Preparedness – Page 6 – AZ Dept. of Health Services Director's Blog

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.

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

Preparedness

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

By Siman Qaasim|2023-01-19T13:30:28-07:00January 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
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Testing wastewater provides early warning for public health challenges

Preparedness

Testing wastewater provides early warning for public health challenges

By Eugene Livar|2023-01-18T09:28:16-07:00January 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
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Learning hands-only CPR can help you save someone who suffers sudden cardiac arrest

Preparedness

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

By Rachel Garcia|2023-01-17T10:39:29-07:00January 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
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Safe and highly effective COVID-19 protection is available, so get boosted

Preparedness

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

By Eugene Livar|2023-01-06T11:05:09-07:00January 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
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Naloxone Leave Behind program helps first responders save lives

Preparedness

Naloxone Leave Behind program helps first responders save lives

By Rachel Garcia|2022-12-30T11:03:29-07:00December 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
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Parents: Tips for helping kids who come down with respiratory viruses

Preparedness

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

By Eugene Livar|2022-12-27T12:06:35-07:00December 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’
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Newborn Screening social worker: ‘It’s an opportunity to really make a difference’

Preparedness

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

By Jennie Cunico|2022-12-21T12:55:52-07:00December 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
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Annual vaccine can still protect you against influenza this year

Preparedness

Annual vaccine can still protect you against influenza this year

By Eugene Livar|2022-12-05T12:52:01-07:00December 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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There’s no better time to update your protection against COVID-19 and influenza
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There’s no better time to update your protection against COVID-19 and influenza

Preparedness

There’s no better time to update your protection against COVID-19 and influenza

By Eugene Livar|2022-12-02T14:09:50-07:00December 2nd, 2022|Preparedness|

As you’re preparing for the holidays, now is a great time to add COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations to your to-do list. It takes at least two weeks to build antibody protection after vaccination. Getting your Omicron COVID-19 booster and flu shot now — and you can get both in one visit — means your immune [...]

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Amid COVID-19, a seemingly audacious request met a pressing health need
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Amid COVID-19, a seemingly audacious request met a pressing health need

Preparedness

Amid COVID-19, a seemingly audacious request met a pressing health need

By Don Herrington|2022-11-30T10:46:36-07:00November 30th, 2022|Preparedness|

In early 2021, Governor Doug Ducey called on ADHS to open a first-of-its-kind, 24-hour COVID-19 mass-vaccination site at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. The timeline was bold, even audacious: Have the site up and running in less than a week. But with public safety and health top priorities throughout his tenure, the governor pointed to [...]

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