“Off-label” use of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine in children younger than 12 is “not appropriate,” the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Monday. Off-label use refers to an approved medicine being used in ways or in patients it’s not FDA-approved for. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) also “strongly discourages” such use. On Monday, the… read on > read on >
All Lifestyle:
Jesse Jackson, Wife Hospitalized With COVID
The Rev. Jesse Jackson and his wife and fellow civil rights activist, Jacqueline, remained in Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago on Monday after testing positive for COVID-19, their family said. Jesse Jackson is fully vaccinated, but Jacqueline Jackson has not been vaccinated, according to family spokesman Frank Watkins, who wouldn’t provide more details on the… read on > read on >
Parents, Look Out for Mental Health Issues as College Kids Return to Class
This year of pandemic isolation and anxiety has been tough for many, but an expert says college students are at particularly high risk for mental health issues as they transition from adolescence to adulthood. As students return to their campuses, it’s important for parents to monitor their young adults’ mental health, said Dr. Richard Catanzaro,… read on > read on >
Pentagon to Make COVID Vaccination Mandatory for Military
Following on full U.S. regulatory approval of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, the Pentagon announced on Monday that all military personnel — including 1.3 million active-duty troops — must get their shots. According to the Associated Press, Department of Defense spokesman John Kirby said Pentagon officials are preparing to issue guidance to require vaccination, although no… read on > read on >
Study Gives Hope for ‘Dream’ Vaccine Against All COVID Variants
A multi-purpose vaccine that would protect humans against any future COVID-19 variants could one day be possible, a new study suggests. The key to it all lies in a coronavirus scare that happened nearly two decades ago. People previously infected with SARS — the original coronavirus pandemic from 2003 — produced an incredibly powerful immune… read on > read on >
Little Change in Number of Uninsured in Pandemic’s First Year
While the COVID-19 pandemic has had a big impact on the economy and jobs, it didn’t result in fewer Americans having health insurance. The number of 18- to 64-year-olds in the United States without health insurance held steady at 11% between March 2019 and April 2021, according to a survey by the Urban Institute, a… read on > read on >
Teachers’ Unions, Doctors Agree: Vaccines, Masks Crucial for Return-to-School
Schools are reopening as the Delta variant surges across America, a scary prospect for educators and parents alike. But experts representing teachers and doctors say reopening must happen for the sake of students, and a combo of vaccination and safety measures will help keep kids and staff safe. Kids have suffered during the pandemic, and… read on > read on >
Parents’ Poll Finds Strong Support for Vaccination of Students, Teachers
As the school year starts across much of the United States amid a surge in coronavirus cases fueled by the Delta variant, a new survey shows most parents support vaccines for students and staff alike. Sixty-two percent of nearly 1,700 parents with at least one child aged 7 to 18 said they would feel safer… read on > read on >
Conservative Talk Show Host Who Railed Against Vaccines Dies of COVID
Conservative radio talk show host Phil Valentine, a COVID-19 vaccine skeptic and mask mandate opponent, has died at age 61 of COVID-19. “We are saddened to report that our host and friend Phil Valentine has passed away,” his station, SuperTalk 99.7 WTN, tweeted Saturday afternoon. “Please keep the Valentine family in your thoughts and prayers.”… read on > read on >
FDA Grants Full Approval of Pfizer COVID Vaccine
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday granted full approval for Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine. “The FDA’s approval of this vaccine is a milestone as we continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic,” Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock said in an agency news release. “While this and other vaccines have met the FDA’s rigorous, scientific… read on > read on >