Today’s grim national news about overdose deaths amid the pandemic strikes a chord in Arizona, where opioid overdose deaths have continued to rise amid increased illegal use of counterfeit fentanyl. The National Center for Health Statistics released provisional figures showing that U.S. overdose deaths exceeded 100,000 for the first time in a 12-month period that [...]
In the 15 years since voters approved the Smoke Free AZ Act, Arizona has made significant progress in the battle to reduce smoking and improve public health in our state. When the measure passed in 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 18.6 percent of Arizonans smoked. Today, that number is [...]
Any death from COVID-19 is one too many. As public health professionals and public servants, we want Arizonans to have the information they need to protect themselves, including the facts on COVID-19’s death toll. One of our core functions at ADHS is providing data and systematic analysis, based on generally accepted standards for accuracy and [...]
A joyous occasion for parents around the world – the birth of a baby – can bring something just as miraculous to patients. Cord blood that remains in the placenta and umbilical cord after a child is born is helping doctors treat more than 80 life-threatening diseases. The collection process occurs after the baby is [...]
With the welcome addition of 5- to 11-year-olds to those eligible to receive the safe, free, and highly effective COVID-19 vaccination, starting today you’ll see a short-term decrease in the “Percent of eligible people vaccinated” metric on our Vaccine Administration dashboard. Previously, this number was calculated by dividing the number of people who have received [...]
After nearly two years, I don’t blame anyone for feeling done with the COVID-19 pandemic. The unfortunate truth, however, is the pandemic isn’t done with us. Recent case numbers bear this out. After coming down steadily after a peak in mid-August, cases statewide have increased from 14,511 in the week of Oct. 10 to 17,299 [...]
Nearly all practicing U.S. doctors – better than 19 out of 20 – had been vaccinated against COVID-19 as of mid-June, the American Medical Association reported. That’s hardly surprising since other vaccines have eliminated or all but eliminated diseases such as polio, mumps, and rubella. There is so much misinformation flying around these days. It’s [...]
Nothing is more precious than our children, so I understand why many parents will have questions about kids and COVID-19 vaccination. That’s why ADHS has enlisted medical and public health experts to answer parents’ questions in a town hall-style video we plan to make available Wednesday, Nov. 17, on our social media channels and through [...]
A common question that has come up as the CDC has granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of the COVID vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 is related to vaccine requirements for school and childcare attendance. Given the interest, I thought it would be timely to provide the details about how and why a vaccine [...]
As ADHS and our partners work to educate people about the importance of COVID-19 vaccination, we are often emphasizing that the vaccine is recommended for everyone 12 and older, including those who have had a previous COVID-19 infection. A new CDC report published last week demonstrates the importance of getting your COVID-19 vaccine, even if [...]
