If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or need help, call 988 or message the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.
Yes and no. A few stories of people on Medicaid plans being charged between $125 and $200 for the shot are true - but they were billing errors. Most people with insurance, including Medicare and Medicaid, will have COVID and flu shots fully covered. If you have any type of insurance, check with the pharmacy or doctor to double-check, but you should not expect a charge. For those uninsured, there’s a government “Bridge Program” to cover you this year. Go to vaccines.gov/search, enter your zip code, and choose which vaccines you’re looking for. Then look for “Bridge Access Program” or check the box to filter for “Participating in Bridge Access Program” to find pharmacies and community health clinics near you that offer shots for free if you don’t have insurance.
Source: CBS, Vaccines.gov
We’re hearing it, too. We heard a lot of noise around the false rumors that full government-mandated lockdowns might be coming back. Lately, we’ve seen the false stat that 99% of reported COVID deaths were actually caused by other illnesses and the CDC lied about them to get people to take the vaccine - again, not true. It’s a drastic misinterpretation of a recent CDC stat showing that deaths from COVID made up 1.7% of all deaths that week in the US. COVID mis- and disinformation often links to real stats like that one, which can contribute to the confusion. A recent study showed that most Americans see misinformation, and most aren’t sure if it’s true or not. If you hear someone who trusts you sharing what you think might be misinformation, consider looking into the data together to find out if it’s true.
Source: USA Today, Health News FL, KFF
Nipah virus is a rare disease mostly found in India and Bangladesh that initially spreads from animals to humans and then can be passed from person to person. Usually, it spreads from fruit bats (also known as flying foxes) and can be passed to pigs and then on to humans or directly from bats to humans. What makes Nipah so scary is that it has a 40-75% fatality rate. The current outbreak is in Kerala, India, and appears to have spread at a healthcare facility. Likely, the first patient got it from contact with a bat and then spread it at the hospital where he was receiving medical care. Because the virus has a 2-3 week incubation period, it’s likely that they’re still in the middle of this outbreak, with more cases expected. The risk for a global outbreak is very low - sadly, that’s in part because the virus kills the people it infects so quickly. There’s no reason for immediate concern unless you have employees in Kerala. But on a larger scale, it’s a major threat for a future pandemic. Each time the virus jumps from bat to pig to human is an opportunity for a mutation that lets it spread more easily, so epidemiologists are watching closely, especially as development and climate change mean that people are in closer contact with bats every day.
If you haven’t yet, listen to Roslyn’s conversation with Dr. Kelly Ramsey, Chief of Medical Services for the NY State Office of Addiction Services and Supports. They discuss employers using naloxone - everything from storage and expiration concerns to stigma and liability - and how to support employees with substance use disorder.
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