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☆ Opinion | ‘There Are Layers of Mistrust and Fear’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Jyoti Thottam | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The editorial board and our colleagues in Times Opinion met on Monday with Dr. Mandy Cohen, who became the director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last year. Dr. Cohen was the top public health official in North Carolina during the Covid pandemic, winning praise for working with Gov. to be prepared for the next big public health challenge “in a disease-agnostic way,” rather than focusing on a specific threat, like avian flu, dengue or an as yet unknown pathogen. ?” The first is to be ready to respond no matter the health threat — that might be something like avian flu or it might be something like drowning. We are really planning as one team in a disease-agnostic way.

Persons: Mandy Cohen, Cohen, Roy Cooper Organizations: Centers for Disease Control, Gov Locations: North Carolina, C.D.C

But a big problem persists as long as the coronavirus continues to spread: long COVID. Long COVID is a condition involving new, returning or ongoing health problems four or more weeks after initial coronavirus infection. “The long COVID community and the COVID cautious community are pretty furious about it,” Hennessy says. And of the people who were aware of long COVID, more than 20% said they at least somewhat agreed with the statements “those with Long COVID may just be depressed” and “Long COVID symptoms are often just the normal aches and pains of life.”“They’re told that their brain fog or other symptoms are not real, and that’s demoralizing,” Rylance said. Young adults and children can also have long COVID, with more than 1% of kids ever having long COVID as of 2022, according to a national survey.

Persons: Long, Long COVID, –, Paul Hennessy, ” Hennessy, Mandy Cohen, didn’t, Hennessy, “, ” Jamie Rylance, hadn’t, ” “ They’re, that’s, ” Rylance, they’re, ”, it’s, Lynn Goldman Organizations: World Health Organization, Washington , D.C, Survey, Centers for Disease Control, CDC, PBS, COVID, CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, U.S . Research, New England, of Medicine, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University Locations: U.S, Washington, Washington ,

☆ C.D.C. Shortens Isolation Period for People With Covid
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Apoorva Mandavilli | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Americans with Covid or other respiratory infections need not isolate for five days before returning to work or school, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday, a striking sign of changing attitudes toward the coronavirus. People with respiratory illnesses may resume daily activities if they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the aid of medications and if their symptoms are improving, agency officials said. Acknowledging that people can be contagious even without symptoms, the C.D.C. urged those who end isolation to limit close contact with others, wear well-fitted masks, improve indoor air quality and practice good hygiene, like washing hands and covering coughs and sneezes. The guidelines apply to Covid, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, among other respiratory ailments, which should make it easier for people to comply, Dr. Mandy Cohen, the C.D.C.’s director, told reporters on Friday.

Persons: Mandy Cohen, ’ Organizations: Centers for Disease Control

☆ CDC updates Covid isolation guidelines for people who test positive
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Erika Edwards | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

People who test positive for Covid no longer need to isolate for five days, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. Many doctors have been urging the CDC to lift isolation guidance for months, saying it did little to stop the spread of Covid. The experiences of California and Oregon, which previously lifted their Covid isolation guidelines, proved that to be true. "Recent data indicate that California and Oregon, where isolation guidance looks more like CDC's updated recommendations, are not experiencing higher Covid-19 emergency department visits or hospitalizations," Jackson said. Changing the Covid isolation to mirror what's recommended for flu and other respiratory illnesses makes sense to Dr. David Margolius, the public health director for the city of Cleveland.

Persons: you've, Mandy Cohen, Cohen, Covid, Dr, Brendan Jackson, Jackson, David Margolius, We've, Kristin Englund Organizations: Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, National Center, CDC, Cleveland Clinic Locations: United States, California, Oregon, Cleveland

☆ CDC advisers recommend spring Covid boosters for older adults
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Erika Edwards | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The panel's vote to recommend spring boosters for older adults is not final until CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen signs off on it. The additional dose should be given at least four months after a previous dose for healthy older adults, or at least three months after a Covid infection. Covid hospitalizations peaked at the beginning of January, with 35,000 hospitalizations a week. By Feb. 7, Covid hospitalizations had fallen to around 20,000 a week. The vast majority have been among older adults, 65 and older.

Persons: Covid —, there's, Megan Wallace, Mandy Cohen, Marvia Jones, Covid, Covid hospitalizations Organizations: Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, CDC, Kansas City Health Department Locations: agency's, Kansas, Missouri, United States

New coronavirus hospitalizations have increased for the third week in a row. More than 19,400 new COVID-19 hospital admissions were reported last week, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Holiday gatherings and travel are also typically followed by an increase in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. COVID-19 vaccination rates, meanwhile, have been disappointing for many. CDC Director Mandy Cohen told Congress this week that about 16% of Americans have gotten the updated COVID-19 vaccine.

Persons: Mandy Cohen, That’s, ” Cohen, – Organizations: Centers for Disease Control, Midwest, CDC Locations: China

NEW YORK (AP) — Flu is picking up steam while RSV lung infections that can hit kids and older people hard may be peaking, U.S. health officials said Friday. As for the flu season, seven states were reporting high levels of flu-like illnesses in early November. There are a number of possible causes of the lung infection, and it can be a complication of COVID-19, flu, or RSV. In Ohio, health officials have reported 145 cases since August and most of the children recovered at home. China recently had a surge in respiratory illnesses which health officials there attributed to the flu and other customary causes.

Persons: Mandy Cohen, Cohen, — Organizations: Centers for Disease Control, CDC, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: U.S, South, Georgia , Texas, Massachusetts, Warren County , Ohio, Cincinnati, Ohio, China

☆ The threat of respiratory illnesses is underway, CDC director says, and hospitalizations are on the rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Brenda Goodman | Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“RSV season is in full swing,” Cohen told the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Respiratory virus activity is especially high in the Southern and Western US. The pathogens involved include adenovirus, Streptococcus pnuemoniae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae, bacteria that have been linked to a rising number of respiratory infections in China. Respiratory virus season is especially affecting children. Hospitalizations for respiratory viruses – including Covid-19, flu and RSV – have been on the rise for months.

Persons: Mandy Cohen, ” Cohen, ”, “ We’re, ” Covid, “ Covid, Cohen, it’s, pnuemoniae, Dr, Sanjay Gupta Organizations: CNN, US Centers for Disease Control, House Energy, “, CDC, CNN Health, Prevention Locations: Southern, Western, Warren County, Ohio, China

“What we know as of right now, today, what's happening in China, they are having an increase in some of their respiratory illness they're seeing in the northern part of their country, they're seeing an uptick in their pediatric population,” CDC Director Mandy Cohen told a House subcommittee. But they are seeing an upsurgence.”The World Health Organization this month requested China provide details on the uptick in respiratory illnesses and reported clusters of pneumonia in children in northern China. “Recently we have seen some clusters of flu cases among children in certain parts of China. In fact, that is a very common phenomenon in many countries, and in China that has been put under effective control,” Wang told reporters at the United Nations in New York. Maria Van Kerkhove of WHO said on Wednesday that the organization is following up with the situation in China.

Persons: Mandy Cohen, Wang Yi, ” Wang, Maria Van Kerkhove, Cohen, ” Cohen Organizations: Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization, United Nations, WHO, CDC, European Union Locations: China, COVID, New York

☆ You can get Covid-19 and flu vaccines at the same time, but should you? What the science says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —With holiday season underway, you may be realizing that you forgot to get your Covid-19 and flu vaccines, and now you’ll be sitting across the table from your elderly relatives. Covid-19 vaccines were updated this year to target one strain of the coronavirus rather than two. “The flu vaccine might have been an adjuvant for the Covid vaccine,” she said. Moss led a recent study that compared neutralizing antibody responses of 53 Israeli health care workers who received their bivalent Covid-19 vaccines separately or with a flu shot. Blood samples from these health care workers were equally able to prevent Covid-19 and flu viruses from infecting cells, whether they got their vaccines together or separately.

Persons: Mandy Cohen, ” Cohen, “, ”, Susanna Barouch, Barouch, they’re, Stephen Moss, Moss, ” Moss, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, William Schaffner Organizations: CNN, US Centers for Disease Control, CDC, US Food and Drug Administration, University of Michigan, Pfizer, CNN Health, Vanderbilt University Locations: Boston, Cambridge , Massachusetts, Netherlands

About 7% of U.S. adults and 2% of children got the new COVID-19 vaccines during the first month it was available, according to national survey data. The data was presented on Thursday at a meeting held by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It found that vaccine recipients from mid-September to mid-October were more likely to be older, insured and have higher incomes. It found that the groups most likely to get the shots are people 65 and older and Democrats. The recent decrease in coronavirus metrics should not dissuade Americans from getting the new COVID-19 shot, experts warn, noting that the threat of another wave is always looming.

Persons: Mandy Cohen, Cohen, –, “, ” Cohen Organizations: Centers for Disease Control, Politico, CDC Locations: U.S, COVID

New COVID-19 hospitalizations have declined for the third week in a row following the late summer increase of coronavirus in the U.S.Last week saw more than 18,100 new COVID-19 hospital admissions – a 6% decrease from the week prior – according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While it's clear that the late summer increase of COVID-19 has passed its peak, health officials warn that the months ahead are likely to bring another wave. According to CDC’s respiratory disease outlook, the agency expects a “moderate” COVID-19 wave with about as many peak hospitalizations as last winter. Last winter’s COVID-19 hospitalizations peaked at about 44,500. U.S. health agencies recently endorsed new COVID-19 shots that more closely align with circulating variants.

Persons: Biden, Mandy Cohen Organizations: Centers for Disease Control Locations: U.S, Boston

The summer increase of COVID-19 appears to have passed its peak. The mindset change is likely how health officials will examine COVID-19 during the fall and winter months for years to come. Last winter saw a peak of new weekly COVID-19 hospital admissions at nearly 44,500. That would mean that the U.S. enters peak respiratory disease season with an elevated level of COVID-19 circulating already, so a further increase could be possible on top of that. But to get the most protection against this form of the COVID virus that's circulating right now, get the updated COVID vaccine."

Persons: Ashish Jha, ”, – COVID, don’t, Andrew Pekosz, It’s, Mandy Cohen, ” Pekosz, “ pirola, it's, Biden, ” Cohen, Cohen, – Organizations: White, for Disease Control, CDC, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Locations: U.S, hospitalizations, Boston

It's the end of an era for a once-critical pandemic document: The ubiquitous white COVID-19 vaccination cards are being phased out. Now that COVID-19 vaccines are not being distributed by the federal government, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stopped printing new cards. Otherwise, people who need their COVID-19 immunization records will need to request them just like any other vaccine. Many states offer digital vaccination records for individuals either online or through an app. You should save it like any other health record, Wyoming Department of Health nurse consultant Heidi Gurov said.

Persons: you’ve, it’s, David Andres Alegria, ”, Jeff Chorath, Heidi Gurov, “ It's, Mandy Cohen, Robert Wood Johnson Organizations: U.S . Centers for Disease Control, CDC, Federal, San Antonio Metropolitan Health, Washington, Wyoming Department of Health, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, AP Locations: Texas, San Antonio, Wyoming, Philadelphia's, Washington, U.S

Coronavirus hospitalizations are on the decline in the U.S. as the omicron subvariant EG.5, or “eris,” continues to spread. New COVID-19 hospital admissions declined for the second week in a row, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Eris is also the most prominent strain circulating globally, according to the World Health Organization. The organization recently updated its risk evaluation for the variant, finding that the public health risk posed by EG.5 is considered “low” at the global level. “While concurrent increases in the proportion of EG.5 and COVID-19 hospitalizations have been observed in some countries, no direct associations have been made between these hospitalizations and EG.5, and current hospitalizations are lower when compared to previous waves,” WHO said in the updated risk assessment.

Persons: Coronavirus, ”, Eris, Mandy Cohen, “, ” Cohen Organizations: omicron subvariant EG, Centers for Disease Control, EG, World Health Organization, WHO Locations: U.S, hospitalizations, COVID

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials on Friday recommended RSV vaccinations for moms-to-be, a second new option to protect newborns from serious lung infections. The shots should be given late in pregnancy but only during RSV season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The RSV vaccine, made by Pfizer, should only be given between 32 weeks and 36 weeks of pregnancy. Some CDC panel members who ultimately supported the recommendation expressed reservations. Several also balked at the $295-a-dose price Pfizer has been charging for the same RSV vaccine for seniors, called Abrysvo.

Persons: ”, Mandy Cohen, Cohen, Grace Lee Organizations: —, Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, Pfizer, CDC, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: — U.S, U.S

☆ CDC advisors recommend Pfizer maternal RSV vaccine to protect infants
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Pfizer's vaccine, called Abrysvo, is already approved and available in the U.S. for adults ages 60 and up. The panel's recommendation puts Pfizer's maternal shot on track to reach the public as RSV begins to spread at higher levels. But younger children and older adults are particularly vulnerable to more severe RSV infections. Each year, the virus kills a few hundred children younger than 5, and 6,000 to 10,000 seniors, according to the CDC. RSV also causes around 58,000 to 80,000 hospitalizations among children younger than 5 years old each year, the CDC said.

Persons: Pfizer, Mandy Cohen, Luis Jodar, Pfizer's Abrysvo, Jefferson Jones, Jones Organizations: Disease Control, U.S, Public, CDC, Pfizer, Northern, Drug Administration, FDA, AstraZeneca Locations: U.S, Sanofi

The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signed off on a recommendation for updated COVID-19 vaccines for everyone over the age of 6 months, setting up the shots to become available later this week. “We have more tools than ever to prevent the worst outcomes from COVID-19,” CDC Director Mandy Cohen said in a statement. The Food and Drug Administration this week authorized the shots from Moderna and Pfizer that target the omicron subvariant XBB.1.5. An FDA official said during the meeting that “there is an urgent need for alternatives to mRNA based vaccines including gene based vaccines,” like the Novavax shot. The updated shots come as the U.S. sees its eighth straight week of rising coronavirus hospitalizations.

Persons: Mandy Cohen, ”, “ We're, ” Cohen Organizations: Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, CDC, Drug Administration, Moderna, Pfizer, FDA, EG, ” Health Locations: COVID, U.S

The updated shots are part of a push by public health officials to align the next COVID vaccines more closely with the actual circulating variant of the virus, similar to the way annual flu shots are designed. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday authorized updated COVID vaccines made by Pfizer (PFE.N) and its German partner BioNTech SE (22UAy.DE) as well as by Moderna (MRNA.O). CDC Director Mandy Cohen is expected to approve the recommendations issued by the advisers, allowing Americans to get the updated vaccines. The first COVID vaccines in 2020 were monovalent, or single-target vaccines, aimed at the original strain of the virus. They were followed by bivalent COVID vaccine booster shots that targeted both the original and the Omicron strains.

Persons: Emily Elconin, BioNTech, Caitlin Rivers, Mandy Cohen, Rivers, bivalent, Daniel Kuritzkes, Eris, Kuritzkes, Novavax, Bhanvi, Julie Steenhuysen, Will Dunham, Caroline Humer Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Pfizer, Moderna, FDA, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, CDC, Omicron, Brigham, Women's Hospital, Vaccine, EG, Thomson Locations: Waterford , Michigan, U.S, United States, Baltimore, Europe, Asia, Boston, Moderna, Bengaluru, Chicago

☆ CDC advisors recommend updated Covid vaccines for all Americans ages 6 months and up
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

An independent advisory panel to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday recommended that all Americans ages 6 months and up receive updated Covid vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna , the next step toward the shots reaching Americans in the coming days. Thirteen advisors voted in favor of that "universal" recommendation for Americans, while one voted against it. It is a vaccine-preventable disease," said Dr. Beth Bell, clinical professor at the University of Washington and member of the panel, during the advisory meeting. "And so, for that reason, I favor the universal recommendation." The advisory panel's "universal" recommendation comes a day after the Food and Drug Administration approved the two mRNA jabs, which are designed to target the omicron subvariant XBB.1.5.

Persons: Mandy Cohen, Georgina Peacock, Beth Bell, Hospitalizations, hospitalizations, Megan Wallace Organizations: Moderna, Pharmacy, Centers for Disease Control, Pfizer, CDC, University of Washington, Food and Drug Administration, FDA Locations: Schwenksville , Pennsylvania, U.S

☆ US FDA authorizes Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna's updated COVID shots
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Signage is seen outside of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) headquarters in White Oak, Maryland, U.S., August 29, 2020. A third shot, made by Novavax (NVAX.O), is still under review by the FDA. But obviously that requires that FDA have decided the data supports it," said Jesse Goodman, a professor at Georgetown and former FDA chief scientist. Moderna and Pfizer, which is partnered with German biotech firm BioNTech SE (22UAy.DE), said the updated vaccines were expected to be available the United States in the coming days. An endorsement by CDC Director Mandy Cohen, expected shortly, should clear the way for the new shots.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Novavax, Jesse Goodman, —, Mandy Cohen, Cohen, Sriparna Roy, Mariam Sunny, Michael Erman, Shinjini Organizations: Food and Drug Administration, FDA, REUTERS, Pfizer, Moderna, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, for Disease Control, Prevention, Georgetown, EG, CDC, Thomson Locations: White Oak , Maryland, U.S, United States, Bengaluru, New York

WASHINGTON (AP) — Updated COVID-19 vaccines are coming soon, just in time to pair them with flu shots. Approval of updated COVID-19 shots is expected within days. Political Cartoons View All 1148 ImagesHere is what you need to know about fall vaccinations:WHY MORE COVID-19 SHOTS? Earlier this month, European regulators authorized Pfizer’s updated vaccine for this fall, for adults and children as young as 6 months. CAN I GET A FLU SHOT AND COVID-19 SHOT AT THE SAME TIME?

Persons: Mandy Cohen, haven’t, “, ”, David Montefiori, it's, Carla K, Johnson Organizations: WASHINGTON, Centers for Disease Control, CDC, Food and Drug Administration, Pfizer, Moderna, FDA, Duke, WHO, GSK, AstraZeneca, AP, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group Locations: Novavax, Sanofi

☆ FDA Approval of New COVID Boosters Could Come by Friday
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Sources familiar with U.S. Food and Drug Administration plans say boosters could be approved as soon as Friday, NBC News reported. This time, the FDA may grant full approval for the boosters rather than emergency use authorization, according to NBC News sources. If the FDA doesn’t approve the boosters on Friday, it could do so early next week. While protection wanes over time, about 97% of adults have some level of protective immunity from past COVID infections and vaccinations. The Biden administration has announced a “bridge” program to offer uninsured people access to free boosters through 2024.

Persons: Cara Murez HealthDay, Mandy Cohen, Jennifer Kates, Biden, Kates Organizations: U.S . Food, Drug Administration, NBC News, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, Pfizer, Moderna, NBC, Global Health, HIV

Data is trickling in on a new COVID-19 strain nicknamed “pirola,” giving researchers a wider picture of what the variant could mean for the U.S. and the world. Van Kerkhove said that the global COVID-19 variant picture is complex, and that while BA.2.86 is spreading, it is not currently outcompeting other strains. “It is quite a complex picture globally in terms of how these variants behave because different variants circulate in different countries at different times.”Will Vaccines Work on Pirola? Moderna and Pfizer have announced that early data indicates that their updated vaccines do produce an immune response against BA.2.86. "These results demonstrate that our updated COVID-19 vaccine generates a strong human immune response against the highly mutated BA.2.86 variant.

Persons: “ pirola, ” Mandy Cohen, Maria Van Kerkhove, ” Benjamin Murrell, Ashish Jha, pirola, Van Kerkhove, it’s, ”, “, Stephen Hoge Organizations: U.S, CDC, Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization, WHO, White, Moderna, Pfizer, EG Locations: United States, Denmark, Sweden, Portugal, Israel, Canada, South Africa

Coronavirus is on the rise in the U.S., prompting questions about when Americans can roll up their sleeves for the next COVID-19 vaccine. The updated shots target XBB.1.5, which was responsible for less than 5% of new coronavirus infections in recent weeks. But all the strains circulating are still descendants of omicron, so experts believe the shots will still protect against severe COVID-19 from the variants. Historically, vaccine uptake decreases each time a new coronavirus shot is offered. Just 17% of Americans as of May rolled up their sleeves for the latest round of shots offered.

Persons: it’s, Biden, ” Mandy Cohen, Novavax, – Cohen, ” Cohen, Cohen, ” Organizations: Centers for Disease Control, CDC, Food and Drug Administration, Pfizer, FDA, EG Locations: U.S, COVID, Moderna

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