Immunization

Ten UAB experts, with specialties ranging from public health to infectious diseases, to pediatrics, will serve as investigators for the new Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control. Written by: Maria White Media contact: Hannah Echols Ten UAB experts, with specialties ranging from public health to infectious diseases, to pediatrics, will serve as investigators for the new Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control. (Photo by: Steve Wood) The University of Alabama at Birmingham has been awarded nearly $2 million by the Alabama Department of Public Health to support the establishment of the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control. This new center was approved by the Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama System at its June meeting. It will provide consultation and support services to boost infectious disease prevention and control efforts across Alabama.   The ARC IPC will bring together experts from across the universi...

Image: Shutterstock If there's one word we've been hearing too much of since the previous year, then it has to be 'immunity'. Ever since the global pandemic hit, people everywhere were queuing outside medical stores to get their vitamin pills and of course, who can forget the uncountable different takes on the age-old kadha concoctions and turmeric milk. It's pretty safe to conclude that it took one global pandemic to make people realise the value of immunity and how it really helps the human body. Continue reading to understand what is active and passive immunity. Immunity, in simple terms, is the body's ability to protect itself from an infectious disease. The term - you are immune to a disease means that your immune system is strong enough to fight off infection from it. Active and passive are two types of immunity that we will learn about in this article. Image: Shutterstock 1. Active Immunity 2. Passive Immunity 3. Herd Immunity 4. Types Of I...

April 14, 2021 Area(s) of Interest: Payor Issues and Reimbursement   UnitedHealthcare (UHC) is now requiring physicians to bill eligible telehealth services with place of service (POS) 02 for commercial products. Telehealth claims with any other POS will not be considered eligible for reimbursement. While the policy – announced in United's October 2020 Reimbursement Policy Update Bulletin – became effective January 1, 2021, UHC advises that an unofficial transition period for payment of claims not billed with POS 02 was in place through mid-March. Effective March 13, 2021, telehealth claims not billed with POS 02 will not be paid and providers will be required to resubmit a corrected claim.   The change implemented by UHC aligns with the California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) all plan letter  (APL) issued on September 4, 2020, which reminded DMHC-regulated health plans of the continued requirement to reimburse providers at the same rate for telehealth services, in...

Healthcare Tech Outlook | Monday, June 28, 2021 With no doctors or hospitals able to target and cater to richer clientele, universal health care equalizes service. As a result, everyone receives the same quality of treatment, resulting in a healthier workforce and a longer life expectancy. FREMONT, CA:  Universal health care is a wide word that refers to any action taken by a government to ensure that as many people as feasible have access to health care. Some governments do this by establishing minimum standards and rules, while others implement initiatives that benefit the entire community. The ultimate goal, however, is universal health coverage for all residents. Advantages of Universal Health Care On all sides of the aisle, universal health care is a  contentious  issue. It is critical to understand the advantages and disadvantages of a national program like universal health care, which are frequently highlighted. The most obvious benefit of universal healt...

AllCare Family Medicine is opening a location at 4340 Connecticut Avenue. The UDC-owned retail space was previously used as swing space by the DC Public Library. by Marlene Berlin Van Ness is getting an urgent care and primary care clinic – its first since Walgreens closed its pharmacy and walk-in clinic at 4225 Connecticut Avenue in 2015. AllCare Family Medicine and Urgent Care will set up shop at 4340 Connecticut, in a 27,000 square foot space that temporarily housed the Cleveland Park Interim Library and then the Washingtoniana Collection. The space has been vacant since early 2020. Advertisement UDC will be its landlord. The UDC Board of Trustees approved the lease Tuesday evening. David Franklin, the university's acting chief operating officer, told Forest Hills Connection that he's excited about the possibilities. AllCare and UDC are discussing internships and practicums for UDC nursing students, he said. The AllCare locations are usually s...

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a daily medication that protects against HIV infection, is available through NYU Langone's Virtual Urgent Care and at Family Health Centers at NYU Langone locations. To start PrEP treatment, you can schedule a video visit through our virtual urgent care service at any time, day or night. If you prefer an in-person visit, you can schedule an appointment with one of our providers.   PrEP is recommended for people who do not have HIV but are at high risk of contracting the infection, including those who have sex with people who have HIV, inject drugs for recreational use, or have been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection within the last six months. To be most effective, PrEP must be taken every day. NYU Langone providers can help you determine whether PrEP is right for you. During your initial appointment, either virtual or in person, we talk with you about your overall HIV risk, explain how PrEP works, and answer any questions you hav...

Share on Pinterest A history of diphtheria and tetanus vaccination may partly explain why some people with COVID-19 do not require hospitalization. David Greedy/Getty Images Tetanus and diphtheria vaccines may produce protective effects against COVID-19. Preliminary data finds severe disease outcomes significantly reduced among people who have received vaccines. Scientists say that the vaccines could be achieving this by priming the innate immune response to fight. The way that COVID-19, the infectious respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, progresses is different for everyone. Although some people experience no or only mild flu-like symptoms and emerge unscathed from the infection, some require hospitalization and intubation due to respiratory failure and varying levels of organ support. For other people, it is fatal. Termed "interindividual variation," health experts have largely attributed these differences in disease progression and outcome ...

Community Health Workers (CHWs) help to connect community members to available services and resources. They provide benefits to individuals, communities, providers, and payers. Since CHWs are often members of the communities they serve, and rural communities typically have strong community connections, CHWs have an opportunity to: Develop trusting, one-on-one relationships with patients Act as a liaison between the healthcare system, patients, and families/caregivers Gain support from other organizations serving the community Strengthen care coordination by connecting patients with available healthcare and social support services Extend the reach of healthcare providers and services, which is particularly helpful in areas with shortages of providers Deliver services that are appropriate based on the patient's language and culture Give back to their communities CHWs are widely known to improve the health of their communities by linking their neighbors to health care ...

This story is part of The Aftermath, a Vox series about the collateral health effects of the Covid-19 pandemic in communities around the US. This series is supported in part by the NIHCM Foundation . Last August, Dr. Scott Jolley came home at 3 am from a busy emergency room shift looking pale, far older than his 55 years. It was the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, and he had been the only physician on duty at his hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. One of his patients had gone into cardiac arrest after Jolley removed his personal protective equipment to meet his next patient. Jolley, athletic with dusty brown hair, had to frantically gown up and run back to perform a resuscitation. The patient survived, but Jolley felt agitated. When Jolley's wife, Jackie, woke up at 6, she found him at their kitchen table, hunched over and unable to sleep. He was worrying that in his hurry, he hadn't put on his PPE correctly, that he might expose Jackie and their three daughters to the cor...