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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.
AI Outperforms Traditional Methods in Predicting Ovarian Cancer Surgery Outcomes
January 19th 2025Artificial intelligence (AI) models, particularly artificial neural networks and machine learning, outperform traditional methods in predicting post–complete cytoreduction outcomes in patients with ovarian cancer, including overall survival, no residual disease, and postoperative complications.
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Advancing Women's Health: CVS Health Leader on Access, Technology, and Breaking Stigmas
December 5th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with CVS Health's vice president and chief medical officer for women's health and genomics about advancements and challenges in women's health, focusing on care access, technology, and maternal outcomes.
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The study found significant disparities in the exposure to contaminants. Communities with higher percentages of Hispanic and Black residents were not only more likely to have unregulated chemicals in their drinking water, but they were also more frequently located near pollution sources.
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Study Suggests Postdischarge Care Needs Targeted, Multifaceted Approaches
January 15th 2025The findings challenge the effectiveness of these widely used transitional care interventions and suggest a need for more targeted, multifaceted approaches to address the needs of higher-risk patients.
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