Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Supported by

Hep-A, West Nile, What Else? Public Health Questions Answered

A nurse prepares a hepatitis A vaccine.
Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images

A nurse prepares a hepatitis A vaccine.

Earlier this month, the Southern Nevada Health District declared an “acute” hepatitis A outbreak. In April, Clark County saw its first case of potentially fatal West Nile virus. And two cases of measles were reported this spring, too. 

People think about their health when they get a cold or flu, but how much do we know about the health of the community at large? What vaccinations are required in our local public schools? How can you help someone get tested for an illness?  

Joseph Iser, the health district's chief medical officer, discusses the latest issues in public health, including vaccination policies and the health problems caused by Southern Nevada's scorching summers.

(Editor's note: This conversation originally aired June 2019) 

Joseph Iser, chief medical officer, Southern Nevada Health District

Stay Connected
Desert Companion welcomed Heidi Kyser as staff writer in January 2014. In 2018, she was promoted to senior writer and producer, working for both DC and KNPR's State of Nevada. She produced KNPR’s first podcast, the Edward R. Murrow Regional Award-winning Native Nevada, in 2020. The following year, she returned her focus full-time to Desert Companion, becoming Deputy Editor, which meant she was next in line to take over when longtime editor Andrew Kiraly left in July 2022. In 2024, Interim CEO Favian Perez promoted Heidi to managing editor, charged with integrating the Desert Companion and State of Nevada newsroom operations.