COVID Vax Protects People of All Body Weights From Severe Outcomes
COVID-19 vaccines protected against severe disease and death in people with overweight or obesity, a large English study found. Compared with the unvaccinated, vaccinated individuals in each BMI group experienced significantly lower likelihood of COVID-related hospitalization starting at 2 weeks from their second dose, reported Carmen Piernas, PhD, of the University of Oxford, and colleagues: […]
FDA Panel Gives Thumbs Up to Omicron-Containing COVID Boosters
An FDA advisory committee voted 19-2 on Tuesday to recommend use of an Omicron-specific component in a future COVID-19 vaccine booster. “We really do need vaccines that provide broader protection against variants that have not yet emerged,” said Melinda Wharton, MD, MPH, associate director of vaccine policy at the CDC, at a remote meeting of […]
Can I Use My Expired At-Home COVID Tests?
People who stocked up on at-home COVID-19 tests during this past winter’s Omicron surge may have expired test kits on hand. But before tossing them in the trash, check to see if their shelf-life has been extended, as the FDA has updated expiration dates for some tests based on new data. Among those tests are […]
Opinion | Should Young and Healthy Patients Take Paxlovid?
The development of an oral anti-viral medication that could reduce COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths in unvaccinated high-risk individuals was nothing short of game-changing and something that clinicians like me were clamoring for. This milestone was achieved with the FDA’s granting of emergency use authorization (EUA) to Pfizer’s nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) in December 2021. The active ingredient […]
Pediatricians’ Group Urges Parents to Get Youngest Kids Vaccinated Against COVID
Latest Healthy Kids News FRIDAY, June 24, 2022 (HealthDay News) Now that a COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for kids under age 5, a leading medical group urges parents to discuss it with their health care provider. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests that parents ask their children’s doctor or other clinician any questions […]
Biden Urges COVID Vaccination for America’s Youngest Kids
President Biden on Tuesday urged parents to schedule COVID-19 vaccinations for their little kids. “The United States is now the first country in the world to offer safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines for children as young as 6 months old,” he said at a press briefing. “[For] the first time in our fight against this […]
Detained By ICE In A Pandemic: COVID-19 & Immigration
As COVID-19 spreads throughout ICE facilities nationwide, the public health crisis of the coronavirus has compromised the U.S. immigration detention system endangering medically vulnerable detained individuals and staff.
COVID-19 Vaccines Recommended for Infants and Young Children – Wyoming Department of Health
COVID-19 Vaccines Recommended for Infants and Young Children June 20, 2022 Recommendations for safe, free and effective vaccinations meant to help prevent COVID-19 infection and serious illness have been expanded to include children 6 months and older, according to the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), following authorization […]
Bout With Omicron Provides Little Immunity Against Reinfection
Latest Coronavirus News THURSDAY, June 16, 2022 (HealthDay News) If you battled a COVID-19 infection early in the pandemic, it probably won’t protect you much from reinfection with Omicron and its subvariants, a new study warns. Even a previous infection with the original Omicron variant provides little protection against reinfection, researchers report. They said the […]
Youth Drinking, Pot Use Went Down During Pandemic
Latest Mental Health News THURSDAY, June 16, 2022 (HealthDay News) The COVID-19 pandemic changed kids’ lives in many respects, and sometimes for the better. Pot use, drinking, smoking and vaping all fell among U.S. youth, likely because they had to spend more time at home and less time with their friends, researchers say. The findings […]