Having survived the harrowing war aggression on her two homelands, Croatia and Bosnia
and Herzegovina sometimes by the narrowest of margins as shells missed her location
by small distances Alemka Markotić, like many who lived through those times, feels
lucky to be alive and has in her CV under “Other skills and competencies” ‘Survival
in wartime’.
Even though both the absolute and relative risk of AF-related ischemic stroke declined
over the past 20 years, every fourth ischemic stroke in 2020 still had a preceding
or concurrent AF diagnosis. This represents a great potential for future gains in
stroke prevention among AF patients.
Understanding the protection conferred by previous infection against repeat infection,
illness, and severe disease is key to projecting the future epidemiology of COVID-19
and to guiding vaccine policy decisions. In The Lancet, The COVID-19 Forecasting Team1
report data from a systematic review and meta-analysis of 65 studies from 19 different
countries estimating the reduction in COVID-19 risk among individuals with previous
SARS-CoV-2 infection, compared with those without a previous infection.
To support national immunisation policy, many countries around the world have established
National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs). NITAGs serve as independent
expert committees providing scientific advice and making recommendations that guide
immunisation policy and programmatic decisions. WHO considers NITAGs an essential
part of national immunisation programmes, and the Global Vaccine Action Plan recommended
that all countries establish, or have access to, a NITAG.1 Although each NITAG conducts
autonomous scientific reviews, historically there has been consistency among NITAGs
regarding the approach to vaccine reactions.
Many people sterilised under Utah s eugenics law are likely living today. While some
states have taken steps to reckon with their roles in depriving people of their reproductive
rights, Utah lacks even an official acknowledgment of this shameful, medical history.
Given the advanced age of the potential survivors, time is running out for a reconciliation
that can be experienced by those who were most harmed by the practice.