Health Links
KFF, Kaiser Family Foundation: Vaccinating Children Ages 5-11; Policy Considerations for COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout
It is widely expected that children, ages 5-11, will soon become the latest group to be eligible for COVID-19 vaccination in the United States. The federal government is also partnering with over 100 children’s hospitals across the country to set up vaccination clinics through the end of the year. As such, children could become eligible as soon as November 3 or 4. In anticipation, the White House and CDC have engaged in operational planning with state and local jurisdictions. However, when the doses for children become available and how rapidly the rollout translates into shots getting into kids’ arms nationwide remain to be seen. At least in the near term, there could be some unique challenges to this new vaccination effort as well as a repeat of some of the difficulties faced during previous COVID-19 vaccination phases. more »
Your Patient Is Now Reading Your Note: Opportunities, Problems, and Prospects From Researchers at U of Washington and Harvard Med School
"As fully transparent medical records proliferate, many questions remain unanswered. Such uncertainties create anxiety and apprehension among doctors at a time when many already feel overwhelmed. In an effort to ease the transition to what we believe will be a widespread and ultimately beneficial practice, we draw on over 5 years of the authors' clinical experience and conversations with clinicians around the country to offer suggestions for creating notes that can work for all concerned. Patients have unprecedented online access to their medical records. More than 6 million Americans can now read their doctors' notes via patient portals, and continued rapid growth is likely." more »
A Scout Report Selection: Science-Based Medicine
Science Based Medicine features blog-style posts offering the latest evidence about medical claims, news about recent scientific discoveries, and commentary on issues of contemporary and perennial interest. Readers can scroll through the latest posts or find those organized by popular topics such as Chiropractic, Energy Medicine, Nutrition, Health Fraud, and even Veterinary Medicine. Second, in the Reference drop-down menu, SBM offers materials on major topics and issues such as Homeopathy, Vaccines & Autism, and Acupuncture. more »
Kaiser Family Foundation: Wildfire Smoke Is Here to Stay. Here’s How to Clean the Air Inside Your Home
The fierce wildfires that broke out across much of the western United States this summer, spreading smoke across hundreds of miles, continue to pose a serious health hazard to millions. That’s a major health concern because microscopic particles in wildfire smoke, carried by the wind, can penetrate deep into your lungs and travel into your bloodstream. One study linked wildfire smoke exposure to a twofold increase in the rate of asthma and a 40% rise in strokes and heart attacks. But the smoke can get into your house or apartment. So you might want to consider investing in equipment to clean the air inside your home, especially with climate change likely to continue escalating the scope and intensity of the fires. more »