The History of the Erie County Department of Health (Back to Top)

The Erie County Department of Health was established by voter referendum in 1955 to combat major threats to public health such as food poisoning, tuberculosis, polio, and childhood diseases including measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough. Mass immunization campaigns launched by the Health Department in the fifties and sixties greatly reduced the prevalence of childhood diseases. The use of newly-developed methods for diagnosing, treating, and preventing the spread of tuberculosis made this once-common disease nearly unheard-of. Development and enforcement of standards for food handling and testing and treatment of public water supplies has significantly reduced the incidence of food and waterborne illnesses caused by bacteria and parasites. Your Health Department continues to provide childhood immunizations, testing and treatment for tuberculosis, inspection of public eating establishments, and testing of public water supplies. Services have been expanded to include an office in Corry, as well as several satellite clinics providing immunizations and well-child check-ups.

Today, we are facing many new threats to public health - AIDS, rising rates of sexually transmitted diseases, smoking-related illnesses, bioterrorism, and chemical pollution of our air, soil, and water, to name a few. Today’s major health problems are related more to behavior and lifestyle than to germs. This has expanded the Health Department’s role to include more public education aimed at helping individuals understand and reduce their risks by changing their behavior.