CBS-17 news reports that many vaccine providers are preparing to vaccinate 12-15 year-olds as soon as federal health officials give the green light. “We can start immediately; we’re ready,” said David Wohl, MD, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases, in the story. Wohl also told CBS-17 that UNC clinics expect significant demand … Read more

UNC will administer the shots at the Friday Center in Chapel Hill weeks after the J&J vaccine underwent a nationwide pause based on guidance by the CDC. UNC Health’s David Wohl, MD, explained the delay for UNC returning to the J&J COVID-19 vaccine in a WRAL interview. “It really had only to do with logistics … Read more

Emily Sickbert-Bennett, PhD, MS, was featured in La Neta Neta discussing a recent mask study. In the news story, she explains that the study team has been able to show that the double mask is not more effective because of the additional layers but because it offers a better fit. Read the article.

NC Policy Watch reports the total number of vaccinations dropped by 23% over one week in April, an indication that North Carolina still faces challenges in achieving its vaccination goals. Now, the state Department of Health and Human Services wants to direct vaccination efforts toward neighborhoods where few people have gotten shots. David Wohl, MD, professor of … Read more

People who have received a COVID-19 vaccine may be wondering when they can safely hug loved ones, hang out with friends, and go to sporting events or concerts. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently issued guidelines on what should (and should not) be done after becoming fully vaccinated. A WRAL Go Ask Mom … Read more

Division of Geriatric Medicine John Batsis, MD, was awarded $225,000 from the NIH’s National Institute on Aging to develop and test a remote-sensing resistance band exercise system with a team of researchers from Dartmouth. Joshua Niznik, PharmD, PhD, was awarded a 5-year K08 Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award by the NIH’s National Institute on Aging for “Deprescribing Bisphosphonates … Read more

G1 Therapeutics, Inc., a commercial-stage oncology company, announced that the peer-reviewed journal of Clinical Lung Cancer published the final pooled results from three clinical trials of COSELA™ (trilaciclib) in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). “Cancer patients have two major sources of physical suffering – the cancer itself and the side effects of chemotherapy,” said … Read more

In an article published by Explico.co, Emily Sickbert-Bennett, PhD, MS, associate professor of infectious diseases, described mask combinations that were tested on volunteers, from a single cloth mask to folded surgical masks. The studies found that wearing a full coverage mask, such as a bandana or neck warmer over a surgical mask provided the best … Read more

Seth Berkowitz, MD, assistant professor in the division of general medicine and clinical epidemiology, was featured in the article “Food Insecurity Can Lead Straight to the ED,” a special report published in Emergency Medicine News. In the report he explains how the “emergency department is a powerful window into food insecurity because lacking food can … Read more

Sofija Volertas, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the division of rheumatology, allergy and immunology, was interviewed for a Pop Sugar article about working out before getting a vaccine. Volertas recognized that allergists don’t have a definitive answer for someone being 100 percent clear to work out pre-vaccine. But aside from the COVID-19 vaccine, there … Read more

With supply and demand a concern for COVID-19 vaccines in some communities, a WRAL news story asked the question: Is it safe to mix different brands of vaccines? Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration currently recommend staying consistent with the type of vaccine a patient … Read more

It’s possible a COVID-19 vaccine booster will be necessary, just as it is with other vaccines. Moderna is readying for that next inoculation by the fall. But Cindy Gay, MD, MPH, assistant professor in the division of infectious diseases, says it’s too early to know if we’ll need it by then. “I think it’s just … Read more