The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated its recommendations for COVID-19 vaccination for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised.
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North Carolina wastewater monitoring data now included in CDC COVID data tracker
Wastewater monitoring data from North Carolina are now part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention national COVID Data Tracker (CDT) website. North Carolina was one of the first eight jurisdictions in the CDC’s National Wastewater Surveillance System and is one of 13 jurisdictions currently participating in the NWSS and reporting wastewater data in the CDT.
OPINION: “Zero Risk” is too risky for me
With respect to risk tolerance, if you’d asked me before March 2020, I probably would have described myself as “risk-averse.” For example, I’m what you might call respectful of heights. That’s my preferred euphemism for terrified. I wasn’t too fond of them to begin with, but falling off a ladder while cleaning off leaves was enough. I set out to do\ a mundane chore and returned limping like Quasimodo and moaning like Marley’s ghost. I’m also cautious with money, and I don’t like to make big decisions on a lark.
Wait time for Moderna COVID-19 booster shortened to five months
The FDA now authorizes and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends individuals who received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine get a booster dose after five months. This announcement from federal agencies comes just three days after the announcement of a shortened wait time for a booster from six months to five months for individuals who received the Pfizer vaccine.
COVID-19 boosters recommended for children ages 12 to 15, additional dose recommended for immunocompromised children ages 5 to 11
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention yesterday announced it recommends the Pfizer COVID-19 booster for children ages 12 to 15 to further protect them from COVID-19. The CDC also recommends a third dose of Pfizer for children ages 5 to 11 who have compromised immune systems.
Health experts warn of significant impact from Omicron variant of COVID-19; NCDHHS urges everyone to get vaccinated
Health experts are warning that the highly contagious COVID-19 variant, Omicron, is expected to cause the greatest surge in COVID-19 infections to date in the coming months. The CDC and NCDHHS urge people to get vaccinated with an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) as soon as possible and to get a booster as soon as they are eligible to help prevent serious illness, hospitalization and death.
School closures still on the table this winter
Outgoing N.C. Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen told lawmakers recently that schools could still close in the event of a COVID infection surge this winter. Cohen delivered this news as teachers and students scramble to wrap this semester and kids try to catch up from the year of remote and missed school.
Governor Cooper highlights expansion of COVID-19 booster eligibility
Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D. provided an update on the state’s COVID-19 key metrics and trends.
Bloomberg philanthropies commits additional $120 million to reduce overdose deaths in U.S.
As the U.S. reckons with record-breaking drug overdose deaths during the COVID-19 epidemic, Michael R. Bloomberg today announced that Bloomberg Philanthropies is making a five-year, $120 million investment to help combat the overdose crisis in the hard-hit states of Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina and Wisconsin.
Governor Cooper tours pediatric office to highlight eligibility for children 5-11 to receive COVID-19 vaccine
Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D. toured Chapel Hill Pediatrics and Adolescents, P.A. in Orange County to see their operations to vaccinate children ages 5-11. The pediatrician’s office will begin administering vaccines for children ages 5-11, following the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) authorization of a lower dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recommendation that children ages 5–11 receive the vaccine.
New data dashboard tracks trends in violent deaths in North Carolina
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services released the North Carolina Violent Death Reporting System (NC-VDRS) Data Dashboard, an interactive online dashboard that provides aggregate information on violent deaths for all 100 counties in North Carolina. The NC-VDRS dashboard, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was created to make data more accessible to public health partners to inform the development, implementation and evaluation of prevention efforts around violence and safety.
Public school health survey asks students about drug use, sexual behavior
A youth risk survey for middle- and high-school students in the public school system is raising eyebrows for asking students about drug use and sexual activity.
NCDHHS Awarded $9M from CDC to support statewide community health worker infrastructure
North Carolina’s Community Health Worker Initiative will expand as part of the CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion's Community Health Workers for COVID Response and Resilient Communities (CCR) initiative. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services was awarded a total of $9 million with $3 million per year distributed over the next three years.
Governor Cooper pushes vaccination requirements and urges schools districts to keep mask mandates
"We know that keeping kids learning in the classroom is the most important thing for our students right now. Getting vaccinated, wearing a mask in public indoor settings and following the science is what we need to do," said Governor Cooper. "The faster we put this pandemic behind us, the sooner we can all rest easy and stay healthy."
FDA approves Pfizer vaccine for those 16 and older
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, which will Pfizer is calling Comirnaty, for the prevention of COVID-19 disease in individuals 16 years of age and older.
Immunocompromised people can now receive additional dose of Moderna, Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines
North Carolinians who are moderately to severely immunocompromised and received the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines can now begin receiving an additional dose to better protect themselves from COVID-19, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced today.
CDC issues new temporary moratorium to halt residential evictions through Oct. 3
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a new residential eviction moratorium that will offer protection from eviction for most renters in North Carolina. The moratorium, which will remain in effect through Oct. 3, 2021, applies in U.S. counties experiencing substantial and high levels of community transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that triggers COVID-19.
North Carolinians: don't wait to vaccinate!
After months of decline, North Carolina is experiencing a rapid increase in COVID-19 cases among those who are unvaccinated.
Vaccine requirements issued as some college students return to campus
Some universities across the state have announced that they will be requiring the COVID vaccine for students returning to campus. UNC System public universities are not requiring, but encouraging, the vaccine. Some private schools, including Duke and Wake Forest, are requiring it.
Health officials encourage parents to get preteens and teens up to date on immunizations
Governor Roy Cooper has proclaimed July Adolescent Immunization Awareness Month to highlight the importance of immunizations for North Carolina’s preteens and teens. As teachers, parents and students are preparing for the start of the 2021-22 school year, public health officials remind parents and guardians to ensure their teens and preteens are current on all their vaccinations and encourage health care providers to take steps to ensure their young patients are up to date.