WEATHER ALERT
Guillain-Barre syndrome 'more common than expected' with RSV vaccine in older people, CDC reiterates
Read full article: Guillain-Barre syndrome 'more common than expected' with RSV vaccine in older people, CDC reiteratesReports of a rare nervous system disorder are āmore common than expectedā in older U.S. adults who got the new RSV vaccines.
New study finds no brain injuries among 'Havana syndrome' patients
Read full article: New study finds no brain injuries among 'Havana syndrome' patientsAn array of advanced tests found no brain injuries or degeneration among U_S_ diplomats who suffer mysterious health problems once dubbed āHavana syndrome.ā.
Officials investigate rare nervous system disorder in older adults who got RSV vaccine
Read full article: Officials investigate rare nervous system disorder in older adults who got RSV vaccineHealth officials are investigating whether there's a link between two new RSV vaccines and cases of a rare nervous system disorder.
Lupus and other autoimmune diseases strike far more women than men. Now there's a clue why
Read full article: Lupus and other autoimmune diseases strike far more women than men. Now there's a clue whyWomen are far more likely than men to get autoimmune diseases, illnesses like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis that occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks their own bodies.
Study examines use of breathing support in obese patients
Read full article: Study examines use of breathing support in obese patientsA study by the National Institutes of Health suggests that adults with obesity may benefit from an advanced form of breathing support when theyāre admitted to the I.C.U. for respiratory failure.
Lighthouse of Broward marks 50 years of community support for the visually impaired
Read full article: Lighthouse of Broward marks 50 years of community support for the visually impairedA National Institutes of Health study has found that although 94% of Americans aged 12 and older have good vision, the remaining six percent, or 14 million, are visually impaired or blind.
Early study investigates possible pathway for Alzheimerās treatment
Read full article: Early study investigates possible pathway for Alzheimerās treatmentNeurologist Dr. Richard Isaacson, who leads the Alzheimerās Disease Prevention Program at Florida Atlantic University, said neuro-inflammation can occur decades before the symptoms of the disease are noticeable.
NIH vaccine designer takes coronavirus research to Harvard
Read full article: NIH vaccine designer takes coronavirus research to HarvardThe U.S. government scientist who helped design one of the first COVID-19 vaccines and then tackled skepticism of the shots in communities of color is getting a new research home.
J&Jās 1-dose shot cleared, giving US 3rd COVID-19 vaccine
Read full article: J&Jās 1-dose shot cleared, giving US 3rd COVID-19 vaccineFILE - This July 2020 photo provided by Johnson & Johnson shows a vial of the COVID-19 vaccine in Belgium. The U.S. is getting a third vaccine to prevent COVID-19, as the Food and Drug Administration on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021 cleared a Johnson & Johnson shot that works with just one dose instead of two. (Johnson & Johnson via AP, File)WASHINGTON ā The U.S. is getting a third vaccine to prevent COVID-19, as the Food and Drug Administration on Saturday cleared a Johnson & Johnson shot that works with just one dose instead of two. Like other COVID-19 vaccines, the main side effects of the J&J shot are pain at the injection site and flu-like fever, fatigue and headache. All COVID-19 vaccines train the body to recognize the new coronavirus, usually by spotting the spikey protein that coats it.
Biden marks 50M vaccine doses in first 5 weeks in office
Read full article: Biden marks 50M vaccine doses in first 5 weeks in officeFrom left, Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients, Burn, registered nurse Elizabeth Galloway, and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci. On Thursday, Biden marked the administration of the 50 millionth dose of COVID-19 vaccine since his swearing-in. āWeāre halfway there: 50 million shots in 37 days," Biden said. āWeāll have the vaccine waiting,ā Biden said, predicting that point could come within 60 to 90 days. AdāWe have a plan to roll it out as quickly as Johnson & Johnson can make it," Biden said.
Judge bans enforcement of Biden's 100-day deportation pause
Read full article: Judge bans enforcement of Biden's 100-day deportation pauseA federal judge late Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021, indefinitely banned President Joe Biden's administration from enforcing a 100-day moratorium on most deportations. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)HOUSTON ā A federal judge late Tuesday indefinitely banned President Joe Biden's administration from enforcing a 100-day moratorium on most deportations. Biden proposed the 100-day pause on deportations during his campaign as part of a larger review of immigration enforcement and an attempt to reverse the priorities of former President Donald Trump. Even without a moratorium, immigration agencies have wide latitude in enforcing removals and processing cases. AdIt was not immediately clear if the Biden administration will appeal Tipton's latest ruling.
New hope for people with chronic lung disease
Read full article: New hope for people with chronic lung diseaseWESTON, Fla. ā Researchers at the National Institutes of Health are expressing optimism about an Italian study into a new treatment option for people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or COPD. āThis is whatās called an exploratory study to see if this could be helpful. It really wasnāt powered to find out if those patients had a mortality benefit or if they ended up on a ventilator or not, it just was a proof of function study,ā Gurevich said. AdIn all three studies, drinking decaffeinated coffee appeared to have the opposite effect on heart failure risk. Coronary artery disease, heart failure and stroke are among the top causes of death from heart disease in the U.S.
Biden wants to quadruple refugee admissions set by Trump
Read full article: Biden wants to quadruple refugee admissions set by Trump(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON ā President Joe Biden wants to raise refugee admissions to 62,500 for the current budget year, overriding former President Donald Trumpās record-low limit of 15,000, a U.S. official and others said Thursday. Trump set the ceiling on refugee admissions in October when the 2021 budget year started, and it runs until September 30. Biden's proposal of 62,500 would replace that, and the president has already announced plans to raise admissions to twice that amount in 2022. Trump targeted the refugee program under his anti-immigration policies, dropping admissions yearly until they reached a record low of 15,000. Biden, who co-sponsored legislation creating the refugee program in 1980, has said reopening the doors to refugees is āhow we will restore the soul of our nation.āAd___Watson reported from San Diego.
Biden says US is securing 600 million vaccine doses by July
Read full article: Biden says US is securing 600 million vaccine doses by JulyPresident Joe Biden speaks during a visit to the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory at the National Institutes of Health, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, in Bethesda, Md. ā President Joe Biden said Thursday that the U.S. will have enough supply of the COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the summer to inoculate 300 million Americans. He toured the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory that created the COVID-19 vaccine now manufactured by Moderna and being rolled out in the U.S. and other countries. The U.S. is on pace to exceed Bidenās goal of administering 100 million vaccine doses in his first 100 days in office, with more than 26 million shots delivered in his first three weeks. On the tour, Biden was shown the lab bench where researchers sequenced the virus and developed the precursor of the Moderna vaccine.
Harris speaks with Trudeau in first foreign leader call
Read full article: Harris speaks with Trudeau in first foreign leader callVice President Kamala Harris speaks after receiving her second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the National Institutes of Health, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, in Bethesda, Md. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON ā Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday, marking her first call to a foreign leader since entering the White House. The detained Canadians are a top priority for Trudeau, and Canada has pushed Washington to apply pressure on Beijing to release them. AdA senior official familiar with the call said Harris proactively brought up the two detained Canadians herself ā something that was appreciated by Trudeau and Canadian officials. Canada has traditionally been the first foreign stop for new U.S. presidents, and Biden's first call to a foreign leader was to Trudeau, made the Friday after he was sworn in.
NIH creates database to track neurological effects of COVID-19
Read full article: NIH creates database to track neurological effects of COVID-19WESTON, Fla. ā The National Institutes of Health is now launching a database to track neurological symptoms associated with COVID-19 with the hopes of gaining greater understanding about the impact of the virus on the brain, spinal cord, nerves and muscles. He said a nationwide, or possibly a worldwide database to track the neurological effects of COVID-19 can open the door for better treatment options for patients in the future. AdAnd while pregnant women appear to produce a robust antibody response to COVID-19, a recent study found that their babies may not benefit as much as expected. Researchers were surprised by the findings because antibody transfer rates are higher with other viral infections. The study investigators are now expanding their protocols to included vaccinated pregnant patients.
Early menopause comes with health risks -- but thereās something that can delay it
Read full article: Early menopause comes with health risks -- but thereās something that can delay itPast studies have shown that women who go through menopause before the age of 45 have an increased risk of early death, cognitive decline, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.
Fauci: US taking hard look at variant of coronavirus
Read full article: Fauci: US taking hard look at variant of coronavirusFILE - In this Dec. 22, 2020, file photo Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, prepares to receive his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. Dr. Anthony Fauci endorsed the decision of U.S. officials to require negative COVID-19 tests before letting people from Britain enter the U.S. He declined to weigh in on whether that step should have been taken sooner. He said the variant strain is something āto follow very carefullyā and āweāre looking at it very intensively now.āHe said: āDoes it make someone more ill? Fauci spoke on CNN's āState of the Union.ā
FDA clears Moderna vaccine against COVID-19 adding doses to Floridaās supply
Read full article: FDA clears Moderna vaccine against COVID-19 adding doses to Floridaās supplySenior Airman Marisol Salgado, medical technician, administers a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to Army Capt. Parrish was the first BAMC staff member to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The FDAās main messages:--Both the new Moderna vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech shot require two doses several weeks apart. --In a study of 30,000 volunteers, the Moderna vaccine was more than 94% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 in people 18 and older. --Modernaās study turned up no severe allergic reactions, like the handful reported with the Pfizer-BioNTech shots in Britain and Alaska.
US clears Moderna vaccine for COVID-19, 2nd shot in arsenal
Read full article: US clears Moderna vaccine for COVID-19, 2nd shot in arsenalThe U.S. is poised to give the green light as early as Friday, Dec. 18, to a second COVID-19 vaccine, a critical new weapon against the surging coronavirus. FDAās decision could help pave the way for other countries that are considering the Moderna vaccine, the first-ever regulatory clearance for the small Cambridge, Massachusetts, company. The FDAās main messages:--Both the new Moderna vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech shot require two doses several weeks apart. --In a study of 30,000 volunteers, the Moderna vaccine was more than 94% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 in people 18 and older. But there was a hint that Modernaās shot might provide some protection against asymptomatic infection.
The Latest: Biden announces Buttigieg as transportation pick
Read full article: The Latest: Biden announces Buttigieg as transportation pickPresident-elect Joe Biden speaks at a drive-in rally for Georgia Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON ā The Latest on President-elect Joe Biden (all times local):7:55 p.m.President-elect Joe Biden has formally announced former rival Pete Buttigieg as his pick to be secretary of transportation. ___1:30 p.m.President-elect Joe Biden says heās spoken with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell after the Electoral College affirmed his victory Monday. ___8:40 a.m.Two foreign leaders who had not congratulated President-elect Joe Biden have now done so. ___7:30 a.m.Top U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci says President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris should be vaccinated for COVID-19 as soon as possible.
US vaccinations ramp up as 2nd COVID-19 shot nears
Read full article: US vaccinations ramp up as 2nd COVID-19 shot nearsNurse Melissa Valentin shows a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to be applied to medical personnel at the Ashford Presbyterian Community Hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020. Packed in dry ice, shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine began arriving Tuesday at more than 400 additional hospitals and other distribution sites. That projection assumes swift authorization of the Moderna vaccine, which also requires two shots for full protection. Elsewhere around the world, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is being given in Britain and Canada. The Moderna vaccine was more than 94% effective overall at preventing COVID-19 illness, and 86% effective in people 65 and older.
Years of research laid groundwork for speedy COVID-19 shots
Read full article: Years of research laid groundwork for speedy COVID-19 shotsHow could scientists race out COVID-19 vaccines so fast without cutting corners? A head start helped -- over a decade of behind-the-scenes research that had new vaccine technology poised for a challenge just as the coronavirus erupted. Both shots -- one made by Pfizer and BioNTech, the other by Moderna and the National Institutes of Health -- are so-called messenger RNA, or mRNA, vaccines, a brand-new technology. U.S. regulators are set to decide this month whether to allow emergency use, paving the way for rationed shots that will start with health workers and nursing home residents. Traditionally, making vaccines required growing viruses or pieces of viruses ā often in giant vats of cells or, like most flu shots, in chicken eggs ā and then purifying them before next steps in brewing shots.
2nd virus vaccine shows striking success in US tests
Read full article: 2nd virus vaccine shows striking success in US testsModerna said its vaccine appears to be 94.5% effective, according to preliminary data from an ongoing study. Modernaās vaccine is being studied in 30,000 volunteers who received either the real thing or a dummy shot. Earlier this year, Fauci said he would be happy with a COVID-19 vaccine that was 60% effective. Modernaās vaccine also starts off frozen, but the company said Monday it can be thawed and kept in a regular refrigerator for 30 days, easing that concern. Both Moderna's shots and the Pfizer-BioNTech candidate are so-called mRNA vaccines, a brand-new technology.
Microsoft: Russian, North Korean hackers target vaccine work
Read full article: Microsoft: Russian, North Korean hackers target vaccine work(AP Photo/Hans Pennink)BOSTON ā Microsoft said it has detected attempts by state-backed Russian and North Korean hackers to steal valuable data from leading pharmaceutical companies and vaccine researchers. Chinese state-backed hackers have also been targeting vaccine-makers, the U.S. government said in July while announcing criminal charges. Two others were North Koreaās Lazarus Group and a group Microsoft calls Cerium. The Lazarus Group posed as job recruiters while Cerium targeted spear-phishing emails that masqueraded as missives from World Health Organization representatives, Microsoft said. Optimism about a COVID-19 vaccine has grown since pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced earlier this week that preliminary data showed its vaccine to be 90% effective.
The Latest: Trump says he may fire disease specialist Fauci
Read full article: The Latest: Trump says he may fire disease specialist Fauci___5:30 p.m.Joe Biden is denouncing disruptive demonstrations by supporters of President Donald Trump across the country. Trump tweeted a video of the caravan and declared, āI LOVE TEXAS!ā Biden also referenced reports that Trump supporters shut down a major roadway in New Jersey. ___12:25 p.m.Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris says Black voters are critical to defeating President Donald Trump and electing Joe Biden president. ___11:55 a.m.President Donald Trump is braving flurries and a stiff wind chill as he rallies thousands of supporters in Michigan. Bidenās return to Philadelphia underscores the significance of Pennsylvania, the Rust Belt state that helped deliver President Donald Trump the White House four years ago.
Specially molded lenses help many see clearly again
Read full article: Specially molded lenses help many see clearly againWhile the majority of these cases can be corrected with standard glasses and contacts, those options donāt help people with more complicated vision issues. Around the age of 12, Brendan OāDonnell started wearing glasses, then contacts, for basic vision correction. Standard glasses and contacts are ineffective in restoring vision but Bascome is now able to help patients with a custom-molded scleral lens. These custom molded lenses can also help people with vision loss caused by scarring, trauma to the eye and severe astigmatism. These special lenses can cost several thousand dollars but much of that cost can be off-set as medically necessary under vision insurance plans.
Whistleblower who alleged White House virus failures resigns
Read full article: Whistleblower who alleged White House virus failures resignsWASHINGTON ā A high-ranking government whistleblower who alleges the Trump administration fumbled its coronavirus response resigned Tuesday, saying he has been forced out. Attorneys Debra Katz and Lisa Banks said NIH superiors ignored a national coronavirus testing strategy that Bright developed because he had become politically toxic within the Trump administration. The Food and Drug Administration ultimately revoked emergency authority for using the malaria drug to treat coronavirus patients. Trump, infected with the coronavirus and hospitalized over the weekend, is now back at the White House. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge.ā He says he plans to return to the campaign trail.
FDA publishes vaccine guidelines opposed by White House
Read full article: FDA publishes vaccine guidelines opposed by White HouseIn the new guidelines posted on its website, the FDA said vaccine makers should follow trial participants for at least two months to rule out any major side effects before seeking emergency approval. That standard had been a sticking point between the FDA and White House officials, who said it could unreasonably delay the availability of COVID-19 vaccines. On Monday Trump said vaccines are coming āmomentarily,ā in a video recorded after he returned to the White House. The White House attempt to block the guidance followed a string of instances in which the Trump administration has undercut its own medical experts working to combat the pandemic. Beyond exposing the rift between the White House and FDA, the delay in releasing the guidelines may have had limited practical effect.
UK may take part in COVID-19 vaccine 'challenge studies'
Read full article: UK may take part in COVID-19 vaccine 'challenge studies'āWe are working with partners to understand how we might collaborate on the potential development of a COVID-19 vaccine through human challenge studies,ā the U.K. Department for Business, Enterprise and Industrial Strategy said in a prepared statement. Those preliminary steps include examining the ethics of a challenge study, and funding research to create lab-grown virus strains that potentially could be used. The Financial Times newspaper reported Wednesday that the government planned to sponsor a challenge study that is set to begin in January. He told the BBC that there was a ālong historyā of challenge studies and that the risk to young and healthy people is low. In May, the World Health Organization issued a report on the ethical considerations for conducting a challenge study.
US experts vow āno cutting cornersā as vaccine tests expand
Read full article: US experts vow āno cutting cornersā as vaccine tests expandPresident Donald Trump is pushing for a faster timeline, which many experts say is risky and may not allow for adequate testing. FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn pledged that career scientists, not politicians, will decide whether any coronavirus vaccine meets clearly stated standards that it works and is safe. In one of the largest studies yet, Johnson & Johnson aims to enroll 60,000 volunteers to test its single-dose approach in the U.S., South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. J&Jās vaccine is made with slightly different technology than others in late-stage testing, modeled on an Ebola vaccine the company created. Going forward, āwe need uniformity throughout the country.āIn a testy exchange, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky insisted public health officials were wrong that a lockdown could change the course of the pandemic.
Experimental COVID-19 vaccine is put to its biggest test
Read full article: Experimental COVID-19 vaccine is put to its biggest testFinal-stage testing of the vaccine, developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc., began with volunteers at various U.S. sites given either a real shot or a dummy without being told which. In Washington, the White House disclosed that national security adviser Robert OBrien has the coronavirus the highest-ranking U.S. official to test positive so far. In Binghamton, New York, nurse Melissa Harting received one of the first injections of the Moderna vaccine candidate. But the U.S. requires its own tests of any vaccine that might be used in the country. Every month through the fall, the government-funded COVID-19 Prevention Network will roll out a new study of a leading candidate, each with 30,000 volunteers, to test not only whether the shots work but whether they are safe.
Summer may decide fate of lead shots in virus vaccine race
Read full article: Summer may decide fate of lead shots in virus vaccine raceMany scientists dont expect a coronavirus vaccine to be nearly as protective as the measles shot. If the best COVID-19 vaccine is only 50% effective, "thats still to me a great vaccine, said Dr. Drew Weissman of the University of Pennsylvania. About 15 experimental COVID-19 vaccines are in various stages of human studies worldwide. Nothing is going to be easy.The Oxford shot, with a 10,000-person study underway in England, already encountered that hurdle. EXPECT IMPERFECT PROTECTIONAnimal research suggests COVID-19 vaccines could prevent serious disease but may not completely block infection.
Final tests of some COVID-19 vaccines to start next month
Read full article: Final tests of some COVID-19 vaccines to start next monthWith far fewer COVID-19 cases in China, Sinovac Biotech turned to Brazil, the epicenter of Latin America's outbreak, for at least part of its final testing. The government of So Paulo announced Thursday that Sinovac will ship enough of its experimental vaccine to test in 9,000 Brazilians starting next month. Worldwide, about a dozen COVID-19 potential vaccines are in early stages of testing. There's no guarantee any of the experimental shots will pan out. Even before proof that any potential vaccine will work, companies and governments are beginning to stockpile millions of doses so they can be ready to start vaccinating as soon as answers arrive.
Trump signs $484 billion measure to aid employers, hospitals
Read full article: Trump signs $484 billion measure to aid employers, hospitalsWASHINGTON ā President Donald Trump signed a $484 billion bill Friday to aid employers and hospitals under stress from the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 50,000 Americans and devastated broad swaths of the economy. Trump said most of the funding in the bill would flow to small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program, which provides money to small businesses to keep workers on their payroll. āGreat for small businesses, great for the workers,ā Trump said. Thereās also $60 billion for small-business loans and grants delivered through the Small Business Administrationās existing disaster aid program. That left thousands of small businesses in limbo as they sought help.
Wanted: 10,000 dogs for largest-ever study on aging in canines
Read full article: Wanted: 10,000 dogs for largest-ever study on aging in caninesThe Dog Aging Project hopes to change that. All together, it will be the largest-ever study on aging in dogs. "By studying aging in dogs," they said, "we can more quickly expand our knowledge of aging not just in dogs but also in humans." Owners can visit the Dog Aging Project's website to nominate their pooch. "Dogs and their owners are the heart of the Dog Aging Project," the researchers said.