Children's mental health has become national emergency amid pandemic, health experts declare

The COVID-19 pandemic has been hard on everyone, and children are no exception. In fact, things have become so difficult for kids, a group of influential health experts declared a national emergency in children’s mental health.

Interferon does not help hospitalized COVID-19 patients, NIH study finds

A recent National Institutes of Health trial published on Monday highlights the failure of a COVID-19 treatment known as interferon beta-1a, a medicine with both antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties.

FDA OKs mixing COVID-19 vaccines, approves Moderna, J&J boosters

U.S. regulators are extending COVID-19 boosters to Americans who got the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine. They also said Wednesday anyone eligible for an extra dose can get a brand different from the one they received initially.

Gates Foundation to spend $120M on access to Merck’s antiviral COVID-19 pill

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation says it will spend $120 million to boost access to generic versions of drugmaker Merck’s antiviral COVID-19 pill for lower income countries, if the drug gets approved by regulators.

Montgomery County close to dropping indoor mask mandate

In Maryland, Montgomery County is getting closer to dropping its indoor mask mandate, but will county officials actually end the indoor cover requirement – especially as experts warn of a serious flu season and possible COVID-19 surges with upcoming holiday travel?

CDC: Unvaccinated 11 times more likely to die of COVID-19

The latest data from the CDC shows COVID-19 vaccines remained highly effective against hospitalization and death even as the extra-contagious delta variant swept the country.

Arkansas restaurant pays student employees to do homework during shift

A restaurant group in Arkansas is allowing student employees to do homework for an hour while on the clock, an initiative that is raising grades and also recruiting more employees amid the country’s labor shortage.

90,000 US COVID-19 deaths since June were preventable, Kaiser Family Foundation says

The analysis estimated how many COVID-19 deaths were among unvaccinated adults and could have been prevented since June 2021 “when safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines became widely available to all adults in the U.S.”

CDC issues 2021 holiday COVID-19 guidance urging vaccination ahead of gatherings

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance urges people to get vaccinated ahead of the holidays if they haven't done so already.

National Zoo vaccinating some primates; lions and tigers still recovering from COVID-19

As the National Zoo’s lions and tigers continue to recover after testing presumptive positive for COVID-19, the staff began vaccinating some of the zoo’s primates.

COVID-19 vaccines: Study finds J&J recipients better off with Moderna, Pfizer booster

An NIH study on whether or not it is safe to “mix and match” vaccines found that people who initially received J&J vaccines had better protection against COVID-19 when they got a Moderna or Pfizer vaccine as a booster.

Montgomery County planning COVID-19 vaccine rollout for children 5 to 11

Montgomery County health officials are rolling out a plan for vaccinating children between ages five and 11 once the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine is approved.

Man indicted for allegedly threatening doctor who advocated for COVID-19 vaccines

A Texas man faces up to five years in prison after he allegedly sent violent text messages to a Maryland doctor who advocated for the COVID-19 vaccine.

Leesburg Town Council approves COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all town employees

The Leesburg Town Council has approved a vaccine requirement for all town employees, a controversial decision that could cost the town some members of its police force.

Companies hard-pressed for holiday staff despite millions of job openings

Companies that typically hire thousands of seasonal workers are heading into the holidays during one of the tightest job markets in decades, making it unlikely they’ll find all the workers they need.