News
Schaffner comments on low COVID-19 cases
May. 21, 2021—“Cases are going down, deaths are going down, hospitalizations are going down, vaccinations are going up,” Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious diseases professor at Vanderbilt University, told CNN on Tuesday. “If the vaccinations increased even more rapidly, you would see those other metrics, those Covid metrics, going down even more.” “There’s still lots of people...
Acra: New tools to make EGIDs
May. 20, 2021—Currently, ongoing evaluation of children’s eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders (EGIDs) requires repeated endoscopies and biopsies. This is time consuming, expensive, and stressful for the patient, but it is necessary to identify and treat EGIDs before they cause potentially irreversible tissue damage and fibrosis. The most common EGID, eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), is increasingly recognized among children and adults. “It...
Pregnant “Secret Shoppers” Seek Care for Opioid Use Disorder says Patrick
May. 20, 2021—Pregnant women, and women generally, face major barriers to accessing treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) even when there are providers close to where they live, new research shows. Problems include being unable to book appointments and providers’ refusing insurance, both public and private. The study, which involved tens of thousands of phone calls made by “secret...
Talbot votes yes on Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for 12-to-15-year-olds
May. 17, 2021—A Centers For Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee gave Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine the go ahead for use in teenagers from 12 to 15 years old on Wednesday. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky formally adopted the recommendation by Wednesday evening, allowing for the shots to be put into the arms of middle and high schoolers across the country...
Schaffner comments on rise of Mucormycosis during COVID-19 surge in India
May. 14, 2021—India is experiencing a devastating COVID-19 surge, with health officials in the country reporting 366,161 new infections on Monday and 3,754 deaths. Now, the country is seeing a rise in another potentially deadly illness. It’s a fungal infection called mucormycosis, aka “black fungus.” The Times of India says the western state of Maharashtra, which has seen a massive surge...
Creech comments on new COVID-19 vaccine guidelines
May. 13, 2021—The Food and Drug Administration on Monday lowered the age that people can receive Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine in the United States to 12 — a move that is expected to make millions of more shots available. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was authorized for use in people ages 16 and up in December. The FDA has now amended...
Edwards answers questions about the COVID-19 vaccine in children
May. 13, 2021—The Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine can now be used in children ages 12 to 15, according to the Food and Drug Administration, which extended authorization of the vaccine to that age group Monday. On Wednesday, an advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted to recommend use of the vaccine in this age group. Some...
Fauci shares lessons learned during COVID-19 response with MPH students
May. 13, 2021—Anthony Fauci, MD, chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden’s administration and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), recently met virtually with students of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine’s Master of Public Health (MPH) program to answer questions about lessons learned during the pandemic and to share career advice. During...
Patrick named 2021 Chancellor Faculty Fellow
May. 12, 2021—Nine outstanding faculty members from across the university have been selected for the 2021 cohort of Chancellor Faculty Fellows. This group is composed of highly accomplished, recently tenured faculty from a wide variety of disciplines and areas of expertise. “Our exceptionally talented faculty drive Vanderbilt’s mission of scholarship, teaching and innovation,” Chancellor Daniel Diermeier said. “By...
Acra honored with VUMC faculty award
May. 11, 2021—Recipients of the JOHN A. OATES AWARD For Two or More Faculty Working Collaboratively or in a Multidisciplinary Manner to Address Important Biological Processes and/or Diseases Sari Acra, MD, MPH, professor of Pediatrics Hernan Correa, MD, associate professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology James Goldenring, PhD, MD, the Paul W. Sanger Professor of Experimental Surgery, professor of Surgery and...
Schaffner comments on COVID-19 hesitancy and the use of incentives
May. 11, 2021—Trusted messengers will continue to play a valuable role in sharing the health benefits and safety of vaccines to those who have health concerns; improving availability in rural communities and pharmacy or transit deserts will bridge convenience gaps for the vulnerable. But to reach the most reluctant or least motivated holdouts — many of whom skew...
The NYT discusses Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine pricing with Dusetzina
May. 5, 2021—The pricing for the United States was in line with the cost of seasonal flu vaccines and much less expensive than vaccines for conditions like shingles, which can run into several hundred dollars. “That price point does not seem offensive, even if you don’t spend a lot of time thinking about prescription drugs,” said Stacie...
COVID-19 vaccine will likely be approved for 12-15-year-olds soon in TN says Creech
May. 5, 2021—In a couple of weeks, children ages 12-15 will likely be able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine pending emergency use authorization. Thousands of kids are getting vaccinated in trials across the country, and now Pfizer is requesting emergency use for 12 to 15-year-olds from the Food and Drug Administration. For some, it’s a game-changer according...
Wiese finds increased risk of serious opioid events in mothers
May. 4, 2021—A new study from Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers finds that new mothers who receive opioids after uncomplicated vaginal births face an increased risk of serious opioid-related events regardless of the opioid dosage, a finding that could significantly impact care delivery. Andrew Wiese, PhD, MPH, assistant professor of Health Policy in the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology,...
Schaffner comments on the dire COVID-19 situation in India
May. 3, 2021—The COVID-19 situation in India is dire. Hospitals are reportedly closing their gates, unable to accept any more patients. Journalists on the ground say the hospitals that do have room are only taking patients who come with their own oxygen because the hospitals have run out. The main question with variants, says William Schaffner, an expert in infectious diseases at...