Harford County Health Department

Harford County Health Department Healthy People in a Healthy Environment We welcome your questions and comments. Please note that these sites are not monitored 24/7/365.

Providing services for Harford County residents including:
Behavioral Health
Family Health
Clinical Health
Care Coordination
Environmental Health

The goal of our social media pages is to inform the public of current public health issues. We reserve the right to report or delete user comments that:
*are spam or include links to other sites;
*contain profanity;
*are clearly off-topic or discrimin

atory;
*advocate illegal activity;
*infringe on copyrights or trademarks;
*use personally identifiable medical information. We will report comments that are false information and could cause harm to the reader. By virtue of providing content to this site, you agree that you have no expectation of privacy in the information provided.

Harford County Health Department offices are CLOSED today, September 7, in observance of the Labor Day holiday. We will ...
09/07/2026

Harford County Health Department offices are CLOSED today, September 7, in observance of the Labor Day holiday. We will reopen for regular hours tomorrow.

Learn more about our brand new Oral Rabies Vaccination Program! https://tinyurl.com/ORVProjectThe best way to avoid rabi...
09/04/2026

Learn more about our brand new Oral Rabies Vaccination Program! https://tinyurl.com/ORVProject

The best way to avoid rabies is to keep your distance from wildlife, and to keep your pets up-to-date on their rabies vaccinations. Never approach animals who appear to be injured, sick, or dead, especially if you see animals during the day who are usually active at night (bats, raccoons, etc.) Instead, call animal control for assistance when needed.

Beginning in the next few months, certain Medicaid members may need to meet new federal work and renewal requirements​ t...
09/03/2026

Beginning in the next few months, certain Medicaid members may need to meet new federal work and renewal requirements​ to maintain healthcare coverage. Start preparing now to make sure there are no interruptions to your coverage.

Learn more: https://www.marylandhealthconnection.gov/checkin/

This , take the opportunity to boost your family's preparedness for emergencies, whether it's a home fire or a power ou...
09/02/2026

This , take the opportunity to boost your family's preparedness for emergencies, whether it's a home fire or a power outage. Empower yourself with the knowledge you need. Explore more at bit.ly/4fQ7dhy

09/02/2026

Notice 9/2/26 12:08pm: Our system used to print birth and death certificates is currently down. Please call 410-838-1500 before coming in. Thank you for your patience!

HEALTH DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES START OF PILOT ORAL RABIES VACCINATION PROGRAMOn Friday, September 4, 2026, the Harford Coun...
09/01/2026

HEALTH DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES START OF PILOT ORAL RABIES VACCINATION PROGRAM

On Friday, September 4, 2026, the Harford County Health Department will launch its pilot Oral Rabies Vaccination (ORV) Program. The program will place over 15,000 baits containing the rabies vaccine throughout Harford County with the goal of immunizing thousands of wild raccoons to help prevent the spread of rabies.

Raboral V-RG is a live virus vaccine, but it cannot cause rabies and is not harmful to raccoons, pets, or other animals. The vaccine has been used successfully in Anne Arundel County, Maryland since 1998 and in more than ten other states to control raccoon rabies. While the vaccine presents a low risk to human health, it is advised that bait should not be handled by anyone who is under 18 years old, is pregnant, immunocompromised, or has a chronic skin condition.

The baits are made of fishmeal and polymers and come in two forms: a small brown brick containing a packet of liquid rabies vaccine and a condiment-style packet coated with a waxy fishmeal attractant. The raccoon must bite into the packet to be vaccinated. Ground teams will distribute the baits in likely raccoon habitats throughout Harford County parks and neighborhoods, using marked state vehicles.

“We are committed to keeping our community healthy, and the launch of this program marks an important step forward in preventing the spread of rabies and keeping Harford County residents and animals safe,” said Harford County Health Officer Lauren Levy.

Rabies is a fatal viral disease spread through the bites or scratches of infected animals, or when their saliva comes into contact with a person or animal’s eyes, nose, mouth, or open wound. Since rabid animals can come into contact with people and their pets, rabies remains a significant public health threat. While pets can be vaccinated against rabies, people exposed to rabies must undergo a costly series of shots to protect them from the disease.

“Rabies is a serious disease,” County Executive Bob Cassilly said. “Given the rise in positive tests among local wildlife and community concerns, I was eager to support the Health Department’s request to fund this vaccination program. Our goal is to limit cases in the wild to protect people, pets, and other animals.”

Harford County Council President Patrick Vincenti said, “As chair of the Harford County Board of Health, I am thankful for the advocacy of our citizens for this fantastic program, and my colleagues and I are proud to have supported the funding for this project.”

Anyone who comes into contact with the bait should call the Harford County Health Department at 410-877-2300. Because the bait’s high-fat attractant may cause stomach irritation in dogs, cats, and ferrets, pet owners are encouraged to keep pets confined or on a leash during the baiting and for two weeks after. For more information about the Oral Rabies Vaccination Program, please visit https://harfordcountyhealth.com/oral-rabies-vaccination-project/

Recovery happens together. Research shows meaningful human connection supports resilience, hope, and long-term recovery....
09/01/2026

Recovery happens together. Research shows meaningful human connection supports resilience, hope, and long-term recovery. Every connection can make a difference.

This International Overdose Awareness Day, the conversation is still needed — and every action can help save lives.Overd...
08/31/2026

This International Overdose Awareness Day, the conversation is still needed — and every action can help save lives.
Overdose is preventable. You can help by:

💜 Learning the signs of overdose.
💜 Carrying naloxone and knowing how to use it.
💜 Promoting respect by using person-centered language.
💜 Supporting access to treatment and recovery services.
💜 Sharing evidence-based overdose prevention resources.

If you or someone you love is in need of Narcan (Naloxone), call 410-877-2340 and ask for the Harford County Health Department Harm Reduction Program.

08/28/2026

A big thank you to Samantha Dorsch from the Harford County Health Department who trained The Havre de Grace CERT on how to administer Naloxone. CERT members will now carry and be able to administer Naloxone.

If you are interested in joining the CERT team please email [email protected] or Sgt Petz at [email protected]

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Bel Air, MD

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Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

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