Mike Stobbe
The Associated Press
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Past articles by Mike:
CDC director announces shake-up, citing COVID mistakes
CDC leaders call it a “reset”— come amid criticism of the agency's response to COVID-19, monkeypox and other public health threats. The CDC's director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, told the agency's staff about the changes on Wednesday. It's a CDC initiative, and was not directed by the White House or other administration officials, she said. → Read More
Monkeypox can spread to pet dogs, doctors report
Health officials are warning people who are infected with monkeypox to stay away from household pets, since the animals could be at risk of catching the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for months has had the advice in place as monkeypox spreads in the U.S. But it gained new attention after a report from France, published last week in the medical journal Lancet, about an… → Read More
Monkeypox virus could become entrenched as new STD in the U.S.
The spread of monkeypox in the U.S. could represent the dawn of a new sexually transmitted disease, though some health officials say the virus that causes pimple-like bumps might yet be contained before it gets firmly established. Health officials are not sure how fast the virus has spread. With such huge question marks, predictions about how big the U.S. outbreak will get this summer vary… → Read More
US officials announce more steps against monkeypox outbreak
Reacting to a surprising and growing monkeypox outbreak, U.S. health officials on Tuesday expanded the group of people recommended to get vaccinated against the monkeypox virus. “We will continue to take aggressive action against this virus,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, White House COVID-19 response coordinator, who has also been playing a role in how the government deals with monkeypox. → Read More
US opens COVID vaccine to little kids, shots begin next week
The U.S. on Saturday opened COVID-19 vaccines to infants, toddlers and preschoolers. The shots will become available next week, expanding the nation’s vaccination campaign to children as young as 6 months. Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the vaccines for the littlest children, and the final signoff came hours later from Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the agency's… → Read More
Melatonin poisoning reports are up in kids, study says
Researchers are drawing attention to a rise in poisonings in children involving the sleep aid melatonin — including a big jump during the pandemic. Last year, U.S. poison control centers received more than 52,000 calls about children consuming worrisome amounts of the dietary supplement — a six-fold increase from about a decade earlier. Most such calls are about young children who accidentally… → Read More
US case of monkeypox reported in Massachusetts man
Massachusetts on Wednesday reported a rare case of monkeypox in a man who recently traveled to Canada, and health officials are looking into whether it is connected to small outbreaks in Europe. Monkeypox is typically limited to Africa, and rare cases in the U.S. and elsewhere are usually linked to travel there. A small number of confirmed or suspected cases have been reported this month in the… → Read More
COVID-19, overdoses pushed U.S. to highest death total ever
2021 was the deadliest year in U.S. history, and new data and research are offering more insights into how it got that bad. → Read More
Experts worry about how U.S. will see next COVID surge coming
As coronavirus infections rise in some parts of the world, experts are watching for a potential new COVID-19 surge in the U.S. — and wondering how long it will take to detect. —As more people take rapid COVID-19 tests at home, fewer people are getting the gold-standard tests that the government relies on for case counts. —The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will soon use fewer labs to… → Read More
US vaccination drive is bottoming out as omicron subsides
A handwritten log kept by nurses tells the story of the losing battle to get more people vaccinated against COVID-19 in this corner of Alabama: Just 14 people showed up at the Marion County Health Department for their initial shot during the first six weeks of the year. The vaccination drive in the U.S. is grinding to a halt, and demand has all but collapsed in places like this deeply… → Read More
Study: COVID booster effectiveness wanes but remains strong
An early look at the performance of COVID-19 booster shots during the recent omicron wave in the U.S. hinted at a decline in effectiveness, though the shots still offered strong protection against severe illness. The report, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday, is considered an early and limited look at the durability of booster protection during the omicron… → Read More
Booster shots needed against omicron, CDC studies show
Three studies released Friday offered more evidence that COVID-19 vaccines are standing up to the omicron variant, at least among people who received booster shots. The papers echo previous research — including studies in Germany, South Africa and the U.K. — indicating available vaccines are less effective against omicron than earlier versions of the coronavirus, but also that boosters… → Read More
Prior infection, vaccines provide best protection from COVID
A new study in two states that compares coronavirus protection from prior infection and vaccination concludes getting the shots is still the safest way to prevent COVID-19. The study examined infections in New York and California last summer and fall and found people who were both vaccinated and had survived a prior bout of COVID-19 had the most protection. “The bottom line message is that from… → Read More
Hospitalizations skyrocket in kids too young for COVID shots
Hospitalizations of U.S. children under 5 with COVID-19 soared in recent weeks to their highest level since the pandemic began, according to government data released Friday on the only age group not yet eligible for the vaccine. The worrisome trend in children too young to be vaccinated underscores the need for older kids and adults to get their shots to help protect those around them, said Dr.… → Read More
2021 on track to surpass last year as nation's deadliest
A CDC report found COVID, accidental drug overdoses and increases in heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes drove the increase in deaths in 2020. → Read More
Shots give COVID-19 survivors big immune boost, studies show
Friday's report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention adds to growing laboratory evidence that people who had one bout of COVID-19 get a dramatic boost in virus-fighting immune cells — and a bonus of broader protection against new mutants — when they're vaccinated. “If you have had COVID-19 before, please still get vaccinated,” said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. From the… → Read More
Nearly all COVID deaths in U.S. are now among unvaccinated
Nearly all COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. now are in people who weren’t vaccinated, a staggering demonstration of how effective the shots have been and an indication that deaths per day — now down to under 300 — could be practically zero if everyone eligible got the vaccine. The AP analyzed figures provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC itself has not estimated what… → Read More
COVID vaccine found highly effective in real-world US study
The U.S government’s first look at the real-world use of COVID-19 vaccines found their effectiveness was nearly as robust as it was in controlled studies. The two vaccines available since December — Pfizer and Moderna — were 90% effective after two doses, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Monday. In testing, the vaccines were about 95% effective in preventing COVID-19. → Read More
CDC changes school guidance, allowing desks to be closer
Students can safely sit just 3 feet apart in the classroom as long as they wear masks but should be kept the usual 6 feet away from one another at sporting events, assemblies, lunch or chorus practice, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday in relaxing its COVID-19 guidelines. → Read More
Fully vaccinated people can gather without masks, CDC says
Fully vaccinated Americans can gather with other vaccinated people indoors without wearing a mask or social distancing, according to long-awaited guidance from federal health officials. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the guidance Monday. “We know that people want to get vaccinated so they can get back to doing the things they enjoy with the people they love,” said CDC… → Read More