News

North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) was notified on September 16, 2022, that the raccoon identified in connection with the incident at the Maddock Bar tested negative for rabies.

HHS issued a statement on September 13 regarding the situation, as at that time the whereabouts of the raccoon were still being determined. 

Both the original story and the update are available in this post.

– Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) endorsed the recommendation from its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of two newly available bivalent COVID-19 vaccines for use as a single-dose booster in individuals 12 years and older.

Gov. Doug Burgum announced that the integration of North Dakota’s Department of Health and Department of Human Services into one Health and Human Services (HHS) agency is effective today, Sept. 1, 2022.

The agency will be led by HHS Commissioner Chris Jones. State Health Officer Dr. Nizar Wehbi will provide vision, leadership and consultation on state health priorities.

“North Dakota’s Department of Health and Department of Human Services have a long history of working together to serve North Dakotans,” Burgum said. “Today the two departments have officially integrated into one agency, and we are deeply grateful for the hard work so many team members have invested in this effort. As a unified health and human services team, HHS has the opportunity to transform the citizen experience and help North Dakota become the healthiest state in the nation.”

Wednesday, Aug. 31 is International Overdose Awareness Day. The North Dakota Department of Health, North Dakota Highway Patrol and North Dakota Department of Human Services are remembering people lost to drug overdoses and their family members and raising awareness about available prevention resources that can help save North Dakotans’ lives.

The North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) is reporting a case of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in an individual in eastern North Dakota. Testing performed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the individual was infected with hantavirus. The individual was hospitalized but has since recovered.

The North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) announced it has successfully completed a review process to maintain national accreditation status through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). The nonprofit PHAB works to advance and transform public health practice by championing performance improvement, strong infrastructure and innovation. In maintaining its accreditation status for another five years, the NDDoH has demonstrated that it meets PHAB’s quality standards and measures and has the capacity to continue to evolve, improve and advance - becoming increasingly effective at improving the health of the residents of North Dakota.

BISMARCK, N.D. – The North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) has completed the state's application for Federal Maternal and Child Health Services Title V Block Grant Funds for the federal fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, 2022 and ending Sept. 30, 2023. The application is available for public comment.

BISMARCK, ND – The North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) has released the North Dakota Tobacco Prevention and Control Dashboard, a new web-based dashboard created as a tobacco information resource for the public. The dashboard contains information about tobacco use in North Dakota and features data for adults (18+) and youth (high school students grades 9-12).

The North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) is expanding eligibility for the monkeypox vaccine. The state has received additional vaccines and eligibility guidelines are now expanded to include to any male age 18 or older who identifies as having sex with other men. People interested in being vaccinated are encouraged to contact health care providers listed on the NDDoH monkeypox vaccine locator. People who are identified as close contacts to monkeypox cases will also continue to be a high priority for vaccination.

Last week, the CDC endorsed the recommendation from its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices that the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine be available for adults ages 18 years and older. This recommendation offers unvaccinated adults in the United States another safe and effective vaccine option.