Archive for coronavirus
Using germs against themselves: How vaccines work
Germs are all around us. When a germ (in the form of virus or bacteria) enters your body, it tries to make you sick. Some germs cause minor colds, but others can cause serious disease. Fortunately, your immune system is your body’s internal defense system. It protects you by creating immune cells (T cells) and ... Read More
Beyond COVID-19: Why kids need other vaccines, too
As you consider immunizing your child, it’s natural to have questions about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. But the recent detection of polio in New York illustrates how diseases that were once thought to have been eradicated can reemerge when vaccination efforts lag. While COVID-19 vaccines have understandably drawn attention during recent years, it’s important to ... Read More
Eight tips to get your kids on a good sleep schedule
If your kids are staying up past midnight and not getting out of bed until after noon, they are in good company. Since kids have been out of school for the summer and have spent their days and nights with their friends or staying up late to binge a TV show, many are off their ... Read More
How protected am I from COVID-19? A new test could tell you at home
Say you’re going to a wedding or a concert or are about to leave the country. You’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19, even boosted, but you have an underlying medical condition. You might have a young child who’s received only one vaccine dose. How much protection do you and your family have? Do you need another ... Read More
Powerful new antibody neutralizes all known coronavirus variants
As the COVID-19 pandemic wears on, newer variants of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus have been evolving ways to evade the antibodies we make in response to vaccines or prior infections. As a result, we’ve seen breakthrough cases, antibody treatments that once worked have also become less effective over time. Scientists have been searching for an antibody ... Read More
Lingering health problems in children and youth after COVID-19 and MIS-C
More than one in four children and adolescents hospitalized with COVID-19 or multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) had persisting health problems two to four months later, finds a study led by Boston Children’s Hospital, one of the largest of its kind to date. Just published in the journal Pediatrics, the study tracked 358 patients ... Read More
Making a difference in children’s lives: A guide to the 2022 election season
Voting is your right and your way to make a difference in children’s lives. When you cast your vote, you’re letting elected officials know where you stand on issues such as access to health care, behavioral health, and child nutrition programs. In this spirit of civic engagement, Boston Children’s Hospital encourages all eligible citizens to make their voices ... Read More
Escaping the fire: How mental health care providers can fight burnout
It might feel like an occupational buzzword lately, but “burnout” is nothing new. It has plagued clinicians and other medical professionals for decades, but the COVID-19 pandemic and intensely spotlighted behavioral health crisis have only fueled the inferno. And maybe no one knows this better than the mental health professionals who have been on the frontline of both battles. ... Read More
COVID-19 vaccines are now available for kids under 5. Here’s what parents should know.
Children under age 5 can now be vaccinated against COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently approved the use of vaccines produced by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna in children ages 6 months and older. We spoke with Dr. Kristin Moffitt, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Boston Children’s, to get answers to your questions. ... Read More
Pregnant mothers who get COVID-19 vaccines are also protecting their babies
Recent studies have shown that COVID-19 vaccination is safe for expectant mothers and can protect them against infection, severe illness, and death from COVID-19. We also know that mothers vaccinated during pregnancy pass coronavirus antibodies to their babies. The latest research — drawing on 30 children’s hospitals in 22 states — now confirms that vaccinating ... Read More