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Tag: Health

Half of Americans now fully vaccinated against COVID-19

(CNN) – The US has hit a new milestone Tuesday with 50% of adults becoming fully vaccinated against COVID-19, CDC reports Over 131 million Americans have been fully vaccinated as of Tuesday morning. “This is a major milestone in our country’s vaccination efforts,” White House Senior COVID-19 Advisor Andy Slavitt said during a White House briefing, noting only 1% of Americans were vaccinated when President Joe Biden entered office in January. Earlier this month, Biden said he wanted 160 million US adults fully vaccinated by July 4. The Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19 was...

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Moderna COVID-19 vaccine safe for children ages 12 to 17, company says

CNN – Moderna appears to be safe and effective in adolescents, the company said on Tuesday. In a Phase 2/3 trial of 3,732 children ages 12 to 17 in the United States, blood tests showed that the vaccine produced an immune response that was equivalent to earlier findings in adults, CNN reported. While the trial did not specifically look at efficacy, initial observations showed that none of the children got sick with COVID-19 starting 14 days after their second dose. Four of the children who received the placebo tested positive for COVID-19, which Moderna says is “consistent with...

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Dogs might be able to sniff out COVID-19 infections, early research suggests

CNN – Dogs might be able to lend a helping paw in the fight against COVID-19, according to a new study published on Sunday. Scientist with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Durham University and the group Medical Detection Dogs finished Phase 1 of a trial examining if dogs can smell and identify a COVID-19 infection under controlled conditions. Six dogs participated in the study, ranging in ages from four to six years old. The group included Labrador, Golden Retriever and Cocker Spaniel breeds. Researchers said the dogs were able to pick up the scent of...

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Fruits & veggies voucher increase expands nutritional access for WIC families

LEE COUNTY, Fla. – State WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Agencies were authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act to enhance the WIC benefit, expanding the fruits and vegetables voucher for a period of four months. The voucher, known as the Cash Value Benefit (CVB), was expanded from $9/month for children and $11/month for women to $35 per month, per participant, according to the Lee County Department of Health. Officials have credited the CVB for improving the dietary quality of WIC participants and reducing the prevalence of childhood obesity. The CVB increase will be implemented...

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Health Matters: Menopause and Sleep Changes

They can keep you from falling asleep and staying asleep. “Hormonal changes can impact our sleep and our sleep can impact hormone production. It’s a cause and effect,” said Mary Hoke, a nurse practitioner with Lee Health. Hormonal changes like menopause can cause women to experience sleep apnea and insomnia. “With menopause we see that there is generally less estrogen being produced which can result in an increase in body temperature, resulting in hot flashes. We also see that there’s a decrease in progesterone which can lead to a decrease in our breathing drive that can increase our risk...

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Local medical leaders host town hall on COVID-19 vaccines today

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Local medical leaders will participate in a virtual town hall on COVID-19 vaccines on Monday, May 24. Representatives from Lee Health, NCH and the Healthcare Network will answer your questions about COVID-19 and the vaccines. At 11 a.m., four local medical leaders will come together to give the community an opportunity to ask questions via Facebook. In Lee County, first and second doses are available on Thursday and Friday at the current CenturyLink Sports Complex site. So if you get your first dose this week, that means you will need to go to the new site for the...

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Fort Myers woman on oxygen hopeful after months-long COVID battle

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Debbie Steele is a happy, COVID-free woman. On Friday, she dropped off cupcakes for her favorite people at Select Specialty Hospital. “I was here for 2.5 months fighting COVID,” Steele said. The 63-year-old’s battle with COVID-19 started in February when she found herself in Lee Memorial’s ICU. “I was sitting there and they swabbed my nose and told me I had COVID. The minute I laid down is when I started to flatline,” she said. In that moment, she said saw her family and her life flash before her eyes. “I already beat cancer. I’m not going to die...

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Cape Coral company creates device to kill COVID-19 germs

LEE COUNTY, Fla. – Inside a lab at Florida Gulf Coast University, scientists take a petri dish tainted with bacteria, slide it under a light, and within one second the pathogens had vanished. To get the answer on how that happened, we went to a nondescript building in Cape Coral. “This is where the magic happens,” said Peter Lehrer, Vice President of Project Development at Energy Harness Corporation. They specialize in commercial lighting, but at the start of the pandemic, as they were working remotely like most of us, they had an idea. “We thought what can we...

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Charlotte County public school vaccine event on Saturday

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Students aged 12 to 17 will be able to get vaccinated at Port Charlotte Middle School on Saturday. The Charlotte County Department of Health is offering vaccinations for students 12 to 17 on Saturday, May 22, at Port Charlotte Middle School from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Only Charlotte County Public School students will be able to get a shot. The DOH will be offering the Pfizer vaccine, which is the only shot approved by the FDA for people under 18. If you want to get a shot, CLICK HERE to register. All students who get the shot will need to bring a parent or legal guardian...

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Multistate salmonella outbreak tied to backyard chickens, CDC says

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating a multistate outbreak of salmonella infections that are linked to backyard chickens. On Thursday, the health agency said that a total of 163 people were infected across 43 states, including one person in Florida. Health officials said the total number of infected people is “likely much higher.” Illnesses started around Feb. 12, 2021, through April 25, 2021, the CDC said. Epidemiologic and laboratory data claims that contact with backyard poultry is making people sick. The highest number of salmonella cases from backyard...

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