Page 11 - James Lederer News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts will host a virtual panel, “Closing the Gap on Herd Immunity,” featuring three experts in public health, at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 8. Topics covered will include COVID-19 vaccine access, misinformation and a look ahead as vaccines become available to wider segments of the population. The panelists are Michelle Williams, dean of the faculty and professor at Harvard College’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Dr. Mary Clarisse Kilayko, a doctor of infectious diseases and internal medicine at Berkshire Health Systems; and Dr. James Lederer, c...

As Berkshire County prepares for its first shipment of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines as soon as Thursday, local and state health officials stressed its overall effectiveness and urged people

STEPHANIE ZOLLSHAN — THE BERKSHIRE EAGLE STEPHANIE ZOLLSHAN — THE BERKSHIRE EAGLE The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine continues, with congregate care staff and residents up next. But the vast majority of Berkshire County residents are not yet eligible for the vaccine, and strict eligibility restrictions have prompted frustration and questions. Even as other states kick off vaccinations for anyone 65 and older, local officials are required to follow the commonwealth's timeline. State officials have estimated that the vaccination process will last u...

PITTSFIELD — A surge of patients, including some suffering from COVID-19, flooded the Berkshire Medical Center emergency department on Thursday afternoon, putting a strain on hospital resources at a time when the facility was already facing staffing shortages. In response, BMC went to “full activation” at about 3 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, meaning clinical staff stayed past the end of their shifts to handle the overflow, according to hospital spokesperson Jennifer Vrabel. There were between 40 and 50 patients either in treatment or waiting to be seen in the hospital’s em...

David Kolis had chills, a high fever and a deep cough as he drove himself to the hospital this month. A week into the 63-year-old’s fight with COVID-19, his doctor called to tell him there was something that might help. Monoclonal antibodies therapy, a treatment that President Donald Trump received during his illness, finally was available for widespread emergency use. And Kolis was eligible. “I was very sick,” Kolis said. “Any help I could’ve got was well-appreciated.” The therapy would try to give his immune system an assist by mimicking the natural antibodies ...