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Vaccination

Drugstore Deserts On Rise Amid Nationwide Pharmacy Closures Drugstore Deserts On Rise Amid Nationwide Pharmacy Closures
Drugstore Deserts On Rise Amid Nationwide Pharmacy Closures Nearly 30 percent of US pharmacies closed between 2010 and 2021, according to a new study in the health-policy publication Health Affairs. The research, led by University of California Berkeley assistant professor Jenny S. Guadamuz and colleagues, analyzed data from the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs, county health statistics, and ZIP Code demographic surveys.  Of the 88,930 retail pharmacies operating in 2010, almost one-third shuttered by 2021, with those in predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods disproportionately affected, Independent pharmacies were hit ha…
Whooping Cough Cases Are Spiking, CDC Warns Whooping Cough Cases Are Spiking, CDC Warns
Whooping Cough Cases Are Spiking, CDC Warns Cases of whooping cough are five times higher than at this time a year ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is warning. Officially known as pertussis, those infected have persistent, chronic fits of coughing followed by a “whoop” sound. "Reports of pertussis cases were lower than usual over the past few years, during and following the COVID-19 pandemic.," the CDC said in a new advisory. "However, the United States is beginning to return to pre-pandemic patterns where more than 10,000 cases are typically reported each year. It's likely mitigation measures used during the…
Free COVID-19 At-Home Tests Will Soon Become Available Online Free COVID-19 At-Home Tests Will Soon Become Available Online
Free Covid-19 At-Home Tests Will Soon Become Available Online The Department of Health and Human Services will soon restart its program of offering free rapid tests for the virus through the mail. Every American household may order four nasal swab tests starting by the end of September by visiting covid.gov/tests or covidtests.gov. Both standard and more accessible COVID-19 tests will be available, while supplies last. The department did not announce what specific day and date requests will start to be processed. New COVID booster vaccines that became available at the start of September have been updated with a formula to more closely target cu…
FDA Approves Updated COVID-19 Vaccines: Here's When They Will Be Available FDA Approves Updated COVID-19 Vaccines: Here's When They Will Be Available
FDA Approves Updated Covid-19 Vaccines: Here's When They Will Be Available The US Food and Drug Administration has just approved new COVID-19 vaccines.It marks the third time the vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna have been updated to match circulating strains since the original shot. The shots should be available within days, the FDA said in making the announcement Thursday afternoon, Aug. 22. The new vaccines have been updated with a formula to more closely target currently circulating variants and provide better protection against serious consequences of COVID, including hospitalization and death. “Vaccination continues to be the cornerstone of COVID-19 preventi…
Fully Vaxxed, Boosted President Biden Gets COVID-19 Again Fully Vaxxed, Boosted President Biden Gets COVID-19 Again
Fully Vaxxed, Boosted President Biden Gets Covid-19 Again Despite being fully vaccinated and boosted, President Joe Biden has tested positive for COVID-19 — again, White House officials announced on Wednesday, July 17. The 81-year-old Biden has tested positive for COVID while in Las Vegas, Nevada ahead of the DNC, officials with the White House explained. His symptoms are mild. His doctor noted that he presented with upper respiratory symptoms, such as a runny nose, a non-productive cough, and "general malaise," as stated in the release.  Since his condition did not improve throughout the day, a COVID test was conducted on Wednesda…
COVID-19: Change In Isolation Guidelines For Those Infected With Virus Announced By CDC COVID-19: Change In Isolation Guidelines For Those Infected With Virus Announced By CDC
Covid-19: Change In Isolation Guidelines For Those Infected With Virus Announced By CDC New isolation guidelines for those infected with COVID-19 or other respiratory infections have just been announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The agency said there is no longer a need to isolate for five days before returning to work or school in a statement issued Friday, March 1. The CDC said it's making updates to the recommendations now because the US is seeing "far fewer hospitalizations and deaths associated with COVID-19 and because we have more tools than ever to combat flu, COVID, and RSV." Three "core prevention tips" were also detaile…
Friends, Family Of Ana Walshe Face Grim Reality As Husband Faces Murder Charges Friends, Family Of Ana Walshe Face Grim Reality As Husband Faces Murder Charges
Friends, Family Of Ana Walshe Face Grim Reality As Husband Faces Murder Charges Ana Walshe disappeared early on New Year's Day, and while her family and friends have held out hope, as the weeks have passed and evidence mounts against her husband, they are forced to face a grim truth. They will likely never see her again.  Norfolk County prosecutors charged Brian Walshe, 47, with Ana Walshe's murder and explained during his arraignment on Wednesday that he likely killed and dismembered her body. Police have found blood in their Cohasset basement, a bloody hatchet, blood on several trash bags, and her Covid-19 vaccination card, authorities have said.  They also found Bri…
COVID-19: 'Kraken' Subvariant XBB.1.5 Gaining More Ground Nationally, CDC Warns COVID-19: 'Kraken' Subvariant XBB.1.5 Gaining More Ground Nationally, CDC Warns
Covid-19: 'Kraken' Subvariant XBB.1.5 Gaining More Ground Nationally, CDC Warns Omicron strain called XBB.1.5 which accounts for a large majority of COVID-19 cases from the New York tristate area through New England, is gaining more ground nationally. Nicknamed the "Kraken" subvariant, it now makes up 43 percent of cases nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  "XBB.1.5 is the most transmissible form of COVID-19 that we know of to date and may be more likely to infect people who have been vaccinated or already had COVID-19," the CDC said in a statement posted on Twitter on Friday, Jan. 13. According to updated CDC data released …
Mask Mandate Follows Suffolk County's 'High' COVID Rating Mask Mandate Follows Suffolk County's 'High' COVID Rating
Mask Mandate Follows Suffolk County's 'High' COVID Rating College students in Boston may be having flashbacks to 2020, as soaring COVID-19 infections are causing a reinstatement of mask regulations.  The current COVID-19 community level for Suffolk county is "high," according the the CDC COVID Data Tracker. The case rate per 100,000 residents is 138.7, as of Thursday, Jan. 5. The spike may be the reason behind the University of Massachusetts Boston's decision to reinstate a mask regulation.  Masks will be required indoors beginning Monday, Jan. 9, the university said in an online message. Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to monitor the…
CDC Encouraging Americans To Mask Up For The Holidays Amid Tripledemic Of COVID-19, Flu, RSV CDC Encouraging Americans To Mask Up For The Holidays Amid Tripledemic Of COVID-19, Flu, RSV
CDC Encouraging Americans To Mask Up For The Holidays Amid Tripledemic Of Covid-19, Flu, RSV The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is encouraging Americans to wear masks during the holiday season to help prevent the spread of the so-called tripledemic of COVID-19, influenza, and Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). It's especially important for people living in areas with high levels of COVID transmission to mask up, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said on Monday, Dec. 5. “The past several years have certainly not been easy, and we now face yet another surge of ailments, another moment of overstretched capacity, and really one of tragic and often preventab…
Massachusetts Residents Can Get $75 For Getting Vaccinated, Boosted: Report Massachusetts Residents Can Get $75 For Getting Vaccinated, Boosted: Report
Massachusetts Residents Can Get $75 For Getting Vaccinated, Boosted: Report COVID-19 vaccinations can help prevent hospitalizations and death, and now they also get you a $75 gift card. As part of a program called Get Boosted, Massachusetts residents can receive a gift card to local retailers now through Dec. 31 when they receive a first or second dose of the COVID vaccine, or a booster, while supplies last. The program is designed to improve vaccine access in communities that are most affected by COVID, working with the Vaccine Equity Initiative to target high-need areas with the lowest booster rates and highest BIPOC populations. The Vaccine Equity Initiative…
COVID-19: Repeat Infections Can Be Dangerous, Even Deadly, Brand-New Study Reveals COVID-19: Repeat Infections Can Be Dangerous, Even Deadly, Brand-New Study Reveals
Covid-19: Repeat Infections Can Be Dangerous, Even Deadly, Brand-New Study Reveals Repeat COVID-19 infections can be dangerous, even deadly, including for those who have been vaccinated and boosted, according to a brand-new study.  The study by the Washington University School of Medicine and the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care system found that "repeat SARS-CoV-2 infections contribute significant additional risk of adverse health conditions in multiple organ systems." The findings, published Thursday, Nov. 10 in Nature Medicine, reported that such outcomes include: hospitalization;  disorders affecting the lungs, heart, brain, and the body’s blood, mus…
COVID-19: These Groups Of People Most Prone To Getting 'Long COVID,' New Report Says COVID-19: These Groups Of People Most Prone To Getting 'Long COVID,' New Report Says
Covid-19: These Groups Of People Most Prone To Getting 'Long COVID,' New Report Says A new report lists several groups of people who experts believe may be more at risk of developing long COVID. Long COVID refers to a wide range of long-term health problems people can experience following their COVID-19 infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC.) "There is no test to diagnose post-COVID conditions, and people may have a wide variety of symptoms that could come from other health problems," the CDC said. "This can make it difficult for healthcare providers to recognize post-COVID conditions." The CDC said researchers are working to discover …