Preparedness

Items in the Preparedness category will cover everything from Emergency Medical Services to vaccination programs. This division at ADHS tracks contagious disease, coordinates emergency preparedness activity, licenses EMTs and Paramedics, regulates ambulance companies, authorizes special hospital designations like cardiac care center and Level IV trauma center, issues birth and death certificates, and tracks critical health data through various sources including hospital discharge information.

Arizona cord blood used in life-saving treatments, research

By |2022-11-15T12:14:42-07:00November 15th, 2022|Preparedness|

Today, Nov. 15, is World Cord Blood Day, which calls attention to how stem cells that remain in the placenta and umbilical cord after a child is born help doctors treat more than 80 life-threatening diseases.  There have been more than 40,000 cord blood stem cell transplants since a French doctor first used the procedure [...]

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Watch young children for signs of RSV

By |2022-11-04T14:21:48-07:00November 4th, 2022|Preparedness|

This time of the year, many adults and children catch the common cold. Sometimes, what looks like a cold can actually be RSV, or Respiratory Syncytial Virus. Many people recover quickly from RSV in a week or two, but it can be potentially more serious for others such as infants and elderly individuals. Arizona is [...]

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Guard against a potentially deadly amoeba in bodies of fresh water

By |2022-11-03T11:49:17-07:00November 3rd, 2022|Preparedness|

As the swim season comes to a close, there is a tragic reminder about the dangers of a potentially deadly amoeba found in lakes, rivers, hot springs, and other bodies with warm water. A boy believed to have been exposed to Naegleria fowleri recently passed after swimming and diving in Kingman Wash on the Arizona [...]

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2021 Trauma Report identifies opportunities for injury prevention

By |2022-10-24T14:32:45-07:00October 24th, 2022|Preparedness|

Public health oversees many areas, one of which is the Arizona trauma system. Each year, the State Trauma Advisory Board collaborates with the ADHS Bureau of EMS and Trauma System to publish a report summarizing trauma in Arizona. Data reported to the Arizona State Trauma Registry from Arizona trauma centers is analyzed to illustrate top [...]

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Respiratory diseases heating up as the weather cools down

By |2022-10-21T10:41:45-07:00October 21st, 2022|Preparedness|

The weather may be cooling down, but respiratory diseases are beginning to heat up in Arizona. Common cold-causing viruses such as rhinovirus and enterovirus are circulating at this time throughout the U.S.  The 2022-2023 influenza season recently began Oct. 2, but we’re already seeing a higher rate of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity [...]

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Vaccination can boost your chances of avoiding long COVID

By |2022-10-17T10:24:00-07:00October 17th, 2022|Preparedness|

For most people who get COVID-19, isolation, rest, and following a doctor's advice leads back to full health within a few weeks, especially if you were up-to-date on vaccination. If you can't shake fatigue a month or more later, however, chances are you're among the millions of Americans facing long COVID. Also referred to as [...]

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More strong evidence that COVID-19 vaccines are saving lives

By |2022-10-14T09:19:37-07:00October 14th, 2022|Preparedness|

I've said it before, and I'll say it again now: COVID-19 vaccines save lives. The latest strong evidence is a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services study that underscores the benefits of vaccination for older people and others at higher risk of severe COVID-19. It links COVID-19 vaccinations in 2021 with 650,000 fewer hospitalizations [...]

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Ages 5-11 added to those eligible for Omicron COVID-19 boosters

By |2022-10-12T14:09:53-07:00October 12th, 2022|Preparedness|

Children ages 5 and older may now receive the updated COVID-19 vaccine boosters targeting Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 as well as the original coronavirus. This is important news for parents of kids in this age group who are vaccinated, as this bivalent booster includes protection against the highly transmissible and immune-evading variants that dominate [...]

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Listeria outbreak elsewhere is a reminder guard against foodborne illness

By |2022-10-06T12:51:24-07:00October 6th, 2022|Preparedness|

Arizona may not be among six states experiencing an outbreak of disease from listeria bacteria linked to brands of cheese sold nationwide, but the episode provides a reminder about the importance of taking steps to avoid foodborne illness. So far in 2022, there have been four cases of listeriosis in Arizona unrelated to the current [...]

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Haven’t received the Omicron COVID-19 booster? Change that today

By |2022-10-05T15:36:08-07:00October 5th, 2022|Preparedness|

Nearly 200,000 Arizonans have received new COVID-19 boosters designed to guard against current Omicron subvariants that have dominated around the country. Even with millions in our state fully vaccinated, that number needs to be much, much higher to protect our most vulnerable against severe outcomes. There has been considerable news coverage nationally about lower-than-hoped-for uptake [...]

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