Washington Health Alert Network

The Washington Health Alert Network (WA HAN) is an alert distribution system run by the Washington State Department of Health (DOH). WA HAN messages focus on advisories and updates that are current, actionable, and relevant to public health in Washington state. They are intended for public health partners such as local health jurisdictions (LHJs) and tribal health partners.

There are three levels for WA HAN messages:

  • Health Alert: High level of alert. Alerts may require immediate action or contain urgent information.
  • Health Advisory: Standard level of alert. Advisories are important, but they may not require immediate action.
  • Health Update: Non-urgent messages. Updates may include information about ongoing outbreaks or any level of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Health Alert Network (HAN) message that is not directly relevant to Washington.

The Washington Health Alert Network (WA HAN) is an alert distribution system run by the Washington State Department of Health (DOH). WA HAN messages focus on advisories and updates that are current, actionable, and relevant to public health in Washington state. They are intended for public health partners such as local health jurisdictions (LHJs) and tribal health partners.

There are three levels for WA HAN messages:

  • Health Alert: High level of alert. Alerts may require immediate action or contain urgent information.
  • Health Advisory: Standard level of alert. Advisories are important, but they may not require immediate action.
  • Health Update: Non-urgent messages. Updates may include information about ongoing outbreaks or any level of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Health Alert Network (HAN) message that is not directly relevant to Washington.

We may also share links to relevant alerts and advisories posted by trusted partners, such as the CDC or LHJs. Following these links will take you to external webpages that are not managed by DOH. Please direct any questions related to those messages to the originating agency.

Latest Messages

Date Agency Message
Washington State Department of Health Health Alert: Presumptive Positive Human Cases of Avian Influenza Under Investigation in Washington; Recommendations for Human Health Investigation and Response
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Disruptions in Availability of Peritoneal Dialysis and Intravenous Solutions from Baxter International Facility in North Carolina
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention First Marburg Virus Disease Outbreak in the Republic of Rwanda
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Prevention Strategies for Mpox, including Vaccinating People at Risk via Sexual Exposure, for U.S. Travelers Visiting Countries with Claude | Mox Outbreaks
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Increased Oropouche Virus Activity and Associated Risk to Travelers
Public Health – Seattle & King County Continued Mpox Clade II transmission in King County and outbreak of Clade I Mpox in Central and Eastern Africa
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Increase in Human Parvovirus B19 Activity in the United States
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Mpox Caused by Human-to-Human Transmission of Monkeypox Virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with Spread to Neighboring Countries
Washington State Department of Health Health Update: Ongoing transmission of Candida auris in Washington healthcare facilities
Oregon Health Authority Oregon Health Authority warns of potential measles exposures in Marion County

See 2023 Messages

About WA HAN Messages

WA HAN messages are coordinated across several offices and programs at DOH, including the Office of Resilience and Health Security and the Division of Disease Control and Health Statistics.

We send WA HAN messages to our public health audiences in three ways:

  • Posted on this webpage
  • Sent to public health partners through email subscription
  • Urgent/alert-level messages might also be sent by email, phone, or text alert on the WA SECURES platform

Members of the general public can visit the DOH Newsroom to subscribe to our latest news releases.