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What We're Reading: US to Ship 80M Vaccines; Cyberattack on Irish Health Care; Recall of Abbott Pacemakers
The United States will ship approximately 80 million excess doses of COVID-19 vaccines abroad; Ireland's health services system could be hobbled for weeks by a ransomware attack; the FDA recalls more than 60,000 pacemakers manufactured by Abbott.
US to Ship 80M Excess COVID-19 Vaccines Abroad
President Joe Biden announced that the United States will ship approximately 20 million doses of excess Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines to in need countries abroad. Reported by NPR, shipments will also include 60 million AstraZeneca vaccines currently in the US total reserve, which has yet to be authorized for use in the United States. Distribution is planned to be completed by the end of June.
Irish Health System Struggles in Aftermath of Massive Ransomware Attack
It could be weeks before the Irish health system returns to normal in the wake of a cyberattack, the Associated Press reported. The attack happened on Friday and a Russian-speaking hacking group has demanded $20 million, the report said. The ransomware attack has forced the disruption of care involving diagnostic appointments, cancer treatment, and surgeries; in addition, health care workers cannot get paid.
FDA Issues Recall on Abbott Pacemakers
Due to the risk of electrical shorts and reduced battery life associated with Assurity and Endurity implantable pacemakers manufactured by Abbott, the FDA issued a Class 1 recall, the most serious type of recall, of nearly 62,000 pacemakers that were distributed between April 2015 and February 2019. Reported by Fox News, the devices have been linked with 135 complaints and 135 injuries, but no deaths have been reported.
Laundromats as a New Frontier in Community Health, Medicaid Outreach
May 29th 2025Lindsey Leininger, PhD, and Allister Chang, MPA, highlight the potential of laundromats as accessible, community-based settings to support Medicaid outreach, foster trust, and connect families with essential health and social services.
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New Insights Into Meth-Associated PAH Care Gaps: Anjali Vaidya, MD, on Closing the Divide
June 4th 2025Research from Anjali Vaidya, MD, FACC, FASE, FACP, Temple University Hospital, reveals critical care gaps for patients with methamphetamine-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), emphasizing the need for early diagnosis and integrated support.
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Inside the Center's MDD Value Model and Its Use of Dynamic Pricing
May 13th 2025Larragem Raines, MS, of the Center for Innovation & Value Research, discusses the organization's major depressive disorder (MDD) open-source value model, dynamic pricing, and the future role of artificial intelligence in care.
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Workers Facing Greater Economic Hardship More Likely to Report Poor Health
June 2nd 2025US workers facing high economic hardship, especially those in lower-wage occupations, were significantly more likely to report fair or poor health, underscoring persistent disparities in worker well-being.
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