News
Debate over proposed nursing home staff minimums is particularly unproductive, says Stevenson
Feb. 15, 2024—The Biden administration’s proposed minimum staffing standard is likely the most important nursing home reform measure in decades. If finalized, the rule would establish detailed federal nursing home staffing standards for the first time, requiring facilities to always have a registered nurse onsite and to meet explicit levels for RN and nurse aide staffing. Following the release...
Tennessee parents rank education and school quality as leading concerns for children for third consecutive year, says Gastineau
Feb. 14, 2024—The latest results from an annual poll of Tennessee parents from the Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy again show education and school quality is the leading concern parents have for their children for the third consecutive year. Statewide, parents listed their top concerns as 1) education and school quality (43%), 2) bullying, including cyberbullying (39%), 3) mental health...
Halasa discusses new vaccine surveillance network projects her team is pursuing
Feb. 12, 2024—Natasha Halasa, MD, MPH, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), discusses the active population-based surveillance she helps to conduct as principal investigator (PI) of the Vanderbilt site of the New Vaccine Surveillance Network, which was established in 1999 by the CDC to predict the impact of potential new vaccines. She explained that this surveillance work...
Single-dose typhoid vaccine proven to protect children long-term, says Neuzil
Feb. 9, 2024—The research team enrolled more than 28,000 healthy children in Malawi and randomly assigned about half the group to receive TCV and the other half to receive a meningococcal capsular group A conjugate (MenA) control vaccine. During the more than four years of follow-up, 24 children in the TCV group and 110 in the MenA...
Creech discusses current challanges around RSV immunizations
Feb. 7, 2024—Let’s Talk ID is joining forces with the Curbsiders and the Cribsiders to discuss RSV immunizations! In this crossover episode, host Buddy Creech, MD, MPH, FPIDS, shares the latest on RSV immunizations, including mechanisms of action, eligibility criteria, and challenges surrounding finding doses this season.
APOL1 gene variant tied to higher COVID-19 mortality, says Hung
Feb. 6, 2024—Nationwide analysis finds variants may confer more than elevated risk of kidney disease. A sweeping analysis published in JAMA Internal Medicine found people harboring apolipoprotein 1 (APOL1) gene variants were at increased risk of developing acute kidney injury (AKI) and dying following hospitalization for COVID-19. The APOL1 variants protect against a parasitic infection native to Africa but are associated...
Al Hussein investigates side effects of treatments for prostate cancer treatments
Feb. 5, 2024—A 10-year follow up study of nearly 2,500 U.S. men who received prostate cancer treatment will help inform decision making in terms of treatments and side effects for a diverse population. The CEASAR (Comparative Effectiveness Analysis of Surgery and Radiation for Localized Prostate Cancer) study, coordinated by Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), is a multisite...
Bird flu vaccine more effective with potent adjuvant, says Creech
Jan. 22, 2024—The avian (bird) influenza vaccine creates a more robust immune response when paired with a potent ingredient known as an adjuvant, according to Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) research published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases. Adjuvants are used to help some vaccines work better by creating a stronger immune response for people receiving the vaccine. Avian...
VUMC to launch Program for Health Equity Researh; Umeukeje to serve as Co-Director
Jan. 10, 2024—Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s new Program for Health Equity Research (PHER), which will kick off next year, aims to become the nation’s leader in health equity research that’s inclusive, supportive and diverse by creating a rigorous environment for application-driven research with rapid response to policies and practices. The mission of PHER is to establish a community of scholars...
Collegiate golfers and tennis players reportedly underuse sunscreen; habits may be attributable to increase in melanoma cases, says Karpinos
Jan. 9, 2024—Collegiate tennis players aren’t using enough sunscreen, a new survey finds. And collegiate golfers aren’t either. As reported in Clinics in Dermatology, Georgina Sellyn, MA, Ashley Karpinos, MD, MPH, and research partners surveyed members of tennis and golf teams in five National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I conferences. Spending up to four hours per day outside practicing their sport,...