Preparedness

/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.

Follow a COVID-19 action plan if you have a weakened immune system

By | February 1st, 2023|Preparedness|

If you have a moderately or severely weakened immune system, it's more important than ever to have a COVID-19 action plan. The Food and Drug Administration recently announced that the therapeutic agent  EVUSHELD is not currently authorized for emergency use in the U.S. This monoclonal antibody had been prescribed to people with moderately to severely [...]

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Taking the family to play in the snow? These tips will make sledding safer

By | January 20th, 2023|Preparedness|

An abundance of snow no doubt has many Arizonans planning trips to the high country. If your family fun will include sledding, please take along some advice to play safely.  The Arizona State Trauma Registry maintained by ADHS Emergency Medical Services and Trauma System recorded 40 sledding injuries between 2019 and 2021. And these are [...]

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COVID-19 Boosters for Seniors: A new resource for those at greater risk of severe illness

By | January 19th, 2023|Preparedness|

It's important for everyone to be up to date on COVID-19 vaccination. But all evidence points to an even greater need for older Arizonans to get the lifesaving protection offered by the current bivalent booster, which targets Omicron. COVID-19 vaccines are safe, highly effective, widely available, and free. That's one reason why we've launched a [...]

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Testing wastewater provides early warning for public health challenges

By | January 18th, 2023|Preparedness|

Before the first case of influenza was reported in the Flagstaff area this fall, public health researchers from ADHS and Coconino County Health and Human Services already knew it was coming. How? By testing wastewater for signs of influenza. Wastewater surveillance for signs of specific diseases is a new and growing tool for public health [...]

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Learning hands-only CPR can help you save someone who suffers sudden cardiac arrest

By | January 17th, 2023|Preparedness|

Americans were stunned when Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed during a Monday Night Football game with sudden cardiac arrest. The actions taken to save his life illustrate the value of rapid treatment with high quality CPR and the use of an automated external defibrillator, or AED. Thankfully, Hamlin has been released from the hospital [...]

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Safe and highly effective COVID-19 protection is available, so get boosted

By | January 6th, 2023|Preparedness|

During November, Arizonans who had received the updated Omicron booster were 14 times less likely than unvaccinated individuals to be hospitalized from COVID-19 and 49 times less likely to die from COVID-19. That’s according to our latest monthly look at COVID-19 outcomes by vaccination status. Those who were vaccinated, but hadn't gotten the updated booster [...]

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Naloxone Leave Behind program helps first responders save lives

By | December 30th, 2022|Preparedness|

A program administered by ADHS helps Arizona emergency responders save lives by providing lifesaving naloxone to administer or leave behind when responding to opioid overdoses.  State law permits EMS agencies to leave behind pre-packaged, intranasal naloxone (Narcan®) if an emergency medical care technician determines that it can be used in the future by the at-risk [...]

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Parents: Tips for helping kids who come down with respiratory viruses

By | December 27th, 2022|Preparedness|

People of all ages get sick with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza, and COVID-19, but dealing with these diseases can be especially trying for parents of young children.  Fortunately, in most cases these viruses cause mild illness that can be treated at home by managing fever and pain and drinking lots of clear fluids. In [...]

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Newborn Screening social worker: ‘It’s an opportunity to really make a difference’

By | December 21st, 2022|Preparedness|

Every child born in Arizona gets a test that draws five drops of blood from the heel. Those samples come to the Arizona State Public Health Laboratory to screen for rare medical conditions. Each of these conditions can be treated, but parents need to get the information promptly.  That's where Fran Altmaier comes in. As [...]

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Annual vaccine can still protect you against influenza this year

By | December 5th, 2022|Preparedness|

No one wants to experience the fever, cough, and body aches that often come with influenza. That's especially true with the holiday season quickly approaching. The good news: You can still get the 2022-23 influenza vaccine for protection against the flu this year. Arizona is experiencing a busy flu season so far. Since the season [...]

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