The first measles death in the growing outbreak in West Texas was a school-aged child. The child was unvaccinated and had been hospitalized in Lubbock, Texas. Officials did not answer questions regarding the patient's specific age, any other health issues, or details about the patient's schooling in a press conference jointly hosted by Covenant Health and the City of Lubbock Public Health on Wednesday.This is the first US measles death since 2015, when a woman in Washington state died.
The number of confirmed measles cases reported in an outbreak in West Texas is now at 124, the Texas Department of Health Services said in an update Tuesday, an increase of 34 since late last week. Most of the cases are in children ages 5 to 17.
A FDA vaccine advisory committee meeting scheduled for March to select the strains to be included in next season's flu shot has been canceled. Federal health officials notified members of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee of the cancelation in an email Wednesday afternoon, says committee member Dr. Paul Offit, the director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
When health insurance denies coverage for essential medications, the consequences can be severe. From formulary exclusions to step therapy hurdles, patients face barriers that often contradict clinical best practices.
With Medicare set to run out of funding for telehealth coverage by the end of March, Democratic Representative Ro Khanna of California has introduced the Telehealth Coverage Act to continue the services.
Three people were taken to a hospital after a medical helicopter crashed in a wooded area near a North Carolina airport, officials said. The three team members who were on the AirLink helicopter on Monday night were taken for evaluation. No patients were on board, Novant Health said. The team consisted of a pilot, a critical care registered nurse and a critical care paramedic. They were in fair condition Tuesday evening. The Eurocopter EC-135 helicopter crashed near Wilmington International Airport around 7:50 p.m., the FAA said. The helicopter had left Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington to return to its base at Albert J. Ellis Airport in the Richlands area of Onslow County.