A new COVID variant of concern has been named: Omicron. Dr. Dan Shirley with UW Health says there are a few next steps in dealing with this variant to focus on in the weeks to come.
With gun deer hunting season quickly approaching, UW Health officials are reminding hunters to make sure their own health is up to snuff before they take to the woods.
Pfizer announced that its COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective for children ages 5-11, a promising step in the race to protect kids from the rapidly spreading Delta variant.
Students are getting settled into their new classrooms in the Waunakee Community School District and the superintendent’s main goal is to keep them there.
Eager students and staff arrived for the first bell at Sugar Creek Elementary School in Verona to start a new school year on Wednesday. Verona Area School District officials say this is the second largest elementary school in Dane County, with many newcomers this year from other districts and even other countries.
With students going back to in-person learning, there is concern that many will encounter newfound peer pressure to use e-cigarettes. UW Madison Associate Professor of Pediatric Pulmonology, Dr. Vivek Balasubramaniam (MD), said the teen vaping crisis took a backseat during the pandemic, but it never went away.
A band teacher in Sun Prairie is pleading with public health officials to reconsider a rule that currently bans his students from playing wind instruments inside.
Hundreds of Wisconsin doctors put out an open letter to schools and parents across the state, urging them to implement masking and other measures to protect children from COVID-19.
Many students and their parents are entering this new year cautiously, as the threat of COVID-19 looms. Dr. Jeff Pothof, UW Health’s Chief Quality Officer, said mask-wearing is of the utmost importance in any school.
One is the claim that kids don’t get seriously sick from COVID-19. Dr. DeMuri said although rates of hospitalization and death are lower among kids than adults, children can experience severe illness from COVID.
COVID-19 booster shots are not currently recommended here in the U.S., but other countries have already started to roll out third doses to protect people against the Delta variant.
Dr. Nasia Safdar, the Medical Director for Infection Prevention at UW Health, said no matter which brand of vaccine you got, needing a booster in the future is likely.
While vaccination numbers increase across the state, COVID-19 cases continue to circulate. UW Health officials say keeping up with COVID-19 testing is a crucial part of containing the pandemic.
As the nation awaits word from health authorities on when kids ages 12 -15 can start getting vaccinated, UW Health officials believe immunizing this group will present some unique challenges.
The NBC15 Vaccine Team is answering your questions about fully vaccinated people and if they are able to carry and spread COVID-19. You can find a full list of NBC15 Vaccine Team Q&A’s HERE.
The NBC15 Vaccine Team is answering your questions about interacting with those who are vaccinated versus those who are unvaccinated. You can find a full list of NBC15 Vaccine Team Q&A’s HERE.
On the heels of recent news that the FDA could authorize Pfizer’s vaccine for use in teens ages 12 to 15 as early as next week, local health organizations are kicking preparations into high gear. Fitchburg Family Pharmacy decided to go ahead and start scheduling doses for 12-15 year-olds to get the Pfizer vaccine at their clinic. None of these appointments are guaranteed until the vaccine gets the green light from the FDA.
We’ve come to know “herd immunity” as the end goal of mass vaccination. Now five months into 2021, some are beginning to question if achieving it is plausible.
Dr. Jeff Pothof with UW Health said you should get both doses of Pzifer or Moderna, or the single Johnson & Johnson shot, even if you have had COVID-19 in the past. He explained that after you’ve recovered you may have natural antibodies, but the vaccine is going to give you much better protection.
The NBC15 Vaccine Team is answering your questions about future booster shots of COVID-19 and if they could be combined with other vaccines. You can find a full list of NBC15 Vaccine Team Q&A’s HERE. Dr. Dan Shirley said this is a big priority for the future of vaccinations.
Erin Rome, Attorney with Palmersheim Dettmann in Middleton, said employers can ask employees to provide proof of vaccination, even if they are not requiring an employee to get vaccinated.
With Johnson and Johnson vaccinations now on pause in the U.S., when could we see more vaccine options available? It’s a question recieved by the NBC15 Vaccine Team.
On Tuesday, health officials on the federal and state level issued a recommendation to pause administration of Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine due to concerns over adverse reactions and blood clots. So what should you do if you got the J&J shot or are worried about adverse reactions to any of the vaccines.
The NBC15 Vaccine Team is answering your questions about reintegrating “normal” activities after getting the vaccine. You can find a full list of NBC15 Vaccine Team Q&A’s HERE.
Dr. Matt Anderson, UW Health’s Senior Medical Director of Primary Care, said individuals should wait 14 days after the last dose of the vaccine before getting a shingles shot. This applies to most other vaccines as well.
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