Public Health

Washtenaw County health officials are reminding area residents that the flu virus evolves each year, and it’s a good idea to protect yourself with a flu shot. WEMU’s Caroline MacGregor reports.

The sun is helping some local residents identify the quality of the air. The City of Ann Arbor has launched a network of ten solar-powered air quality monitors placed across the city. Residents can now track local conditions through a publicly available online map and subscribe to receive station-specific alerts when air quality reaches "Unhealthy” levels. How does it work and what does it mean for the future? Find out in a conversation between WEMU's David Fair and Sean Reynolds, senior analyst for the city’s Office of Sustainability and Innovations.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Intimate partner violence will touch the lives in two out of every five women in America. That holds true here in Washtenaw County, as well. For decades now, the issue has been brought out in the open, yet it remains a public health crisis. WEMU's David Fair spoke with SafeHouse Center executive director, Christine Watson, about raising more awareness and activism.

Local health officials are recommending good hygiene practices and several vaccinations as respiratory illnesses are flaring up in Washtenaw County. WEMU’s Ana Longoria reports.

Canadian wildfires have played havoc with air quality in Washtenaw County and the state of Michigan for the past few summers. Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian is the chief medical executive for the state of Michigan. She joined WEMU's David Fair to look at the short and longer-term implications.

Michigan environmental activists say a Trump Administration plan to pull back from clean air regulations would hurt the state. Colin Jackson has more.

The West Nile Virus has been detected in Washtenaw County. Health officials are reminding residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

With growing cases of measles and whooping cough cases in Michigan, there is now concern over new research that finds routine childhood and adolescent vaccination rates are declining statewide. WEMU’s Caroline MacGregor talks to Dr. Kao-Ping Chua, director of the Susan B. Meister Child Health Evaluation and Research (CHEAR) Center, and senior author and researcher at U-M Health C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, about the study's findings and implications.

Michigan’s air quality has nosedived in recent weeks, due to wildfire smoke from Canada. At one point, Detroit was listed as the third most polluted city in the world. The blanket of haze that has covered the region, including Washtenaw County, has prompted several air quality advisories. WEMU's Caroline MacGregor talks to Dr. MeiLan Han, Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care at the University of Michigan Health, to get a better understanding of how particulate matter from wildfire smoke affects our overall health.

The Washtenaw County Health Department is encouraging locals to celebrate safe habits with Summer Health Day this Wednesday. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has the details.