Mayor Mark Dion wants to limit the number of needles the city gives out. But the public health department is exploring less drastic measures, like a potential syringe buy-back program.
public health
Mainers can now access their vaccination records on a mobile app
The Maine CDC is partnering with Docket, an app that gives people access to their immunization history. Requests for those records have skyrocketed since 2019.
West Nile virus found in crows in Yarmouth, 2 other communities
At least 10 animals have been reported with the disease in Maine so far this year – more than twice as many as reported last year.
Maine CDC says Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus found in wild turkey in Burnham
The turkey was the first animal this year in Maine to test positive for the mosquito-borne virus, which in some cases can cause severe symptoms, according to public health officials.
Opinion: The public must be notified about recall of Maine shellfish
The ongoing lack of transparency is completely unacceptable.
WHO member countries approve steps to bolster health regulations to better brace for pandemics
The updates include defining a ‘pandemic emergency’ and helping developing countries gain better access to financing and medical products.
Climate change is already affecting Mainers’ health, doctors say
The most direct link between climate change and public health in Maine can be found between warming temperatures and heat-related illnesses and diseases spread by ticks that no longer die off in winter.
Brunswick free medical, dental clinic to expand with federal funding
Oasis Free Clinics, which serves about 500 people in the Brunswick area, is doubling the size of its clinic with the help of $833,000 in federal funding secured by lawmakers.
Maine Voices: ‘Sweeping’ encampments makes sick and unhoused Portlanders even more vulnerable
Forcible relocation makes people sicker by causing isolation, infection and loss of medication. Instead, let’s make encampments safer and bolster public health and affordable-housing funding.
Our View: Freight railroad free-for-all is unacceptable
The secrecy enjoyed by railroads leaves Maine unable to either evaluate or respond to potentially extraordinary risks to public health and safety.