Governor Youngkin Announces New Virginia Department of Health Maternal and Child Health Data Dashboards
RICHMOND, Va. – Today, Governor Glenn Youngkin announced the launch of an upgraded Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Dashboard and two new dashboards to monitor and provide actionable data on maternal mortality and pregnancy-associated deaths. The data are designed to be used as a resource to establish best practices to assist mothers during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. This is a part of the Administration’s ongoing effort to support Virginia moms and improve maternal health outcomes. more>>
Governor Glenn Youngkin Releases Virginia Department of Health Report on Richmond’s 2025 Water Crisis
RICHMOND, VA – Governor Glenn Youngkin released Wednesday the final report from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) on the January 2025 water crisis in the City of Richmond and announced a second notice of violation against the city that requires the implementation of a Corrective Action Plan. more>>
For more on the Richmond 2025 water crisis, visit the VDH response page.
Many people have heard myths about sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Maybe you were told you could get pregnant from a toilet seat – you can’t. Maybe you remember hearing about the “blue waffle disease.” That was a fictional STI talked about online in the early 2010s. For many years people have talked about how it is not safe to share plates or cups with someone who has HIV. Sharing utensils or food with someone who has HIV is safe!
STIs are a historically taboo subject. People don’t like to talk about STIs, and many STIs often do not have symptoms. These factors make it easy for rumors to spread about who gets STIs, and how they are spread.
From April 13-19, Virginia will observe STI Awareness Week. During this time, we shine light on the reality of how STIs are contracted, treated, and prevented. STIs are very common. In 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that one in five people in the U.S. has an STI on any given day. STI infections have increased dramatically over the five years since that time. Syphilis is being diagnosed nationwide at levels not reported since 1950. In Virginia, more cases of chlamydia are diagnosed than cases of the flu.
STI Prevention
Many people assume they will know if they get an STI. However, getting tested is the only way to know for sure. Most people infected with a bacterial STI will not have noticeable symptoms. Bacterial STIs include chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis. Even without symptoms, STIs can still be spread from person-to-person. They can also cause serious health problems. For example, untreated gonorrhea or chlamydia can result in being unable to have children. They can also become life threatening in rare cases. People with syphilis can experience permanent organ damage. This usually occurs if the infection spreads to their brain, eyes, or ears.
Finally, most people are also aware of the most common ways to prevent an STI:
not having sex (abstinence),
only having sex with one partner who has tested negative for all STIs (monogamy), and
Taking certain medications before sex can significantly reduce HIV/STI risk. People who are HIV-negative can take pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) before sex. This will reduce the risk of getting infected with HIV by 99%. People who are HIV-positive can take their HIV medications as prescribed. This prevents passing the virus to others.
Some medications taken after sex reduces the risk of getting an STI. People who may have been exposed to HIV can take post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). If taken within 72 hours, it may prevent infection. Similarly, people who may have been exposed to some bacterial STIs can take DoxyPEP. If taken within 72 hours DoxyPEP reduces the risk of bacterial STI infection.
What You Can Do This Week
Please join us in observing STI Awareness Week 2025. Share reliable information about STIs. Talk about your experience if you have had one before. Consider encouraging people you know to get a free or low-cost test. Virginia has a variety of options for testing, including:
local health departments,
nonprofit organizations,
self-testing programs, and
partnerships with private organizations.
Talk to your medical provider about whether PrEP or DoxyPEP are right for you. By working together, we can make Virginia the healthiest state in the nation.
Beginning on, or about, April 2, USDA Wildlife Services will be distributing oral rabies vaccine (ORV) baits. This will occur in portions of Southwest Virginia. Specifically, the areas of:
Abingdon
Bland
Bristol
Giles
Grayson
Russell
Smyth
Tazewell
Washington
Wythe
If you or a pet find an ORV bait
If your pet finds an ORV bait, do not try to remove the bait from your pet’s mouth. You could be bitten. Eating the baits will not harm your pet. Confine your pet and look for other baits in the area. Remove any bait from areas where your pet could eat them.
Instruct children to leave baits alone. Wear gloves or use a towel when you pick up any bait. Although there is no harm in touching an undamaged bait, they have a strong fishmeal smell. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water if there is any chance that the ORV packet has been ruptured.
Call to report a bait exposure
The ORV baits which will be distributed are “coated sachets.” They are a plastic packet of vaccine coated with a sticky, scented substance to attract raccoons. Each packet is marked with a toll-free number. Call 877-722-6725 if you come into contact with a bait and need help or information.
If a person or pet is exposed to the vaccine within the bait, also call the number on the bait and report the bait contact. Again, that number is 877-722-6725.
Please contact USDA for any questions about the USDA Wildlife Services Oral Rabies Vaccination Program. They can be reached at (540) 230-7067. More information about the program can be found on the USDA website.
On March 30 this year, we observe National Doctors’ Day. This year’s theme – Behind the Mask: Who Heals the Healers? – serves to remind us of physicians’ dedication to their jobs, patients, families, and their need for emotional support and care.
Each day, physicians put their patients first, often at the expense of their own physical and emotional well-being. Society expects them to be supermen and superwomen, but they’re just as vulnerable to life’s stresses, often more so because people’s lives depend on them every day.
National Doctors’ Day is observed annually on March 30 to honor physicians in America and to recognize their contributions to Americans’ healthcare. It was first celebrated in 1933 and was officially recognized by President George H.W. Bush in 1990. And the significance of March 30? It was on that date that in 1842 that Dr. Crawford W. Long first used general anesthesia in surgery.
Physicians in Virginia deliver expert care, support patients through tough moments, and drive innovations like telehealth, which expands access to remote communities. These advancements not only enhance access to care but also improve outcomes by ensuring patients receive the most effective treatments possible.
It’s not easy being a physician. Not only do physicians spend long years training to be doctors – eight years in college and medical school followed by years in residency and post-residency training – but there’s also constant continuing education to stay on top of their fields of expertise.
Physicians are there 24/7 for their patients and their families, for both the good and the bad moments in life. They celebrate with their patients when they notch a victory against an illness, as well as serving as a support system when outcomes aren’t so great. But they’re humans with feelings, and they need our support and caring, too.
National Doctors’ Day is not just a celebration but a moment to reflect on the positive difference these physicians make in the lives of patients and their families.
American Medical Association Resources for National Doctors’ Day
When most people think about tuberculosis (TB), they think of an ancient illness. They think it is no longer a concern. Actually, TB is still found across the world. It is a leading cause of death among infectious diseases worldwide.
TB is caused by a bacterium (germ). It spreads through the air when a person with active TB breathes out germs as they cough, talk, or even sing. The germs float through the air on tiny particles. The germs can be inhaled by people nearby, where they enter the lungs and cause infection. Many people never know they are infected. Their body can contain the germs and stop them from causing illness. Others are not as lucky. They develop active TB disease with common symptoms such as:
extensive coughing
fatigue
weight loss
night sweats
Thankfully, antibiotics can be used to treat active TB disease or asymptomatic TB infection.
About the TB Program
VDH’s TB Program is staffed by a small, but mighty crew. It is made up of nurse consultants, epidemiologists, and administrative and program staff. Together, the team coordinates statewide surveillance and case management of TB cases. They do this together with internal and external partners.
Crucial program partners are the clinicians, nurses, and outreach workers across the state. Staff working in the field ensure TB cases are properly reported. They provide expert case management with patients. Case management ensures each patient with TB receives necessary, life-saving treatment.
Another important partner is VDH’s Division of Pharmacy Services (DPS). DPS procures and distributes medicines used to treat TB. The Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services (DCLS) also works closely with the TB program. DCLS tests thousands of specimens each year for tuberculosis. In addition to local and state VDH offices, the TB program also partners with many other organizations. These include: Graphic for TB Program Spotlight
hospitals
community medical providers
academic researchers
federal agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
The VDH TB Program doesn’t just focus on patients with active TB disease. Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is another key priority for the program. Screening, testing, and treatment of those at increased risk for infection can prevent LTBI from developing into active TB disease and reduce the number of active TB cases.
Learn More About the TB Program
Join us Monday, March 24 from 2-4 p.m. for our World TB Day webinar.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ theme for this year’s National Nutrition Month is reminding us of a simple concept: To encourage people to make healthy food choices. This year’s theme is “Food Connects Us.” During the month of March, the Academy wants us to consider how food connects us in key areas:
Ourselves
Others
Environment
Culture
Taste
Nostalgia
Economic stability
Graphic for National Nutrition Month
Desire for health
The idea behind this year’s theme suggests that we should explore the connections. These connections can help people better understand themselves. Understanding oneself more clearly, leads to better lifestyle choices with food and exercise.
So, how can you begin embracing these connections? Visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for resources and ideas. Women, infants, and children living in Virginia may be qualified for the Women, Infants and Children program, (WIC). WIC provides resources to help improve the health of pregnant women, infants and children. The program provides several services:
Nutrition education
Breastfeeding support
Nutritious foods
Counseling
Health and social services referrals
Visit the WIC website to learn more or apply for services.
Virginia Health Officials Investigating Additional Potential Measles Exposures in Northern Virginia Virginia Department of Health is Working to Identify People Who Are at Risk
RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) was notified of two additional confirmed cases of measles that traveled through Northern Virginia Wednesday, March 5 and Friday, March 14. Both people are Maryland residents who recently traveled together internationally. Health officials are coordinating an effort to identify people who might have been exposed, including contacting potentially exposed passengers on specific flights.
Listed below are the dates, times, and locations of the potential exposure sites in Virginia:
Dulles International Airport (IAD) on Wednesday, March 5:
Concourse A, on transportation to the International Arrivals Building (IAB) and in the baggage claim area between 8 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
Concourse A, on transportation to the main terminal and in the baggage claim area between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. (Previously reported March 9 and unrelated to this new exposure.)
Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) on Friday, March 14:
Terminal Shuttle Bus between 12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Washington Area Metro on Friday, March 14:
Yellow Line Train from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport station transferring at the L’Enfant Plaza station to the Silver Line Train heading towards the Downtown Largo station between 12:15 p.m. and 3:15 p.m.
Any additional exposure sites identified in Virginia will be posted to the VDH Measles website. Additional exposure sites have been identified in Maryland.
Virginia has not had any reported cases of measles in 2025.
What should you do if you were at the above locations on the day and time specified?
If you have never received a measles containing vaccine (either the measles, mumps and rubella [MMR] vaccine or a measles-only vaccine which is available in other countries), you may be at risk of developing measles. Anyone who was exposed and considered to be at risk of developing measles should contact their healthcare provider immediately.
Watch for symptoms for 21 days from the date of your potential exposure.If you notice symptoms of measles, immediately isolate yourself by staying home. Contact your healthcare provider right away. Call ahead before going to your healthcare provider’s office or the emergency room to notify them that you may have been exposed to measles and ask them to call the local health department. This call will help protect other patients and staff.
Anyone with an immunocompromising condition should consult with their healthcare provider if they have questions or develop symptoms.
If you have received two doses of a measles-containing vaccine, or were born before 1957, you are protected and do not need to take any action.
If you have received only one dose of a measles-containing vaccine, you are very likely to be protected and your risk of being infected with measles from any of these exposures is very low. However, to achieve the highest level of protection, contact your healthcare provider about getting a second vaccine dose.
Measles is a highly contagious illness that can spread easily through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. Measles symptoms usually appear in two stages. In the first stage, most people have a fever of greater than 101 degrees, runny nose, watery red eyes, and a cough. These symptoms usually start seven to fourteen days after being exposed. The second stage starts three to five days after symptoms start, when a rash begins to appear on the face and spread to the rest of the body. People with measles are contagious from four days before the rash appears through four days after the rash appeared.
Measles is preventable through a safe and effective MMR vaccine. Two doses of the vaccine are given to provide lifetime protection. Virginia has high measles vaccination rates, with approximately 95% of kindergarteners fully vaccinated against measles. However, infants who are too young to be vaccinated, and others who are not vaccinated, are very susceptible to infection if they are exposed to measles. Infants six months through 11 months of age who will be traveling internationally, or to an outbreak setting, should receive one dose of MMR vaccine prior to travel. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have questions about the MMR vaccine.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse wants everyone to have the facts this National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week (NDAFW). NDAFW is observed each year. This year it takes place March 17 to March 23. It focuses on the science of drug use and addiction. The Institute says information based on facts helps to educate and empower youth to make informed decisions.
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) does its part by gathering data. Various programs gather information that helps prevent drug overdoses and substance misuse. These data help to inform response, services, and programs to improve health outcomes.
Graphic for National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week
In 2022, VDH developed a Drug Overdose Needs Assessment Tool. The tool helps identify which communities in Virginia may need extra support. For example, if a community is seeing a high number of overdoses, VDH responds. Local health districts and their partners will develop ways to increase the availability of naloxone in the community. Naloxone is a medication to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
Data collected by VDH helps with developing drug overdose prevention programs. Comprehensive Harm Reduction (CHR) programs also reduce the negative impact of using drugs. CHR programs provide:
Poisoning can happen to people of any age at the most unexpected time. A curious child could accidentally eat a poisonous plant. A teen might experiment with substances. Even an older adult might make a medication error. Accidental poisonings can occur in an instant.
During National Poison Prevention Week, March 16–22, it’s important to raise awareness of the risks posed by poisonous substances and the precautions that can be taken to keep families and friends safe. Remember to use the Poison Help hotline 1-800-222-1222 and website PoisonHelp.org. If it’s an emergency and an individual has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing or can’t be awakened, call 911 immediately.
Graphic for National Poison Prevention Week
Poisoning is the leading cause of injury death in the U.S. On average, 90% of poisonings happen in homes in America each year. More than 70% of people who call the Poison Help hotline get the help they need right where they are. Calling the Poison Help hotline could save a trip to a healthcare professional or hospital. In 2023, the 55 U.S. poison control centers provided telephone guidance for nearly 2.1 million human poison exposures. That’s about:
6.2 poison exposures for every 1,000 people
32.1 poison exposures in children younger than six years for every 1,000 children
One poison exposure reported to U.S. poison control centers every 15 seconds
In 2022, in Virginia, 91% of cases occurred in a residence. Three quarter of total cases were a result of an unintentional exposure to a substance. More than 38% of cases were for children five years old or younger.
Virginia has two poison control centers that provide fast, free and confidential help for poison-related questions. Virginia’s poison control centers are located at Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Virginia. Calling a poison control center is faster and more accurate than an internet search.
Remember these important poison prevention safety tips for the home, safe storage habits, medicine safety and more.
The following items should be stored up, away, and out of sight of children, and in their original containers. Or keep these substances in cabinets secured with child-resistant locks. Keep in mind that no lock or container is 100 percent childproof.
All medicines and pharmaceuticals, including over the counter and prescription medications, vitamins, and supplements.
Tobacco and e-cigarette products, especially liquid nicotine.
Alcohol.
Laundry and cleaning supplies.
Pesticides and insect repellents.
Button batteries, such as those found in musical greeting cards, key fobs, toys, etc.
Any type of oil or lubricant, including fragrance oils, tiki torch oils, engine oil, etc.
Personal care products, especially contact lens disinfectants and hand sanitizers.
Did you know that many common houseplants can be toxic?
Kids are curious and often put things into their mouths, including plants. Some common poisonous houseplants include poinsettia, pothos, peace lily, philodendron and ZZ plants.
You can prevent poisonings from houseplants by following these simple tips:
Identify any poisonous plants in your home and remove them if possible.
Place remaining poisonous plants up high and out of reach of children.
Teach your children not to eat plants, berries, or mushrooms.
If your child eats a plant, call the Poison Help hotline at 1-800-222-1222. Poison control centers are available 24/7 for fast, free, confidential, expert advice.
Teens are curious and might experiment with substances or participate in social media challenges. Remember to:
Talk openly about the dangers of substances and social media challenges.
Teach your teen about the Poison Help hotline and encourage them to save the number in their phone: 1-800-222-1222.
Call the Poison Help hotline if you have questions about potential poisons.
If you or your teen have poison-related questions, call the Poison Help hotline at 1-800-222-1222. This service is always free, fast, confidential and non-judgmental.
Accidents happen. It’s easy to forget if you’ve taken your medication, especially if you’re busy or distracted. Here are some tips to prevent accidental double-dosing:
Set medication reminders on your phone or calendar.
Read labels carefully before taking medication.
Use a pill organizer to help you keep track of your medications.
If you’ve accidentally taken too much medicine, call the Poison Help hotline at 1-800-222-1222.
Learn more poison prevention tips with these helpful resources:
