CDC report: Getting your COVID-19 vaccination helps protect kids
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report released today offers more evidence that vaccinating as many eligible people as possible against COVID-19 is a critical part of protecting kids from infection and severe illness. The analysis in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) found that emergency department visits and hospital admissions during two weeks in August [...]
New PSA: COVID-19 vaccinations fueling Arizona’s return to normal life
The COVID-19 vaccine is the best tool we have to keep us moving forward. Join the millions of Arizonans who have already been fully vaccinated. That's the call to action in a new ADHS public-service announcement you'll see on TV and online. COVID-19 vaccines have brought us a long way. Families and friends are reconnecting, schools have [...]
Vaccinated or not, take steps to reduce risk of COVID-19 transmission
It’s a natural question that we hear regularly: Amid substantial COVID-19 spread, what does ADHS recommend for people going to large events, small gatherings, grocery stores, restaurants, and more? The answer is simple and no doubt frustrating to many: As much as we all want to be done with COVID-19, the pandemic isn’t done with us, and that applies even [...]
Data-processing issue means much lower COVID-19 numbers today, higher tomorrow
Cases and deaths added today to the ADHS COVID-19 dashboard are far lower than they’d ordinarily be because of a data-processing issue. After days of averaging more than 3,000 cases added to the dashboard, today’s update adds just 822. Meanwhile, the same issue combined with data cleaning means the number of total deaths since the beginning of the pandemic goes [...]
As Arizona Passes 1 Million Cases, the Fight Continues Against COVID-19
As incoming interim director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, it’s my privilege and solemn responsibility to succeed Dr. Cara Christ, who has so capably led Arizona’s COVID-19 response. I’m honored to be part of the team she has built -- talented professionals working nonstop to promote public health amid a global pandemic. It’s a testament to Dr. Christ’s [...]
Plans for Vaccine Booster Shots from Pfizer and Moderna Being Finalized Now by FDA, CDC
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced last week that it has developed a plan to begin offering booster shots this fall for those who have received the Pfizer/Comirnaty and Moderna vaccines to protect against COVID-19. It anticipates boosters as well for those who received the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine, but that information will come later because [...]