ON NOVEMBER 5, residents of Massachusetts and most other states will return to a behavior that offers them better health outcomes, better sleep, better school performance, and increased workplace safety and productivity. Sounds like a great idea, right? Yet, unfortunately, those benefits will only last four months despite the majority of Americans from both sides […]
Health
Posted inHealth Care
Baker urges speedy FDA review of Moderna COVID vaccine for kids
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER wrote a letter to President Biden urging the US Food and Drug Administration to quickly consider approving Moderna’s application for a COVID-19 vaccine for children. The state’s Republican governor joined Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis in writing the letter, which was sent Thursday. “Parents have been told, over and over again, that […]
Posted inEconomy, Health Care, Opinion
What’s causing the infant formula shortage?
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here. A baby formula shortage has added to the woes of American parents already confronted with the pressures of raising an infant during a pandemic in a country ranked low for family-friendly policies. Media reports have highlighted the plight of mothers, fathers, and caregivers across the US who […]
Posted inOpinion
Mass. should retain free meals for all at schools
PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC, more than 120,000 children in Massachusetts didn’t know where their next meal was coming from. Since COVID-19 arrived in the US, food insecurity rates in our state have doubled as families have faced increased financial hurdles from job loss to inflation. Although our food insecurity statistics are staggering, there is a […]
Posted inOpinion
I assume my patients have been sexually assaulted
I AM A FORMER captain in the US Air Force, where I worked as both a research physicist and as an advocate for sexual assault victims in the military. Today, I am a nurse practitioner in a women’s health care practice caring for women of all ages. My experience in the military and my work today […]
Posted inOpinion
With e-cigarettes, we’re going in the wrong direction
“Don’t be a butthead.” “Smoke free is the way to bee.” The ugly truth. Even with decades of memorable warning campaigns and shocking data, people are still taking up the deadly habit, exposing themselves to the same — and even new — health risks. A recent study reveals that e-cigarette use among adolescents is a […]
Posted inEnvironment
David vs. (Verizon) Goliath in Pittsfield
THE PITTSFIELD BOARD OF HEALTH is taking a bold stand against a cell phone tower owned by Verizon, claiming the South Street structure is dangerous to those in the area who are “electromagnetic sensitive” and threatening to shut it down. In a lengthy emergency order containing 14 pages of analysis and nine pages of various […]
Posted inOpinion
Lifting mask mandate is right thing to do
LET ME BEGIN by saying I believe in vaccines. I am fully vaxxed and double boosted. I believe in the value of wearing a quality, well-fitting mask in most indoor venues where I don’t know the people I am gathered with. I use an N95 in certain limited circumstances where I think the risk level […]
Posted inUncategorized
Task force seeks to phase out use of “forever chemicals”
A SPECIAL TASK FORCE is recommending that Massachusetts regulate and gradually phase out the sale of consumer products that use PFAS chemicals, one of a series of recommendations aimed at addressing the health and environmental impacts of the commonly used chemicals. “As we get our hands around the issue, you realize how widespread PFAS is,” […]
Posted inTransportation
Court ruling lifts CDC’s transportation mask mandate
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE MASKS WILL no longer be required on MBTA vehicles and properties, Massachusetts Department of Transportation officials announced Tuesday afternoon, a day after a federal judge in Florida struck down a nationwide masking mandate on public transportation systems. “The Commonwealth has followed federal guidance in terms of face coverings and to be […]