DPH Announces Start of Flu Season

Posted on by Kate Smith

DOVER, DE (Sept. 29, 2022) – October 2 marks the official start of the 2022-2023 influenza (flu) season. The flu vaccine plays a pivotal role in helping to avoid significant flu-related illnesses, including hospitalization and death. The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) believes it is vital for Delawareans to protect themselves and their loved ones by getting the flu vaccine as soon as possible, particularly given the ongoing battle against COVID-19 and a potentially active flu season ahead. The U.S. often looks to the experience of Australia and New Zealand in the Southern Hemisphere during their flu season in the summer as a possible Read More …

Monkeypox Vaccine

Posted on by Kate Smith

New data in JAMA report that 90 people who received monkeypox vaccine — Jynneos, made by Bavarian Nordic — through their clinics from late June to September contracted the virus. Most of those people (77%) tested positive in the first 14 days after their first dose, a time during which their immune responses to the vaccine were still developing. But 21 people contracted the virus after 14 days, eight after 28 days, and two contracted monkeypox three weeks or more after receiving both doses of the vaccine. During the study period, 7,339 people received a first dose at the clinics.  Read More …

Eligibility for Monkeypox Vaccine Expands in Delaware

Posted on by Kate Smith

DOVER, DE (Sept 22, 2022) ­– The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is sharing upcoming opportunities for individuals to get vaccinated against the monkeypox virus (MPX). The current case count for MPX in the state is 35, including 23 cases in New Castle County, three cases in Kent County, and nine cases in Sussex County. Delaware continues to offer vaccinations to people at a higher risk of exposure. Vaccine eligibility is being expanded to include all gay, bisexual and transgender or nonbinary persons having sex with men, or females having sex with gay, bisexual, non-binary, or transgender males. Delaware is also expanding vaccine eligibility to health care workers Read More …

National Vaccination Coverage Among Adolescents, 2021

Posted on by Kate Smith

The CDC has just released the National Vaccination Coverage Among Adolescents Aged 13-17 Years, 2021.  “Among adolescents aged 13–17 years in 2021, HPV vaccination coverage (≥1 dose and HPV vaccine up to date) increased. Coverage with ≥1-dose Tdap and ≥1-dose MenACWY remained high. Among age-eligible adolescents, MenACWY booster dose coverage increased. Analyses of the potential COVID-19 pandemic effect among adolescents born in 2008 show a concerning decrease in ≥1 MenACWY and ≥1 Tdap dose coverage.”  Read more

CDC Raises Delaware’s COVID-19 Community Levels to High in All Counties

Posted on by Kate Smith

CDC RAISES DELAWARE’S COVID-19 COMMUNITY LEVELS TO HIGH IN ALL COUNTIES; DPH ENCOURAGES MASKING IN INDOOR PUBLIC SETTINGS AND VACCINATION DOVER, DE (July 29, 2022) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) raised Delaware’s COVID-19 community levels to the High category (red) in all three counties on July 28, 2022.    As a result, the Division of Public Health (DPH) is asking Delawareans to follow the CDC’s key strategies at this level of community spread:    ·       Wear a well-fitting mask in indoor public settings, regardless of vaccination status. ·       Stay home if you are sick and get tested if you have symptoms or Read More …

DPH Reports Two New Monkeypox Cases in Delaware

Posted on by Kate Smith

DOVER, DE (July 21, 2022) – The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is announcing the state’s second and third cases of the monkeypox virus (MPX). Both cases are considered probable pending confirmatory testing by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This week, DPH received test results showing that a 46-year-old Sussex County man tested positive for MPX. The patient did not report any travel, and first reported symptoms on July 18. DPH is working to contact the patient to inform them about treatment options and interview them to obtain a list of possible contacts. Additionally, DPH received test Read More …

DPH Encourages Eligible Delawareans to Get Boosted Now

Posted on by Kate Smith

DOVER, DE (July 15, 2022) – The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) reports that COVID-19 cases experienced an uptick in the daily 7-day average for the percentage of positive tests since the previous monthly COVID-19 update released on June 17, 2022. Since that time, Delaware has also exceeded 3,000 COVID-related deaths. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) COVID-19 Community Levels data tracker, which was last updated on June 14, case levels in Kent County are considered high, while case levels in New Castle and Sussex Counties are listed as medium. Many people are expressing concerns about getting vaccinated Read More …

First Case of Monkeypox in Delaware

Posted on by Kate Smith

DOVER, DE (JULY 12, 2022) – The Delaware Division of Public Health’s (DPH) is announcing the state’s first case of the monkeypox virus (MPX). This week, DPH received test results showing a 41-year-old New Castle County man tested positive for MPX. This positive case is considered probable pending confirmatory testing by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Delaware man did not report any travel or exposure to someone known to have MPX but is believed to have been exposed to the virus after close intimate contact with an individual in early July. The individual is self-isolating and DPH Read More …

Monkeypox in Delaware

Posted on by Kate Smith

DOVER, DE (JULY 12, 2022) – The Delaware Division of Public Health’s (DPH) is announcing the state’s first case of the monkeypox virus (MPX). This week, DPH received test results showing a 41-year-old New Castle County man tested positive for MPX. This positive case is considered probable pending confirmatory testing by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Delaware man did not report any travel or exposure to someone known to have MPX but is believed to have been exposed to the virus after close intimate contact with an individual in early July. The individual is self-isolating and DPH Read More …

DPH Press Release: COVID-19 Vaccines for children

Posted on by Kate Smith

DOVER, DE (June 18, 2022) – Parents of children ages 6 months through 5 years old, will be able to get their children vaccinated against COVID-19 starting the week of June 20, 2022, according to the Division of Public Health (DPH). Vaccines for this youngest age group received final sign off for Emergency Use Authorization, from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Friday, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today.  Both Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines were authorized for this age group, with slight differences between the two. Moderna’s is a two-dose series of vaccine, which is one-quarter the Read More …