Immunization

Abuja – On October 20, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) accepted a contribution from a leading Nigerian philanthropic organization, Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa), to partner on tuberculosis (TB) control and gender-based violence (GBV) prevention efforts in Nigeria. ASR Africa will provide critical inputs, valued at $500,000, to the national TB and GBV responses.  These contributions will expand the impact of USAID's current programs, implemented through local Nigerian organizations.  Specifically, ASR Africa's contribution will provide: 11 loop-mediated isothermal amplification diagnostic machines, also known as TB-LAMPs, with laboratory reagents and consumables; renovation of 10 Tuberculosis Directly Observed Therapy or DOT centers; and approximately 1,200 dignity kits for survivors of gender-based violence across selected states in Nigeria. The TB-LAMP diagnostic machines will enable 11 facilities to effectively d...

Oct. 31—WILKES-BARRE — Effective Nov. 1, services at Children's Service Center in Wilkes-Barre will implement expanded hours for children and adolescent crisis support, including phone, walk-in and mobile support for Luzerne and Wyoming counties. Children's Service Center Wednesday announced enhancements to its Crisis Intervention Service, extending walk-in hours and increasing availability of mobile crisis assessments for individuals and families in the two counties. According to CSC President and CEO Mike Hopkins, community-based Crisis Intervention is essential to providing the full range of needed services, along with mental health and substance use disorder programs, at Children's Service Center and Robinson Counseling Center. "While serving more than 11,000 clients annually, our goal with Crisis Intervention is to provide immediate assessment, comfort and support, making a rapid connection to appropriate treatment," Hopkins said. "The services are desig...

BOARDMAN, Ohio — Southwoods Health announced this week that three primary care physicians have joined its growing network. All are accepting new patients. Necklall Khooblall, M.D., is board certified in internal medicine. Khooblall received his bachelor's degree from Mauritius / Cambridge in the United Kingdom and his doctorate from Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Dublin, Ireland. He completed his residency at St. Elizabeth Medical Center. Khooblall is seeing patients at 253 S. Canfield-Niles Road in Austintown. Andrew Lockshawk III, D.O., is board certified in family medicine. He received his bachelor's degree from The Ohio State University and doctorate from Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his residency at Youngstown Osteopathic Hospital. Lockshaw's office is at 296 E. Manor Avenue in Struthers. David Lockshaw, D.O., is a primary care physician board certified in family medicine. He  attende...

An experimental vaccine meant to protect against a broad swath of the bacteria that cause pneumonia met its main goal in a mid-stage clinical trial, according to Vaxcyte, the company developing it. Vaxcyte said results showed its vaccine matched the performance of a standard Pfizer shot in protecting against 20 bacteria strains and exceeded it against four others among healthy adults. Shares in the company, which began trading publicly in June 2020, surged 60% following the announcement of the data Monday morning, closing the day at $33 apiece. Following that rise, the company is worth about $2 billion, similar to the $2.1 billion price GSK paid to acquire Affinivax, a vaccine company that also has an experimental 24-strain pneumococcal shot. Vaxcyte quickly moved to raise money at its higher value, announcing plans on Monday afternoon to hold a stock offering.  U.S. officials recommend pneumococcal vaccines for all people age 65 and older and for those 19 and ol...

Deerfield, Ill., Oct. 25, 2022 - Today, answering the President's call to action, Walgreens announced free prescription delivery of Paxlovid, a COVID-19 oral antiviral therapy, directly to the doorsteps of those in need, with the help of delivery partners DoorDash and Uber Health.   The initiative, which will launch on Walgreens.com and the Walgreens app in the coming weeks, will prioritize access to free delivery of Paxlovid for patients with a prescription who are in socially vulnerable or medically underserved communities, and will help ensure that transportation access is not a barrier to receiving treatment for COVID-19. Walgreens dispenses COVID-19 oral antivirals to eligible populations at nearly all locations across the United States.   Walgreens has a long history of collaborating with community based organizations, faith based organizations and national civic groups to reach medically underserved and underrepresented communities with education, ...

What GAO Found Based on survey data it reviewed, GAO estimated that adults' receipt of four routine vaccines at the ages they are recommended for all adults—flu, pneumococcal, shingles, and tetanus—varied by type of vaccine, state, and other factors, such as race and ethnicity. Vaccine type: Estimated adult vaccination rates for tetanus and pneumococcal were nearly 40 percentage points higher than the rate for the shingles vaccine. State: Most states had estimated vaccination rates that fell within 5 percentage points of these national averages, with 16 states consistently above—and 9 states consistently below—the median vaccination rate. Race and ethnicity: Black or African American and Hispanic or Latino adults generally had estimated vaccination rates 13 or more percentage points below that of White adults for each of the four vaccines. Estimated National Adult Vaccination Rates for Four Routine Vaccines Factors stakeholders identified as affecting r...

CNN  —  In the wake of flooding from Hurricane Ian, Lee County, Florida, has seen what the state's Department of Health called an "abnormal increase" in cases of a rare bacterial infection. Florida has reported 64 Vibrio vulnificus infections and 13 deaths this year as of Friday, according to the health department, up from 34 cases and 10 deaths last year. This is the first time the number of cases has gone above 50 since 2008, when the state started keeping track. Many of the cases have been concentrated in Lee County, where residents have been cleaning up after Category 4 Hurricane Ian made landfall at the end of September. These infections are rare but serious. Vibrio vulnificus causes an estimated 80,000 illnesses and 100 deaths in the United States every year, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Where ...

T he American Revolution had July 4. The allies had D-Day. And now U.S. patients, held down for decades by information hoarders, can rally around a new turning point, October 6, 2022 — the day they got their health data back. Under federal rules taking effect Thursday, health care organizations must give patients unfettered access to their full health records in digital format. No more long delays. No more fax machines. No more exorbitant charges for printed pages. Just the data, please — now. "My great hope is that this will turn the tide on the culture of information blocking," said Lisa Bari, CEO of Civitas Networks for Health, a nonprofit that supports medical data sharing. "It's a ground level thing to me: We need to make sure information flows the way patients want it to." UPCOMING EVENT Connect with today's innovators & tomorrow's thought leaders We're hosting events nationwide (and virtually) to tackle the...

CHARLOTTE — Ahead of the general election on Nov. 8, Channel 9 is asking candidates in several local races why they're running and what they hope to accomplish if elected. We sent five questions to all candidates contending for the North Carolina state Senate in local races and asked them to respond in about 100 words. READ MORE coverage from The Political Beat HERE What is the top priority for your district? Are you in favor of Medicaid expansion? What is your position on abortion? Should North Carolina legalize mobile sports betting? Should the legislature give Charlotte the authority to ask voters for a sales tax increase referendum for transit? Voters will elect representatives for North Carolina's House and Senate. Republicans are attempting to take back a supermajority. Republicans need to pick up three seats in the House and two seats in the Senate to be able to override a veto by Gov. Roy Cooper. Not sure of your district? Search NC legislative maps HERE Six local Senat...

Getty Images SAN FRANCISCO -- Whether verbal or physical, altercations between teammates come with the territory of sports at any level, from pee-wee to professional. However, there's a level of respect that needs to be maintained, and the line is different for every team. It's clear that Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green crossed that line when he punched teammate Jordan Poole during practice last Wednesday -- an act that sent ripples through the Warriors organization. Known for his fiery, passionate disposition, the 32-year-old Green has gotten into several midgame verbal spats with teammates that have been caught on camera during his tenure with the Warriors, not to mention his reputation at practices. But he crosse...

[unable to retrieve full-text content] Best of Johnson County 2022 Winners: Medical, dental and health    Shawnee Mission Post

WEST CENTRAL, FLA   – The Florida Departments of Health in West Central Florida are reminding residents and visitors to make safe and healthy choices this Halloween. Halloween can be a tremendous source of fun for kids and adults, but never forget that it's also important to make choices that promote health and safety. Costume, traffic, and food safety are essential for trick-or-treaters. Costuming Consider adding reflective tape or striping to costumes and trick-or-treat bags for greater visibility. Glow sticks bracelets, and necklaces can be used. Makeup should be tested ahead of time on a small patch of skin to ensure there are no unpleasant surprises or allergic reactions. Toxic ingredients have been found in cosmetics marketed to teens and tweens, so be sure to check the source. Do not use decorative contact lenses without an eye examination and a prescription from an eye care professional. Traffic Children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and...