Topic: Public Health Department
30 illnesses added to notifiable diseases list
The Ministry of Health has expanded the number of infectious diseases about which doctors are required to notify public health officials.
HPV vaccine drive seeks to prevent certain cancers
The annual, free HPV vaccination drive for school age children and young adults, ages 9-25, returns this September and October in an effort to prevent certain cancers caused by the human papillomavirus.
Halloween warning issued over drug-infused gummies
A Halloween warning to parents about the risks of gummies laced with cannabis derivatives was sent out on Monday by Cayman health chiefs and police.
Public Health monitoring rise in respiratory illnesses
The Public Health Department says it is monitoring an increase in respiratory illnesses in the Cayman Islands.
Hand, foot and mouth disease spreads in 17 Cayman schools
Public Health Department officials are "closely monitoring" the spread of the highly contagious hand, foot and mouth disease after pupils were infected in 17 Cayman schools.
Public Health Department will not be independent until 2024
It will be next year at the earliest that the Public Health Department will be independent of the Health Services Authority, according to Health Minister Sabrina Turner.
Aerial spraying expected to resume this week
The Health Ministry says it expects the Mosquito Research and Control Unit to resume aerial spraying this week as the local mosquito population increases.
Public Health to separate from HSA, become independent entity
Cayman's Public Health department will be separating from the Health Services Authority, to become an independent body, Minister of Health Sabrina Turner has announced.
New chief medical officer announced
Dr. Nick Gent, a former senior medical adviser in public health at the UK's Health Security Agency, will take up the post of Cayman's new chief medical officer on 3 Oct., the Ministry of Health and Wellness announced today.
Cayman confirms case of dengue
Public Health has confirmed Cayman has one case of dengue in the jurisdiction.
Brac isolation breaches and COVID cases concern Public Health nurse
As the number of COVID cases steadily trends upwards on Cayman Brac, Sister Islands' Public Health nurse Kedine Hyde is reminding residents there not to be complacent with their health and that of the community.
Two week quarantine for Omicron-positive patients and contacts takes effect
New isolation guidelines will now see individuals suspected of having the Omicron variant, and their primary contacts, being isolated or quarantined for 14 days under a Public Health order.
More than 1,400 people in isolation amid uptick in community cases
A total of 1,415 individuals, including families impacted by the recent spike in COVID-19 cases in schools, remain in isolation, according to figures released by the Ministry of Health and Wellness.
Vaccinations move to Stage 2 this week
Vaccinations under stage two of government's national COVID-19 inoculation programme will begin Wednesday, the Public Health Department has announced.
Free flu shots available from next week
Starting Tuesday, 27 Oct., residents will be able to get free flu vaccines across all three islands.
Lee: Masks offer false sense of security
Even though surgical face masks are being snapped up locally, Cayman’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee said they only offer limited protection against viruses.
Update: Mandatory quarantine implemented for coronavirus
Government has imposed mandatory quarantine and is working on travel restrictions for travellers and residents who have been to mainland China.
Border control gets health advice on coronavirus
Cayman’s Customs and Border Control officers will be assisted by a Public Health Department staffer to handle health screenings during busy periods at local ports of entry.
Coronavirus latest: People with travel to China being monitored
Health officials have said they are monitoring a “very small” number of people on island who have travelled from China.
WHO declares coronavirus a global emergency
In a travel advisory issued on Thursday morning, the Public Health Department announced that surveillance is being stepped up at Cayman's borders and visitors coming to the Caribbean from coronavirus-affected countries would undergo "entrance screening".
Three new locally transmitted dengue cases recorded
Dengue cases increase by three.
Dengue cases grow by eight
Local dengue case increases to 23, according to the latest numbers from the Public Health Department.
Health checks mandatory for students
All students entering government or private schools in the Cayman Islands for the first time will be required to have health screenings before the start of school in September. This includes those entering reception programmes.
Public health officials raise measles awareness
Cayman’s Public Health Department issued an alert Friday about an outbreak of measles in Florida and other states in the US.
Mandatory health screenings under way
All students entering school for the first time, either government or private, must have health screenings before the new school year begins in August, the Public Health Department advises.
Special immunization clinic for Vaccination Week
The Public Health Department is hosting a special immunization clinic on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for children who need vaccinations, including those with missed/outstanding doses.
Free screenings next week for World Health Day
The Cayman Islands Public Health Department will be offering free screenings for diabetes and hypertension to mark World Health Day.
Grand Cayman schools hit by disease outbreak
An outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease that surfaced a few weeks ago is still affecting some schools on Grand Cayman.
No further ‘false-negative’ results in local HIV tests
The Cayman Island Health Services Authority reported last week that is has not found any more “false-negative” HIV tests since a trio were found from private healthcare facilities last March.
EDITORIAL – Flu season: Not too late to vaccinate
Cayman Islands officials say it is not too late to vaccinate against the flu this season. To encourage more people to do so, free vaccinations are being offered at the General Practice Clinic at the Cayman Islands Hospital and all district health centers from 2-4 p.m.
Health officials release flu statistics
The Public Health Department released updated statistics on Thursday about the number of influenza cases that have been reported recently, showing a marked increase in flu activity throughout Cayman.
Flu cases on the upswing in Cayman
With flu season in full swing, there has been a “marked increase” in the number of influenza cases in the Cayman Islands over the last several weeks, according to Public Health Department Acting Director Dr. Samuel Williams-Rodriguez.
Free HIV/AIDS testing offered
Six days of free HIV/AIDS testing and counseling begin Monday in honor of World AIDS Day. The free tests are being offered Nov. 27-Dec. 2
Free flu vaccine now available
This year’s flu vaccine has arrived and is now available free of charge to all residents in Cayman, the Public Health Department has advised. “We recommend that people get vaccinated as soon as possible and definitely before the peak of the flu season, which ranges between December and January."
Cayman has first confirmed case of Zika in a pregnant woman
Public health officials Tuesday evening announced the first confirmed case of Zika in a pregnant woman on island. Dr. Samuel Williams Rodriguez, Cayman’s acting medical officer of health, said his department has confirmed seven new cases of the virus.
Mosquito Unit works overtime in Zika fight
The staff at Cayman’s Mosquito Research and Control Unit has been putting in long days as they fight to stop Zika transmission in Grand Cayman.
Two more Zika cases confirmed in George Town
Two more people, both of George Town, have tested positive for the Zika virus, according to the Public Health Department. There are now five confirmed cases of Zika in the Cayman Islands, all of which have been in George Town.
Mosquito Unit works to protect pregnant women as Zika fears grow
Some pregnant women have left the Cayman Islands and others are putting off moves to Grand Cayman now that there are known local Zika transmissions. But leaving a job and traveling overseas is not an option for many women who are pregnant and couples trying to conceive.
Zika shows little impact on tourism
Zika-related travel warnings for tourists, like the one issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, show little impact on tourism, based on available data for other Caribbean Islands.
Most support GM mosquito initiative, says survey
A new government survey found most people on Grand Cayman support the ongoing trial of genetically modified mosquitoes in West Bay.
Cautions for pregnant women as Zika found locally
The mosquito-borne Zika virus is perhaps best known and most feared for causing severe birth defects in babies whose mothers contract the disease while pregnant.
Two local Zika cases confirmed
Two people in George Town are Cayman’s first official cases of locally transmitted Zika, according to public health officials. The islands have had six cases of Zika imported by people visiting other countries, but these are the first reported incidents of the virus being acquired locally.
Premier: Opposition to GM mosquito release political grandstanding
Premier Alden McLaughlin, in a press statement Tuesday, criticized opponents of the genetically modified mosquito program, as the Public Health Department confirmed Cayman’s first local cases of Zika.
Cayman reports first local Zika case
The Public Health Department late Monday confirmed the first locally transmitted case of Zika in the Cayman Islands. Previously, there had been seven documented cases that were contracted outside of Cayman, but public health officials confirmed that a man in George Town is the first person confirmed to became infected with Zika in the islands.
Travelers urged to get vaccinated for Rio Olympics
The Public Health Department is advising Cayman residents who plan to attend the Summer Olympic Games in Brazil to get vaccinated against measles and rubella.
Six suspected Zika cases await results
Public Health Department officials said Wednesday they are awaiting test results on six suspected cases of the Zika virus.
Suspected Zika cases test negative
Test results for three out of four samples cases have come back negative from the Caribbean Public Health Agency, Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Samuel Williams-Rodriguez said in a press release Friday.
Cayman ‘Zika free,’ health officials say
The recent case of Zika possibly linked to Cayman was not spread by local mosquitoes, but was sexually transmitted by a tourist’s partner from St. Maarten, the Cayman Islands Public Health Department said Wednesday.
Mosquito Unit ramps up as rainy season gets under way
With the start of the rainy season and the first possible case of Zika linked to Cayman, the Mosquito Research and Control Unit is ramping up its operations to combat nuisance and disease-carrying mosquitoes.
Vaccine week will include free immunization clinic
The Cayman Islands is joining other members of the Pan American Health Organization to mark the 14th anniversary of Vaccination Week in the Americas.
Jamaica equipped to test for Zika
Jamaica’s National Virology Laboratory can now test for the Zika virus, becoming the second country in the Caribbean equipped to do so, according to the Jamaica Information Service.
Free health screenings for World Health Day
Members of the public can avail themselves of free health screenings this week as part of the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority’s observation of World Health Day.
