What We’re Reading: CDC Adds COVID-19 Vaccine as Routine Immunization; Single Antibiotic Dose Cuts Down Sepsis in Childbirth; Suicide Rates Climb in 2021

CDC Adds COVID-19 to List of Routine Shots in 2023

COVID-19 vaccines will now be included in CDC’s 2023 list of routine shots for children, adolescents, and adults, according to The Hill. Although the CDC cannot mandate vaccines, the vaccine schedule is an important resource for physicians and pediatricians, used as a guide for when to administer certain vaccines. Nearly 85% of adults in the United States have completed their first COVID-19 series of vaccination shots, according to the CDC, yet only about a third have received a bivalent booster.

Single Antibiotic Dose Reduces Sepsis in Childbirth, Study Finds

Administration of a 2-g oral dose of azithromycin reduced rates of maternal sepsis by 35%, according to STAT. The effects of this drug could sharply reduce the number of pregnant people in low- and middle-income countries who develop sepsis in childbirth. Most people survive mild sepsis, but if not treated right away, it can result in septic shock; it has a fatality rate of about 40%, according to researchers of the study. The new work supports previous findings that azithromycin slashed maternal sepsis risk for mothers undergoing cesarean delivery in the United States.

Suicide Rates in 2021 Increased After 2 Years of Declines

The CDC reported that the number of suicides in 2021 increased to the highest levels seen since 2018, according to ABC News. The report showed 48,183 people in the United States had died by suicide in 2021, with a rate of 14.1 suicides per 100,000 people. Suicide rates increased 36.6% among Black individuals (ages 10-24 years) from 2018 to 2021, whereas White individuals were the only race/ethnicity group to see a 3.9% decrease in suicide rates.

If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or worried about a friend or loved one, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 [TALK] for free, confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.