Amid a recent rise in COVID-19 infections, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced that free COVID-19 tests will once again be available. Beginning Sept. 25, 2023, U.S. households may place orders to receive four free rapid test kits. Visit the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)’s consumer advice webpage for further information…
Experts warn of a “tripledemic” threat of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza (flu) and COVID-19 this winter. With several viruses circulating, you may worry about every cough or sneeze and wonder what you have. Since these illnesses are all caused by viruses that affect your respiratory system, they also share some symptoms. This can make…
On Aug. 31, 2022, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized updated COVID-19 booster shots from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech that target the dominant BA.4 and highly contagious BA.5 coronavirus Omicron subvariants. Both modified vaccines still target the original coronavirus strain. The FDA authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech modified booster for people age 12 and older and the…
On Aug. 11, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new COVID-19 community guidance that ends or eases several key recommendations, including social distancing and quarantine. This change shows how much has changed since the pandemic began more than two years ago. The agency stated that nearly the entire U.S. population has some…
August is recognized as National Immunization Awareness Month to promote the importance of immunizations at all life stages. That makes this the perfect time to learn more about the importance of vaccines. Delaying critical vaccinations can lead to serious health risks not only for the unvaccinated but also for those they come into contact with,…
The workplace has been changing faster than anyone could have predicted. While the COVID-19 pandemic is largely responsible for these changes, various social movements and technological advancements have also played a role. Many of these changes occurred suddenly, leaving most HR professionals without time to prepare. These rapid changes created—and in some cases exposed—several workplace…
The U.S. government announced on May 16 that it has obtained the funding for another round of free COVID-19 tests for U.S. households. This is the third round of free at-home tests to become available from the federal government. The first round of free tests, which were delivered in January and February, brought four free…
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently limited the authorized use of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J)/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine to people age 18 and older for whom other vaccines aren’t appropriate or accessible and those who opt for J&J because they wouldn’t otherwise get vaccinated. This updated authorization also applies to booster doses. This change…
According to a new report, telehealth usage grew more than 7,000% during the first year of the pandemic. This is the process of communicating with a doctor via an app, or a webcam and computer. FAIR Health’s annual report studies health care indicators, prices and utilization trends. With the latest data, researchers tracked changes from…
On Thursday, April 28, 2022, Moderna announced that it is seeking emergency use authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine to be used among children ages 6 months to 5 years. The company will finish submitting data supporting its position to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by May 9. From there, the FDA is expected to…