Today the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) – an expert advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended lifting the pause on the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. The current pause resulted from the reporting…

Time is a concept that is familiar to all of us. Yet it is hard to define and understand. For centuries, people have sought to unravel the mystery of time. What exactly is time? What is its role…

Michigan continues to lead the country in the number of new COVID-19 cases. The state’s positivity rate has climbed to 18% — about four times higher than mid-February. COVID-19 inpatient hospitalizations are surging, causing Michigan Medicine (University of Michigan) and…

National Minority Health Month (NMHM) is celebrated ever year in April. NMHM began over 100 years ago as National Negro Health Week. In April 1915, Dr. Booker T. Washington dispatched a letter to the leading African American newspapers, proposing…

March Madness, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball tournaments to determine the men’s and women’s national championships, continues this weekend. For some lucky individuals,  their bracket picks are still in play. For others, their picks were out in the early rounds…

Looking to make a COVID-19 vaccine appointment?  Michigan residents can sign-up with their local health departments or with health systems offering appointments. Many local pharmacy chains are providing COVID-19 vaccinations. Just this week, CVS announced that it will begin administering COVID-19…

The song, Seasons of Love, from the Broadway musical Rent poses the question: 525,600 minutes How do you measure, measure a year? In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee In inches, in miles, in laughter,…

Michigan continues to make progress in its fight against COVID-19 according to key data metrics. In light of the progress, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) issued updated COVID-19 orders that took effect March 5th and…

February 2021 is nearly in the books! Nationally, the average weekly number of new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths declined during the month. Public health officials urge continuation of public health measures, noting that the number of new…

The word of the week: perseverance. The appropriately named NASA rover Perseverance, became a new national superhero with its flawless landing on Mars. In Texas, millions of American showed their ingenuity and grit to survive frigid temperatures, with no…

Strides are being made in the distribution and administration of COVID-19 vaccines. As part of the first phase the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, one million vaccine doses were directly sent to 6,500 pharmacies and grocery…

Yes, it is evening and not afternoon. Weekend Reading was delayed due to a man born in 1928, lost in the healthcare maze that we call a healthcare system. Hours later, he will no longer…

The U.S., like other countries, continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic on multiple fronts. Over 25 million Americans have been infected with the virus, resulting in mild to severe illness, sometimes with lasting health effects. The virus has…

With the inauguration of President Biden, health policy wonks are busy with predictions of the what, when and how of healthcare reform. Will there be a government option? Changes to the ACA? Answers to these and other questions will have…

On Monday, our country will honor the life and life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Martin Luther Day (MLK) is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer…

Welcome to the first weekend reading series of 2021! While 2020 is behind us, COVID-19 has entered the new year with ever increasing numbers of cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Yet, the new year brings hope that…

It has been a long year. The February 7, 2020 Weekend Reading series noted that the twelfth coronavirus case  was confirmed in the U.S. Today, the number of US cases exceed 17 million. As Robert Frost said…

For this Weekend’s Reading, explore The Messenger’s Arrival for informative articles about mRNA and the incredible story of scientist Katalin Karikó  who never gave up on the mRNA approach. Next, check out On the Road to Normal for a look at some of the…

COVID-19 altered Thanksgiving traditions for millions of Americans – it is likely to do the same for the upcoming holiday season. Hospitalizations, daily case counts and deaths continue to hit record levels. The promise of a vaccine is rapidly…

Thanksgiving, like other 2020 holidays, will be different this year due to COVID-19. Yesterday, the CDC urged Americans not to travel for Thanksgiving and not to spend the holiday with people from outside their household as COVD-19 cases surge out of control. If…

The number of COVID-19 cases and related hospitalizations are growing exponentially. On Friday the U.S. reported more than 169,000 new coronavirus cases, a record high for the third straight day. Eighteen states, predominantly in the Midwest, are reporting a catastrophic…

As with most things today, COVID-19 has impacted  the reporting of vote tallies from Tuesday’s Presidential election. As anticipated, some states have been delayed in reporting results due to the counting of the large number of mail ballots due to…