Steven Wang, MD, professor and chair of the department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery at the College of Medicine – Tucson said transmission usually occurs at a very young age. "It's a long period of time specifically around 15 years or more between someone who is initially infected in their throat with the HPV virus, and if the cancer ever develops that's the reason why we think the typical patient that presents to me is someone who probably contracted oral HPV infection in their twenties or even earlier." Dr. Wang said the best prevention is getting vaccinated.

New Canadian data suggests those who received AstraZeneca and then an mRNA vaccine are well-protected. Deepta Bhattacharya, PhD, an immunologist at the College of Medicine – Tucson, who was not involved in the study, was initially skeptical about mixing vaccine brands, a view that was far from unusual. But Dr. Bhattacharya said the results are "very encouraging" and provide evidence of "improved real-world protection" from delaying second doses.

The Poison Center’s snakes, scorpions and spiders at the College of Pharmacy train future doctors and pharmacists to recognize venomous bites and stings.

Nathan Price, MD, an associate professor of pediatrics at the College of Medicine – Tucson discusses the similarities and differences of COVID-19 infection in children and adults, the rise of the Delta Variant and the importance of vaccination.

Shad Marvasti, MD, with the College of Medicine – Phoenix, said this year's Halloween still won't be like years past, but it can still be fun provided parents and kids are following the CDC’s trick-or-treating guidelines. “Making sure to keep your hands clean and sanitized is one part of it… making sure that we do things mostly outdoors and having either masks or distancing appropriately outdoors,” he said.

The month of October is when young rattle snakes go looking to hibernate in places where homeowners might not want them. These calls have not coincided with an increase in the number of people getting bitten by snakes, according to the UArizona Poison and Drug Information Center, which collects such data for all of Arizona except for Maricopa County. As of October 6, 146 bites had been reported statewide. That’s down from 162 at this time in 2020.

Deepta Bhattacharya, PhD, an immunologist at the College of Medicine – Tucson, who was not involved in the study, says the results are "very encouraging" and provide evidence of "improved real world protection" from delaying second doses.

Indigenous children also suffer unique challenges compounding the deaths, said Hopi tribe member Felina Cordova-Marks, DrPH, MPH, an assistant professor at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. “The loss of a caregiver will definitely impact mental health and all aspects of health among American Indian children, as it may compound historical trauma. As Native Indigenous people, we look at health holistically with a loss of life and loss of culture affecting all of these,” said Dr. Cordova-Marks, who founded the Southern Arizona Urban Native Indigenous COVID Relief program.

City officials spoke today about the lasting impact that our school buses have on students’ health. They're pushing for state representatives to do something about it. According to the American Lung Association, Tucson’s air quality is among the worst in the nation. “Arizona and Tucson rank particularly poorly when it comes to poor air quality,” said Lynn Gerald, PhD, MSPH, a professor of public health at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health.