CORBEVAX, a new patent-free COVID-19 vaccine, could be a pandemic game changer globally
Maureen Ferran, Rochester Institute of Technology The world now has a new COVID-19 vaccine in its arsenal, and at a fraction of the cost per dose. Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has seen over 314 million infections and over 5.5 million deaths worldwide. Approximately 60% of the world population has received at […]
5 Things You Should Know About ‘Free’ At-Home Covid Tests
Damon Darlin January 19, 2022 Americans keep hearing that it is important to test frequently for covid-19 at home. But just try to find an “at-home” rapid covid test in a store and at a price that makes frequent tests affordable. Testing, as well as mask-wearing, is an important measure if the country ever hopes […]
Does the COVID-19 vaccine cause positive viral test results?
None of the authorized and recommended COVID-19 vaccines can cause you to test positive on viral tests, which are used to see if you have a current infection. If your body develops an immune response to vaccination, which is the goal, you may test positive on some antibody tests. Antibody tests indicate you had a previous infection and that you […]
CDC Study Shows Flu Vaccination Prevents Severe Flu Illness in U.S. Children
Vaccine protects, even when vaccine virus and circulating viruses are different. A new CDC study published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases (CID)external icon shows that flu vaccination protected children against serious flu illness even when they were infected with a flu virus that was antigenically different from the vaccine virus. This reinforces the benefit […]
Sugar detox? Cutting carbs? A doctor explains why you should keep fruit on the menu
Jennifer Rooke, Morehouse School of Medicine One of my patients – who had been struggling with obesity, uncontrolled diabetes and the cost of her medications – agreed in June 2019 to adopt a more whole-food plant-based diet. Excited by the challenge, she did a remarkable job. She increased her fresh fruit and vegetable intake, stopped […]
What Patients Can Learn With Confidence From One Negative Home Rapid Test (Hint: Very Little)
Julie Appleby, Kaiser Health News and Phil Galewitz, Kaiser Health News January 13, 2022 Julie Ann Justo, an infectious disease clinical pharmacist for a South Carolina hospital system, hoped Christmas week would finally be the time her family could safely gather for a reunion. Before the celebration, family members who were eligible were vaccinated and […]
Is My Cloth Mask Good Enough? Ask KHN-PolitiFact: The 2022 Edition
Victoria Knight – January 12, 2022 The highly transmissible omicron variant is sweeping the U.S., causing a huge spike in covid-19 cases and overwhelming many hospital systems. Besides urging Americans to get vaccinated and boosted, public health officials are recommending that people upgrade from their cloth masks to higher-quality medical-grade masks. But what does this even […]
Music and Dance Drives New Blood Pressure Campaign
(NewsUSA) -Approximately half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure, but many don’t know it, according to the American Heart Association. A new public service campaign from the American Heart Association, American Medical Association and Ad Council in partnership with HHS Office of Minority Health and Health Resources & Services Administration encourages all adults to […]
How effective are vaccines against omicron? An epidemiologist answers 6 questions.
Melissa Hawkins, American University The pandemic has brought many tricky terms and ideas from epidemiology into everyone’s lives. Two particularly complicated concepts are vaccine efficacy and effectiveness. These are not the same thing. And as time goes on and new variants like omicron emerge, they are changing, too. Melissa Hawkins is an epidemiologist and public […]
CDC Expands Booster Shot Eligibility and Strengthens Recommendations for 12-17 Year Olds
Today, CDC is endorsing the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendation to expand eligibility of booster doses to those 12 to 15 years old. CDC now recommends that adolescents age 12 to 17 years old should receive a booster shot 5 months after their initial Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination series. Data show that COVID-19 boosters help broaden and strengthen […]