You’ve probably heard a lot about the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  During the COVID-19 pandemic, we looked to it for updates about the virus. Still, you may not know about all the other information you can find on its website.

Most importantly, the CDC is a resource for people interested in health and safety.

When you think about it, disease prevention really starts with us. People catch and can spread infectious diseases. Many of us get vaccines to avoid catching and spreading disease. People report health events that the CDC  then tracks. Tracking helps the centers find issues and trends.

The website is a great source for the latest information on a wide range of public health topics. Some of the news you can find on the CDC site includes:

• Food safety  recalls.
• Shots  you may need before traveling to any place in the world.
• Household safety 
• Stats on distracted driving. 

The Start of a Life-saving Mission

More than 70 years, the CDC was created to stop the spread of malaria across the country. Since then, it has helped fight many other viruses outbreaks such as Zika and Ebola.

Today, the CDC focuses on much more. Our nation relies on the CDC to:

• Find and respond to new health threats
• Tackle the biggest health issues related to death and disability
• Use science and technology to prevent disease
• Promote healthy and safe actions and communities
• Build leaders and train our public health workforce

With the latest medical information about health topics in the news, emergency preparedness, environmental health, traveler’s safety, and so much more, the CDC strives to fulfill its motto: CDC 24/7: Saving Lives, Protecting People.

Originally published 4/8/2016; Revised 2020, 2023