COVID-19 vaccines for children and teens: What we do and don’t know Posted May 05, 2021, 10:30 am
Contributor
Vaccines have been heralded as a key measure to slow the COVID-19 pandemic and one day bring it to an end. Every day, millions of American adults are receiving one of the authorized vaccines proven highly effective at preventing severe illness that might otherwise lead to hospitalizations and deaths. In the US, most people over 65 have now been fully vaccinated, protecting the most vulnerable in our population.
As an infectious disease specialist, my responses to the questions below are based on what we know so far about infection and vaccines in children and teens. We’ll need to continue filling in gaps as research is done and our understanding evolves.
COVID-19 vaccines and the LGBTQ+ community Posted April 30, 2021, 6:30 am , Updated May 01, 2021, 4:54 pm
Contributor
I have a confession: in late 2020, when the first COVID-19 vaccines were approved by the FDA, I was hesitant to get one myself. Despite working in public health and believing strongly in vaccines to keep our community healthy, I was anxious about putting something in my body that seemed so new. I thought: “What if the vaccine is dangerous?” “What about long-term side effects?”
I am part of the LGBTQ+ community. Our history may help explain why I hesitated.
Are LGBTQ+ people more hesitant to get the vaccine?
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Not long ago, during pre-pandemic 2019, the reported life expectancy at birth for non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic White, and Hispanic populations was approximately 75, 79, and 82 years, respectively. The higher life expectancy of Hispanic people compared to others in the United States may come as a surprise to some.
This phenomenon, known as the “Hispanic paradox,” was first noted in the 1980s, and its legitimacy has been debated since. A host of explanations have been proposed, including hypotheses about the “healthy immigrant” (people who migrate to the US are healthier than those who stay in their native countries) and “salmon bias” (less healthy US immigrants are more likely to return to their countries of origin). Other experts note that Hispanic communities have lower rates of smoking and greater levels of social cohesion, which certainly may contribute to their presumed higher life expectancy. In the end, this difference remains poorly understood, an
If a 3-year-old finds a cookie on the table, chances are they are going to eat it.
Even if it is made with marijuana or THC, CBD, or other components of cannabis.
As more states have legalized the use of marijuana and an ever-widening range of derivative products, it’s not surprising that more children are being exposed including by eating marijuana edibles. A research brief published in the journal
Pediatrics found that between 2017 and 2019, there were 4,172 calls to regional poison control centers about exposures to cannabis in babies and children through age 9. About half of the calls were related to edibles.
Pills and the planet: Environmentally-friendly steps for your medicine cabinet Posted April 22, 2021, 10:30 am
Contributor
Most people might not guess that pills (or creams, patches, and inhalers, for that matter) have a big impact on the environment but they do.
Climate change is leading to noticeable effects on the environment, as well as to consequences for our health, such as rising rates of asthma and new patterns of infectious diseases. The key driver of climate change is greenhouse gas emissions. Our health care system plays a large role, contributing close to 10% of our nation’s greenhouse gases. The US is also responsible for more than 25% of the world’s total health care emissions.