COVID cases expected to continue rising in Arkansas

KUAR | By David Monteith

BA.5, a subvariant of the virus that causes COVID-19, is contributing to rising cases counts and hospitalizations in Arkansas.

That's according to Department of Health Director Dr. Jennifer Dillaha who says the subvariant was identified in two-thirds of the cases tested last week using genomic sequencing. BA.5 was first identified and labeled as a Variant of Concern by the World Health Organization in January.

Forecasting by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates the number of people hospitalized in the state is expected to continue rising for at least the next three weeks. Dillaha says there are several reasons this subvariant is being transmitted more rapidly.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2022-07-11/covid-cases-expected-to-continue-rising-in-arkansas

KUAR News

File photo of Dr. Jennifer Dillaha, director of the Arkansas Department of Health.

Governor Asa Hutchinson Appoints New Director of Department of Health

LITTLE ROCK – Governor Asa Hutchinson today announced the appointment of Jennifer Dillaha, M.D. as Director of the Department of Health.

Since joining the Arkansas Department of Health in 2001, Dr. Dillaha has played a leading role in the Agency’s health promotion efforts, using a life stage approach that focuses on population-based interventions to improve the health and well-being of all Arkansans.

“Dr. Dillaha has played a significant role in guiding the state through the last two years of the pandemic.” Governor Hutchinson said. “She has shown her dedication to Arkansas, and I have full confidence that she will continue to lead the state in improved health outcomes with the same dedication.”

In August 2021, Dr. Dillaha was named the Chief Medical Officer. This is in addition to her role as Medical Director for Immunizations since November 2013 and the Medical Director for Outbreak Response since September 2019. Her charge in the role of Chief Medical Officer is to provide leadership and guidance for addressing Arkansas’s most pressing health problems, including COVID-19. She is a physician with specialty training in internal medicine and subspecialty training in infectious diseases and in geriatric medicine.

Prior to her current roles, Dr. Dillaha served as the State Epidemiologist from March 2020 to August 2021, Special Advisor for Strategic Initiatives in the Office of the Director from June 2010 to April 2013, and Director of the Center for Health Advancement from August 2005 to June 2010 at the Arkansas Department of Health. 

FDA-Approved COVID-19 Vaccines, Boosters for Arkansans Explained

By JACQUELINE FROELICH

This week FDA gave full approval to the Pfizer and BioNtech’s COVID-19 vaccine, previously authorized only for emergency use. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has also announced plans to provide COVID-19 booster shots to maintain immunity. Dr. Jennifer Dillaha, chief medical office and medical director for immunizations and outbreak response at the Arkansas Department of Health explains.

https://www.kuaf.com/post/fda-approved-covid-19-vaccines-boosters-arkansans-explained

Jennifer Dillaha, MD, is Medical Director for Immunization/Outbreak Response at the Arkansas Department of Health.

COURTESY / ADH

Cases Involving COVID-19 Variants Increase in Arkansas

By ANTOINETTE GRAJEDA

Arkansas health officials are monitoring for COVID-19 variants, which are increasing in number across the state. To learn more about the process of identifying these mutations, we speak with Dr. Jennifer Dillaha, the state epidemiologist and medical director for immunizations and outbreak response at the Arkansas Department of Health.

https://www.kuaf.com/post/cases-involving-covid-19-variants-increase-arkansas

COURTESY / ADH

Arkansas Epidemiologist Discusses Early Plans for Vaccine Distribution

At-risk health professionals in Arkansas will be first in line to receive the COVID-19 vaccine – even if they’ve already had the virus – while members of the broad general public might not start being vaccinated until April, according to state plans still being developed.

State Epidemiologist Dr. Jennifer Dillaha said in an interview Dec. 1 that frontline medical professionals who work with COVID-19 patients will be among those who receive the first vaccinations, which are expected to arrive this month. The vaccines will be administered to those individuals even if they have already recovered from COVID-19 because they are at higher risk and can be reinfected.

https://talkbusiness.net/2020/12/arkansas-epidemiologist-discusses-early-plans-for-vaccine-distribution/

Arkansas epidemiologist discusses early plans for vaccine distribution - Talk Business & Politics

At-risk health professionals in Arkansas will be first in line to receive the COVID-19 vaccine - even if they've already had the virus - while members of the broad general public might not start being vaccinated until April, according to state plans still being developed. State Epidemiologist Dr. Jennifer Dillaha said in an interview Dec.