Health Sciences In The Media

Gov. Doug Ducey removed the statewide order that directed K-12 schools to require masks Monday afternoon, putting responsibility on local school leaders to decide whether masks will be required for the final weeks of the school year. The biggest problem with rescinding mask requirements in schools is that children under the age of 16 are not yet eligible to be vaccinated, said Dr. Farshad Fani Marvasti, a physician and associate professor at the College of Medicine – Phoenix.

Around 40% of people who have a heart attack also suffer from depression, and women have twice the risk of experiencing the combination of major depression and cardiovascular disease. The College of Medicine – Phoenix received an $8 million grant to investigate the sex disparities in these debilitating conditions.

More than half of all adult Americans have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The younger you are, experts say, the more likely it is that you will experience a side effect. "It's actually expected to see more side effects the younger you are because our immune system has a more robust response to the vaccines," said Dr. Farshad Fani Marvasti, director of public health, prevention and health promotion at the College of Medicine – Phoenix.

If you’re feeling more symptoms with the COVID-19 vaccine than with the flu shot, you’re not alone. Health experts say there’s a reason for that. Deepta Bhattacharya, an immunobiologist at the College of Medicine – Tucson, says the reason why more people are having more reactions to COVID-19 vaccines compared to flu vaccines is because they're made differently. “Vaccines are really engineered and designed to trigger some of that inflammation.” Bhattacharya says the flu vaccine does not trigger the same reaction.

Dr. Francisco Moreno, associate vice president of diversity and inclusion, and Dr. Elizabeth Connick, chief of infectious diseases at the College of Medicine – Tucson, discuss vaccine hesitancy in Pima County.

If you got the Pfizer vaccine, will you really need to get a third shot within a year? Thursday, the CEO of Pfizer said that’s likely the case. However, a local expert says not so fast. “I think it was some speculation more than anything,” said Deepta Bhattacharya, associate professor of immunobiology at the College of Medicine – Tucson.

The Arizona Department of Health Services launched a new public service announcement as part of the “Roll Up Your Sleeve to Get Vaccinated Against COVID-19” campaign. The new PSA features community leaders, local celebrities, and influencers from several industries including Dr. Cecilia Rosales, associate dean of of Community Engagement and Outreach and Phoenix Programs at the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health.

There are now quite a few observational studies and large reviews of the available evidence that show low vitamin D levels are associated with higher risks of contracting COVID-19 or with becoming seriously ill. "What is clear from a number of studies is that there's a strong relationship in terms of your levels prior to infection," says Dr. Shad Marvasti, director of public health, prevention and health promotion at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix.

A small but growing number of colleges will require students to receive a Covid-19 vaccine, saying it is the most assured way of returning to some semblance of pre-pandemic campus life. "Many colleges have required certain vaccinations for years but the standards aren't uniform," said Leila Barraza, an associate professor at the University of Arizona Zuckerman College of Public Health. Still, outbreaks on college campuses are relatively common.

Scientists discussed the mechanisms of chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment at a session dedicated to symptom science at the AACR Annual Meeting. These effects extend to children treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, which is the most prevalent cancer among children and adolescents. The disease has a 90% five-year survival rate, thanks, in part, to multiagent chemotherapy and aggressive treatment to the central nervous system. Research presented by nurse-scientist Ida M. Moore of the University of Arizona College of Nursing in Tucson showed that children performed poorly over time, even three years after starting treatment.