There hasn't been a confirmed measles case in Baltimore for more than a decade and 99 percent of Baltimore public school children have gotten their shots, but Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen thinks you should be worried about vaccines. "I don't think this is overblown," Wen said. "The fact that we haven't had a measles case in Baltimore means we're lucky."

How important is your heart?  You can have a heart of gold, a heavy heart or even a change of heart.  But a healthy heart is the most important! Nationally, one in three women die of heart disease and stroke.  And did you know that cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the overall number one killer in Baltimore,  is responsible for 30 percent of the deaths of women in the city and for 15 percent of all premature deaths?  In total, for men and women, heart disease claims approximately 2,000 lives in Baltimore each year.

The Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD) is pleased to have the opportunity to review Council Bill 16-0280R – Investigative Hearing – Lead Paint Poisoning and Baltimore’s Children.  The purpose of this bill is to assess the status and accelerate the pace of eradicating lead paint poisoning in Baltimore City and Maryland as a whole and working to achieve consensus on the coordinated roles and investments required to spare Baltimore’s families and children from another generation of this devastating and preventable disease.