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Study: Most high school students say they have had a traumatic experience
BY NADIA RAMLAGAN KENTUCKY NEWS CONNECTION New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show three of every four high school students nationwide said they have experienced at least one adverse childhood experience, including witnessing domestic violence in the home, parental separation or physical and sexual abuse, among others. Research has shown the…
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Kentucky’s rate of teenagers having children is fourth in nation
BY JOHN MCGARY WEKU Kentucky has the fourth-highest teenage birth rate in the U.S., according to the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which show Kentucky’s teen birthrate to be 38% higher than the U.S. average. At the same time, teen birth rates are declining in Kentucky and the nation. The…
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Kentucky child-care providers face uncertain future when federal funding expires
BY NADIA RAMLAGAN KY NEWS CONNECTION Child-care providers in Kentucky are bracing for severe funding cuts when $330 million in annual federal funding expires in September. A recent survey of hundreds of child-care directors in the Commonwealth shows most expect to raise tuition rates and cut staff pay. Research shows kids who have access to…
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Seasonal respiratory illness in Kentucky declined for three weeks
Numbers still considered elevated BY MELISSA PATRICK KENTUCKY HEALTH NEWS Emergency department visits and hospital admissions for respiratory disease in Kentucky have dropped for three weeks in a row, but the Kentucky Department for Public Health still considers the rate of respiratory virus activity to be elevated and the number of hospitalizations to be high.…
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This looks like the year for an epidemic of measles, the most contagious disease, which can be deadly but is very preventable
BY KATELYN JETELINAYOUR LOCAL EPIDEMIOLOGIST Yesterday I got a Google news alert: “Measles.” Yes, measles. In the 21st century. At the height of winter. Measles typically spreads in spring. What’s going on? Two active and unrelated measles outbreaks among unvaccinated people: Philadelphia and New Jersey A Delaware children’s hospital on alert after an unvaccinated patient…
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State reports two children have died, one from flu and one from COVID-19, but hospital visits show first decline in months
BY MELISSA PATRICK KENTUCKY HEALTH NEWS As the state reported the first two deaths of children from COVID-19 and influenza, Kentucky saw the first drops in emergency-room visits and hospital admissions for the diseases in more than three months. The weekly respiratory-illness update from the state Department for Public Health showed a 21% drop in…
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It’s time for back-to-school vaccinations
BY MELISSA PATRICK KENTUCKY HEALTH NEWS With just a few weeks left before school starts, it’s time to make sure your school-aged children are up-to-date on their required immunizations. It’s especially important because Kentucky’s children fell behind on their immunizations during the pandemic, and many of them still haven’t caught up. “Kentucky is really low…
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Unvaccinated attendee of big revival has state’s third case of measles in three months
Kentucky ranks very low in measles vaccinations KENTUCKY HEALTH NEWS An unvaccinated Jessamine County resident who attended the large, spontaneous revival at Asbury University has Kentucky’s third reported case of measles in three months, the state Department for Public Health said Friday. “Anyone who attended the revival on Feb. 18 may have been exposed to…