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Surge In COVID-19, Flu, RSV Hospitalizations Leads To Winter Virus Warning By CDC Surge In COVID-19, Flu, RSV Hospitalizations Leads To Winter Virus Warning By CDC
Surge In Covid-19, Flu, RSV Hospitalizations Leads To Winter Virus Warning By CDC The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is sounding the alarm, warning that low vaccination rates for COVID-19, influenza, and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) could strain healthcare systems across the nation in the weeks ahead. Hospitalizations among all age groups in the last month increased by 200 percent for influenza, 51 percent for COVID, and 60 percent for RSV, the CDC said. Meanwhile, coverage for the seasonal 2023-2024 flu shot is low in all age groups compared with the same period of the 2022–2023 season. Just 17 percent of adults had received the updated COVID vac…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: FDA Approves Updated Booster Shots Targeting New Variants COVID-19: FDA Approves Updated Booster Shots Targeting New Variants
Covid-19: FDA Approves Updated Booster Shots Targeting New Variants Health officials are one step closer to rolling out updated COVID-19 vaccines just in time for a rise in cases heading into the fall and winter months. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved new vaccines on Monday, Sept. 11, that are meant to better target currently circulating COVID-19 variants and provide better protection against hospitalization and death, the agency announced. Monday’s move affects vaccines manufactured by Moderna and Pfizer. The updated mRNA vaccines are each approved for people ages 12 and older and are authorized under emergency use for children ages 6 mo…

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by Michael Mashburn
Politics
President Kennedy? RFK Jr. Announces 2024 Bid For White House President Kennedy? RFK Jr. Announces 2024 Bid For White House
President Kennedy? RFK Jr. Announces 2024 Bid For White House There's now a possibility of another Kennedy back in the White House if the political winds blow in the right direction. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. - son of the late US Attorney General and New York Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy - filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to run for president in the 2024 election, he announced Friday, April 7. The 69-year-old will run as a Democrat, according to his FEC filing. He said that he will officially kick off his campaign in Boston on Wednesday, April 19. “I am grateful for the outpouring of support…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
CDC Issues New Alert As Number Of Pediatric Hepatitis Cases Rises To 100+ Children CDC Issues New Alert As Number Of Pediatric Hepatitis Cases Rises To 100+ Children
CDC Issues New Alert As Number Of Pediatric Hepatitis Cases Rises To 100+ Children The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a new health alert as the number of cases of pediatric hepatitis continues to mount across the country, leaving researchers befuddled about its origin. On Wednesday, May 11, the CDC offered an update as it continues to investigate pediatric cases of hepatitis that have an unknown etiology in the US. Earlier story - Cases Of Mysterious Hepatitis Outbreak Now Confirmed In 10 States, Including NY According to officials, the investigation is focusing on "collecting information to describe the epidemiology, etiology, clinical prese…

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
COVID-19: New One-Stop Site Launched For Info On Vaccines, Tests, Treatments, Masks COVID-19: New One-Stop Site Launched For Info On Vaccines, Tests, Treatments, Masks
Covid-19: New One-Stop Site Launched For Info On Vaccines, Tests, Treatments, Masks The federal government has set up a one-stop website for all things related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The White House has just launched COVID.gov, a website designed to consolidate information regarding everything from free high-quality masks and antiviral pills to vaccines, tests, and treatments. The launch of the website coincides with President Joe Biden’s promise in his “State of the Union” address, when he announced a “test-to treat program so people can get tested at a pharmacy, and if they're positive, receive antiviral pills on the spot at no cost.” Related story - COVID-1…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: New Mask Guidance Coming Soon, CDC Director Says At White House Briefing COVID-19: New Mask Guidance Coming Soon, CDC Director Says At White House Briefing
Covid-19: New Mask Guidance Coming Soon, CDC Director Says At White House Briefing The “new normal” may start to look more like the “old normal” as federal health officials are expected to loosen up COVID-19 mask mandates across the country. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced during a White House briefing on Wednesday, Feb. 16 that the agency will “soon put guidance in place” regarding mask-wearing. The announcement comes as the country continues to recover from the surge of Omicron cases that mounted over several months around the holiday season. Walensky said that the CDC will monitor certain metrics s…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: Lamont Announces Recommended Date For End Of Statewide School Mask Mandate COVID-19: Lamont Announces Recommended Date For End Of Statewide School Mask Mandate
Covid-19: Lamont Announces Recommended Date For End Of Statewide School Mask Mandate Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced that he's recommending the state school mask mandate be lifted. Beginning on Monday, Feb. 28, the requirement that students, teachers, and staff wear masks inside Connecticut schools will be lifted, the governor announced, touting the state’s improved COVID-19 data. The choice whether or not to continue a mandate beyond that date is up to individual school districts. Earlier story - COVID-19: Positive Infection Rate Dips Below 5 Percent In CT; Latest Breakdown Of Cases, Deaths “I think today with boosters, given vaccines, given the N95 masks, you are …

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Pfizer CEO Announces When Vaccine Targeting Omicron Variant Will Be Ready COVID-19: Pfizer CEO Announces When Vaccine Targeting Omicron Variant Will Be Ready
Covid-19: Pfizer CEO Announces When Vaccine Targeting Omicron Variant Will Be Ready A vaccine targeting the highly transmissible Omicron COVID-19 variant could be on the way from Pfizer. On Monday, Jan. 10, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said that booster targeting Omicron will be ready as soon as March, as the company has already begun ramping up production of the doses. “This vaccine will be ready in March,” Bourla told CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” “We (are) already starting manufacturing some of these quantities at risk.” Related story - COVID-19: Fauci Offers New Prediction On When Omicron Wave May Break The vaccine will not exclusively target Omicron, but will also be able to fig…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: CDC Predicts When Peak Wave Of Infections Is Possible As Omicron Spreads In US COVID-19: CDC Predicts When Peak Wave Of Infections Is Possible As Omicron Spreads In US
Covid-19: CDC Predicts When Peak Wave Of Infections Is Possible As Omicron Spreads In US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) health officials have issued a warning that the Omicron variant could soon cause a large surge of infections across the United States, according to a new report. Health officials said on Tuesday, Dec. 14, that the wave of infections caused by the highly-transmissible variant could reach a peak as soon as January, The Washington Post reported. The CDC reported on Tuesday that it estimates the Omicron variant currently accounts for about 3 percent of the COVID-19 cases in the US. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said genomic sequencing esti…

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by Nicole Valinote
News
COVID-19: These Will Be Key Signs When End To Pandemic Is Coming, CDC Director Says COVID-19: These Will Be Key Signs When End To Pandemic Is Coming, CDC Director Says
Covid-19: These Will Be Key Signs When End To Pandemic Is Coming, CDC Director Says The COVID-19 pandemic is now nearly two years old, and there's still no end in sight. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky says there are two key signs to look for down the line that are key indicators when the time comes that it does finally wind down. The first is a manageable number of hospitalizations, and the second is a significant drop in the number of daily deaths, she said in an interview with ABC News. To get there, Walensky emphasized the importance of relying on strategies that have proven to be effective, namely vaccines and mask…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: Newly Discovered Strain Could Be Worse Than Delta Variant, Scientists Fear COVID-19: Newly Discovered Strain Could Be Worse Than Delta Variant, Scientists Fear
Covid-19: Newly Discovered Strain Could Be Worse Than Delta Variant, Scientists Fear Updated story - COVID-19: New Variant's 50 Mutations Make It Different From Original Virus, NIH Director Says A new COVID-19 variant that could be worse than the Delta strain is sparking concerns among scientists. The B.1.1.529 strain, now known as Omicron, could become a "variant of concern" as soon as Friday, Nov. 26, when the World Health Organization holds an emergency meeting. It is now spreading rapidly in parts of South Africa after first being detected in neighboring Botswana.  The new variant has already shown a large number of mutations, and scientists fear it…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
COVID-19: People Who Spread Misinfo About Vaccines Are ‘Criminals,' Pfizer CEO Says COVID-19: People Who Spread Misinfo About Vaccines Are ‘Criminals,' Pfizer CEO Says
Covid-19: People Who Spread Misinfo About Vaccines Are ‘Criminals,' Pfizer CEO Says Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla has harsh words for the “criminals” who have intentionally spread misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. Speaking with Atlantic Council think tank CEO Frederick Kempe this week, Bourla said that a “very small” group of people spreading misinformation has cost millions of lives. “These people are criminals,” Bourla said. “They’re not bad people. They’re criminals because they have literally cost millions of lives.” Related story - COVID-19: Pfizer Expected To Seek Approval For Boosters For All Adults Bourla went on to say that “the only thing that stands betw…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: CDC Panel Recommends Vaccine For Kids Ages 5 To 11 COVID-19: CDC Panel Recommends Vaccine For Kids Ages 5 To 11
Covid-19: CDC Panel Recommends Vaccine For Kids Ages 5 To 11 A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) panel has voted to recommend the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. The panel of vaccine advisers voted unanimously in favor of the recommendation on Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 2. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky is expected to accept the recommendation before the vaccinations can begin for the age group, perhaps as early as Wednesday, Nov. 3. The dose will be much lower than the company's vaccine for teenagers and adults, about one-third of a full dose, according to reports.

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by Nicole Valinote
Business
CVS To Hire 25,000 Ahead Of Flu Season In Nationwide One-Day Virtual Event CVS To Hire 25,000 Ahead Of Flu Season In Nationwide One-Day Virtual Event
CVS To Hire 25,000 Ahead Of Flu Season In Nationwide One-Day Virtual Event CVS Health announced plans to hire another 25,000 employees ahead of flu season. CVS will recruit candidates for clinical and retail jobs during an online, one-day national career event on Friday, Sept. 24, the company said in an announcement on Monday, Sept. 20. The new positions will help CVS respond to community needs during flu season and continue to respond to the demand for COVID-19 vaccines and testing, the company said. "Every flu season we need additional team members," said Neela Montgomery, executive vice president of CVS Health and president of CVS Pharmacy. "But this year…

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by Nicole Valinote
Lifestyle
COVID-19: Risk Of 'Monster' Variant Grows With Number Of Cases 10 Times Too High, Fauci Warns COVID-19: Risk Of 'Monster' Variant Grows With Number Of Cases 10 Times Too High, Fauci Warns
Covid-19: Risk Of 'Monster' Variant Grows With Number Of Cases 10 Times Too High, Fauci Warns The COVID-19 pandemic may not yet have reared its ugliest head as the number of new infections continues to surge across the US, increasing the chances of a new variant forming even more contagious than the Delta strain, White House medical adviser Anthony Fauci is cautioning. In a new interview with Axios, Fauci said that the COVID-19 infection rate could be unsustainable and is 10 times where it needs to be in order for the pandemic to end. 
“The endgame is to suppress the virus,” Fauci said. "Right now, we're still in pandemic mode, because we have 160,000 new infections a day. That's no…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Risk Of 'Monster' Variant Grows With Number Of Cases 10 Times Too High, Fauci Warns COVID-19: Risk Of 'Monster' Variant Grows With Number Of Cases 10 Times Too High, Fauci Warns
Covid-19: Risk Of 'Monster' Variant Grows With Number Of Cases 10 Times Too High, Fauci Warns The COVID-19 pandemic may not yet have reared its ugliest head as the number of new infections continues to surge across the US, increasing the chances of a new variant forming even more contagious than the Delta strain, White House medical adviser Anthony Fauci is cautioning. In a new interview with Axios, Fauci said that the COVID-19 infection rate could be unsustainable and is 10 times where it needs to be in order for the pandemic to end. 
“The endgame is to suppress the virus,” Fauci said. "Right now, we're still in pandemic mode, because we have 160,000 new infections a day. That's no…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: Increase In Cases Among Children Could Be 'Just The Beginning,' Experts Say COVID-19: Increase In Cases Among Children Could Be 'Just The Beginning,' Experts Say
Covid-19: Increase In Cases Among Children Could Be 'Just The Beginning,' Experts Say With new COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations threatening to overwhelm hospitals in some parts of the country, officials are cautioning that the rise in cases among children “is just the beginning.” As the new academic year approaches, top US health experts are cautioning that the rise in new COVID-19 cases among children who are still ineligible to get vaccinated is likely to get worse when classes resume. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), more than 121,000 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the US among children last week, more than 14 times the weekly number as…

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by Zak Failla