@mrcsa
We are the Medical Reserve Corps of Southern Arizona. The oldest continuing operating MRC unit in the country. Our preparedness and response teams include Public Health, Shelter Support, Mass Casualty Response, Heat Action and Community Engagement.
A record warm winter could lead to record wildfires this summer. Phoenix hit 90 degrees during the last week of February, and it was 89 in Southern Arizona, temperatures we normally don’t see until late March.
Read more:
news.azpm.org/p/azpmnews/2...
The MRC Shelter Support Team meets Saturday, March 21 at the Red Cross, 9-11:30 am..
Hand holding phone that has a measles alert on the screen. Text reads: Measles alert! Unsure of what to do next? Stay informed by subscribing to press releases from local and state health departments and monitoring the news for alerts.
First, know if the ALERT IS LEGIT. Measles alerts are designed to prevent potential outbreaks. A legitimate measles alert will come from official public health sources, such as local or state health departments or the CDC, and should include: Where & When: Specific locations visited by an infectious individual, and precise dates and time ranges when the person was there. Transmission Risk: Measles can remain infectious while suspended in the air, or survive on surfaces, for up to two hours. Contact Details: Direct phone numbers for local health departments for reporting symptoms or questions. Authority Source: Clear identification of the health department issuing the alert, typically denoted by a header or logo. Method & Response: Ways the health department is finding other potentially infectious individuals, including rapid contact tracing, collaborating with health care providers, and reviewing patient logs.
Know what to do after POSSIBLE EXPOSURE. Check immunity status: Immediately verify your MMR vaccination status and, if unvaccinated or unsure, call your health care provider or local public health department for guidance. There’s no harm in getting an extra MMR dose if you cannot find documentation of your vaccination status. Anyone who is unvaccinated can receive the MMR vaccine within 72 hours of exposure. While it may not prevent the illness, it will reduce its severity. Isolation: Measles is highly contagious. If one person has it, up to 9 out of 10 people nearby will become infected if they are not protected. Unvaccinated individuals should quarantine for up to 21 days post-exposure to prevent further spread, as a person with measles is infectious up to four days before a rash appears.
Illustration of measles rash on hand. Text reads: Know and monitor any symptoms. Measles symptoms begin to appear 7 to 21 days after exposure and generally follow this timeline: 7–14 days after initial infection: Fever and the three Cs—cough, coryza (runny nose), and conjunctivitis (red eyes). 2–3 days after symptoms begin: Small white bumps with a red halo appear on the inner side of the mouth before the onset of rash. 3–5 days after symptoms begin: A rash of flat, red spots emerges near the hairline, before spreading to the neck, abdomen, arms, legs, and feet. If you believe you were exposed immediately call your health care provider. If you are seeking health care in person, call before visiting. This allows them to prepare for your arrival and take precautions to not infect others in the waiting room.
There's a measles alert in my area. Now what?
Verifying immunity, monitoring symptoms, and staying current with vaccinations are key.
Read more: publichealth.jhu.edu/2026/what-is...
Join NACCHO on March 12 for a #webinar examining how strong partnerships and innovative programs can improve outcomes for those most at risk of overdose. https://ow.ly/Oe3550Ym2vN
Save the date! Join APHA's amjpublichealth.bsky.social for its virtual State of the Public Health Union address on Thursday, Feb. 26, from 3-4:30 p.m. ET. RSVP now: www.apha.org/events-and-m...
What does it cost us when childhood vaccinations are removed from the vaccine schedule?
A new visualization tool out of Rollins seeks to show the economic—and human—impact we can expect if vaccination rates decline.
"There's not any other city in the US that's doing a continual heat summit like this with the range of partners that we have, so I think that's something to be really proud of. That said, of course, we still have a lot more work to do which is why we're all here." news.arizona.edu/news/souther...
MRC will be participating with our Red Cross partners in an all day emergency response exercise later this month.
MRC will be at the Arizona HOSA Spring Leadership Conference in Tucson April 9-11..
MRC was proud to participate in the 3rd annual Southern Arizona Heat Summit in Tucson on Saturday, February 7. We introduced our Youth Engagement initiative in a special breakout session.
The latest #Spanish version of the CIFOR Guidelines for Foodborne Disease Outbreak Response is a streamlined and easy-to-read resource for local, state, and federal, agencies. Download your free copy today at cifor.us/products/guidelines
#CIFORFood #FoodSafety
STAT has named Katelyn Jetelina as an influencer shaping health information online.
Dr. Jetelina is a faculty member at the Yale School of Public Health and the founder of Your Local Epidemiologist, a newsletter that reaches over 425,000 readers across 132 countries.
https://ow.ly/Gc3N50Y4XBX
At Resolve to Save Lives, we work alongside partners to tackle the world’s deadliest health threats, closing the gap between life-saving solutions and the communities that need them the most.
Join us: resolvetosavelives.org/annual-repor...
Canyon Del Oro students organized an innovative teddy bear clinic for preschoolers, which aimed to ease fears of doctor visits while giving teens classroom experience for the medical field.
news.azpm.org/p/azpmnews/2...
South Carolina Is America’s New Measles Norm. The state’s measles outbreak could soon be bigger than West Texas’s. Are the two connected? | The Atlantic www.theatlantic.com/health/2026/...
Pediatricians break with CDC on vaccine guidance for children. The leading group of pediatricians in the U.S. continues to recommend kids get shots to protect them from 18 diseases. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
Arizona neighborhoods get ready for the possible intensification of federal enforcement efforts.
news.azpm.org/p/azpmnews/2...
Radon Awareness Week, January 26-30, sheds light on the dangers of radon, the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths in the United States after cigarette smoking. CDC has a host of resources to help local health departments to raise awareness. Access the resources at https://ow.ly/aAsR50XU57X
The CDC's new childhood immunization schedule represents one of the most dramatic changes in childhood disease prevention policy in decades.
Keep reading for what parents should know ⬇️
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The first sizable batch of opioid settlement funds in Pima County will go to several local organizations working on youth education, addiction recovery and post-jail transition services.
news.azpm.org/p/azpmnews/2...
Thank you to Dr. Theresa Cullen and Dr. Andrew Saal for their insight into Pima County Public Health 2026 during our recent MRC membership meeting.
An adult holding a child. The child is looking at a Band-Aid on their arm. Text reads: "Vaccines have saved more than 154 million lives over the past 50 years and are one of humanity’s greatest achievements. Vaccines prevent disease, save lives, and provide children with a healthy future.” William Moss, Executive Director, International Vaccine Access Center. From “8 Ways to Keep American Kids Healthy” in Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine
Preserving vaccine access is just one of the ways to keep American kids healthy.
To read more proven strategies that help kids thrive and lay the foundation for healthy adulthoods: magazine.publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/8-ways-...
The Nation’s Health Podcast logo. Image of child’s hand with food in it, scraping empty plate.
Grocery costs are rising, and food assistance is failing. On this episode of The Nation's Health Podcast, hear how U.S. policies are creating a hunger gap that leaves too many plates empty: vist.ly/4jzr3
We hope you never need an emergency go-bag, but you’ll be glad you have one if you do.
Find out why a survival bag is essential during emergencies and what to prioritize when packing one in this @huffpost.com post.com article: rdcrss.org/4pbJCLz
Whether joining us virtually or in Baltimore, you'll have the chance to learn from and connect with your peers in preparedness. That's what it means to attend the Preparedness Summit. Don't miss this in 2026. www.preparednesssummit.org #PrepSummit26
The field of public health preparedness is evolving amid a changing federal policy and budget landscape. The 2026 Preparedness Summit is convening the public health, emergency management, and healthcare communities to address this head-on. You need to be in the room. youtu.be/FmaHfvpZ3UU
We look forward to seeing you at our MRC membership meeting on Saturday, December 13 at the Abrams Public Health Center. 9-11:30 am.
Seed to Stomach, a project focused on sustainable gardening, has been acknowledged by officials in Pima County. This initiative has been active since the summer of 2024.
news.azpm.org/p/azpmnews/2...
Arizona health officials are standing by recommendations to administer hepatitis B vaccines to newborns, even as federal vaccine advisers voted Friday to scale back the decades-old universal birth-dose guidance.
news.azpm.org/p/azpmnews/2...
Record-breaking heat and severe cold spells are having a significant impact on health and mortality in the United States, say researchers at the Yale School of Public Health.
https://ysph.yale.edu/news-article/warming-us-climate-linked-to-rising-deaths-from-heat/
