As mentioned last week and yesterday, with October here we have entered into respiratory illness season and it’s important to take precautions now to avoid serious illness. This week we are sharing a series of blogs on these illnesses, the precautions you can take now, how to find vaccines, and other vital information to help [...]
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 [...]
A report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) adds to the evidence supporting the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. The study in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report found no increased risk for non-COVID-19 death among 6.4 million vaccinated individuals compared to 4.6 million unvaccinated individuals. This did not change [...]
Vaccines continue providing robust protection against hospitalization and death from COVID-19. But federal officials have determined that it is time for members of certain groups, including those 65 and older, to get boosters of the Pfizer vaccine if they are at least six months past their second dose. Here are some quick questions and answers [...]
As of this week, more than 19,000 people in Arizona have died from COVID-19. I grieve for all of them, and for the families and loved ones who endure their loss. Those of us in public health have worked constantly since January 2020 to help Arizonans protect themselves from COVID-19. We take these unfortunate milestones [...]
This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classified the so-called Delta variant of COVID-19 — B.1.617.2 — as a variant of concern. This is one of the variants behind India’s devastating outbreaks, and it has become the dominant strain in the United Kingdom. Its shift from a variant of interest reflects the [...]
Over the past few months, you may have heard me call COVID-19 vaccines the light at the end of the tunnel. As more and more Arizonans get the Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccines, we will start to see life returning to normal. That light is getting brighter by the day. New guidance released [...]
Last week, I had the privilege of being among a group of healthcare workers receiving some of the first COVID-19 vaccinations in Arizona. This was during an event held at ADHS. I was inspired by the reasons these professionals gave for wanting to get vaccinated right away, whether it was keeping patients, family, and friends [...]
On Friday, December 11, the FDA announced its approval of an emergency use authorization for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met on Saturday, December 12, and recommended the vaccine for people age 16 and older. This week, the first doses of COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Arizona. The first vaccine clinics [...]
