Epidemics
Millions at risk of losing health insurance if U.S. ends Covid public health emergency in January
Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra testifies before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing to discuss reopening schools during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., September 30, 2021. Shawn Thew | Pool | Reuters The Biden administration is telling health-care providers to begin preparing for an […]
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People of color face higher risk of flu hospitalization as U.S. faces potentially severe season, CDC says
People of color are hospitalized with the flu at far higher rates than white Americans, according to a large multi-year study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC study, published Tuesday, looked at flu hospitalizations among adults from 2009 through last year using data from its flu surveillance network that includes more […]
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White House Covid czar calls on seniors to get omicron booster now — It ‘literally could save your life’
A top White House health official on Monday issued a stark warning to older people about the health risk they face this fall and winter from Covid-19. Dr. Ashish Jha, head of the White House Covid task force, said everyone older than 50 and senior citizens in particular need to get an omicron booster as […]
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Hearing aids are now available over the counter from Walgreens, CVS and Best Buy
Jennifer Nealon, Marketing Director at Hear Again America, holds hearing aids that they sell on October 19, 2021 in Boca Raton, Florida. Joe Raedle | Getty Images Millions of Americans with hearing loss can now purchase hearing aids without a prescription or medical exam from Walgreens, CVS and Best Buy , according to the companies. […]
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Omicron BA.5 is declining in the U.S. as emerging variants gain ground, CDC data shows
The U.S. faces at least seven different versions of Covid-19 omicron as the nation heads into winter when health officials are expecting another wave of viral infections. Although the omicron BA.5 variant remains dominant in the country, it is starting to lose some ground to other versions of the virus, according to data from the […]
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U.S. extends Covid public health emergency even though Biden says pandemic is over
A medical worker collects a swab sample from a woman at a COVID-19 testing site in New York, the United States, March 29, 2022. Wang Ying | Xinhua News Agency | Getty Images The U.S. has extended the Covid public health emergency through Jan. 11, a clear demonstration that the Biden administration still views Covid […]
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Pfizer says omicron shots substantially boosted antibodies against BA.5 subvariant in early human data
Jakub Porzycki | NurPhoto | Getty Images Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech on Thursday said their new omicron boosters substantially increased protective antibodies against the dominant omicron BA.5 subvariant for adults in the first direct human data released to the public on the new shots. The study looked at blood samples taken from 40 […]
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WHO calls for more international aid to prevent Ebola from spreading beyond Uganda
The World Health Organization is working with Uganda to prevent a deadly Ebola outbreak in the East African nation from spreading to neighboring nations, the global health agency’s chief said on Wednesday. Health authorities in Uganda have identified 74 confirmed and probable cases of Ebola across five districts, according to the WHO. At least 39 […]
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WHO calls for more international aide to prevent Ebola from spreading beyond Uganda
The World Health Organization is working with Uganda to prevent a deadly Ebola outbreak in the East African nation from spreading to neighboring nations, the global health agency’s chief said on Wednesday. Health authorities in Uganda have identified 74 confirmed and probable cases of Ebola across five districts, according to the WHO. At least 39 […]
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FDA authorizes Covid omicron booster shots for kids as young as 5 years old
The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday authorized Covid booster shots that target the omicron variant for preschoolers through elementary school students. Pfizer’s new omicron boosters are authorized for children ages 5 to 11 and Moderna’s shots for kids ages 6 through 17. The shots are administered two months following completion of the two-dose primary […]
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