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 [...]
Following up on a recent blog, I'm pleased to share that two public service announcements developed for our Arizona Smokers Helpline (ASHLine) won Rocky Mountain Emmy Awards over the weekend. “The Run,” produced by True Story Films, won in the Single Spot Commercial category. “Milestones,” produced by Matter Films and OH Partners, won for Health/Medical [...]
AARP Arizona has been a tremendous partner throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Our collaborations to promote public health have included virtual town halls for AARP members on COVID-19 vaccines and COVID-19 boosters. At 3:05 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, we’ll join AARP Arizona for a virtual town hall on the new Omicron booster doses that target the [...]
Would you know what to do if you become one of the approximately 30 people in Arizona exposed to rabies each year? Sept. 28 is World Rabies Day, and ADHS joins partners around the globe working to raise awareness about prevention and the impact of rabies. The theme from the Centers for Disease Control and [...]
In Arizona and nearby areas in the Southwest, there's a strong likelihood that a person who develops a fungal infection is facing Valley fever. After all, roughly two-thirds of the nation's Valley fever cases are diagnosed in Arizona. There have been more than 7,000 cases diagnosed in our state this year. However, there are many [...]
As we mark national Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, I’m highlighting the new suicide prevention website at azhealth.gov/PreventSuicide that connects people with information and help. Resources include: Details on groups that are disproportionately affected groups including LBGTQ, older adults, teenagers, veterans, American Indians, and those who have survived previous attempts at self harm Local and national [...]
Is the COVID-19 pandemic over? That question is getting a lot of attention this week, and it's natural to wonder where ADHS stands. In Arizona, however, we look past terminology to the impact of a virus on the health and wellness of our residents. There's no question that COVID-19 remains a state, national, and global [...]
I'm pleased that so many Arizonans – better than 50,000 as of last Wednesday – have received COVID-19 Omicron boosters targeting the subvariants that currently dominate. This is the best way to make sure your immune protection is up-to-date, especially if you are older or have a weakened immune system. One challenge being seen across [...]
Knowing your HIV status gives you the power to live as your true self. Because when you know, you know. That's the focus of a new campaign available at azhealth.gov/WhenYouKnow and in a public service announcement that will air across Arizona. Getting tested is easy and is the only way to know for sure whether [...]
More than 2,000 Arizonans lost their lives to opioid overdoses in 2021, with fentanyl the most commonly reported drug in opioid overdoses. You'll find this and other key information in the just-published Opioid Overdoses Surveillance Report, 2020-2021. Producing this report is just one way ADHS continues to battle a crisis in which five Arizonans die [...]
