Health Matters - February 2026

Read this month's DOH newsletter

DOH is accepting applications for the 2026-2027 WalkWorks Active Transportation Planning Program grants, totaling $345,000, for communities to develop plans to increase physical activity by connecting local destinations with improved pedestrian, bicycle, and transit networks.

Creating activity-friendly spaces increases opportunities for physical activity that can help reduce chronic disease, thereby improving individual health, expanding economic vitality, and relieving traffic congestion and environmental pollution. This approach aligns with the WalkWorks motto of “mobility options for all.”

Any Pennsylvania municipality can apply for funding to create a plan for more pedestrian-, bicycle-, ADA accessibility-, and public transportation-friendly spaces for residents.

Applications must be received by 5:00 PM on March 20, 2026.

The Department of Health (DOH) is working with physicians across the Commonwealth to create a series of short social media videos on Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube to provide health care providers’ perspectives on the value of vaccines that are available to prevent diseases.

The Shapiro Administration remains committed to standing with medical experts, to trust science, and to support evidence-based vaccine guidance. The Administration is continuing to recommend following the vaccine schedule for children developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics to protect Pennsylvania’s children from vaccine-preventable diseases.

For more information on vaccinations in Pennsylvania, visit www.pa.gov/vaccines.

DOH distributed over 3,500 lifesaving doses of naloxone, just under 1,200 radon home test kits, and more than 650 flu vaccinations during the 110th PA Farm Show last month; nearly double the number of flu shots given at the Farm Show just before Governor Josh Shapiro took office in 2023.

Visitors also received CPR training, WIC information, tick removers, and more!

A visitor to the Farm Show receives his flu shot.

The 2026 Student Lyme Disease Prevention Art Competition is now open. Students in grades one through six across the Commonwealth are invited to submit a poster or short video around the theme “Protect. Check. Remove,” and a winner will be chosen from each category.

The deadline for submissions is 11:59 PM on March 13, 2026, and more information can be found on the Department of Health’s website.

The PA Coalition for Oral Health is a partner of the State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) 3.1 Goal Team, which strives to increase access to medical and oral health care. February is national children’s dental health month and a perfect time to highlight how early and ongoing dental care supports healthy growth and lifelong well-being. Tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood disease, yet it is nearly 100% preventable with timely, evidence-based care.

Oral health care should begin early, with a child’s first dental visit by age one. This visit helps establish a dental home and provide families with guidance on brushing, nutrition, fluoride use, and cavity prevention. Throughout childhood, regular preventive dental visits allow providers to monitor development and address concerns early. In Pennsylvania, about half of low-income children receive a preventive dental visit each year. Let's find ways to get all children routine access to dental care.

Fluoride remains a cornerstone of prevention. Fluoride varnish and, when appropriate, fluoride supplementation, are especially important for children who do not have access to optimally fluoridated drinking water — a reality for many Pennsylvania communities. Advocates recently stepped up to protect access to fluoride supplements following a federal review in 2024, helping ensure children can continue to receive this proven preventive tool.

As permanent molars erupt, dental sealants provide added protection. Pennsylvania school-based sealant programs place more than 8,000 sealants annually, helping prevent cavities where they occur most often. To learn more about children’s dental health in Pennsylvania and request other free materials available year-round, please visit www.paoralhealth.org.

DOH's Bureau of Health Statistics and Registries is Pennsylvania's official custodian of vital records, dating back to 1906.

Official Pennsylvania birth and death certificates can be ordered online quickly and conveniently 24/7 at https://mycertificates.health.pa.gov/.

DOH is the only authorized vendor to submit an order to for the fastest, least expensive service. Ignore third-party vendors who charge an extra fee and claim they can get faster service. They in turn submit the order on paper to the Department or through the https://mycertificates.health.pa.gov/ website on behalf of people who pay their fee – which delays their order.