News Releases: 2025

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has confirmed the first West Nile virus (WNV) activity in the state this year. A human case of WNV illness has been reported in a resident of Barron County, and mosquitos collected from Milwaukee and Lafayette Counties have tested positive for WNV.

On Friday, July 4, the president signed the budget reconciliation bill (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act), which will increase red tape for FoodShare and Medicaid members and will force 270,000 Wisconsinites to lose health insurance by taking away necessary support for them to afford health care coverage. Gov. Tony Evers and Wisconsin Department of Health Secretary Kirsten Johnson released the following statements:

Saturday, July 5 marks the 15th anniversary of Wisconsin's smoke-free indoor air law, and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is celebrating the ways it has protected and improved health of our state's residents.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services wants to assure Wisconsinites that - under state and federal laws - hospitals must provide lifesaving care for pregnancies under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), which includes providing abortion care when that is the necessary treatment.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services continues to recommend the current COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy and for every person 6 months and older to protect from serious COVID-19 illness and to prevent spreading it to others. The current COVID-19 vaccine is safe during pregnancy, and vaccination can protect women and their infants after birth. Newborns depend on maternal antibodies from the vaccine for protection.

Early this morning, the United States House of Representatives passed the budget reconciliation bill with a set of proposals to cut funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), costing Wisconsin taxpayers approximately $314 million each year. The bill will now go to the United States Senate for consideration.

This Aging and Disability Resource Month and Older Americans Month, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is highlighting a statewide campaign to increase awareness of and improve access to ADRCs (aging and disability resource centers) and Tribal partner agencies.

Today, the Governor's Interagency Council on Mental Health is asking Wisconsinites to provide input on how the State of Wisconsin can continue working to improve the mental health of our residents. You can make recommendations using this survey which is open until June 30.

With the U.S. House of Representatives proposing $880 billion in cuts to the federal budget, substantial impacts to Medicaid and other health programs are unavoidable.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has announced its annual Wisconsin BigShot awards, celebrating 90 Wisconsin health care providers for protecting children's health by ensuring they are up to date on childhood vaccinations, including measles, pertussis, meningitis, and HPV.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) reports a decrease in the rate at which tobacco and vape retailers sold to underage consumers last year, with annual data showing a decline from 13.6% in 2023 to 11.8% in 2024. These results come from the Synar Survey, an annual statewide assessment of the retailer violation rate. In 2019, the rate was 5.5% and reached its highest point in 2021 when the rate was 14.1%.

This STI Awareness Week, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is sharing new data to help public health and health care leaders focus prevention efforts and support the sexual health of all Wisconsinites. According to new preliminary 2024 Wisconsin STI surveillance data, STI rates are decreasing overall but continue to be high throughout the state. In 2024, DHS received 31,576 reports of STIs (syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia).

March is Self-Harm Awareness Month, and this spring break season the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) wants parents, caregivers, and those who work with young people to know that self-harm among those ages 10-19 typically increases following a return from school breaks and in the final weeks of the school year.

Today, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) highlights critical portions of Gov. Evers' 2025-27 DHS budget proposal, which was introduced February 18, 2025.

Gov. Tony Evers, as previewed in his 2025 State of the State address, announced approval of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services' (DHS) emergency rule to strengthen standards to protect more kids from further lead exposure.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has confirmed the first pediatric influenza-associated death in our state for the 2024-2025 season. Nationwide, 16 pediatric influenza-associated deaths have been reported.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has launched a digital education and outreach campaign highlighting the dangers of menthol in commercial tobacco products and focused on the impact that targeted marketing of these products has on certain communities.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) now offers free online training to become a certified direct care professional (CDCP) in English, Spanish, and Hmong. CDCPs care for older adults and people with disabilities in their homes or community living spaces, helping with bathing, dressing, eating, exercise, and other daily activities.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) awarded agencies in communities across the state more than $21 million from the state’s latest share of opioid settlement funds from October through December of 2024, the largest amount awarded in a quarterly period since Wisconsin began receiving funds in 2022 from the national litigation against pharmaceutical manufacturers, pharmaceutical distributors, and pharmacy chains.

With high respiratory illness activity throughout the state, the Department of Health Services (DHS) urges Wisconsinites to get vaccinated against respiratory illnesses as soon as possible and reminds them it's not too late to get the protection that can help avoid serious illness this season.

Radon, a colorless, odorless gas, can seep into homes through their foundation and be deadly at high levels. In Wisconsin, 1 in 10 homes has elevated levels. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, and approximately 962 Wisconsinites have radon-induced lung cancer. Fortunately, radon is easy to test for and leaks can be fixed.