One Health and Animal Disease Surveillance
One Health and Animal Disease Surveillance Did you know that many of the diseases that make people sick can also affect animals? “One Health” is the idea that the health of humans, animals, and the environment are tightly connected, and all affect each other. A better understanding of diseases in animals can help predict disease risks in an area, and [...]
ADHS Staff Participate in Project to Transform and Improve State Government
Several of our staff have participated in Governor Ducey’s Transformation of Arizona State Government project, which is a multifaceted approach to rethink how state government operates and conducts business with internal stakeholders and external customers. One of the recent successes of the project was the Permit Blitz that streamlined and developed a set of best practices to process permits and [...]
Keep Your Kids Safe this Holiday Season by Following Toy Guidelines
As the holiday and gift giving season approaches, it’s important for parents and caregivers to remember to choose toys with care to keep children safe. Keep in mind the child’s age, interests and skill level. Look for quality design and construction in all toys. Make sure that all directions or instructions are clear. And plastic wrappings on toys should be [...]
Vaccines For Children Enrollment
The Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program is a federally funded program that provides vaccines at no cost to children who might not otherwise be vaccinated because of inability to pay. Here at ADHS, we partner with CDC to distribute these vaccines to nearly 900 private vaccine providers and public health clinics throughout the state. Maintaining this network of vaccine providers [...]
Arizona a Top Public Health Preparedness Performer
Public health preparedness is critical to ensure rapid and effective response to emergencies, outbreaks, and disasters. For the last several years, CDC has released a national snapshot of states’ performance on key public health indicators. As we’ve seen year over year, Arizona continues to score high marks on preparedness. Like last year, this year we received a perfect score for [...]
More Foodborne Illness in the National News
Foodborne illness has been in the news again with a norovirus outbreak striking a Chipotle restaurant and sickening over 100 Boston College students. Norovirus is a highly contagious stomach illness that can cause severe stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. It's pretty uncomfortable, but most people start feeling better a day or two after they become sick. However, norovirus can [...]