Demographics

Kindergarten vaccination exemptions at highest level ever The percentage of kindergartners whose parents opted them out of school-required vaccinations rose to the highest level yet during the 2022-2023 school year, according to new federal data released … nweixel The Hill

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The drop in coverage for routine vaccinations against diseases like measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) increase the chances of an outbreak and underscore the continued fallout from barriers to vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Study: Paxlovid safe, effective in pregnancy EmiliaU / iStock CIDRAP

A study based on 211 pregnant women given the antiviral drug nirmatrelvir and ritonavir (Paxlovid) during pregnancy for acute COVID-19 infections shows no increased risk of adverse events in the women or their babies and a reduced risk of complications called the maternal morbidity and mortality index (MMMI).

The findings, published today in Nature Medicine, suggest the drug is safe to use in pregnancy and is effective in reducing MMMI risk but not COVID-related hospitalizations.

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Why is COVID-19 more severe in some people? Researchers use genetics, data science to find out Why do some people have a more severe course of COVID-19 disease than others? A genome sequence database created by an international collaboration of researchers, including many from the University of ... Tyler Irving Medical Xpress

Why do some people have a more severe course of COVID-19 disease than others? A genome sequence database created by an international collaboration of researchers, including many from the University of Toronto and partner hospitals, may hold the answers to this question—and many more.

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People with HIV at higher risk of COVID reinfection: CDC A new CDC study found people with HIV were more likely to be reinfected with COVID than those without HIV. ABC News ABC News

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Rates of reinfection were higher among people with HIV (6.7%) than among people without HIV (5.2%).

People with HIV are more likely to have completed a primary COVID vaccine series plus a booster before their reinfection -- 31.8% versus 27% for those without HIV.