News Flash

COVID-19 vaccine distribution shifting to Health and Human Services Clinic

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Starting Monday, March 20, the Pandemic Operations Team will be moving its COVID-19 vaccine services to the general clinic located in the New Hanover County Health and Human Services building at 1650 Greenfield Street. C...

New Hanover County CDC Community Level Returns to Low

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – New Hanover County is back in the Low CDC COVID Community Level after case rates and healthcare impacts have improved this week. While we are now at a low community level, it’s important to stay prepared for ch...

Energy bill assistance available for New Hanover County residents

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – New Hanover County Health and Human Services is administering the federally-funded Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) for qualified households through March 31, or until funds are exhausted. The program provides a one-ti...

New Hanover County CDC Community Level Increases to High

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Following a review of the latest COVID-19 data for New Hanover County, the CDC Community Level has increased to High.?The majority of the state is now at a high community level, indicating COVID-19 is widely circulating.  ...

Updated COVID-19 boosters available for everyone 6 months and older at Pandemic Operations Center

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have expanded the eligibility for the updated bivalent COVID-19 vaccine formulas from Pfizer and Moderna to include everyone six months...

New Hanover County Public Health Department awarded reaccreditation designation

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Following a rigorous review by the North Carolina Local Health Department Accreditation Board, New Hanover County Health and Human Services’ Public Health Department has been awarded Reaccreditation De...

Public Notice: Health and Human Services Board meeting rescheduled, subcommittee meeting canceled

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Notice is hereby given that the regular meeting of the New Hanover County Health and Human Services (HHS) Board has been rescheduled and will now be held on December 13, 2022, at 8 a.m. in the multipurpose room of the He...

Pandemic Operations Call Center gets a new number

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Beginning December 1, the Pandemic Operations Call Center will be available at a new number. Community members needing more details about vaccines, boosters, at-home testing kits and other COVID-related informat...

New Hanover County Health and Human Services recognizes World AIDS Day, offers free testing

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – December 1 is internationally recognized as World AIDS Day, an annual event designed to unite everyone in the fight against Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), show support for people living with HIV and commemorate those...

Thanksgiving precautions encouraged, COVID-19 vaccines and booster available on walk-in basis

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Residents are encouraged to practice safety precautions over the Thanksgiving holiday with COVID-19 continuing to impact the community. Some of these measures include getting a vaccine and updated booster, self-...

Safety measures encouraged to help avoid COVID-19, other respiratory viruses

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – While COVID-19 metrics in New Hanover County have improved over the last few weeks, this time of year is the beginning of respiratory virus season. Across the country, medical professionals have seen a spike in ...

Residents encouraged to dispose of unneeded medication during Take Back Day

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Making sure unused or unwanted prescription medication doesn’t fall into the wrong hands is important for community health and safety.  

With National Prescription Drug Take Back Day s...

Updated COVID-19 boosters are now available to everyone 5 and older

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Following Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorization and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendation, the Pandemic Operations Center is now offering updated bivalent COVID-19 boosters for eve...

Health and Human Services encourages safe sleeping habits to protect infants

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – With October designated as National Safe Sleep Awareness Month across the country, New Hanover County Health and Human Services is reminding residents just how important it is to practice safe sleeping habits with an inf...

New Hanover County Public Health offers drive-thru flu vaccines in October

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC –?New Hanover County Health and Human Services’ Public Health will be offering drive-thru flu vaccines over the next two weeks. Flu vaccines will be given this week, October 4-7, and next week, October 10-14, fro...

Pandemic Operations Center updates operations, no longer providing on-site COVID testing

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – The Pandemic Operations Center will no longer provide on-site COVID-19 testing as part of its daily operations. This change comes based on the availability of testing throughout the community and as a result of ...

Joint partnership between county and city aims to connect homeless with resources

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – At Monday’s meeting, the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a pilot program with the City of Wilmington to help connect individuals experiencing homelessness with much-neede...

New Hanover County offers COVID vaccines, updated boosters and flu vaccines, free to all residents

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – New Hanover County COVID metrics continue to improve, resulting in the county remaining at the Low CDC Community Level for another week.?The Pandemic Operations Center is continuing to offer the COVID-19 vaccines along w...

Public Notice: HHS Historically Marginalized Populations Subcommittee to meet September 20

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC –?Notice is hereby given that the Health and Human Services (HHS) Board’s Historically Marginalized Populations Subcommittee will meet at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, September 20, 2022. The purpose of this meeti...

Gap Rental Assistance program to continue under updated guidelines

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – To help lower income families in the community meet rental housing needs, New Hanover County will continue to offer the Workforce Housing Gap Rental Assistance Pilot Program for a second year, with several updat...

Eligibility for the Monkeypox vaccine, Jynneos, expands

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Increased supply of the monkeypox vaccine (Jynneos) has allowed the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) to expand eligibility for the vaccine. The Pandemic Operations Center (1507 Gre...

Commissioners approve Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Strategy

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – During Tuesday’s meeting, the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted the county’s first Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Strategic Plan. This strategic...

Updated Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 boosters available at Pandemic Operations Center

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – The updated Pfizer and Moderna bivalent COVID-19 booster shots are now available at the New Hanover County Pandemic Operations Center. This booster is specifically designed to build protection from both the alpha and omic...

West Nile Virus found in local mosquitoes

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Recent testing of mosquitoes trapped by New Hanover County Public Health’s mosquito control team confirmed some were positive for West Nile Virus (WNV). The public should not be alarmed, but should be vigilant ...

Current versions of COVID-19 boosters paused for those 12 and over, updated boosters available soon

NEW HANOVER COUNTY – Following Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance, the administration of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 booster shots to individuals who are 12 years or older at the New Hanover County Pandemic Operations Center ha...

Novavax COVID-19 vaccine available for ages 12 and up; CDC Community Level back at Low

NEW HANOVER COUNTY – The New Hanover County Pandemic Operations Center is now offering the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine to those 12 and older.? 

This week, the Food and Drug Administration expanded Emergency Use Authorization to Nov...

First Case of Monkeypox Identified in New Hanover County

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – New Hanover County Public Health has confirmed the first case of monkeypox in the county. The patient is currently isolating and individuals who may have been in close contact with the patient while they were infectious ...

CDC updates COVID-19 guidelines on safeguards, isolation

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Last week, the CDC announced new guidelines to help the public navigate the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. These new guidelines apply to everyone, regardless of vaccination status, and are intended to help the public know th...

New Hanover County earns award from N.C. Association of County Commissioners

NEW HANOVER COUNTY – During its 115th annual conference last week, the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) presented New Hanover County with an Excellence in Innovation Award recognizing the county’s eff...

New Hanover County monitors monkeypox, offers vaccinations and education to reduce risk

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – New Hanover County’s Health and Human Services’ Public Health and Pandemic Operations teams have been monitoring the current global outbreak of monkeypox, what it means for the commu...

Pandemic Operations Center to offer Novavax COVID-19 vaccine

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – New Hanover County’s Pandemic Operations Center will begin offering the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday, August 4.

Novavax has been granted Emergency Use Authorization from the Food and Drug Admini...

WIC offers breastfeeding support, helps families meet nutritional needs

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – The first week of August marks World Breastfeeding Week, an international event highlighting the benefits of mother’s breastfeeding their newborn children.

Here in New Hanover County, the team at Women, Infants ...

New Hanover County COVID metrics remain elevated, interventions encouraged

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – New Hanover County is continuing to see the impacts of the latest COVID-19 variant, with rising case rates and impacts on the local medical system.    

According to CDC data, t...

New Hanover County recognized with 10 National Achievement Awards

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – For the seventh straight year, New Hanover County has been honored by the National Association of Counties (NACo) with Achievement Awards that recognize various programs and initiatives aimed at improving customer servic...

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Now Available

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC –  A new three-digit number – 988 – is now live for anyone in the nation to call and be connected to the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. By having an easy-to-remember nu...

Rate of COVID cases keeps New Hanover County at a Medium CDC Level

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Health professionals are seeing BA.5, the highly transmissible COVID-19 Omicron variant, continue to be the dominant viral strain across the country and its presence is being seen in New Hanover County’s CDC Co...

CDC Community Level elevated to Medium for New Hanover County

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Following the July 4 holiday weekend, New Hanover County’s COVID-19 metrics have reached Medium CDC Community Level benchmarks as viral spread has significantly increased in the area. To help mitigate ...

Pandemic Operations Team offers tips for safer holiday weekend celebrations

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – As summer gets into full swing, many in the community are preparing for Independence Day celebrations over the coming weekend. New Hanover County’s Pandemic Operations Team is encouraging citizens to celebrate ...

New Hanover County Medicaid Health Plan and Resource Fair on June 29

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC?–?New Hanover County Health and Human Services’?(HHS)?is hosting a Medicaid Health Fair from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 29. The event will take place at the HHS building at 1650 Greenfield Street in Wilm...

Breeding ground awareness crucial as mosquito season begins

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Warm summer temperatures and standing water are indicators that mosquito season is officially underway in New Hanover County. As National Mosquito Awareness Week (June 19-25) begins, it’s important to remember the role residents c...

COVID-19 vaccines now available for children ages 6 months and older

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Children as young as six months can receive pediatric doses of the COVID-19 vaccine immediately following approval by the Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and the North Carolina Department of Hea...

County’s CDC Community Level still low, vaccines for kids 6 months and older expected soon

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – COVID-19 case rates continue to be elevated in the area, but New Hanover County saw a slight improvement in a key metric used by the CDC to determine Community Level, leading to the county remaining in the Low level once ...

Public Notice: HHS Historically Marginalized Populations Subcommittee to meet June 21

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC –?Notice is hereby given that the Health and Human Services (HHS) Board’s Historically Marginalized Populations Subcommittee will meet at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 21, 2022. 

This meeting is to review effo...

EPA announces updated health advisories for PFAS compounds

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency?(EPA) announced new drinking water health advisories for PFAS chemicals, including GenX. The updated health advisories levels are based on new science and consider...

Resident input needed for community health needs assessment

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC- New Hanover County Health and Human Services, in collaboration with Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center, is asking residents to provide feedback aimed at improving community health by taking part in ...

Pandemic Operations Team monitoring COVID-19, other infectious disease info

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – While the number of COVID-19 cases in New Hanover County has steadily increased in recent weeks, the CDC’s community level for our area remains low, mainly because the local healthcare system is not be...

Applications open for New Hanover County’s Older Adult Dental Program

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Starting in July, New Hanover County residents ages 55 or older without dental insurance and who meet certain requirements will have the opportunity to receive dental care at no cost through New Hanover County&a...

COVID-19 boosters authorized for children 5-11, at-home test kits available, local metrics increase

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – To help slow the spread of COVID-19 and keep young people protected, the FDA and CDC authorized COVID-19 booster doses for children ages 5-11 earlier this week, and today the North Carolina Department of Health and Human...

Pandemic Operations continues focus on community safety as State of Emergency ends

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – At Monday’s meeting, the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners voted to rescind the State of Emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic that had been in place since March 20, 2020, now that pandemi...

National Foster Care Month highlights continued need for community support

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Every day, foster homes in New Hanover County strive to address the needs of young people by providing a loving, supportive environment. With 280 children and teenagers currently in the county’s foster care sys...

Pandemic Operations Team continues to monitor COVID-19 indicators

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – As part of ongoing efforts to protect the community, the New Hanover County Health and Human Services’ Pandemic Operations team is monitoring recent trends in local COVID-19 indicators to help keep the public i...

Pandemic Operations Team adds epidemiologist to monitor viral data and trends

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – The New Hanover County Pandemic Operations Team is welcoming a new member to enhance its response to COVID-19 and other viral diseases. Kansas native Ian Appling began his role as the county’s first epidemiologist earlier...

Growing together, being a connection for others is focus of Child Abuse Prevention Month

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Providing a safe, nurturing environment for growth and learning is a vital part of the childhood experience. In New Hanover County, Health and Human Services’ Child Protective Services works diligently to make ...

Second booster doses now available at Pandemic Operations Center for ages 50 and up

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC –?New Hanover County residents ages 50 and older and certain immunocompromised individuals are now eligible to receive a second COVID-19 booster shot following recent approval from the?Food and Drug Administration?(FDA),?C...