A year ago, the precautions so many Arizonans took against COVID-19 - staying indoors, avoiding large groups, and wearing masks - also helped protect against the flu. There were fewer flu cases in 2020 compared to 2019, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Many Arizonans have returned to their pre-pandemic routines, [...]
From the time most people were children, parents and teachers stressed the importance of washing our hands. In the nearly two years since COVID-19 appeared, health officials around the world have repeated the same good advice. As we recognize National Handwashing Awareness Week, with holiday gatherings underway and COVID-19 still very active in Arizona, removing [...]
I’m glad to see the ADHS data dashboard showing increased demand lately for COVID-19 booster shots and primary vaccinations. Federal officials and ADHS have advised repeatedly that vaccination is the best way to prepare for uncertainties posed by the Omicron variant, not to mention from COVID-19 in general. While there are news reports saying that [...]
Arizona icon and Senator Barry Goldwater was just 6 months old in July 1909 when the Bureau of Vital Records began keeping track of births and deaths throughout Arizona. Today, the Arizona Department of Health Services’ bureau is one of just three vital records units to be awarded national accreditation from the Public Health Accreditation [...]
If you’re fully vaccinated and age 18 or older, you’re likely due for a booster dose of safe, free, and highly effective COVID-19 vaccine. On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) strengthened its recommendation for boosters, saying everyone 18 and older should get them – and sooner rather than later. CDC Director [...]
On Tuesday, Nov. 23, ADHS and medical leaders appealed for Arizonans to do the following to curb the spread of COVID-19: Get vaccinated, and get kids ages 5 and older vaccinated: azhealth.gov/FindVaccine; If you are fully vaccinated and age 18 and older, get a booster: azhealth.gov/FindVaccine; Mask up, physically distance, keep your hands washed, stay [...]
This week, hospital medical leaders and I joined Dr. Richard Carmona, the 17th U.S. Surgeon General and special adviser to Governor Ducey on public health emergency preparedness, to share ways we can work together to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Arizona. Hospitals are stretched thin dealing with seriously ill unvaccinated patients, while attending to [...]
U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week is an annual event that occurs this year from Nov. 18-24 to raise awareness of the importance of appropriate antibiotic use to decrease the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Antibiotics are important tools to help fight bacterial infections and potentially save lives; however, some bacteria may develop resistance to these medications. Antibiotic [...]
The holiday season that begins on Thanksgiving and continues through New Year’s means many things to many people. One thing it means to most of us is food. Meals and appetizers with family and friends help make the holiday season special. But there can be a downside to all that delicious food. If it isn’t [...]
The 5,070 COVID-19 cases added today to the ADHS dashboard don’t have an asterisk. COVID-19 cases are rising. We can’t say exactly why this increase is happening even before the holiday season, though cases, hospitalizations, and deaths continue to be largely among unvaccinated people. But we all know how to flatten the curve. That’s why [...]
