Health
Commentary: Racial discrimination is linked to suicidal thoughts in Black adults and children
By Janelle R. Goodwill of the University of Chicago for The Conversation Frederick Douglass is regarded as one of the most prominent abolitionists the world has ever seen. Alongside his extraordinary contributions as an influential speaker, writer and human rights advocate, Douglass – who was born into slavery and gained freedom in September 1838 – also wrote […]
Federal vaccine rule for private businesses to kick in on Jan. 4
WASHINGTON — Many private employers beginning in January will have to ensure their workers either are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or that they will undergo weekly testing and wear a face covering, under a new federal rule announced Thursday by the White House. The policy from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is set to […]
Louisiana government hearing on yanking nursing home licenses won’t happen for a year
There will be no ruling on whether nursing homes owner Bob Dean will permanently lose his seven nursing home licenses for more than a year — and the dispute over Dean’s nursing homes ownership will likely drag on for much longer. Louisiana Division of Administrative Law Judge Karla Coreil and attorneys agreed that research and […]
If CDC signs off, COVID-19 shots for kids to begin later this week
WASHINGTON — Within minutes of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s announcement Friday giving the green light to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for kids aged 5 to 11, a massive logistics operation launched to prepare for the final regulatory step. Some 15 million doses of the vaccine began to move from Pfizer’s freezers to distribution centers, […]
Louisiana extends program that offers $100 gift cards for COVID-19 vaccination
Until the end of November, Louisianians who get their first COVID-19 vaccination shot are eligible to receive $100, as part of an extended vaccine incentive campaign. The Louisiana Department of Health announced the campaign extension Monday. The campaign, Shot For $100, was started for college students in August, but was expanded to the state’s general […]
Shipments of COVID-19 shots for kids 5-11 on the way to states after FDA gives green light
WASHINGTON — Vials of the two-shot Pfizer vaccine will soon be headed to pediatricians’ offices, hospitals, pharmacies and other providers, after regulators at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday granted emergency authorization to the pharmaceutical company’s COVID-19 vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds. But first, the vaccine needs the approval of the Centers for Disease […]
U.S. attorney general defends FBI probe of threats against school board members
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Republicans grilled Attorney General Merrick Garland for more than four hours on Wednesday about a Justice Department investigation into threats made to local school board members in multiple states. Garland at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing declined to revoke a memo he wrote asking the FBI to meet with local law […]
FDA panel recommends OK for Pfizer’s vaccine for kids 5 to 11
WASHINGTON — A federal vaccine advisory panel on Tuesday recommended authorizing Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, a decision that means as soon as next week everyone in the U.S. over age 5 is expected to be eligible for a shot. The vote by the Food & Drug Administration panel, with 17 […]
National school boards group apologizes for requesting probe of threats against local officials
WASHINGTON — The National School Boards Association is walking back its letter to President Joe Biden asking for federal help for school board members who have been harassed and threatened over masking requirements and discussions of race in public schools. The shift came after Republican members of Congress led by Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley raised […]
COVID-19 vaccines for kids ages 5 to 11 could be ready as soon as next week
WASHINGTON — The next wave of the massive COVID-19 vaccination campaign could begin as soon as next week, after federal regulators decide if elementary school students across the U.S. should begin rolling up their tiny sleeves. That multistep approval process kicks off Tuesday, when the Food & Drug Administration’s panel of vaccine experts will vote on […]
COVID-19 boosters from Moderna, J&J OK’d along with ‘mix and match’ shots
WASHINGTON — The Moderna booster shot for the COVID-19 vaccine is now available to adults in Louisiana, the Louisiana Health Department announced Friday, after federal health officials gave the green light Thursday follow-up doses of the shots made by Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. Anyone who received the one-shot J&J vaccine is now eligible for a […]
Kids age 5 to 11 next in line for COVID-19 vaccines as White House rolls out plans
WASHINGTON — Smaller needles. Redesigned shipments to ease the storage needs in pediatricians’ offices. And enough vials of the COVID-19 vaccine to inoculate the 28 million U.S. children between ages 5 and 11. Those are among the plans announced by the White House on Wednesday as federal and state officials prepare for a regulatory decision […]