Danielle Donovan and Tiffany Henderson, Bureau of Epidemiology, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Since late July 2016, 58 lab-confirmed cases of hepatitis A have been reported in four counties in Southeast Michigan.  This is about 10 times the number of cases that the City of Detroit, Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne Counties combined typically see between July and December months. The distribution of cases has been slanted towards males, contributing to 65.5% of the total cases.  The median age is 46.5 years, with an age range of 24–83 years. Many of the sick individuals have presented with severe illness. The overall hospitalization rate is over 87% and three deaths have been reported.  

​According to national surveillance data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the hospitalization rate for hepatitis A is 11-22%.  The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), and the CDC have been assisting the local health departments with their investigations.
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Stefanie Cole, RN, BSN, MPH, Pediatric Immunization Nurse Educator, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), Division of Immunization

​When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the 2015 National Immunization Survey (NIS) data last year, Michigan was ranked 44th in the nation for pediatric immunization coverage. Only 67.6 percent of Michigan children aged 19-35 months-old are fully immunized with the 4313314 series, compared to 72.2 percent nationally.1 While this represents a modest improvement from the previous year (ranked 47th in the nation with 65.0 percent series coverage), it is unacceptable that 32.4 percent of our young children are not protected from vaccine preventable diseases.
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The Michigan Public Health Week Partnership is accepting nominees for the 14th annual Hometown Health Hero Award. The purpose of the Hometown Health Hero award is to recognize individuals and organizations which have made significant contributions to protect and improve their community’s health. Hometown Health Hero awards are presented every April as part of Michigan’s Public Health Week. The Michigan Public Health Week celebration takes place at the State Capitol on April 19, 2017. A nomination form is linked below. Completed nomination forms should be sent to Jim Koval via email at kovalj@michigan.gov or fax at 517-335-8392 by February 24, 2017.

• 2017 Hometown Health Hero Award Nomination Form

Jacklyn Chandler, M.S., Outreach Coordinator, MDHHS Division of Immunization

Vaccines have greatly decreased or eradicated many infectious diseases that commonly harmed many infants, children, and adults. However, the viruses and bacteria that cause vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) still exist and can be easily passed on to people who are not fully protected by vaccines. The success of a vaccine in protecting communities depends entirely on the extent of vaccine coverage. With enough people immunized against a disease, it is difficult for the disease to get a foothold in the community.
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The start of the 2016-17 flu season is here, and we have already seen sporadic flu activity in the State of Michigan. The first official week of the flu season was October 2 - 8, 2016. During this week, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Bureau of Laboratories (BOL) confirmed the first two cases of influenza for this season as human seasonal influenza A/H3.