Category: health care

  • CDC ACIP Meeting Today on Vaccines

    CDC ACIP Meeting Today on Vaccines

    The ACIP meeting on several vaccines begins today and runs through Friday, 8:00 a.m-5:30 p.m. on the 21st-22nd and 8:00 a.m.-12:40 p.m. on the 23rd, ET. The committee will discuss vaccines for Respiratory Syncytial Virus in adults, Polio, and Influenza vaccines on the 21st. There will be a vote for each. They will discuss vaccines…

  • Four Seasonal Vaccines for Older Adults?

    Four Seasonal Vaccines for Older Adults?

    There are a number of seasonal vaccines recommended for older adults in the U.S. They include vaccines for influenza, pneumonia, and the newest one is Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). I noticed that during the recent FDA meeting to decide on approval of another vaccine for the XBB variant of Covid-19, many experts objected to the…

  • CDC ACIP Meeting June 21-23 to Discuss Covid-19 & RSV Vaccines

    CDC ACIP Meeting June 21-23 to Discuss Covid-19 & RSV Vaccines

    On June 21-23, the CDC ACIP will meet to discuss the new Covid-19 and RSV vaccines (and others).

  • The Skinwalker Ranch Connection to Nikola Tesla

    The Skinwalker Ranch Connection to Nikola Tesla

    I watched one of the new episodes of The Secret of skinwalker Ranch the other night. The use of special imaging techniques led to finding what looked like little tunnels running underground in one area of the property. That led to trotting out the little excavator and digging up the ground. They found some light-colored…

  • FDA Meeting Today on Strain Selection for Periodic Covid-19 Vaccine

    FDA Meeting Today on Strain Selection for Periodic Covid-19 Vaccine

    The FDA Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will meet today from 8:30 am-5:00 pm ET to discuss and make recommendations on strain selection for the periodic updated Covid-19 vaccines for the 2023-2024 vaccine campaign. The discussion topic will be: “Based on the evidence and other considerations presented, pleasediscuss selection of a specific XBB…

  • Jim Gets New Eyeglasses!

    Jim Gets New Eyeglasses!

    I got brand new eyeglasses the other day. I have gone without a new prescription that was valid since my retinal detachment surgery over a year ago. It was a bit strange how that worked out. Last year, I saw the eye doctor who gave me a new prescription, but who also diagnosed the retinal…

  • My Two Cents on the Involuntary Treatment of Tuberculosis and Psychiatric Illness

    My Two Cents on the Involuntary Treatment of Tuberculosis and Psychiatric Illness

    By now many of us have seen the news headline about the person in Washington state who was arrested and sent to jail for noncompliance with a court order for treatment of tuberculosis. This led to my searching the literature about the connection between court-ordered treatment for psychiatric illness and court-ordered treatment for tuberculosis in…

  • Rain Blesses Our Garden Including Evening Primrose

    Rain Blesses Our Garden Including Evening Primrose

    We were very happy when we finally got a little rain the other day. It really brightened up the garden. Sena got some evening primrose. This happens to be one of my favorite flowers. It was one of the many flowers she planted in her big garden at our first house. The evening primrose I…

  • CDC Updated Recommendations for Covid-19 Vaccine Use

    CDC Updated Recommendations for Covid-19 Vaccine Use

    The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) held a Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) meeting to discuss updated recommendations for Covid-19 vaccine use on May 11, 2023. You can view the YouTube recording of the meeting and view presentation slides at this link. The meeting was designed for clinicians.

  • FDA Meeting June 15, 2023 on Strain Selection for Periodic Covid-19 Vaccine

    FDA Meeting June 15, 2023 on Strain Selection for Periodic Covid-19 Vaccine

    The FDA Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will meet June 15, 2023 from 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. ET “to discuss and make recommendations on the selection of strain(s) to be included in the periodic updated COVID-19 vaccines for the 2023-2024 vaccination campaign. This discussion will include consideration of the vaccine composition for fall to…