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 [...]
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study has found that the Omicron booster provided significant additional protection against symptomatic COVID-19 illness in people who had received at least two doses of a previous COVID-19 vaccine. The CDC notes that COVID-19 spread has increased during the last two winters. And Arizona cases have increased [...]
Given that today is Public Health Thank You Day in the U.S., you'd expect me to praise our team at ADHS and the many others who promote healthier and stronger communities in Arizona's counties, cities, towns, and tribal nations. And I will do that – briefly. Amid a global pandemic, the professionals in Arizona's public [...]
The weather may be cooling down, but respiratory diseases are beginning to heat up in Arizona. Common cold-causing viruses such as rhinovirus and enterovirus are circulating at this time throughout the U.S. The 2022-2023 influenza season recently began Oct. 2, but we’re already seeing a higher rate of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity [...]
For most people who get COVID-19, isolation, rest, and following a doctor's advice leads back to full health within a few weeks, especially if you were up-to-date on vaccination. If you can't shake fatigue a month or more later, however, chances are you're among the millions of Americans facing long COVID. Also referred to as [...]
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its COVID-19 guidance to focus on reducing the risk of severe illness and, in doing so, minimizing strain on the health care system. Perhaps the most notable change is eliminating the recommendation that someone isolate if they have been in close contact with someone who [...]
“Show me the data.” That’s a phrase I hear quite a bit from ADHS epidemiologists, and with good reason: Numbers may be a little difficult to follow sometimes, but they tell a story and they don’t lie. That’s why our epidemiologists update a report every month showing COVID-19 outcomes by vaccination status, including the update [...]
Community levels from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have moved up and down in many Arizona counties over the past few weeks. The latest CDC update has 10 counties, including Maricopa, with high COVID-19 community levels. This means masks are recommended for public indoor settings. The other counties with high COVID-19 community [...]
