Category: News

DPH ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL FLU-RELATED DEATHS, PROVIDES GUIDANCE TO AVOID ILLNESS DOVER (Feb. 21, 2020) – The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) continues to urge individuals to take steps to prevent the flu as the number of confirmed flu cases continues to increase, and health officials announce additional flu-related deaths for the 2019-2020 season. To date, nine Delawareans have passed away due to flu-related complications during the 2019-2020 flu season. All nine individuals had underlying medical conditions. Most recently, an 83-year-old woman from New Castle County who was diagnosed with influenza A passed away this week due to complications from the Read More …

Eleven Americans evacuated from a quarantined cruise ship were confirmed to have the new coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases in the U.S. to 26. Now the State Department is under scrutiny for having flown them them back home on the same planes as uninfected Americans, ignoring advice from the CDC. Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/coronavirus-diamond-princess-cruise-americans/2020/02/20/b6f54cae-5279-11ea-b119-4faabac6674f_story.html

Vaccinate Your Family has shared its 2020 State of the ImmUnion Report. Highlights: The vaccination of children born between 1994 and 2018 will prevent: 419 Million Illnesses 936,000 deaths $1.9 trillion in total societal costs Vaccines given in pregnancy reduce infants’ risk of hospitalization Due to the flu by 70% Due to whooping cough by 91%  Read the whole report!

DOVER (February 13, 2020) – The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is announcing that one of two pending test results for 2019 novel coronavirus (now known as COVID-19) has come back negative. The individual has been discharged from the hospital and is continuing to recover from their underlying illness at home. Test results for one other person are still pending from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and are expected in the coming days. The individual, a New Castle County resident, remains hospitalized until test results are returned. No additional information is being provided about either individual. In Read More …

The coronavirus that appeared in Wuhan, China, has a new name: Covid-19. Read more: https://www.statnews.com/2020/02/11/disease-caused-by-the-novel-coronavirus-has-name-covid-19

The declaration gives the WHO certain additional authorities, including the ability to urge countries not to limit travel and trade, though the recommendations do not have to be followed. Read more

Vaccinate Your Family asked immunization coalitions throughout the states to add their name to a letter requesting U.S. Customs and Border Patrol to vaccinate those people – particularly children – in their custody against influenza.   The ICD added our name to a list of 54 signatories that was shared with Acting Secretary McAleenan, Secretary Azar, Director Redfield, and Surgeon General Adams. https://www.vaccinateyourfamily.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Immunization-Community-Request-for-the-Vaccination-of-Detainees-in-CBP-Custody-October-2019_final.pdf

September 10, 2019 | CNN | Devan Cole California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday signed two bills that limit medical exemptions for vaccines of schoolchildren. Under SB 276, California’s Department of Public Health would investigate medical exemptions from doctors who have granted five or more in a year.   Read more

Pingali, S.C., Delamater, P.L., Buttenheim, A.M., et al (2019). Findings  In this observational study of school-level data from 9 323 315 kindergartners who started attending school between 2000 and 2017, the rate of kindergartners without up-to-date vaccination status decreased from 9.84% during 2013 (before the interventions) to 4.87% during 2017 (after the interventions). Read more