Displaying 1-20 of 22 results for

Vaccines are one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century, as well as some of the most powerful and cost-effective tools to prevent disease, disparities, disability, and death among children and adults. The COVID-19 pandemic and the unprecedented development and distribution of the vaccines against the novel coronavirus have generated much focus on state laws related to vaccinations. As state and territorial legislatures prepare to convene in the coming weeks, we can already identify several topics within vaccine law that policymakers across the country will consider.

Every year in mid-July is National Youth Sports Week—in 2021 it falls on July 19-23. It’s an important health observance because youth sports create strong connections with peers and caring adults, as well as promote socio-emotional skills and positive well-being. The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion’s National Youth Sports Strategy outlines policies and strategies that support access to youth sports. NYSS Champions, including ASTHO, work to promote participation and recognize the positive health outcomes sports can have on youth, such as limiting the impacts of adverse childhood experiences and building resiliency.

Learn about public health strategies for preventing chronic disease that intersect with themes in MAHA report including nutrition and physical activity.

As schools work to stay open for in-person learning, it is essential to understand key recommendations related to COVID-19 prevention in K-12 schools. CDC recommends that health department staff work closely with K-12 schools to effectively prevent and respond to COVID-19 infections. Health department staff may look to school officials to understand the unique context of each school setting, while school officials may look to health department staff to better understand federal, state, and local guidance. This document compiles CDC guidance for COVID-19 prevention strategies in K-12 schools and should supplement state or territorial and local policies. Schools and health departments should layer the COVID-19 prevention strategies listed in this ASTHOBrief.

This infographic highlights 10 high-level strategies to advance work in school behavioral health.

ASTHO conducted focus groups to examine overdose-related issues and identify potential engagement opportunities for public health and public safety around overdose prevention. This brief outlines key takeaways and is designed to serve as a guide for public health building and strengthening relationships with public safety.

As AI adoption grows in public health, understanding its uses and ensuring responsible application are key to protecting privacy, minimizing bias, and improving outcomes.

ASTHO convened focus groups of state environmental health directors and designated representatives from 11 states to talk about their agencies’ ventilation guidance for school districts. The discussions focused on recommendations for filtration and air cleaning technologies in schools, layered mitigation techniques, partner engagement, and challenges moving forward.

Conditioning school attendance on student vaccinations is an evidence-based way of maintaining and increasing vaccine coverage. State law establishes school vaccination requirements which apply not only to public schools but often to private schools and childcare facilities as well. All states allow an exemption for those where a vaccine poses a medical risk. Several states also allow non-medical exemptions, often based on an asserted religious, philosophical, or personal belief of the parents or child opposing vaccinations. However, a few states have recently abolished all non-medical exemptions.

The findings detailed in this report were gathered during a series of School Behavioral Health Advisory Committee convenings in spring 2021. The goal was identify policy gaps and strategies for delivering behavioral health services in schools. Final recommendations include: develop shared communication and vision; enhance state-cross sector partnerships; use data driven action; and implement innovative policies to improve access to services

This report discusses school restorative justice practices as a potential protective factor and an alternative to exclusionary discipline policies in K-12 school settings.

Developing and implementing contact tracing programs in K-12 schools presents a crucial opportunity for both health department and school leaders to keep students healthy, and schools open. This brief shares considerations for health departments working with schools to develop and implement contact tracing programs.

Recent state laws and governor emergency orders prohibiting universal school mask protocols are complicating the implementation of CDC’s evidence-based guidance for COVID-19 mitigation measures for in-person school. Ten states have enacted laws (Arizona, Arkansas, Iowa, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Utah) or issued executive orders (Florida, Tennessee, and Texas) to limit or prohibit issuing universal face mask protocols for schools and in eight of these states the law or order now faces a legal challenge

One of the major disruptions to daily life caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was the rapid shift from in-person K-12 education to virtual learning. While necessary for social distancing and slowing the spread of disease, there is a concern that time away from traditional classroom environments has slowed student’s anticipated learning trajectory and milestones, resulting in what is referred to as learning loss. If left unmitigated, learning loss may result in lower educational achievement and poorer health outcomes in the future for current students, particularly students with disabilities.

This week might have marked the beginning of summer, but many policymakers and health officials have their eye on the upcoming school year and what that might mean in terms of getting students vaccinated against COVID-19. According to a recent MMWR, COVID-19 related hospitalizations among adolescents increased in March and April 2021, potentially related to increased circulation of new COVID-19 variants, changes in physical distancing, and a larger number of children returning to school or other in-person indoor activities. This increase indicates an urgent need for vaccination against COVID-19, which is currently authorized for use in youth as young as 12.

The youth mental health crisis has created the need for a comprehensive workforce response, which requires educators and school administrative staff, school-based mental health professionals, and communities to work collaboratively to strengthen prevention systems.

Public Health Leadership Starts in the Classroom Public Health Leadership Starts in the Classroom Ashley Nanthavongsa-Mosley Learn how states are integrating public health education into K-12 schools and building pathways for future public health professionals. Governmental public health agencies across the country are showing interest in integrating public health concepts into K-12 education. This interest has been driven by a growing realization that students should understand the importance of public health work early and see it as a viable and meaningful career option. In early 2025, ASTHO members asked how public health agencies were integrating public health into K-12 schools. This interest prompted ASTHO to convene a workshop series, through which it became clear that states are not only interested in the topic — they are already doing innovative and impactful work within their jurisdictions. Below are key examples and lessons learned from states that participated in these discussions and takeaways that may help other organizations exploring similar efforts. Classroom Partnerships in Action Montana: Classroom-Ready Public Health Curriculum Montana is leveraging funding from the Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG) to collaborate with the Montana Public Health Training Center to bring public health concepts directly into classrooms through a comprehensive curriculum for teachers. The curriculum is ready to use with worksheets and answer keys. The materials fit into teachers’ busy schedules and make it easier to introduce public health topics in the classroom. The curriculum has already been accessed by more than 130 people across 37 states, one U.S. territory, and eight countries. Also, with support from the Montana Healthcare Foundation, the training center is developing a toolkit to help local health departments collaborate with schools and host community health fairs that connect students directly with public health professionals. Kentucky: Career Exposure Through the Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) With support from PHIG, Kentucky is leveraging existing student career organizations, such as HOSA, to introduce students to public health concepts and careers. At past HOSA conferences, students participated in a simulated outbreak activity that exposed them to epidemiology, public health nursing, environmental health, the public health laboratory, and public health career pathways in an engaging, hands-on way. New Jersey: Youth-Led Immunization Campaigns New Jersey hosts the Protect Me With 3+ annual poster and video contest, a joint initiative between the Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey and the New Jersey Department of Health. The statewide initiative aims to raise awareness on the importance of adolescent immunizations among preteens, teens, and parents, increase vaccination rates for several important vaccines, and, most importantly, empower students to use their creativity and voice to spread the important message of getting vaccinated. The contest invites New Jersey students in grades 5-12 to display their creativity by designing a poster or a 30-second video highlighting the importance of vaccines for themselves, their families, and their communities. Over the years, the contest has proven to be a successful and impactful model for peer-to-peer education around immunization. Connecticut: Multiple Entry Points into Public Health Through PHIG funding, Connecticut builds sustainable, credit-bearing pathways that introduce students to public health and connects them to college and career opportunities. Through the CT Science Olympiad, the Connecticut Department of Public Health sponsors the “Disease Detectives” event, giving middle and high school students hands-on experience with outbreak investigation and direct exposure to public health professionals. Over the past three years, 188 students from 35 schools have participated. Connecticut also expands access to college-level coursework. In partnership with the University of Connecticut, high school teachers are trained to deliver Public Health 101 through Early College Experience, allowing students to earn transferable college credit while still in high school. Beginning in Fall 2026, students from participating schools can further their studies through Dual Enrollment with Connecticut State Community College, where they will have access to undergraduate public health courses. Washington: Teacher Licensure and Data-Driven Curriculum Washington state focuses on supporting educators while grounding public health education in real-world data. K-8 teachers are required to complete STEM hours for licensure renewal, and teams are exploring ways to integrate youth engagement into this process. With support from the Educational Service District, Washington created an asynchronous professional development model teacher training program on using Washington Tracking Network data in classrooms. This program provides licensure clock hours while helping educators incorporate local public health concepts and data into instruction. Cross-Cutting Lessons from States Across jurisdictions, several common strategies consistently supported successful efforts to introduce students to public health and build early career awareness. Build on Existing School Programs and Structures Many successful initiatives did not require creating entirely new programs. Public health agencies integrated public health concepts into existing school activities, competitions, and career organizations that already have student participation and administrative support. Agencies interested in this work can start with established programs to make it easier to introduce public health concepts while minimizing additional demands on teachers and school administrators. Co-Create Curriculum with Educators Programs are more likely to succeed when teachers are involved in the early design process. Educators understand their classroom needs, curriculum standards, time constraints, and their input ensures that materials are practical and usable. Several agencies emphasized the value of developing curriculum collaboratively with teachers and testing materials in classrooms before broader rollout. This pilot, revise, scale approach helps refine lessons, ensures alignment with educations standards, and increases the likeliness that teachers will adopt the materials. Elevate Youth Voice and Peer Engagement Agencies can get students more engaged in public health work when they can create and share their own public health messages. Youth-led campaigns, contests, and peer education initiatives allow students to translate what they learned into messages for their peers and community members. Agencies noted peer-to-peer approaches such as student-created posters, videos, or presentations can be effective for topics like prevention, immunization, and community health awareness. These activities not only reinforce public health knowledge but also help students develop communication and leadership skills. Support Teachers Through Professional Development and Data Tools Teachers are more likely to incorporate public health topics into their classrooms when they receive training, resources, and incentives that align with their professional requirements. Some states support educators by offering professional development that provides continuing education or licensure renewal hours while also teaching educators how to use public health data, case studies, or state/local health examples in the classroom. Providing ready-to-use activities, datasets, and lesson plans reduces the burden on teachers while strengthening the integration of public health into classroom education. Build Sustainable Communication Channels with Schools Successful programs often relied on consistent communication channels between health agencies and education partners rather than relying on one-time outreach. Agencies built systems that allowed educators to regularly receive information about public health learning opportunities. Examples include educator newsletters, resource portals, partnerships with school districts or health districts, and coordination with state and local education networks. These systems help ensure that teachers and schools can easily learn about new curriculum resources, competitions, professional development opportunities, and student engagement activities related to public health. Keep Evaluation Simple and Actionable Agencies also emphasized the importance of evaluating K-12 public health programs in ways that are practical for schools and partners rather than complex evaluation requirements. Many use simple feedback mechanisms such as teacher surveys, student reflections, participation counts, or brief post activity questionnaires. These short feedback loops help agencies understand what worked, what needs improvement, and how programs can be refined before expanding to additional schools. Barriers and Challenges While agencies shared many promising approaches, they also identified several common challenges when working within K-12 education systems. Limited classroom time and competing priorities. Teachers often face strict curriculum requirements and limited instructional time, which can make it difficult to introduce new topics. Programs that align with existing standards or integrate into science health or career exploration courses are more likely to be adopted. Navigating school approval processes. Introducing new curriculum or programs may require approval from school district administrators or curriculum committees. Building relationships with education partners and piloting programs with a small number of schools can help build trust and demonstrate value. Resource and staffing limitations. State and local health agencies may have limited staff capacity to support ongoing school engagement. Developing reusable curriculum materials partnering with

As COVID-19 continues to spread across the country, increased attention has been given to how schools, colleges, and universities can safely reopen for the upcoming 2020-2021 academic year. To note, many schools and institutions closed in March and April of 2020 to reduce exposure of the virus among students, teachers, and related personnel, and there has been discourse at all levels of government about the feasibility of in-person academic instruction this Fall. At the center of these discussions have been state, local, and territorial health officials, who are providing their expertise through constant communication and consultation with education officials.

In August 2020, the Big Cities Health Coalition and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials released a co-produced public service announcement to support public education in our members’ communities. The call to action in the PSA is straightforward: Americans need to put aside our respective differences and, simply, #MaskUp.

Toxic stress contributes to a variety of negative outcomes for children. And unfortunately, COVID-19 has increased the likelihood of children experiencing childhood trauma, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and toxic stress. States and territories should have programmatic, and policy mechanisms to both prevent and mitigate the lifelong effects. A CDC Vital Signs Report found that preventing or mitigating ACEs could reduce depressive disorder by 44%, smoking by 33%, and unemployment by 15%.