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Health Wire

Expect ‘stark difference’ in omicron experiences for vaccinated, unvaccinated people, surgeon general warns

December 20, 2021, 11:11am Health

The omicron variant of COVID-19 will provide a “stark difference” in experiences for vaccinated and unvaccinated people, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said Monday during a TV appearance. Read story

People walk past a billboard inviting citizens to wear face masks to curb the spread of COVID-19, in Nottingham, England, Monday Dec. 20, 2021. Britain's health secretary has refused to rule out imposing tougher COVID-19 restrictions before Christmas amid the rapid rise of infections and continuing uncertainty about the omicron variant.

With Christmas in the balance, nations eye UK omicron surge

People walk past a billboard inviting citizens to wear face masks to curb the spread of COVID-19, in Nottingham, England, Monday Dec. 20, 2021. Britain's health secretary has refused to rule out imposing tougher COVID-19 restrictions before Christmas amid the rapid rise of infections and continuing uncertainty about the omicron variant.

December 20, 2021, 8:29am Health

Britain’s main nurses’ union warned Monday that exhaustion and surging coronavirus cases among medical staff are pushing them to the breaking point, adding to pressure on the government for new restrictions to curb record numbers of infections driven by the omicron variant. Read story

FILE - The Biogen Inc., headquarters is shown March 11, 2020, in Cambridge, Mass. Biogen is slashing the price of its Alzheimer's treatment months after the drug debuted to widespread criticism for an initial cost that can reach $56,000 annually. The drugmaker said Monday, Dec. 20, 2021 that starting in January it will cut the wholesale acquisition cost of the drug by about 50%.

Biogen cuts the price tag on its Alzheimer’s drug in half

FILE - The Biogen Inc., headquarters is shown March 11, 2020, in Cambridge, Mass. Biogen is slashing the price of its Alzheimer's treatment months after the drug debuted to widespread criticism for an initial cost that can reach $56,000 annually. The drugmaker said Monday, Dec. 20, 2021 that starting in January it will cut the wholesale acquisition cost of the drug by about 50%.

December 20, 2021, 8:10am Business

Biogen is slashing the price of its Alzheimer’s treatment in half months after it debuted to widespread criticism for an initial cost that could reach $56,000 annually. Read story

Omicron surge predicted to peak higher than delta wave in King County

December 20, 2021, 8:05am Health

The omicron variant of the coronavirus is now spreading rapidly in King County and cases could skyrocket to more than three times the number at the peak of the region’s delta wave as soon as next week, local virologists and public health leaders said Friday. Read story

A woman receives Moderna COVID-19 vaccine as riders train at the National Velodrome in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, west of Paris, France, Friday, Dec. 17, 2021. The government is holding a special virus security meeting Friday to address growing pressure on hospitals in France from rising infections.

Moderna: Initial booster data shows good results on omicron

A woman receives Moderna COVID-19 vaccine as riders train at the National Velodrome in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, west of Paris, France, Friday, Dec. 17, 2021. The government is holding a special virus security meeting Friday to address growing pressure on hospitals in France from rising infections.

December 20, 2021, 8:00am Health Free

Moderna said Monday that a booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine should offer protection against the rapidly spreading omicron variant. Read story

Caratacta clouding of the lens of the human eye.

UW study: Cataract surgery could help brain

Caratacta clouding of the lens of the human eye.

December 19, 2021, 6:05am Health

Adults who have undergone cataract surgery have a lower chance of developing dementia, findings that could open the door to understanding further connections between eye and brain health, a new University of Washington study reported last week. Read story

Public Health: State should prepare for omicron COVID surge

December 17, 2021, 4:52pm Health

Public Health – Seattle and King County officials urged people on Friday to prepare for a surge of omicron COVID-19 cases as the highly-infectious variant spreads through the region. Read story

An eight-year-old child receives a second dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at Northwest Community Church in Chicago, Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021. Pfizer is adding an extra dose of its COVID-19 vaccine for babies and preschoolers enrolled in a study of the shots. Pfizer and its partner BioNTech announced, Friday, Dec. 17, they were adding a third dose to the study after a preliminary analysis found 2- to 4-year-olds didn't have as strong an immune response as expected. (AP Photo/Nam Y.

Pfizer study tests extra COVID vaccine dose for kids under 5

An eight-year-old child receives a second dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at Northwest Community Church in Chicago, Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021. Pfizer is adding an extra dose of its COVID-19 vaccine for babies and preschoolers enrolled in a study of the shots. Pfizer and its partner BioNTech announced, Friday, Dec. 17, they were adding a third dose to the study after a preliminary analysis found 2- to 4-year-olds didn't have as strong an immune response as expected. (AP Photo/Nam Y.

December 17, 2021, 10:56am Health

Pfizer said Friday it was changing plans and testing three doses of its COVID-19 vaccine in babies and preschoolers instead of the usual two. Read story

FILE - Staff Sgt. Travis Snyder, left, receives the first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine given at Madigan Army Medical Center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, Dec. 16, 2020, south of Seattle. The Army says 98% of its active duty force had gotten at least one dose of the mandatory coronavirus vaccine as of this week's deadline for the shots. (AP Photo/Ted S.

Across services, troops face discipline for refusing vaccine

FILE - Staff Sgt. Travis Snyder, left, receives the first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine given at Madigan Army Medical Center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, Dec. 16, 2020, south of Seattle. The Army says 98% of its active duty force had gotten at least one dose of the mandatory coronavirus vaccine as of this week's deadline for the shots. (AP Photo/Ted S.

December 17, 2021, 9:40am Health

All of the U.S. military services have now begun disciplinary actions and discharges for troops who have refused to get the mandated coronavirus vaccine, officials said, with as many as 20,000 unvaccinated forces at risk of being removed from service. Read story

FILE - Katie Lucey administers a COVID-19 test on her son Maguire at a PCR and Rapid Antigen COVID-19 coronavirus test pop up on Wall Street in New York on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021. U.S. health officials are endorsing 'test-to-stay' policies that will allow close contacts of infected students to remain in classrooms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday, Dec. 17, decided to more firmly embrace the approach, after research of such policies in the Chicago and Los Angeles areas found COVID-19 infections did not increase when schools switched to test-to-stay.

CDC endorses schools’ coronavirus ‘test-to-stay’ policies

FILE - Katie Lucey administers a COVID-19 test on her son Maguire at a PCR and Rapid Antigen COVID-19 coronavirus test pop up on Wall Street in New York on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021. U.S. health officials are endorsing 'test-to-stay' policies that will allow close contacts of infected students to remain in classrooms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday, Dec. 17, decided to more firmly embrace the approach, after research of such policies in the Chicago and Los Angeles areas found COVID-19 infections did not increase when schools switched to test-to-stay.

December 17, 2021, 9:33am Health

U.S. health officials are endorsing “test-to-stay” policies that allow close contacts of students infected with the coronavirus to remain in classrooms if they test negative. Read story