This month is National Immunization Awareness Month and we can’t stress enough how important vaccines are to protecting your family, yourself, and those around you. According to the Centers for Disease Control immunizations are one of the top 10 public health accomplishments of the 20th century. The 2014 National Immunization Survey for toddlers was released by [...]
The ADHS MEDSIS Program and Tuberculosis Control Program have teamed up to enhance the already unique relationship with our Sonoran Public Health counterparts. As of June 25, we welcomed CureTB, an international referral agency, onto MEDSIS. The ADHS TB Control Program and Office of Border Health has a long standing relationship working with CureTB in following TB cases and contacts across international [...]
Back in July, Arizona’s first case of West Nile virus was confirmed in Maricopa County. Unfortunately, the disease hasn’t stopped there. We’re continuing to see an increase in mosquito-borne illnesses statewide. So far this year, 46 cases of West Nile virus and 12 cases of Saint Louis encephalitis (another virus spread by the same mosquito that causes West Nile) have been confirmed in [...]
The Arizona Health Improvement Plan (AzHIP) Steering Committee, an advisory group of 20 statewide leaders (which I'm fortunate to co-chair), met last week to discuss progress on the working draft for the AzHIP and Arizona's leading health priorities. As a refresher, the purpose of the Arizona Health Improvement Plan is to move the dial on important [...]
Today ADHS, the Safe Sleep Task Force, and several community partners launched a new public awareness campaign to teach parents and care givers of infants about safe sleeping environments. The numbers show heartbreaking statistics. In 2013, 74 infants died suddenly and unexpectedly, often referred to as SUID—sudden unexpected infant death. The cause of death for 64 of [...]
Each year in August National Immunization Awareness Month provides an opportunity to highlight the value of immunization across the lifespan. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) immunizations are one of the top 10 public health accomplishments of the 20th century. While immunizations have significantly reduced the incidence of many serious infectious diseases, vaccination rates [...]
In Arizona more than 800 children each year are identified with elevated blood lead levels (EBLL). Even at low blood lead levels, children’s intelligence, behavior, hearing and growth can be irreparably damaged. Most children will not have any symptoms. The only way to detect lead poisoning is through a blood test. All children living in high-risk [...]
As parents prepare for children to return to school or child care, Bureau of Child Care Licensing has some helpful hints for you to keep in mind to better ensure that your child will be safe and well-cared for in your absence. You can check out a facility’s track record regarding compliance with licensing regulations [...]
You may have seen our Arizona Nutrition Network's new messages about how important it is for families to eat together. The Network provides nutrition education statewide for participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and their message about the importance of family meals can be seen on television, billboards, social media, community classes, and [...]
Our Bureau of EMS and Trauma System launched the Acute Traumatic Pain Management Training Module online on July 21. The Module is part of the Bureau’s participation in a five-state National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) grant project including Arizona, Idaho, Kansas, Tennessee, and Wyoming. The purpose of the project is to evaluate how states [...]
