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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
If you browse this website, one of the things you're certain to see is data. Lots of data. You'll not only see how many cases of influenza have been reported, but how many in each county. We even have the number of babies born each year (about 80,000). Like everything else we do at ADHS, [...]
On a beautiful Saturday morning recently, more than 100 Arizona foster children began their new lives when they were adopted by loving families. A team from the ADHS Bureau of Vital Records was there to help. Maricopa County Superior Court’s National Adoption Day was part of a nationwide event held each year to raise awareness [...]
COVID-19 deaths remain well below what Arizona has seen during major surges, but the 71 deaths added in today's weekly dashboard update are a grim reminder that COVID-19 is still present and taking lives. I mention this to help highlight some very positive news also added to our dashboard: During October, Arizonans who had received [...]
