children at the school, MPS said. 

Future clinics

What's next:

MPS is coordinating clinic logistics for families at the Keefe Avenue clinic and other upcoming clinics. The nonprofit Coalition on Lead Emergency is providing outreach assistance. Appointments are not needed for the screenings.

Future lead screenings for Milwaukee children will be at:

• Escuela Vieau (823 S. 4th Street) on Mar. 25 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Burbank School (6035 W. Adler Street) on Apr. 28 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

MHD also works with local organizations to host ongoing clinics.