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In October, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that high-risk adults get a second updated Covid vaccine to bolster their protection against the virus. No other vaccines are given at such a high frequency, but experts say there’s no reason to believe that the vaccines — and in particular, the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna — aren’t effective. Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccines were the first to use mRNA technology to induce immunity to a virus, an approach that proved critical in the early days of the pandemic because mRNA vaccines can be developed much faster than traditional vaccines. Despite the CDC recommending an additional shot, there’s no evidence that the mRNA vaccines aren’t working as expected, said Akiko Iwasaki, a professor of immunology at the Yale School of Medicine. In a perfect world, the Covid vaccines would be able to be updated much faster to match the strains in circulation.

Persons: Akiko Iwasaki, Iwasaki, —, ”, Ashish Jha, ” Jha, “, Jha, I’ve, “ Topping, John Wherry, ” Wherry, Anna Durbin, ” Durkin, we’ll Organizations: Centers for Disease Control, Pfizer, Moderna, CDC, Yale School of Medicine, Emory University, Brown University School of Public Health, White, University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

The shots will be important, however, as the U.S. heads into the fall and winter, when cases usually rise again. Vaccine experts select the Covid strain in the spring for a vaccination campaign in the fall. Last fall, when CDC data showed a rise in hospitalizations, some doctors criticized the FDA for waiting too long to roll out the updated Covid vaccines. Has the FDA considered changing the fall vaccine rollout schedule, now early September? Link-Gelles highlighted the challenges in determining the optimal timing for administering the Covid vaccines.

Persons: Will, ”, John Moore, Akiko Iwasaki, Covid —, CDC epidemiologist Ruth Link, that’s, Isaac Bogoch, “, Ofer Levy, Levy, ” Levy, it’s, ” Weill Cornell's Moore, “ I’m, what’s, ” Moore Organizations: Weill Cornell Medical College, “, Centers for Disease Control, Food and Drug Administration, Yale University, FDA, CDC, NBC, University of Toronto, Precision, Boston Children’s Hospital Locations: U.S, hospitalizations

COVID-19 isn’t going away – and neither is long COVID. The survey found that in 2022, about 7% of adults – or about 1 in 14 – reported ever having long COVID. More women reported having had long COVID than men – a trend also observed in children. “These findings are important – they can inform more sensitive testing for long COVID patients and personalized treatments for long COVID that have, until now, not had a proven scientific rationale,” David Putrino, principal investigator of the study, said in a statement. It found that the blood of those experiencing long COVID had specific biomarkers, like abnormal T cell activity, reactivation of dormant viruses and low cortisol levels.

Persons: –, ” David Putrino, ” Akiko Iwasaki Organizations: Centers for Disease Control, Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics

☆ Urban Planning Presents Complex Challenges for Seniors - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Andy Hong | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

But for older adults, our towns and cities are filled with obstacles — stairs, unsafe sidewalks and crossings, inadequate lighting — that grow increasingly difficult for them as they age. Alberto Lau, 78, San DiegoDr. Hong responds: Busy streets and intersections can be challenging for older adults to navigate. Additionally, installing more crosswalks and making them more visible can make it easier for older adults to cross the street safely. Yet more and more older adults need the kind of high-quality transportation that can reliably get them from one place to another. This can be especially important for older adults, who may have slower reaction times or difficulty seeing oncoming traffic.

Persons: it’s, They’re, Alberto Lau, San Diego Dr, Hong, ” Deborah Muccino, Uber, Janice Mundy, Rosner, I’m, I’ve, Jan Ligon, Saralyn Fosnight, Andy Hong, Hirotoshi Iwasaki, Vishakha Darbha, Kaari Pitkin, Carole Sabouraud, Efim Shapiro, Jillian Weinberger, Tenzin D, Meher Ahmad, Ana Becker, Jessia Ma Organizations: New York Times, Department of Transportation, New, University of Utah Locations: “, San Diego, Concord, Calif, Pennsylvania, California, Gig, Pierce County, Rural, Michigan, Detroit, Atlanta, New York City, Chicago, Boston, Kaari

☆ Long Covid Poses Special Challenges for Seniors
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Paula Span | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The dozens of symptoms collectively known as long Covid, or post-Covid, can sideline anyone who has been infected. About 11 percent of American adults have developed long Covid after an infection, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last month, down from the almost 19 percent recorded from June 2022 to June 2023. People over age 60 actually have lower rates of long Covid overall than those aged 30 to 59. That might reflect higher vaccination and booster rates among older Americans, or more protective behavior like masking and avoiding crowds. Though knowledge of long Covid has increased, she added, much remains unknown about the illness.

Persons: ”, Akiko Iwasaki, Anderson Organizations: Centers for Disease Control, Yale School of Medicine

☆ Black Americans are getting support for reparations from other multiracial groups
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Stephanie Elam | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Mass is part of a growing wave of multiracial support for Black American reparations – with many Jewish and Japanese organizations among them. It’s just human beings.”Amy Iwasaki Mass reads her 1981 testimony in favor of redress for Japanese Americans held in internment camps during World War II. “But I do think Japanese Americans as a group do understand what it’s like to be excluded on the basis of race.”Acknowledging the cost of historyPassage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 gave affected Japanese Americans the $20,000 payment and a formal letter of apology from President Ronald Reagan. Tamaki and Simon agree that arguments against reparations fail to acknowledge the cost of being part of a society. That’s called being a citizen.”Tamaki agrees that the work to repair the damage done to Black Americans is expensive and arduous, but it must begin at some point.

Persons: Amy Iwasaki, “ It’s, Stephanie Elam, San Francisco –, Don Tamaki, ” Tamaki, Ronald Reagan, Mass, …, Tamaki, ”, Don Tamaki's, Don Tamaki Tamaki, there’s, ” Tamaki mused, San Francisco, Timothy Alan Simon, ” Simon, Franciscan Timothy Alan Simon, San Francisco's, CNN “, “, Simon, ’ …, That’s, it’s Organizations: CNN, Black, California –, Force, Civil, University of California, Topaz, ”, Franciscan, California African American Chamber of Commerce, American Locations: Japan, Pearl, California, San, Heart Mountain , Wyoming, Wyoming, San Francisco Bay, Berkeley, Tanforan, San Bruno , California, Apt, Utah, Northern California, San Francisco, Franciscan, Francisco, Bay, state’s, America

☆ Why Warren Buffett is so keen on Japan's versions of Berkshire Hathaway
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Tim Hornyak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

But Warren Buffett added a spark in April when he visited Japan to announce that Berkshire Hathaway boosted its investment in Japanese trading houses to 7.4%. Buffett said the five — Itochu Corp., Marubeni Corp., Mitsubishi Corp., Mitsui, and Sumitomo Corp. — are comparable to Berkshire itself. Samurai roots for Buffett's Japanese stocks The five trading firms that Berkshire has invested in are the biggest of Japan's so-called sogo-shosha, or general trading companies. Today, Japan's trading companies derive most of their revenue from non-trade activities. Shosha: The Big Five Mitsubishi The largest of Japan's trading companies is Mitsubishi Corp. , set up in 1954.

With the busy holiday travel season approaching and a comparatively low percentage of adults vaccinated for the flu, that leaves millions at potential risk for severe complications. Bacterial pneumonia may develop when the flu virus spreads to the lower respiratory tract, leading to breathing difficulties that may require supplemental oxygen. "Unfortunately, we do sometimes see young healthy people presenting with really severe pneumonia as well," Grein said. A recent CDC survey found that only half of all pregnant women got their flu vaccines as recommended, leaving many at risk for severe disease from the flu. The current vaccine protects against four strains: two influenza A strains and two influenza B strains.

☆ What Covid taught scientists and the public about the flu
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Caroline Hopkins | Nbc News Contributor Caroline Hopkins Is A Health | Science Journalist Who Covers Cancer Treatment For Precision Oncology News. She Is A Graduate Of The Columbia University Graduate School Of Journalism. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +10 min

Flu transmission can be stoppedThe 2020-2021 flu season — the first full flu season of the Covid pandemic — defied Tedros’ message. ‘Nonpharmaceutical interventions’ workBefore Covid, experts put limited stock in so-called nonpharmaceutical — that is, nonvaccination — strategies for preventing flu transmission. Although the airline case study taught the research community about airborne flu transmission, she said the general public’s appreciation for these risks has increased because of Covid. In that study, the researchers compared mild Covid infections with mild flu infections in mice and humans and found that the brain effects were similar around seven days post-infection. Asymptomatic flu infections may be underappreciatedThe Covid pandemic put a spotlight on the extent and risk of asymptomatic infections.

☆ ‘Dancing with the Stars’ has a double elimination night
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Marianne Garvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Two pairs of partners were sent home Monday night on “Dancing with the Stars.”The theme of the episode was ’90s night. Vinny Guadagnino and Trevor Donovan performed a samba, judged by Carrie Ann Inaba, who gave the five points to Donovan. Bruno Tonioli judged Heidi D’Amelio and Brady’s performances, with Tonioli choosing Brady. Charli D’Amelio and Windey danced a salsa judged by Hough, who gave the five points to D’Amelio. Donovan and partner Emma Slater ended up in the bottom two with Guadagnino and partner Koko Iwasaki.

"Dancing with the Stars" season 31 is now streaming on Disney Plus. How to watch 'Dancing with the Stars'You can watch "Dancing with the Stars' season 31 exclusively on Disney Plus. Disney Plus is available to stream on mobile devices, media players, and smart TVs from most major brands. "Dancing with the Stars" received a two-season pickup when it was announced for Disney Plus, so the show will return for at least one more season after season 31 concludes. The following celebrities and dancers are all vying for the Mirrorball trophy in season 31 of "Dancing with the Stars.

☆ Pfizer anunță că vaccinul său anti-COVID-19 este sigur și are o rată de eficiență de 95%
▼ + stars: | 2020-11-18 | by ( Jardan Cristian | ) www.zdg.md time to read: +2 min

Gigantul american Pfizer a prezentat noi concluzii privind vaccinul anti-COVID-19 pe care l-a dezvoltat împreună cu partenerii săi din Germania, compania BioNTech. Astfel, ultimele cercetări arată că preparatul este sigur și are o eficiență de 95%, transmite New York Times. Testele Pfizer și BioNTech au fost realizate pe un eșantion de 44 de mii de voluntari. Jumătate din ei au primit vaccinul, în timp ce cealaltă jumătate au primit o doză placebo care conținea apă sau sare. Concluziile Pfizer și BioNTech arată că vaccinul a obținut rezultate consistente indiferent de vârstă, rasă sau etnie.

Persons: Pfizer Organizations: York Times, Universitatea Yale, New York Times Locations: Germania, New York

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