Press Releases

Suicide is among the top five leading causes of death for people ages 10 to 65 in North Carolina. To address this complex and serious health problem, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today released a coordinated state action plan to reduce injury and death by suicide.

North Carolina’s Medicaid program received a 2022 Medicaid Innovation Award presented by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the National Academy for State Health Policy. The nonpartisan award recognizes states for demonstrating creativity, leadership and progress in their Medicaid programs despite significant public health challenges in recent years.

Grant support to boost compensation for North Carolina’s early care and learning teachers and staff will continue through December 2023, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced today.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is warning families and caregivers not to purchase Mother’s Touch Formula or give it to infants under their care. According to the Food and Drug Administration, Mother’s Touch Formula does not meet the nutrient requirements for infant formula and is not fully tested for potentially harmful bacteria.

In response to rising mental health needs, another resource is available to behavioral health patients at emergency departments across the state.

With evolving case trends and increasing supply, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is expanding eligibility for the monkeypox vaccine. Vaccinations are a key tool to keep individuals healthy, prevent spread, and protect communities.

Updated boosters are becoming available in North Carolina, following the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) announcement this week that people 12 and older can receive an updated booster to protect against the latest COVID-19 variants. Vaccines are beginning to arrive in the state and vaccine appointments will be more widely available starting next week.

Wednesday, the FDA authorized both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent COVID-19 booster dose, which protects against the original as well as the Omicron strain.

Health equity, education and economic stability for all North Carolinians are key strategies in the 2022 North Carolina State Health Improvement Plan (NC SHIP), which the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services released today.

Today, new interactive online dashboards show how North Carolina’s children from birth to age 5 receive services like child care, food benefits and protective services, providing insight into program successes and elevating continued needs.