Epidemics
A dog in France has monkeypox, worrying scientists that we won’t be able to eradicate the virus if it spreads to more animals
Monkeypox virus, illustration. Thom Leach | Science Photo Library | Getty Images In 2003, 47 people across six Midwestern states caught monkeypox from pet prairie dogs that were infected after they were housed with rodents imported from Ghana, Africa. Today’s outbreak, which has already infected more than 14,100 people in the U.S. and more than […]
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U.S. to provide 50,000 monkeypox vaccines for Pride and other events with high attendance by gay men
The U.S. will provide 50,000 monkeypox vaccine doses specifically for large events with high attendance by gay and bisexual men in an effort to better reach the community most at risk right now, health officials said Thursday. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said communities hosting Pride and other […]
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Childhood polio vaccination rate is dangerously low in some New York communities, increasing the risk of an outbreak
Nurse Lydia Fulton prepares to administer the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine as well as a vaccine used to help prevent the diseases of diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, and polio at Children’s Primary Care Clinic in Minneapolis, MN. Courtney Perry | The Washington Post | Getty Images The childhood polio vaccination rate is as low […]
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CDC Director Walensky to reorganize agency after admitting Covid pandemic response fell short
Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, Director, United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; speaks during the COVID Federal Response Hearing on Capitol Hill on June 16, 2022 in Washington, DC. Joe Raedle | Getty Images CDC Director Rochelle Walensky is reorganizing the agency, saying it didn’t react quickly enough during the Covid pandemic, according an […]
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Monkeypox cases jumped 20% in the last week to 35,000 across 92 countries, WHO says
Monkeypox continues to spread across the globe with cases jumping by 20% over the last week, according to the World Health Organization. Infections increased by nearly 7,500 to more than 35,000 cases total across 92 countries, but nearly all reported cases are in Europe and the Americas, according to WHO data. Twelve deaths have been […]
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Biden signs Inflation Reduction Act into law, setting 15% minimum corporate tax rate
After more than a year of debate over costs, taxes, tax credits and regulations, President Joe Biden finally signed his sweeping tax, health and climate bill into law — albeit a significantly reduced version of the $1.75 trillion Build Back Better plan he was pushing for last year. The president signed the newly renamed Inflation Reduction […]
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Polio has been circulating for months in New York City area and poses an ongoing risk to the unvaccinated, CDC says
Polio has been circulating locally in the New York City metropolitan area for months after an individual introduced the virus from abroad, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An unvaccinated young adult in Rockland County, a suburb of New York City, caught polio in June and suffered paralysis. The individual had not […]
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Passage of Inflation Reduction Act gives Medicare historic new powers over drug prices
A pharmacist collects medications for prescriptions at a pharmacy. Simon Dawson | Bloomberg | Getty Images Medicare is poised to renegotiate the prices of some of its most expensive drugs through a historic expansion of its power, which could reduce costs for many seniors as well as federal spending on its prescription drug plan. The […]
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CDC eases Covid guidance as U.S. has more tools to fight the virus and keep people out of the hospital
A sign outside of a hospital advertises COVID-19 testing on November 19, 2021 in New York City. On Friday vaccine advisers to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention voted unanimously in recommending a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccines for all adults in the United States six months after they finish their […]
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FDA expands monkeypox vaccine authorization to increase dose supply five-fold
A health worker administers a dose of the Bavarian Nordic A/S Jynneos monkeypox vaccine at a vaccination site in West Hollywood, California, on Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022. Jill Connelly | Bloomberg | Getty Images The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday expanded its authorization for the monkeypox vaccine in a way that would significantly boost […]
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