What pregnant women should know about covid vaccines
Pregnant women are considered to be at high risk of severe covid-19 infection, sparking the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to again urge them to be vaccinated. They also are eligible for a booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine, if they had received the Pfizer inoculation initially. “Although the...
Anti-vaccine chiropractors are rising force of misinformation
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The flashy postcard, covered with images of syringes, beckoned people to attend Vax-Con ‘21 to learn “the uncensored truth” about covid-19 vaccines. Participants traveled from around the country to a Wisconsin Dells resort for a sold-out convention that was, in fact, a sea of misinformation and conspiracy...
Colorado woman who won’t get vaccinated denied kidney transplant
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — When a Colorado woman found out her hospital wouldn’t approve her kidney transplant surgery until she got the covid-19 vaccine, she was left with a difficult decision pitting her health needs against her religious beliefs. Leilani Lutali, a born-again Christian, went with her faith. Even though...
More than 120,000 U.S. kids had caregivers die during pandemic
NEW YORK — The number of U.S. children orphaned during the covid-19 pandemic may be larger than previously estimated, and the toll has been far greater among Black and Hispanic Americans, a new study suggests. More than half the children who lost a primary caregiver during the pandemic belonged to...
Ghost towns: Nursing home staffing falls amid pandemic
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — When Natalie Walters arrived at her father’s nursing home, the parking lot was nearly empty and, inside, the elevator made no stops. On the 13th floor, the lights were off and the TVs silent. The last time she was allowed inside, nine months earlier, aides passed in...
U.S. health experts urge flu shots to avoid ‘twindemic’
The U.S. is gearing up in case of a bad flu season on top of the continuing covid-19 crisis, with a plea Thursday for Americans to get vaccinated against both. “I get it: We are all tired of talking about vaccines,” said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for...
Africa welcomes new malaria vaccine as a ‘game-changer’
LAGOS, Nigeria — African health officials are optimistic that the world’s first malaria vaccine endorsed by the World Health Organization will “dramatically change” the way the continent of 1.3 billion people fights the disease. The new malaria vaccine is “a game-changer” in combating the disease which accounts for hundreds of...
Biden plans $1 billion push to boost rapid covid-19 testingVideo
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration will announce a $1 billion purchase of rapid at-home covid-19 tests on Wednesday, an additional investment geared at expanding the availability of such products in the coming months, a White House official said. Along with the authorization of another at-home test product on Monday, the...
Vape products contain potentially harmful chemicals, researchers say
Vaping exposes users to around 2,000 chemicals, including potentially harmful industrial compounds, according to a study of four popular brands by researchers at Johns Hopkins University. Most of the chemicals found were unidentified, but of those that were, six were cause for concern, according to the study published in Chemical...
Ban on negotiating Medicare drug prices under pressure
WASHINGTON — Donna Weiner looks at Medicare’s prescription drug program from two different points of view. As a participant, she wants to pay less for her medicines, which cost her about $6,000 a year. As a retired accountant who spent 50 years handling the books for companies, she sees a...
J&J seeks U.S. clearance for covid-19 vaccine booster doses
WASHINGTON — Johnson & Johnson asked the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday to allow extra shots of its covid-19 vaccine as the U.S. government moves toward expanding its booster campaign to millions more vaccinated Americans. J&J said it filed a request with the FDA to authorize boosters for people...
Clues about how society emerges from covid-19 can be gleaned by looking back on 1918 Spanish flu, experts say
Karen Baldridge rolled up her sleeve to get her covid-19 booster vaccine. “I’m trying to baby myself and (am) doing everything that I can to keep healthy,” she said this past week while at Excela Square at Norwin. “I feel there’s about a 90% chance I wouldn’t get (covid), but...
Pharmacies face 1st trial over role in opioid crisis
CLEVELAND — So many prescription painkillers were dispensed in Lake County, Ohio, between 2012 and 2016 that the amount equaled 265 pills for every resident. Just to the south, the flood of prescription opioids during the same period equated to 400 pills for every resident of Trumbull County. Attorneys say...
Lower premiums, more perks for seniors shopping 2022 Medicare Advantage plans
Still-growing demand among Western Pennsylvania seniors for Medicare Advantage plans has spurred a slew of new health coverage options featuring lower costs and better perks as insurers compete to grow their market shares. “This is a ripe market in Western Pa., and we’re able to take those dollars and invest...
Local doctors cautiously optimistic about potential pill to treat covid-19
Local doctors said a pill to treat covid-19 could help keep patients healthy and ease the burden on overstrained hospitals, though they’re eyeing the drug with cautious optimism while awaiting final data. Merck & Co. on Friday announced its experimental pill cut hospitalizations and deaths in half for people recently...
‘He was larger than life’: Friends, family pay tribute to Dr. Freddie Fu in Pittsburgh
Family, friends and colleagues gathered on Friday at Heinz Memorial Chapel in Oakland to memorialize renowned orthopedist and sports medicine pioneer Dr. Freddie Fu. His daughter, Joyce Lok-See Fu, called the days leading up to her father’s Sept. 24 death surreal as she watched so many people share their stories...
U.S. hits 700,000 covid deaths just as cases begin to fall
MINNEAPOLIS — The United States reached its latest heartbreaking pandemic milestone Friday, eclipsing 700,000 deaths from covid-19 just as the surge from the delta variant is starting to slow down. It took 3 ½ months for the U.S. to go from 600,000 to 700,000 deaths, driven by the variant’s rampant...
Merck says experimental pill cuts covid hospitalizations, deaths by half
WASHINGTON — Drugmaker Merck said Friday that its experimental covid-19 pill reduced hospitalizations and deaths by half in people recently infected with the coronavirus and that it would soon ask health officials in the U.S. and around the world to authorize its use. If cleared, the drug would be the...
Fewer Americans than ever remain opposed to getting a covid-19 vaccine, new poll finds
The number of Americans opposed to getting a covid-19 vaccine reached a new low this month, a poll found. The Gallup poll, conducted Sept. 13-19, found fewer respondents than ever said they don’t plan to get a coronavirus vaccine while more than ever said they are already vaccinated or plan...
It’s flu vaccine time, even if you’ve had your covid shots
Amid all the focus on covid-19 vaccinations, U.S. health experts have another plea: Don’t skip your flu shot. Flu cases have dropped to historically low levels during the pandemic. The U.S. and Europe experienced hardly any flu last winter, and the Southern Hemisphere just ended its second flu season of...
New records reveal the cost of Pa.’s failure to clarify rules around addiction treatment and marijuana
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — The failure by Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration to clarify federal rules around addiction treatment funding and medical marijuana caused...
Pfizer vaccine for children may not be available until November
WASHINGTON — Pfizer has submitted research to the Food and Drug Administration on the effectiveness of its covid-19 vaccine in children but the shots may not be available until November. The company said Tuesday it provided health regulators with data from a recent study of its vaccine in children 5...
CDC director warns of ‘dire straits’ in covid-hit areas of U.S.Video
WASHINGTON — Parts of the U.S. health system “are in dire straits,” as the spread of the covid-19 delta variant forces some states to prepare for rationed medical care, said Rochelle Walensky, head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “That means that we are talking about who...
Pa. lawmakers know a dementia care crisis is coming. Will they agree on a response?
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf this week said he supports large investments to address a growing dementia care crisis in...
CDC director expands group eligible for covid-19 booster shot
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday endorsed booster shots for millions of older or otherwise vulnerable Americans, opening a major new phase in the U.S vaccination drive against covid-19. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky signed off on a series of recommendations from a panel of advisers late...
