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STIs dominate Alexandria Health Department disease investigations: report

By James Cullum
The entrance of the Alexandria Health Department (Credit: Alexandria Health Department)
The entrance of the Alexandria Health Department (courtesy of the Alexandria Health Department)

Alexandria continues to outpace the state average for sexually transmitted infections, according to a new report.

The Alexandria Health Department’s 2024 Disease Investigation Report recorded 1,900 separate disease investigations in 2024, a 5% decrease from 2023. The department found that vaccine-preventable diseases increased fivefold with 41 cases in 2024, compared to eight reported cases in 2023; and that sexually transmitted infections decreased 2%, although gonorrhea and HIV cases have increased by 9% and 24%, respectively.

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VDH: Measles outbreak not likely in N. Va. despite uptick in cases

By Katie Taranto
The entrance of the Alexandria Health Department (Credit: Alexandria Health Department)
The entrance of the Alexandria Health Department (courtesy of the Alexandria Health Department)

Maintaining high childhood vaccination rates is key to preventing measles outbreaks, state health experts say, as cases have seen an uptick in Northern Virginia and across the country this year.

In the first two months of 2026, Virginia has confirmed 10 cases of measles — double the total cases recorded last year — and nine of them have been in the northern region, with exposures reported in Alexandria, Fairfax County and surrounding areas.

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Alexandria Health Department advises of measles case at more N. Va. locations

By Emily Leayman
Alexandria Health Department (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

The Alexandria Health Department is advising residents of another measles case, the seventh in the Northern Virginia region.

An adult who recently traveled abroad was diagnosed with measles after visiting a local grocery store and two Inova facilities, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

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Virginia’s first flu-related child death of season confirmed by state health officials

By Emily Leayman
Medical office equipment (via fr0ggy5/Unsplash)

The Virginia Department of Health has confirmed the state’s first flu-related pediatric death this season, as public health officials across Virginia continue to monitor increased flu activity.

Health officials yesterday (Thursday) said a preschool-aged child — between newborn age and 4 years old — died from flu-related complications. The child was from Virginia’s Eastern Region, which largely covers the Tidewater and Eastern Shore areas. The health department is not releasing additional information about the child to protect the family’s privacy.

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News

Alexandria makes immunization push before school starts

By James Cullum
School buses on W. Braddock Road on Dec. 10, 2021 (staff photo by James Cullum)

With the 2025-2026 school year just a month away, the Alexandria Health Department is urging parents to get their children’s school-required vaccinations.

“Scheduling vaccine appointments early makes it easier to find an appointment that fits your schedule,” Alexandria Health Department Director Dr. David Rose said, “and vaccines protect our children from getting sick and being sidelined from school and activities later on.”

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Alexandria’s COVID-19 Community Level goes back to ‘high’

By James Cullum
Art On The Avenue in Del Ray, Nov. 12, 2022 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria’s Covid community-level has gone from “low” to “high” this month, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Low, medium or high Covid community levels are determined by data on hospitalizations and cases, according to the CDC. Each level comes with steps recommended by the federal agency that people and communities can take to protect themselves and others from potentially severe impacts of the virus.

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Nine more COVID deaths in Alexandria within the last month

By James Cullum

Nine Alexandria residents died of COVID-19 over the last month, bringing the death toll from the virus to 210.

The number of cases is still declining, and the city’s Community Level remains low, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The seven-day average of new cases is now 10.7 — down from the mid-30s at around this time last month.

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Alexandria’s community level goes from ‘Medium’ to ‘Low’

By James Cullum

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has returned Alexandria’s community level from “Medium” to “Low.”

The city had a Medium community level since April, and the city now joins its regional counterparts in Fairfax, Loudoun and Arlington Counties with the Low designation.

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Two more Covid deaths in Alexandria, cases surpass 40,000

By James Cullum

Two more Alexandria residents have died from COVID-19, and the city just surpassed 40,000 reported cases, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

The death toll from the pandemic now stands at 198, and the number of cases is 40,081. The seven-day average of daily cases is now 55.6, a slight uptick over last week.

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