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Updated COVID-19 vaccines approved; recommended for everyone aged 6 months and older
BY MELISSA PATRICK KY HEALTH NEWS As the number of COVID-19 infections grows in Kentucky, two updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccinations have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that are designed to better protect against the most recent strains of the virus. “We are very excited to see the latest COVID boosters approved,”…
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Flu shots limit infection rates, which are still elevated in Kentucky
BY MELISSA PATRICK KENTUCKY HEALTH NEWS The Kentucky Department for Public Health still considers hospitalizations for respiratory illnesses high and says flu activity remains elevated. Health officials say the best way to protect yourself from these viruses is to stay up to date with your vaccines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that…
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Respiratory illness in Kentucky resurged in the week ended Feb. 10
BY MELISSA PATRICK KENTUCKY HEALTH NEWS After weeks of overall decline, three major respiratory illnesses increased in Kentucky during the week ended Feb. 10, with children between the ages of 5 and 17 getting hit hard by influenza. The Kentucky Department for Public Health’s weekly report says flu and COVID-19 activity is elevated and increasing…
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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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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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Sneezing? Sniffling? Climate change means U.S. allergy seasons last a month longer than in 1990 and have 21% more pollen
BY LAUREL SWANZ KENTUCKY HEALTH NEWS With allergy season in full swing in Kentucky, those suffering from nasal allergies and asthma may feel as though the pollen gets worse every year. The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology says there is some truth to this – and climate change, which is causing warmer temperatures,…
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RSV, Flu, COVID: Kentucky faces ‘triple threat’ this winter
BY NADIA RAMLAGANKENTUCKY NEWS CONNECTION The flu, COVID and RSV are rapidly spreading in Kentucky, and health experts say that’s a problem for hospitals, schools and the state’s vulnerable residents. So far, more than 20 school districts have temporarily halted classes due to RSV. At Norton Children’s Hospital, pediatrician Dr. Robert Blair said respiratory viruses…
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Parents send kids to school sick, citing as reasons their need to work, concerns about missing class and pandemic weariness
Schools in Kentucky and across the nation have been hit hard by a slew of respiratory viruses, and some parents are sending their children to school sick or sending them back to school while still infected. They cite an inability to take more time off work, concern about their children missing in-class instruction and a…
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Martin County schools close due to illness
BY RACHEL DOVECITIZEN STAFF INEZ — Martin County students got an extra day off for the Thanksgiving break as illness forced administrators to cancel school for Tuesday. Martin County Schools Superintendent Larry James announced that all schools would be closed after attendance dropped to 68% Monday due to widespread flu, RSV and COVID-19. “Anything below…
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Flu off to fast start in Kentucky, as cases keep more than doubling each week
Flu, COVID-19 and RSV threaten a ‘triple-demic’ BY AL CROSSKENTUCKY HEALTH NEWS Influenza is spreading quickly in Kentucky, raising the threat of a “triple-demic” of flu, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The state Department for Public Health’s most recent report says 2,082 flu cases were confirmed during the week that ended Nov. 5. That…
Tag: Influenza
