What to tell your young teen about their shot at the COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Merschel, American Heart Association News
May 13, 2021
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Approval of a COVID-19 vaccine for people as young as 12 offers parents more than the opportunity to protect their kids. It offers them a chance to be a guide.
Adolescents might be wondering whether vaccines are safe or even necessary. They also might be struggling with conflicting information from their peers about those very issues.
That is why the most important thing a parent can do right now is listen, said Francesca Penner, a clinical psychology resident who will do postdoctoral work at Yale University s Child Study Center in New Haven, Connecticut.
As pre-pandemic activities return, so does anxiety
Laura Williamson, American Heart Association News
May 3, 2021
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Denise Santos remembers exactly how she felt when the first pandemic lockdown was ordered last year, knowing she d no longer have to interact with the public, her co-workers or anybody outside the sanctuary of her home. The relief was immediate and almost overwhelming, like I d slid into a warm bath, said Santos, who is one of 15 million Americans living with social anxiety.
Now, more than a year later, as vaccination rates rise, restrictions loosen and social activity resumes, the sounds of backyard barbecues, the sight of bigger crowds at local stores and the thought of entering a public workspace make her heart race.
Experts remain confident about vaccine safety monitoring
Michael Merschel, American Heart Association News
April 27, 2021
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The now-ended pause in use of Johnson & Johnson s COVID-19 vaccine raised concerns about whether confidence might be rattled in vaccines and how they are monitored for safety.
Experts say it should do the opposite. I think this is a clear example that the system works, that there are many safeguards put in place after either a drug or vaccine begins to get use in the public, said Dr. Ralph Sacco, chairman of neurology at the University of Miami. He also is editor-in-chief of the American Heart Association journal Stroke.
Straight answers to common questions about COVID-19 vaccines
Michael Merschel, American Heart Association News
April 13, 2021
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If you ve got questions about COVID-19 vaccines, you re not the only one. Even as many people rush to get their shots, surveys show others just aren t sure about them.
Dr. Won Lee, medical director of Boston Medical Center s Home Care Program, understands. There s so much misinformation out there, she said. And it s hard for anyone to know what to believe.
Lee is part of a medical team that helps elderly homebound people. She s heard lots of concerns firsthand.
So has Heneliaka Jones, a registered nurse in the Positive Health Program at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. Many of the people she encounters are in underserved groups or are marginally housed. They distrust the health care system in general and have specific concerns about the vaccine. She respects that.
What parents should know about rare but scary COVID-19-related illness
Michael Merschel, American Heart Association News
March 10, 2021
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It began with COVID-19 and became a nightmare.
The coronavirus hit the Dye family of Anchorage, Alaska, in mid-November. Parents Heath and Hailey were sick for a week. Cameron, then 6, had a mild fever for a day and a bit of a cough. Two-year-old Lucas never showed symptoms.
Four weeks later, when they thought the worst was past, Cameron s fever shot to 104.5. He was diagnosed with strep throat, but his parents, who had seen a lot of cases of strep in their son, weren t sure. They d heard about a COVID-related illness called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C, which had struck a girl back in Heath s Virginia hometown.