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☆ Ted Cruz tries to turn his 2021 Cancun disaster into an awkward punchline: 'Humor is always a good thing'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Sen. Ted Cruz keeps joking about how he fled to Cancun during deadly storms in Texas in 2021. AdvertisementNearly three years ago, Sen. Ted Cruz committed severe political malpractice. wrote Cruz. pic.twitter.com/cgVjhbqK7b — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 15, 2024It wasn't the first time he'd referenced the Cancún incident unprompted. Cruz wrote last May, including a photo of him gesturing at the sign for a restaurant called "Cancún Grill" in Midland, Texas, affixing "#Cancun" to the tweet.

Persons: Sen, Ted Cruz, Cruz, who's, —, Aidy Bryant, cgVjhbqK7b — Ted Cruz Organizations: Service, Texas Republican, Texans Locations: Cancun, Texas, Cancún, Midland , Texas, Midland , TX

☆ Some states are loosening their Covid isolation guidelines, shifting away from CDC recommendations
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Oregon changed its isolation policy in May when the Covid-19 public health emergency lifted, and California followed suit earlier this month. The recent order from the California health department notes that the potential infectious period spans from two days before through 10 days after symptoms or a positive test. Less restrictive isolation policies could allow people to feel more comfortable with testing, which could prompt them to get treatment or feel more comfortable taking other protective measures. Dr. Dean Sidelinger, Oregon’s state health officer, said that equity was a key factor considered in the decision to change isolation policy in the state. Public health policy decisions are rarely black-and-white, experts say, and weighing tradeoffs can be more of an art than a perfect science.

Persons: Tomás Aragón, ”, Jennifer Nuzzo, we’re, Dan Barouch, Sarita Shah, Dean Sidelinger, ” Barouch, –, ” Nuzzo, Shah, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, you’re, ” Shah, “ Organizations: CNN —, US Centers for Disease Control, California Department of Public Health, CDC, Pandemic, Brown University School of Public Health, Center, Virology, Vaccine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical, Emory University, Get CNN, CNN Health Locations: California, Oregon, COVID, hospitalizations, Covid

He also signed an executive order to ban gender-affirming surgery for minors but vetoed a bill that would ban all gender-affirming care for minors. They would require psychiatrists, endocrinologists and medical ethicists to have roles in creating facility-wide gender-affirming care plans for patients of all ages. The big academic medical centers providing gender-affirming care already employ the required specialists. It’s not clear when the Ohio rules might take effect, or in what form if they are finalized. The measures were unveiled Jan. 5, the same day DeWine signed an executive order banning gender-affirming surgery for those under 18.

Persons: Mike DeWine, Ashton Colby, Columbus, Colby, ” Colby, ” DeWine, ”, Kellan Baker, Whitman, DeWine, Dan Tierney, Dara Adkison, “, Mimi Rivard, Rivard, Carl Streed Jr, ” Streed, “ I’m, It’s, Rhea Debussy, “ He’s, Erin Upchurch Organizations: Gov, Whitman - Walker Institute, Ohio Department of Health, state's Department of Mental Health, Addiction Services, World Professional Association for Transgender Health, Outreach Wellness, U.S . Professional Association for Transgender Health, Equitas, ” GOP, Department of Mental Health, Equitas Health, Kaleidoscope Youth Locations: Ohio, Washington, Columbus, Boston, Cleveland, Florida

AVOID COTTON AND WETNESSWilson said she loves to shop at thrift stores for layers that won't break the bank. THINK OF THREE MAIN LAYERSWilson recommends starting with a base layer, then a mid layer, and then an outer layer. Finally, wear a traditional winter jacket that breaks the wind a little but also insulates you, Wilson said. PROTECT SPECIFIC BODY PARTS“Three words: Cover Your Bum (CYB)!” the city of Minneapolis says in a blog post about staying warm in cold weather. In other words, wear a winter jacket that falls closer to your knees than your hips.

Persons: you’re, Claire Wilson, WETNESS Wilson, Wilson, Cotton, ”, James Miner, it's, Miner, Toni Hauser, Hauser, Trisha Ahmed, @TrishaAhmed15 Organizations: Hennepin County Medical, Minneapolis Health Department, Associated Press, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, Minneapolis, Hennepin, —

(AP) — The South Dakota House passed a bill Wednesday that would make xylazine, an animal sedative that is being mixed with fentanyl and then used by some people, a controlled substance. The measure, which passed unanimously in the Republican-held House and now goes to the Senate, would establish penalties of up to two years in prison and fines of up to $4,000 for possession and use of xylazine. Xylazine in humans can cause health problems including difficulty breathing, dangerously low blood pressure, a slowed heart rate, wounds that can become infected and even death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last year the Office of National Drug Control Policy designated the combination of fentanyl and xylazine as an “ emerging threat.”The South Dakota Health Department and Republican state Attorney General Marty Jackley brought the bill in South Dakota. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesPolice are encountering xylazine in the state, mainly in Sioux Falls, he said.

Persons: PIERRE, S.D, Marty Jackley, Jackley, they've, ” Jackley Organizations: South Dakota House, Republican, Centers for Disease Control, of National Drug Control, South Dakota Health Department Locations: South Dakota, Sioux Falls

All were found to be within U.S. federal standards, said Don Gregoire, water director for St. Croix. Despite those findings, people on St. Croix remain concerned. At least 1,270 people on St. Croix have been screened. Authorities plan to extend the screening to the islands of St. Thomas and St. John by the end of January, said Reuben Molloy, acting commissioner for the U.S. Virgin Islands Health Department. On Thursday, officials will start distributing free water filters as they continue to test water samples taken from homes and businesses across St. Croix.

Persons: St . Croix, Joe Biden, Don Gregoire, Croix, Shirley Smith, Thomas, John, Reuben Molloy, St . Croix ., Noel Hodge, Gregoire, “, we’ve, ”, “ It’s, Harold Mark Organizations: JUAN, U.S . Virgin Islands, U.S . Virgin, U.S . Environmental Protection Agency, St, Authorities, U.S . Virgin Islands Health Department, and Power Authority, ”, Department of Natural Resources Locations: Puerto Rico, St . Croix, U.S, St ., St

☆ Investigators Find Hospital Error Caused Mother’s Death in Brooklyn
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Joseph Goldstein | More About Joseph Goldstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the hours after her son was delivered, Ms. Fields bled to death, according to the medical examiner’s office. But a doctor at Woodhull said that it was clearly referring to Ms. Fields’s death. In addition, the document’s date is just five weeks after Ms. Fields’s death. The document states explicitly that an error by medical staff members “resulted” in her death. Soon medical staff members were performing CPR on her.

Persons: Fields, Woodhull, Jose Perez, “, wasn’t, Perez, Fields’s Organizations: Health Department, The New York Times

☆ 15 states mostly led by Republicans refuse federal funds to feed hungry children during the summer months
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Biden Administration has launched a permanent Summer EBT program to feed hungry children. AdvertisementFifteen states, all currently led by Republican governors, were notably absent from the Summer EBT announcement. AdvertisementIn Mississippi and Oklahoma, spokespersons from their respective health departments told BI their states have existing summer food assistance programs. A spokesperson from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare said there is a budget request in its state legislature to approve funding for the Summer EBT program in 2025. Some who declined to participate in the Summer EBT program, however, were more direct.

Persons: —, Tom Vilsack, John Bel Edwards, Jeff Landry, South Carolina –, Jim Pillen Organizations: Biden Administration, Republicans, Service, Administration, Republican, US Department of Agriculture, USDA, Former Louisiana Gov, Democrat, Republican Gov, Iowa Department of Health, Human Services, Idaho Department of Health, Welfare, Vermont Public Radio, Lincoln Journal Star Locations: Alabama, Alaska , Florida, Georgia , Idaho , Iowa, Louisiana , Mississippi , Nebraska , Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota , Texas , Vermont, Wyoming, Texas , Oklahoma , Louisiana , Mississippi, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Vermont, Nebraska

(AP) — One day after Mississippi health officials told residents in the state’s capital that dangerous bacteria could be in their tap water, the state health department said Friday that city water was safe to consume. Mississippi health officials lifted their health advisory after a new round of test results did not find E. coli in Jackson's supply. The move came hours after Ted Henifin, Jackson’s interim water manager, said repeat samples taken from the city’s water system tested negative for E. coli. In a statement Friday, the health department stood by the initial test results and dismissed the idea that its lab had been contaminated. At news conferences on Thursday and Friday, Henifin said state officials refused to validate the lab results before issuing the boil-water notice.

Persons: JACKSON, Jackson, Ted Henifin, Henifin, ”, Dan Edney, Greg Flynn, Flynn, “, Flowood, ___ Michael Goldberg Organizations: Mississippi Department, Mississippi Department of Health, Associated Press, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: Miss, Mississippi, Flowood, Jackson, @mikergoldberg

Read previewThe Food and Drug Administration on Friday cleared the way for Florida's first-in-the-nation plan to import lower-priced prescription drugs from Canada, a long-sought approach to accessing cheaper medications that follows decades of frustration with U.S. drug prices. Ron DeSantis signed the plan into law in 2019, but it required federal review and approval by the FDA, which controls prescription drug imports. "These proposals must demonstrate the programs would result in significant cost savings to consumers without adding risk of exposure to unsafe or ineffective drugs," FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said in a statement. Health officials there previously have suggested their country's prescription drug market is too small to have any real impact on U.S. prices. The U.S. has long had the highest prescription drug prices in the world, with essentially no government limits on what companies can charge.

Persons: —, Florida's, Ron DeSantis, Joe Biden, Donald Trump —, Robert Califf, DeSantis Organizations: Service, Drug Administration, Business, Republican Gov, FDA, Democratic, U.S, Trump, Health Locations: Canada, Mexico, U.S

☆ Ghost kitchens were supposed to revolutionize restaurants. They’re crashing
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

But ghost kitchens are now crashing. Ghost kitchens are stripped-down commercial kitchens with no dine-in option. Sometimes called cloud kitchens, dark kitchens or virtual kitchens, ghost kitchens fulfill online orders from delivery apps like Grubhub and Uber Eats. Ghost kitchens also offered big chains a way to test new menu concepts, items and brands at lower rents and with less labor. So restaurants have shut down their ghost kitchens and funding for the concept has dried up.

Persons: Uber, Pat Greenhouse, ”, John Gordon, ” Wendy’s, Travis Kalanick, Applebee’s, “, Stephen Zagor, ” John Gordon, Tiffany Hagler, Wendy’s, Kalanick’s CloudKitchens, ” Gordon Organizations: New, New York CNN, Big, Kroger, Reef Technology, Boston Globe, Technology, Wings, Columbia Business School, National Restaurant Association, Geard, Bloomberg, Getty, Butler Locations: New York, South Boston, Dobbs Ferry , New York, U.S

A federal appeals court has paused enforcement of a federal government regulation that allows abortion providers to receive federal family planning money — but only in Ohio, where state health officials said the policy took money away from them. Since 1981, federal policy has changed several times regarding whether programs receiving family planning funds can provide abortions or refer patients to such services. Circuit Court of Appeals overruled that in a decision Thursday — but only as it applies to how the federal government distributes the grants in Ohio. And when that happened, the award to the state's health department decreased by $1.8 million. But a court blocked enforcement, and voters last month adopted an amendment to the state constitution enshrining the right to abortion.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, — Joan Larsen, Amul Thapar, Donald Trump —, Dave Yost, Karen Nelson Moore, Bill Clinton, Roe, Wade Organizations: Circuit, Republican, Ohio, Democratic, U.S, Supreme Locations: Ohio, U.S, Cincinnati

More than 8,000 people, mostly Native Hawaiians, perished at Kalaupapa, including Damien, who eventually contracted leprosy, later called Hansen’s disease. Damien’s love for Kalaupapa’s people was unconditional, said Barbara Jean Wajda of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities. “They keep me like this, make me strong.”She enjoys when people visit and when the church brings pilgrims, she said. The walls of the sisters' house, Kalaupapa’s largest dwelling, are filled with photos of the sisters who worked on the settlement after Marianne. “And we both feel connected to the patients, to the land, to the saints who were here, declared and undeclared,” Wajda said.

Persons: Saint Damien of Molokai, Kalaupapa’s, Damien’s, ”, Lance Toyofuku, ” Kalaupapa, Father Damien, Mother Marianne —, Alicia Damien Lau, Damien, Joseph De Veuster, Saint Marianne, Patrick Killilea, “ Fr, Paddy, “ It’s, Philomena, Barbara Jean Wajda, Francis, Lau, ” Marianne Cope, Marianne, Tonata Lolesio, ” Lolesio, “, Honolulu Bishop Larry Silva’s, Silva, didn’t, that’s, Wajda, Francis Church, she’s, Watanuki, ” Bishop Silva, ” Keani Rawlins, Fernandez, Mother Marianne, Marianne . Lau, Alicia, ” Wajda, ” They’ve Organizations: Toyota, National Park Service, St, Neumann, Sacred Hearts School, Honolulu Bishop, “, Associated Press, Maui County Council, Lilly Endowment Inc, AP Locations: KALAUPAPA, Hawaii, Kalaupapa, Molokai, Belgian, Hawaii’s, Honolulu, Belgium, Germany, Maui, Lahaina, American Samoa, Maui County

MOUNT KISCO, N.Y. (AP) — A customer has filed a lawsuit against the fast casual chain Chopt over a salad that she says contained a piece of the manager's finger. The manager went to the hospital but the contaminated arugula was served to customers including Cozzi, the lawsuit says. Westchester County health department records show that Chopt was fined $900. An email seeking comment was sent to Chopt Creative Salad Co., a chain with more than 70 locations across the eastern United States. Cozzi's attorney said Tuesday that she does not want to comment further.

Persons: Allison Cozzi, Chopt, Cozzi Locations: KISCO, Greenwich , Connecticut, Mount Kisco , New York, Westchester County, United States

When Daniel Skousen scrubs at the ash and soot covering his Maui home, he worries about the smell. Crews have installed air quality monitors throughout town and are spraying a soil sealant to prevent toxic ash from being washed into the ocean or blowing around. The Hawaii Department of Health's Environmental Health Services Division also told Skousen's attorney it had no records about residential testing of contaminants to release. “If it smells like burned plastic or burned electrical cables, then probably those chemicals are in the air and not healthy,” Hertz-Picciotto said. Whether a home can be made safe enough for residency comes down in part to the resident's risk tolerance, Hayes said.

Persons: Daniel Skousen, ”, Bill Hayes, Hayes, Char, ” Hayes, Crews, Kellen Ashford, Shawn Hamamoto, ‘, ’ ”, Edward Neiger, ” Ashford, Andrew Shoemaker, it's, Shoemaker, Dioxins, Skousen, Irva Hertz, Davis, Picciotto, ” Hertz, He’s Organizations: Hawaii Department of Education, Environmental, Agency, Associated Press, Hawaii Department of Health, Hawaii Department of, Environmental Health, Health Department, U.S . Army Corps of Engineers, EPA, Lahaina Civic Center, World Health Organization, University of California, Hertz, Cooperative Institute for Research, Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Locations: Lahaina, Boulder County , Colorado, Maui, ” State, Skousen, “, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Four out of five people in Mexico who got influenza shots so far this year turned down the government’s recommendation that they get Russian or Cuban COVID-19 boosters at the same time, officials said Tuesday. Assistant Health Secretary Ruy López Ridaura attributed the high refusal rate to people being reluctant to get two vaccines at the same time. Some people appear to simply distrust the Russian Sputnik and Cuban Abdala vaccines, both designed in 2020 for variants prevalent at the time. “There are no studies regarding the effectiveness of both of these vaccines against the (current) variants.”Mexico has bought millions of doses of the Russian and Cuban vaccines. The original plan was to administer around 20 million shots, but only about 1.9 million people, or 9.5% of those eligible, have agreed to take them since the vaccination campaign started in mid-October.

Persons: Ruy López Ridaura, López Ridaura, ”, Andreu Comas, Andrés Manuel López Obrador Organizations: MEXICO CITY, “, Health Department, Russian Sputnik, Autonomous University of San, Pfizer, Moderna Locations: MEXICO, Mexico, Cuban, Russian, Autonomous University of San Luis Potosi, “, Cuba, United States, America, Caribbean

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The deaths of two people, muggings and a dangerous heat wave left legions of Taylor Swift's Brazilian fans angry and disappointed in the three-day Rio de Janeiro leg of the pop superstar's Eras Tour, which concludes Monday night. It was the second death of a Swift fan in four days. Fans also reported fainting from extreme heat, being mugged or getting caught up in a police raid. Inside the stadium, concertgoers complained of unbearable heat and some said they had difficulty getting access to water. “Come on stage, I want to see you!”The postponement was followed by chaos outside the stadium.

Persons: Taylor Swift's, Gabriel Mongenot Santana Milhomem Santos, Swift, Rio's, Ana Clara Benevides Machado, Benevides, ”, concertgoers, Kléssia Menezes, “, Julia Alvarenga, Alvarenga, “ We’re, Hely Olivares Organizations: RIO DE, Rio’s Municipal Health Department, Forensic Medical Institute, Nilton Santos Olympic, Twitter Locations: RIO DE JANEIRO, Rio de Janeiro, Rio’s, Rio ., Rio, Burger, Brazil, Panama

☆ Indian officials consider five new plans to rescue men trapped in tunnel
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Saurabh Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Saurabh Sharma Acquire Licensing RightsSILKYARA, India, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Indian authorities were exploring five new plans to rescue workers trapped inside a collapsed tunnel in the Indian Himalayas after a week of failed attempts. Forty-one men, stuck in the highway tunnel in Uttarakhand state since Nov. 12, are safe and being fed through a pipe, the authorities say. Rescuers had been drilling horizontally through the debris toward the trapped workers in the 4.5-km (3-mile) tunnel until the auger drilling machine broke on Friday and a new one was flown in. A rescue mission is currently underway at the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand to free 41 workers who are stuck inside following a landslide. The trapped workers have received Vitamin C and medicines including anti-depression tablets, said RCS Panwar, a health official involved in the rescue efforts.

Persons: Saurabh Sharma, Bhaskar Khulbe, Munsif Vengattil, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, India

The letters were sent this month to vote centers or government buildings in six states: Georgia, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington and Kansas. Lane County, Oregon, which received a suspicious letter, will provide naloxone kits and train elections staff on administering it. The incident prompted King County Elections to procure naloxone, though the antidote was not needed then nor when its Renton office received a second fentanyl-laced letter this month. “We felt like it was just a good idea to have on hand for all kinds of scenarios these days,” King County Elections spokeswoman Halei Watkins said. The office received a threatening letter this month containing baking soda and took the occasion to re-emphasize naloxone is available.

Persons: ”, Eldon Miller, “, Donald Trump, Ann Dover, It’s, ” Dover, Brad Raffensperger, Raffensperger, King, Halei Watkins, Maya Doe, Simkins, ” Chris Anderson, hasn’t, ” Anderson, Linda Farmer, ” Farmer, ___ Komenda, Ken Ritter, Jeff Amy, David Fischer, John Hanna, — Organizations: SEATTLE, King, Elections, FBI, U.S . Postal, Service, Remedy, Associated Press, AP Locations: U.S, Seattle, Georgia, Nevada , California , Oregon, Washington and Kansas, Atlanta's Cherokee, Lane County , Oregon, Lincoln County , Nevada, Atlanta’s Fulton, Pierce, Washington, County, King, Renton, King County, Seminole County , Florida, Tacoma , Washington, Pierce County, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Miami, Topeka , Kansas

☆ Some healthcare systems are taking on the challenge of health inequity — but ending the disparities isn't a quick process
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Heather Lindsey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Some health systems are embedding health-equity programs in their business strategies. The report said health inequities led to increased costs associated with premature death, loss of work productivity, and excess medical spending. "When you lean into health equity, you can create value, better outcomes, and lower costs," he said. Bhatt said health systems can push for health equity by creating diverse care teams. "If you lean into health equity," Bhatt said, "there is opportunity to improve outcomes, build consumer loyalty and trust, and create economic value."

Persons: —, Keneica Moore, Moore, MAAME doulas, Sarahn Wheeler, Wheeler, who's, inequity, Jay Bhatt, Bhatt Organizations: Healthcare, Service, Empowerment, Duke Health, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute, Minority Health, Deloitte Health Equity Institute, Deloitte Center for Health Solutions Locations: Durham, North Carolina

Two of the laws were already put on hold by a district court judge. About a month later, the U.S. Supreme Court stripped away women’s constitutional protections for abortion, which led to abortion bans in more than 20 states. The number of abortions performed in Oklahoma immediately dropped dramatically, falling from about 4,145 in 2021 to 898 in 2022, according to statistics from the Oklahoma State Department of Health. In at least 66 cases in 2022, the abortion was necessary to avert the death of the mother, the statistics show. Abortion statistics for 2023 are not yet available, a health department spokeswoman said.

Persons: The, Rabia Muqaddam, Gentner Drummond, ” Drummond, Phil Bacharach, Kevin Stitt Organizations: OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma Supreme Court, Senior, Center for Reproductive Rights, Oklahoma, Republican Gov, U.S, Supreme, Oklahoma State Department of Health Locations: The Oklahoma, Oklahoma, New York

☆ NYC has a new weapon against rats but it's still probably not enough to stop the impending rodent takeover.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Maiya Focht | Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rats tend to avoid reproducing in cold weather, Jason Munshi-South, a biologist and associate professor at Fordham University, told Insider. "It's going to be an issue," Munshi-South said, "especially in northern cities like New York City. Rats on the rise Efforts to control the rat population have highly mixed results. AdvertisementAdvertisementBy running his own surveys with exterminators around the city, Corrigan concluded, "there are more rats. In previous years, it would've been cold by then and rats would've stopped reproducing," in NYC, he told Insider.

Persons: it's, Jason Munshi, Munshi, Robert Corrigan, Corrigan, we'll, would've Organizations: Service, Fordham University, Anadolu Agency, Royal Society B, Guardian Locations: York City, New York, Anadolu, New York City

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City will hire overdose investigators as part the Missouri city's effort to lower the number of fentanyl deaths. An ordinance passed Thursday by the city council allows the city health department to hire two investigators and requires overdoses to be reported within 24 hours, the Kansas City Star reported. A Kansas City police official told the newspaper that the agency has confiscated more than 61,000 grams (about 134 pounds) of fentanyl so far this year, and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said there was a suspected overdose every day but one in 2022 in Kansas City emergency rooms. “Overdose deaths are at an epidemic level in Kansas City and fentanyl is driving the epidemic,” Lucas said.

Persons: Quinton Lucas, ” Lucas, Lucas Organizations: KANSAS CITY, Kansas City Star, Kansas City Locations: KANSAS, Mo, Kansas, Missouri, Kansas City

NEW YORK (AP) — The proportion of U.S. kindergartners exempted from school vaccination requirements has hit its highest level ever, 3%, U.S. health officials said Thursday. Political Cartoons View All 1237 ImagesAll states allow exemptions for children with medical conditions that prevents them from receiving certain vaccines. But the percentage with nonmedical exemptions has inched up, lifting the overall exemption rate from 1.6% in the 2011-2012 school year to 3% last year. Hawaii saw the largest jump, with the exemption rate rising to 6.4%, nearly double the year before. One apparent paradox in the report: The national vaccination rate held steady even as exemptions increased.

Persons: kindergarteners, it’s, hasn’t, ”, Sean O’Leary, —, O’Leary, “, Shannon Stokley Organizations: Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, University of Colorado, CDC, West, American Academy of Pediatrics, Health, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: COVID, Idaho, New York, Hawaii, Connecticut, Maine, U.S

☆ Pollution Forces City-Wide Closures of Businesses, Schools in Eastern Pakistan
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Mubasher BukhariLAHORE (Reuters) - Heavy pollution-fuelled smog forced authorities to close schools and markets this week in Pakistan's most populous province, including the eastern city of Lahore which has risen to one of the world's worst cities for hazardous air quality. Schools, offices, restaurants and businesses, aside from priority services like pharmacies, hospitals and courts, would all close to limit residents' movement outside, according to a directive from the provincial government. Heavy smog blanketed Lahore this week, reducing visibility and leading residents to complain of a threat to their health. In neighbouring India, authorities in Delhi have announced they would restrict use of vehicles next week to curb rising pollution as air quality in the capital remained dangerously unsafe despite mitigation efforts. (Reporting by Mubasher Bukhari in Lahore; Writing by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Michael Perry)

Persons: Mubasher Bukhari, Amir Mir, Mohammad Salahuddin, Charlotte Greenfield, Michael Perry Organizations: Schools Locations: Mubasher, Mubasher Bukhari LAHORE, Pakistan's, Lahore, Punjab, Swiss, Delhi, Karachi, South Asia, India

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