ALTHOUGH COVID-19 CASE numbers are rising in Massachusetts and nationally, Gov. Charlie Baker said Thursday that he does not intend to reinstate any statewide COVID-related rules. “We’re not looking at […]
Health
Posted inHealth Care
Insurers put squeeze on Biogen Alzheimer’s drug
CALL IT THE first big shot across Biogen’s bow in what may become a multi-billion-dollar war in which the hopes of millions for a way to hold back the ravages […]
Posted inOpinion
Doubling down on vaccinating minority communities
WE ARE TURNING the corner in our battle against a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic: 158 million Americans, almost 48 percent of the population, are fully vaccinated, while restrictions are being lifted across […]
Posted inGambling
Vaccinations slow despite Vax Giveaway
DESPITE THE LURE of millions of dollars in prize money with the Massachusetts Vax Millions Giveaway, the number of people getting vaccinated against COVID-19 in Massachusetts keeps dropping. In the […]
Posted inOpinion
Mass. needs to respond to insulin cost crunch
COSIMA MOSHER was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in January 2019 at the age of 11. After two days in the hospital, she realized her life would never be the […]
Posted inOpinion
Despite COVID, we must prioritize sexual health
COVID-19 has permeated every level of every health system across the globe, overwhelming already overburdened health care workers and exposing existing faults within health systems—in addition to posing new barriers […]
Posted inOpinion
Despite vaccines, COVID-19 testing remains priority
WHEN THE NEWS BROKE late last year that multiple pharmaceutical companies had successfully developed vaccines for COVID-19, we all breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, there was light at the […]
Posted inGambling
VaxMillions not driving up shots yet
THE NEW VaxMillions lottery so far isn’t driving up the rate of COVID-19 vaccinations in Massachusetts. In the week before Gov. Charlie Baker announced the lottery on June 15, 175,071 […]
Posted inHealth Care
Health Equity task force report goes far beyond health care
A HEALTH EQUITY TASK FORCE Â formed by legislation during the COVID-19 pandemic went beyond its charge of examining COVID-related health disparities and issued a sweeping report Thursday that digs into […]
Posted inNews Analysis
Poll shows strong support for requiring vaccines for teachers, first responders, and other groups
NEWS THAT THE state’s biggest health care provider systems will be requiring COVID vaccinations of their employees will likely renew debate about whether other organizations or types of businesses should […]
Posted inGambling
State launches $1m Lottery game to promote vaccinations
STILL ON THE fence about getting vaccinated? Starting July 1 a Massachusetts vaccine card could be worth $1 million. Gov. Charlie Baker announced on Tuesday the launch of VaxMillions, a […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
A nurse’s perspective on police brutality
THE CONVICTION OF Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd Jr. was a wakeup call and a vindication for the nation on a small level. Yet, as a professional […]
Posted inOpinion
Replacing Long Island Bridge isn’t only option
I’VE READ WITH GREAT INTEREST recent news stories that may signal a shift in Boston’s hard-lined stance on the Long Island Bridge issue. It seems that Boston’s acting mayor, Kim […]
Posted inUncategorized
COVID and children: Risks are small, but not zero
NOW THAT Aubrey Samost and her husband are vaccinated against COVID-19, Samost said the Cambridge couple wouldn’t think twice about going out to dinner – except they have a 15-month-old daughter, who is too […]
Posted inHealth Care
Pooled COVID testing finally coming to childcare centers
FOR SIX MONTHS, Massachusetts’ K-12 schools have been able to opt into the state’s free pooled testing program, which lets them test for COVID-19 weekly among large populations of asymptomatic […]
Posted inOpinion
Flavored cigarette ban is a total failure
IT’S OFFICIAL: The Massachusetts’ ban on the sale of flavored tobacco is a failed policy. The state has lost more than $140 million on menthol cigarettes alone, the regulated and […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
SJC justices skeptical of requiring more COVID testing in jails
SEVERAL JUSTICES of the Supreme Judicial Court on Tuesday appeared skeptical of claims that county jails are showing deliberate indifference to prisoners by failing to provide regular COVID-19 testing and, in some cases, appropriate videoconferencing opportunities. Justice […]
Posted inHealth Care
For pediatric mental health patients, days stuck in the ER
JILL CUMMINGS’ SON is a smart, loving 13-year-old with serious impulse control problems and mental health diagnoses that include ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder. The West Boylston teen, who is […]
Posted inDrug Addiction
HIV cases spiking among Boston homeless
HEALTH OFFICIALS have identified a growing cluster of 134 HIV cases primarily among homeless people who inject drugs in the Boston area, a worrying sign for health officials who several […]
Posted inUncategorized
Baker ending nearly all COVID restrictions May 29
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER moved up the state’s return to what many are calling the new normal by two months, setting May 29 as the day nearly all remaining COVID-19 restrictions will […]
Posted inHealth Care
Need for pooled testing in schools is not disappearing
VACCINES MAY BE here, but the need for COVID-19 testing is not going away any time soon. That’s the prediction of Tim Rowe, the CEO of CIC Health, a private […]
Posted inState House News Service, Uncategorized
Baker doesn’t budge (yet) on masks
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE MASKS WILL STILL be required for now in all indoor public places, at all events, and outdoors when social distancing is not possible in Massachusetts, despite […]
Posted inUncategorized
Moderna CEO: Booster shots could be coming in fall
SINGLE-DOSE booster COVID-19 shots are likely to be available late this summer or during the fall for people who were originally vaccinated in December or January, the CEO of Moderna […]
Posted inHealth Care
Baker touts Mass. vaccine record in meeting with Biden
AGAINST THE BACKDROP of partisan warfare in Washington on everything from masks to infrastructure spending, President Biden met on Tuesday with a bipartisan group of six governors, including Charlie Baker, […]