Health Sciences In The Media

Despite some issues with availability, data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show most people are receiving the second dose of the COVID vaccine on time. But some people are reporting more serious side effects with the second dose. One University of Arizona expert says that means the vaccine is working.

The significant role and impact of structural racism needs to be considered in racial and ethnic health-disparities research, say the editors of the American Heart Association journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. Khadijah K. Breathett, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Cardiology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson and associate editor of the journal, co-authored the statement.

A University of Arizona Health Sciences study that is examining COVID-19 immunity and re-infection among frontline workers is expanding to include some Arizona college students while broadening its research focus to include COVID-19 vaccination effectiveness.

A University of Arizona Health Sciences study has estimated total lifetime costs at $736 million for the 10,359 valley fever patients diagnosed in Arizona in 2019, underscoring the economic burden the disease places on the state and its residents.

David Beyda, chair and professor in the Department of Bioethics and Medical Humanism at the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, discusses the ethics related to the COVID-19 vaccinations.

The past two flu seasons were the worst the state has ever seen, but this season has seen a 93% decrease in the number of cases and is one of the lowest on record – all likely due to COVID-19. "It's a dominant organism in the community. When one virus becomes the dominant organism in the community, it doesn't let other viruses take hold and gain a foothold," said Dr. Shad Marvasti, director of public health, prevention and health promotion at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix.

Joe Gerald, an associate professor in the University of Arizona's Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, said the state of Arizona's COVID-19 vaccination system seems to prioritize state pods, which could lead to a lot of people being left without equal access to immunization. "If you live in Tempe it's a 5-minute drive. But if you live in Yuma it's a 6-to-7-hour drive. That doesn't meet the burden of equal opportunity," Gerald said.

Since the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines, more than 10,000 pregnant women across the U.S. have received it, according to federal health officials. There have been no red flags so far, according to Dr. Debra Guinn, an expert in maternal-fetal medicine in the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson. "The benefits of the vaccine far out weight any risk," Guinn said.

Stewart Goldman, MD, has joined Phoenix Children's Hospital and University of Arizona College of Medicine–Phoenix as chair of the department of child health and senior vice president of research.

One of the unsolved mysteries about COVID-19 is why it has a lesser impact on children, even kids with asthma. University of Arizona pediatric researcher Fernando Martinez, MD, at the College of Medicine - Tucson, says children in general are at lower risk for COVID-19, but why the disease does not affect those with asthma is especially interesting. “We’re actively studying it."