By Nancy Messonnier, MD, MPH, Director, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) is an annual observance to promote the benefits of immunizations and…
On April 1, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hosted the Zika Action Plan Summit to convene state, local, and tribal representatives to improve Zika preparedness and response in the United States. Dr. LaMar…
The second half of 2015 felt like all foodborne illness, all the time. In the summer, we dealt with a statewide salmonella outbreak resulting from contamination at a supplier of whole hogs who sold to…
During the first full week of April each year, the American Public Health Association brings together communities across the United States to observe National Public Health Week (NPHW) as a time to recognize the contributions…
April is STD Awareness Month, an opportunity to highlight the importance of STD prevention, testing, and treatment. The theme for 2016 is Talk. Test. Treat. For health departments, healthcare providers, and community-based organizations, this means…
Until 1950, United States weathermen were forbidden from using the T-word: tornadoes. Yet, in the early 20th century, tornadoes were everywhere: ripping through southern and Midwest states, shouting in sky-high fonts from the front page…
Mobile food units are one of the hottest topics and challenges facing local food regulatory programs across the nation. The second annual Capital City Food Truck Convention, sponsored by the DC, Maryland, and Virginia Food…
As local health departments prepare for cases of Zika in their communities, creative solutions and partnerships are necessary to control the spread of the virus. With recent outbreaks of Zika in the Americas, the number…
Though the official start of spring is still a week away, the season’s hallmark rainstorms have already begun to fall and raise the threat of severe flooding across the country. Flooding is a risk any…
Radiation preparedness is no longer just a concern for jurisdictions neighboring nuclear facilities with the risk for a radiological emergency from a radiation dispersal device (RDD) or an improvised nuclear device on the rise. Communities…