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Data show increases in self-harm coincide with returning to school in September and January As students begin the spring semester, the Department of Health Services (DHS) encourages parents and caregivers to be aware of Wisconsin Emergency Department data from the National Syndromic Surveillance Program that shows young people experience large increases in self-harm injuries at…

Tests now encouraged for children ages 1 and 2, and those aged 3-5 who have not been previously tested The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) recommends universal blood lead testing for children living in Wisconsin. Universal testing means all children should receive a blood lead test at ages 1 and 2 as well as…

Vaccine can protect babies from serious illness With cases of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) rising across Wisconsin, the Department of Health Services (DHS) is urging pregnant Wisconsinites to get the vaccine to protect their baby from the virus. As of January 10 there have been 1,402 people in Wisconsin hospitalized with RSV this season, 580 of those…

Center provides care for young people who need a safe place to be during times of distress A youth crisis stabilization facility is now open in Watertown, with start-up funding provided by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS). The eight-bed center in the former Alyea House at Camp Matz is operated by Milwaukee-based Wisconsin Community Services…

Mandated by federal legislation, the change stabilizes health insurance for kids in BadgerCare Plus and other Medicaid programs Most new and existing members of Wisconsin’s BadgerCare Plus and other Medicaid programs who are under age 19 can now keep their health insurance benefits for at least 12 months, even if their family’s income increases or…

DHS encourages everyone 6 months and older to get vaccinated and take action to reduce the spread of illness The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has confirmed the first pediatric death from a respiratory illness. The death is a result of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). “It is with great sadness that DHS reports the…

Free COVID-19 treatment telehealth services extended through April to quickly connect Wisconsinites to care The Wisconsin Department of Health Services’ (DHS) most recent weekly Respiratory Virus Surveillance Report shows that COVID-19 activity is continuing to increase, sending more people to emergency rooms, especially among people aged 65 and older. The state’s Wastewater Monitoring Program, which tests samples…

Parents and caregivers should have children tested for elevated blood levels if they ate applesauce products included in the recall The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is advising food retailers and consumers to dispose of specific brands of applesauce containing cinnamon following a nationwide recall related to several brands of cinnamon applesauce puree pouches.…

At least four people in four counties have become ill; two of them hospitalized The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), along with the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP), local health departments, and federal partners, is working to investigate a multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to cantaloupes. According to the Centers for…

Now is the time to get influenza, COVID-19, and RSV vaccines for best protection ahead of holidays The Wisconsin Department of Health Services’ (DHS) most recent weekly Respiratory Virus Surveillance Report shows that flu, COVID-19, and RSV cases are increasing, with the state especially seeing an increase in hospitalizations of young children infected with RSV. “Respiratory illnesses…