Information about key response actions to the first confirmed case of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in the United States.
States can use strategies like school vaccination requirements to help combat the spread of communicable diseases that have robust availability of a highly effective vaccine, such as measles.
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted pregnant people and infants more severely than some other populations. As such, it is important to pay special attention to this vulnerable group.
The COVID-19 pandemic has further amplified the need for strong tobacco prevention and cessation policies. Research indicates that tobacco use is associated with increased rate of COVID-19 disease progression and increased likelihood of ...
“Building Bridges to Better Health,” the theme for the 2021 National Public Health Week. ASTHO is committed to building and maintaining the partnerships and connections needed to achieve our shared vision of state and territorial health ...
On Oct. 20, 2023, ASTHO submitted a response to a Request for Information from the U.S. Senate's Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on the modernization of CDC.
On July 10, 2023, ASTHO submitted comments on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions bipartisan discussion draft to reauthorize the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act.
As the Delta variant spreads across the country and increases the number of COVID-19 cases, the strain it is placing on the nation’s health system continues to grow. The surge of COVID-19 patients is contributing to a shortage of the ...
As we celebrate National Rural Health Day this year, we are reminded of how important telehealth can be for public health and healthcare. Telehealth can minimize challenges faced by rural patients and communities—such as transportation, ...
Many pharmaceutical companies urgently began developing a COVID-19 vaccine earlier this year to reduce the spread of the virus as the threat of a pandemic loomed. Fast forward several months and millions of COVID-19 cases later, states and ...
As a truly historic year comes to an end, many public health policy issues received a considerable amount of attention in 2020. Subjects such as the pandemic that will live on in infamy, racial health disparities, and the future of the ...
Conditioning school attendance on student vaccinations is an evidence-based way of maintaining and increasing vaccine coverage. State law establishes school vaccination requirements which apply not only to public schools but often to ...
On Dec. 3, the International Day of People with Disabilities commemorates disability rights and brings awareness to essential issues for those with disabilities by promoting the “well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of ...
As public health officials lead the pandemic response, clear direction-setting in every state and territories is vital to assure our planning and implementation is fair and focused on those most at need. These are not entirely ...
Health providers have widely used telehealth to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 infection and to improve access to healthcare services thanks in large part to policy changes and regulations. This brief explores how state and territorial ...
Current Measles Outbreaks Should Alarm Every American and Highlight the Critical Importance of Vaccination Programs ARLINGTON, VA—John Wiesman, DrPH, MPH, secretary of health at the Washington State Department of Health and immediate past ...
ASTHO Statement on Public Notification of Legionella Outbreaks ARLINGTON, VA—The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) issued the following statement today regarding the role of public health officials in notifying ...
This article in the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice assesses the impact of COVID-19 on health service utilization of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities through an analysis of Medicaid claims data..
The emPOWER program provides federal data, mapping, and artificial intelligence tools, as well as training and resources, to help communities nationwide protect the health of at-risk Medicare beneficiaries who live independently and rely ...
Learn how Massachusetts has bolstered its public health supply data sharing infrastructure to improve emergency preparedness and response in this blog article.