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Childhood vaccinations across the U.S fallen for a second year in a row, leaving hundreds of thousands of kids vulnerable to otherwise preventable illnesses. But fears stoked by vaccine misinformation have also been a growing problem, O'Leary said. "We're still trying to understand the extent to which misinformation around Covid vaccines has spread to misinformation about other childhood vaccines," he said. In a December interview, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC's director, told NBC News that vaccine misinformation is one of the biggest threats to public health. About a third of kids ages 5 through 11 have had two doses of a Covid vaccine.

☆ Mpox has faded in the U.S. Who deserves the credit?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Today, reports of new cases are down to a trickle in the U.S. Health officials are shutting down emergency mobilizations. “It’s really impressive how that peak has come down to very, very low levels.”So who deserves the credit? Mpox cases began emerging in Europe and the U.S. in May, mostly among men who have sex with men. In early August, U.S. health officials decided to stretch the limited supply by giving people just one-fifth the usual dose. “The monkeypox virus essentially loses steam after a couple of rounds in humans,” Morse said.

Diamond of the pro-Trump entertainers Diamond and Silk has died, the former president as well as the duo's verified Twitter account announced Monday night. Both women, sisters whose names are Lynette Hardaway and Rochelle Richardson, were born in 1971, with Diamond making her debut on Thanksgiving Day, according to their 2020 book, "Uprising." Then-President Donald Trump hugs conservative social media figures Lynnette Hardaway, known as Diamond, and Rochelle Richardson, known as Silk, in 2019. In late November, the Diamond and Silk Twitter account made a plea for prayers for Diamond. Diamond and Silk soon landed at fringe network Newsmax with "Diamond and Silk: Crystal Clear."

Companies are increasingly working together to cut greenhouse-gas emissions but such collaboration faces the threat of antitrust action demanded by politicians who say it violates competition rules. There are now more than 150 business climate collaborations, according to research by Harvard Business Review. “There are a lot of ways to stay on the right side of antitrust laws,” says Justin Stewart-Teitelbaum, antitrust partner at Freshfields. Traditionally, in most jurisdictions, antitrust officials weigh whether the benefits of cooperation outweigh any economic harm caused by it. The anti-ESG movement in the U.S. bases its antitrust threats partly on an assertion that climate action provides little societal benefit to outweigh any economic harm of cooperation.

☆ The US is releasing doses of flu medicine from the national stockpile amid a surge in cases
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Sarah Braner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

HHS said today that states can now access the national stockpile of Tamiflu, a flu antiviral. There's a shortage of the medicine, thanks to a rough start to this flu season. This comes as flu season continues to sweep across the US, with thousands of hospitalizations. States were given access to their own stockpiles last week, according to the statement. Rui Vieira/PA Images via Getty ImagesThis flu season is intense—and it started early.

☆ Man who threatened to kill CDC head pleads guilty to charges
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

— A Mississippi man who threatened to kill Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky has pleaded guilty to making threats in interstate commerce, federal prosecutors announced Monday. Robert Wiser Bates, 39, of Ridgeland, threatened to kill Walensky in voicemails left in July 2021 at the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, court records said. He also said he would kill Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical advisor to the president. In August, a West Virginia man was sentenced to three years in federal prison after he sent emails threatening Fauci and another federal health official for talking about the coronavirus and efforts to prevent its spread. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The vast majority are either unvaccinated or have received just one of the two recommended doses of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, according to City of Columbus Public Health. The outbreak, the largest in the U.S. since 2019, is happening as resistance to school vaccination requirements is spreading across the country. The percentage of parents who said they were against vaccination requirements for school was even higher. "As I think about the challenges that we have to public health vaccine, misinformation is among the biggest threats," she said. "Here in Ohio, we have some pretty active anti-vaccine groups," said Tara Smith, a professor of epidemiology at the Kent State University College of Public Health.

☆ In car crashes, women are more likely to die than men. This new crash test dummy could help save lives
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Rochelle Beighton | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

According to Verity Now, a US-based campaign group striving to achieve equity in vehicle safety, women are 73% more likely to be injured – and 17% more likely to die – in a vehicle crash. CNN: You’ve developed the first ever female crash test dummy. Swedish engineer Dr Astrid Linder has created a "female" crash test dummy. Courtesy VTICNN: How has the female crash test dummy been designed, and how is technology used to test safety? Linder: We took data for the average male and the average female, including weight and height, for the crash test dummy.

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 the pro-business tax agenda is chasing in a changing Congress
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Cheryl Winokur Munk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Main Street could find itself stuck in gridlock next year in terms of advancing pro-business tax objectives. For House Republicans, legislative priorities are likely to include extending business-friendly provisions of The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, passed by the Trump Administration in 2017. Even so, a divided Congress means that major pro-business legislative changes will be difficult to enact. Rather, tax and policy professionals expect House Republicans to focus on a number of positioning moves next year — ones that will establish their pro-business agenda ahead of the 2024 presidential election. "There are a host of provisions in the tax code that businesses would like to see changed or revised," said Rochelle Hodes, a principal in Crowe's Washington National Tax office.

☆ Biden Bails Out the Teamsters
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Rochelle Walensky this week pleaded with Congress for more money for Covid. How about asking the Teamsters to share some of their $36 billion pension bailout that President Biden announced Thursday? Democrats sold their $1.9 trillion spending bill in 2021 as Covid “relief,” but it included some $86 billion to shore up more than 200 ailing union multi-employer pension plans. The $36 billion for the Teamsters’ Central States Pension Fund is the largest tranche awarded so far, but Mr. Biden assured his labor friends on Thursday that more is on the way.

☆ Covid and flu hospitalizations increase as holidays approach, while RSV retreats in some states
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Covid and flu hospitalizations are increasing, while respiratory syncytial virus appears to be retreating in some states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday. As millions of people prepare to travel and gather for the holidays, public health officials are concerned that the worst is still ahead. Hospitals this winter are facing the simultaneous threat of Covid, flu and RSV for the first time. Circulation of flu and RSV was very low during the pandemic due to widespread masking and social distancing implemented in response to Covid. Public health officials have said many people are probably more vulnerable to flu and RSV this year because they weren't infected the past two years, which means their immunity is lower.

☆ As Covid cases rise, it's yes to masks, no to mandates
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The current rise in Covid-19 cases is one leg of a triple threat – a “tridemic,” a “tripledemic” or a “trifecta,” as some news organizations are calling it – along with a bad flu season and an RSV outbreak hitting mainly children. People at higher risk of getting sick should wear masks when there is medium spread, such as in Los Angeles County. “You can count masking, vaccines, boosting, testing – all of that is part of the spectrum of protecting yourself and your family,” Fauci said. But if Covid-19 cases were to increase, a little less than two-thirds of Americans, 65%, said they would wear a mask. This will be the conundrum for public health officials if Covid-19 cases continue along with this “tripledemic” – how to get people to wear masks without trying to make them do it.

☆ Face masks come back to forefront amid triple threat of Covid-19, flu, RSV
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Local officials mulling over masksThe US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers specific guidance on when masking is recommended based on its Covid-19 community levels. The agency says that people may choose to wear masks at any time but that a “high-quality mask or respirator” is recommended for everyone when a county has a “high” Covid-19 community level. As of Thursday, about 5.66% of US counties have high community levels, including some places in Arizona, Wyoming, Oregon and the Dakotas. Even without a mandate, she emphasized community efforts like wearing masks inside when possible and getting Covid-19 vaccines or boosters. “We do know that 5% of the population is living in places with a high Covid-19 community level.

The spread of RSV appears to be slowing, though Covid cases have risen since Thanksgiving and flu hospitalizations remain at a decade high, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Monday. "This year’s flu season is off to a rough start," Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, board chair of the American Medical Association, said at a CDC press briefing. Nationally, the number of positive weekly RSV tests fell from more than 19,000 in the week ending Nov. 12 to around 7,500 in the week ending Nov. 26. Average daily Covid cases, however, have risen 16% over the last two weeks, according to NBC News' tally. The CDC recorded a nearly 18% increase in average daily hospital admissions due to Covid from the week ending Nov. 22 to the week ending Nov. 29.

☆ CDC encourages people to wear masks to help prevent spread of Covid, flu and RSV over the holidays
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The Centers for Disease Control Prevention on Monday encouraged people to wear masks to help reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses this season as Covid, flu and RSV circulate at the same time. The CDC director said the agency is considering expanding its system of Covid community levels to include other respiratory viruses such as the flu. The system is the basis for when CDC advises the public to wear masks. About 5% of the U.S. population lives in counties where the CDC is officially recommending masks due to high Covid levels. Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, board chair of the American Medical Association, said the circulation of Covid, flu and RSV at the same is a "a perfect storm for a terrible holiday season."

☆ Flu vaccine appears to be a very good match to circulating strains, CDC says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —This year’s flu shot appears to be “a very good match” to the circulating strains, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said at a news briefing Monday. Flu vaccinations for children are down about 5% compared with where they were before the Covid-19 pandemic, Walensky said. The good news is that looks like it is a very good match,” Walensky said of the early start to the respiratory virus season. She noted that the CDC would have more definitive data later in the season but that the data is encouraging. It’s not very good at interrupting transmission, and it is not very good at preventing milder infection,” he said.

There have been at least 8.7 million illnesses, 78,000 hospitalizations, and 4,500 deaths from flu so far this season, according to CDC estimates. She said flu season started earlier and "hospitalizations for flu continue to be the highest we have seen at this time of year in a decade." People also likely have weakened defenses after not being exposed to flu and RSV while working or schooling from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. About 12% fewer pregnant women have been vaccinated so far this season compared to last season, and about 5% fewer children, Walensky said. COVID-19 cases have risen following the Thanksgiving holiday and COVID-related hospitalizations have also increased about 15% to 20% over the last week, Walensky said.

But agency veterans, outside public health officials, and workplace organization experts said the current workplace structure could be a major barrier to that goal. As of early 2020, much of the workforce of the FDA and the National Institutes of Health was working remotely. Today, the NIH is mostly back in the office, but the FDA said many of its employees continue to work remotely when possible. Many people have fled the U.S. public health workforce in recent years, burned out from the covid-19 response. Benjamin said the CDC would likely have made its pandemic stumbles even if staffers hadn’t been working remotely.

☆ Former U.S. President Clinton tests positive for COVID
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Nov 30 (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Bill Clinton said in a tweet on Wednesday that he has tested positive for COVID-19 and experiencing mild symptoms. "I'm grateful to be vaccinated and boosted, which has kept my case mild," he said. loadingFew weeks ago, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director Rochelle Walensky and U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf had also tested positive with COVID symptoms. Reporting by Akriti Sharma and Khushi Mandowara in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Flu season continues to intensify in the US, and holiday gatherings could make it worse
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

And the CDC estimates that there have been at least 6.2 million illnesses, 53,000 hospitalizations and 2,900 deaths from influenza this season. Less than two months in, the RSV hospitalization rate this season is already nearing the total RSV hospitalization rate from the entire 2018-19 season. The latest surveillance data does not capture Thanksgiving week or the effects of holiday gatherings. Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths reached record high levels during last year’s holiday season – and this holiday season could also bring a rise in spread. Flu shots are lagging, too, with millions fewer vaccinations at this point in the season than in the past two years.

☆ New subvariants, family gatherings may bring more Covid-19 after holiday, but experts don’t expect severe surge
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Experts expect that Thanksgiving gatherings will stir up social networks and give new coronavirus subvariants fresh pockets of vulnerable people to infect. And we are concerned that after holiday gathering, lots of people coming together, that we may see increases in Covid-19 cases as well,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Tuesday on CNN. For the week ending Nov. 19, the CDC estimates that BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 were causing about half of all new Covid-19 cases in the US. Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths have remained flat for the past four weeks. “It’s probably got a bit more of a fitness advantage, so what we’re seeing is gradual replacement without a massive change in the total number of Covid-19 cases,” he said.

☆ Measles poses growing threat to kids as vaccinations decline globally, CDC and WHO warn
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A growing number of children around the world are vulnerable to measles as vaccination rates have declined to the lowest levels since 2008, global health leaders warned on Wednesday. About 81% of children worldwide received the first dose of the measles vaccine in 2021, down from 86% in 2019 before the Covid pandemic began. This leaves 25 million kids vulnerable to measles, according the report. The measles vaccine comes in two doses, but the first shot is the most important because it's 93% effective at preventing disease. This can cause outbreaks if vaccination rates are too low in their communities, according to the CDC.

☆ ‘Dancing With the Stars’ names Season 31 winner
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Marianne Garvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —“Dancing With the Stars” has crowned a new winner and she’s a TikTok-teen queen. Shangela and Gleb Savchenko danced to to “Queen Bee” by Rochelle Diamante and also scored a 36 out of 40. Host Tyra Banks announced that fourth place went to Shangela and Savchenko. Third place went to Brady and Carson. Second place went to Windey and Chmerkovskiy.

☆ Covid-19 rebound may be more common in people who take Paxlovid, early study suggests
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Covid-19 rebound also seems to be more common in people who take Paxlovid compared with those who don’t take the antiviral, although it can happen in either circumstance. In the past few months, instances of Covid-19 rebound have peppered headlines. That study found rebound happened about twice as frequently in people taking Paxlovid as in those who took the placebo. Among the 127 who took Paxlovid, about 14% saw their viral loads climb again after treatment. At least one study has documented a case of a person with rebound Covid-19 who took Paxlovid and passed the infection to an infant.

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