Public health

Suicide Prevention Month helps highlight resources for those in need and works to reduce stigma. Suicide is a state and national public health crisis that affects people of all ages and from all socioeconomic, racial and ethnic backgrounds. Suicide awareness is key to saving lives, and with September recognized as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services remembers those affected by suicide and is raising awareness about treatments and resources available to everyone in the community.

RALEIGH — Public health officials with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services are advising North Carolinians take precautions to protect themselves, their children and their pets from heat-related illness as temperatures across the state rise and remain high throughout the summer.

Durham health agencies, youth-serving institutions, and community partners are working to understand addressing the root causes of violence and learning about protective measures and factors that intersect multiple forms of violence.  

Within our society, the human being fulfills different roles for it to work and advance. There are those who are in charge of economic growth, the environment, those who are in charge of the production and distribution of food, the construction of houses, among many more functions that we choose according to our vocation. Today I want to talk about those whose qualities go beyond just doing a job, since for this you need: empathy, love and a great spirit of helping others.

Public health officials at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services see a decline in flu vaccinations compared to previous years and urge North Carolinians 6 months and older to get their flu shot sooner late October, as flu season in the state typically peaks in the winter.

Wake County Public Health has confirmed the first case of monkeypox in our county. This is the third confirmed case of the virus in North Carolina. The patient is currently isolating at home and Wake County staff are working with them on contact tracing. No additional information about this resident will be disclosed.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reports the first case of monkeypox virus infection in a North Carolina resident, identified through testing at the State Public Health Laboratory. Monkeypox is a rare but potentially serious viral illness that usually features flu-like symptoms, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash that includes bumps that initially fill with fluid before crusting over. The disease could be confused with a sexually transmitted infection such as syphilis or herpes, or with the varicella zoster virus (chickenpox). Most infections last two to four weeks.

Vaccines will be available in all 100 counties. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is preparing to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine for children under the age of 5 and to ensure that families across the state have the information they need to access the vaccines they need. immunizations for their young children. Children are vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus, just like everyone else.

During Hepatitis Awareness Month, the NCDHHS Division of Public Health is encouraging residents to learn the risks of liver disease, get vaccinated for hepatitis A and B and get tested for hepatitis B and hepatitis C. In April 2020, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force released updated HCV testing recommendations that promote one lifetime HCV test, screening during each pregnancy and repeat testing for individuals who are at higher risk. There is no vaccine for hepatitis C.

Electronic reporting system broadens the picture of COVID-19 deaths in North Carolina. COVID-19 related deaths added to the COVID-19 Dashboard as of January 2022