Key CDC advisers set to scrutinize evidence for vaccine booster shots
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 11, 2021
The question of whether a COVID-19 booster shot will be helpful and safe may receive an answer Friday. That is when the CDC’s top vaccine advisers will meet to review updated evidence for recommending...
Residents’ lack of energy may signal malnutrition; full assessment advised
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 10, 2021
In a study of 13 nursing homes, fully 43% of residents reported that they lacked energy, and 12% were malnourished. The two problems were significantly linked, investigators say.
SNF residents could go to front of a booster shot line, but clinic approach needs to change, expert says
By
Danielle Brown
Alicia Lasek
Aug 09, 2021
COVID-19 booster shots are being fast-tracked for approval by federal health officials, and residents in nursing homes could be among the first to receive them.
Show us the data: COVID vaccine boosters may get go-ahead, but LTC docs remain wary
By
Alicia Lasek
Danielle Brown
Aug 09, 2021
Booster shots for the most vulnerable appear to be on a fast track to federal authorization. But clinicians want information about necessity, safety, dosing and more to justify prescribing an extra dose...
All nursing home staff in Massachusetts must get COVID-19 shots
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 05, 2021
The state is requiring staff and contract employees in all of its 378 facilities to receive a vaccination, Gov. Charlie Baker announced Wednesday.
FDA may grant Pfizer vaccine full approval by Labor Day: report
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 05, 2021
The nationwide rise in COVID-19 cases driven by the highly transmissible delta strain has spurred the agency move quickly, sources told The New York Times.
Osteoporosis a growing threat: more DXA scans needed, bone health expert says
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 04, 2021
Increased Medicare reimbursement for bone scans is a key part the solution to the growing health burden of osteoporosis in the United States, an expert in fracture prevention says.
Screen older adults for pandemic-related mental health concerns, researchers say
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 29, 2021
Twenty percent of older poll respondents reported worse mental health, including sleep troubles, depression and anxiety. Screening for symptoms and ensuring accessible treatment will help prevent long-term...
Second dose of mRNA vaccine is safe after acute allergic reaction to first, investigators say
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 27, 2021
The CDC has recommended that people who have a reaction to the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines take the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as a second shot. But the new study suggests that this “mixed” series of...
New cases of antifungal-resistant yeast infections in nursing homes alarm CDC
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 26, 2021
For the first time, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention has identified U.S. nursing home residents and hospital patients with candida auris yeast infections that resist all first-line antifungal...