U.S. Pharmacist Weekly News

November 22, 2023

Vaccination Exemptions at Highest Levels Among U.S. Schoolchildren

The fallout continues from the COVID-19 pandemic when vaccine hesitancy sometimes seemed like its own epidemic. During the 2022-2023 school year, the highest vaccine exemption rate ever occurred in the United States for schoolchildren according to an article in the CDC’s Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report. Find out the implications and what the CDC is doing about that.

Virologic Rebound Rate in COVID-19 Patients Receiving Paxlovid

Paxlovid was found to have an unexpected side effect when it began being used to treat COVID-19: virologic rebound. It remained unclear how often that occurred, however. A study published in Annals of Internal Medicine provided some new information, including that 20% of patients in their study experienced SARS-CoV-2 rebound after treatment. Learn more about the results of this study.

Unregulated Melatonin Use “Exceedingly Common” in U.S. Children

A research letter published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics raised an alarm about the high-use rate of melatonin in U.S. children. Among the concerns is that the dietary supplement is unregulated—leading to inconsistent product—and that the effects of long-term use remain unknown. Find out what the study revealed across all pediatric age groups.

Severe Hypercholesterolemia Often Goes Untreated Despite Mortality Risk

Especially when combined with other common conditions, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol of greater than 190 mg/dL contributes to greater mortality risk, which often goes unrecognized and undertreated. Severe hypercholesterolemia can shorten lifespans, and more early recognition and consistent treatment are needed, according to a new study. Find out what comorbid conditions increase the risk of death from the condition.