Category: PUBLIC HEALTH INFORMATION

Outdoor Mask Guidance Echoes What Many Americans Already Do

In the small Nebraska town of Oxford, the school district dropped its mask mandate last month in what was a fairly straight-forward decision: Cases were down dramatically, and it didn’t bother local officials that their move flouted Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Those federal mask guidelines just didn’t seem to fit local conditions…


Florida House Approves Vaccine Passport Ban

The Florida House on Wednesday approved a bill that would set in law Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive order banning so-called “vaccine passports,” credentials that could take the form of an app or a physical document that indicate whether someone has been inoculated against the CCP virus, which causes the disease COVID-19. Lawmakers voted 76–40 to approve the…


Study Shows Heart Issues Resulting From COVID-19 Not as Prevalent in Athletes as Previously Reported

Fewer than one percent of college athletes who tested positive for COVID-19 developed heart-related problems, according to a recent study published in the American Heart Association’s journal, Circulation, on April 17. The prospective observational study involved 3,018 COVID-positive athletes from 42 colleges or universities across 26 sports. Data on the “prevalence, clinical characteristics, and outcomes…


People Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19 Don’t Need to Wear Masks Outdoors: CDC

People who have been fully vaccinated against the virus that causes COVID-19 are no longer being advised to wear masks outdoors. People who have gotten two Moderna or Pfizer shots, or the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, can conduct a range of activities outside without wearing a mask, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…


European Union to Lift Travel Ban on Vaccinated Americans: EU Official

A top European official said Sunday that American travelers who are fully vaccinated against the CCP virus will likely be allowed to travel to the European Union this summer, with the caveat that a final decision on resumption of travel will depend on the status of the outbreak. “Americans, as far as I can see,…


European Union to Lift Travel Ban for Vaccinated Americans: EU Official

A top European official said Sunday that American travelers who are fully vaccinated against the CCP virus will likely be allowed to travel to the European Union this summer, with the caveat that a final decision on resumption of travel will depend on the status of the outbreak. “Americans, as far as I can see,…


CDC Recommends Pregnant Women Get a COVID-19 Vaccine

Pregnant women should get a COVID-19 vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending. “CDC recommends that pregnant people receive the COVID-19 vaccine. We know that this is a deeply personal decision, and I encourage people to talk to their doctors or primary care providers to determine what is best for them and…


Pause on Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine Lifted: CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) vaccine advisory committee has voted to lift the pause on the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine with no restrictions, saying the vaccine’s benefits outweigh the risks, at an emergency meeting on Friday. Members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) said that they recommend resuming…


Vaccine Passports Should Be Voluntary and Temporary: Aviation Leaders

Passengers who want to travel should not have to show proof that they received a COVID-19 vaccine, aviation leaders told lawmakers at the Senate Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations and Innovation hearing on April 21. Leaders from the aviation industry hope to open up air travel and believe that vaccine passports may help restore consumer…


Pfizer Confirms Fake COVID-19 Vaccines Found in Mexico and Poland: Reports

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has confirmed to multiple media outlets that it has identified counterfeit versions of its COVID-19 vaccine in Mexico and Poland. A spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal that fake versions of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in Mexico had fraudulent labels, while a substance inside vials in Poland was probably an anti-wrinkle treatment. Tests…