Today marks the end of the national COVID-19 public health emergency, but most tools - including vaccines, testing, and treatment - will remain available in Arizona. More than two years after the public health emergency was declared, and more than three years after the virus began its rapid spread in 2020, the U.S. Department of Health [...]
Health and Wellness for All Arizonans is our vision here at ADHS. To help achieve that goal, the Office of Health Equity looks for ways to reach Arizonans in underserved areas where there is a special need for care. In October 2021, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended the COVID-19 vaccine [...]
Wednesday's weekly update to COVID-19 cases in Arizona will provide a number that needs to be put in context. This number, 26,866, is almost entirely the result of one laboratory reporting cases that occurred throughout 2022. In reality, Arizona saw 1,890 cases for the week ending Feb. 18. Deaths added to the dashboard aren't affected. [...]
If you have a moderately or severely weakened immune system, it's more important than ever to have a COVID-19 action plan. The Food and Drug Administration recently announced that the therapeutic agent EVUSHELD is not currently authorized for emergency use in the U.S. This monoclonal antibody had been prescribed to people with moderately to severely [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
As you’re preparing for the holidays, now is a great time to add COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations to your to-do list. It takes at least two weeks to build antibody protection after vaccination. Getting your Omicron COVID-19 booster and flu shot now — and you can get both in one visit — means your immune [...]
In early 2021, Governor Doug Ducey called on ADHS to open a first-of-its-kind, 24-hour COVID-19 mass-vaccination site at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. The timeline was bold, even audacious: Have the site up and running in less than a week. But with public safety and health top priorities throughout his tenure, the governor pointed to [...]
Eight Arizona counties, including Pima County, have high COVID-19 community levels in the latest report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This means masks are recommended for public indoor settings. The other counties with high COVID-19 community levels are Apache, Cochise, Gila, Greenlee, La Paz, Navajo, and Yuma. All other counties, including [...]
