Health News:

• The risk of bird flu spreading to humans is an “enormous concern,” the WHO says. (Guardian)
• Foodborne illness from leafy greens costs an estimated $5 billion annually in the U.S. (Food Safety) 
• The FDA is investigating 9 cases of E. coli O157:H7 from an unknown source. (FDA)
• The Biden administration has a new global strategy to thwart the next pandemic. (NPR)
• At least 5 states were hit with 911 outages, though service has since been restored. The cause is unknown. (Reuters)
• In one study of NY healthcare professionals, 17% weren’t sure about getting a COVID booster for themselves, and 33% weren’t sure about one for their kids. (CIDRAP)
• The FDA is winding down part of its lead-contaminated applesauce probe. (NBC)
• Philadelphia high school students are experiencing an outbreak of whooping cough. (CBS)
• TB, malaria, and HIV create a massive burden worldwide through illness, disability, and early death. (CIDRAP)
• There was a confirmed case of Hep A in a food handler in western New York state who worked while sick from April 4–12. (CHQgov.com)
• The time or physical ability to walk or drive to COVID vaccination sites may have deterred some people, a new study shows. (CIDRAP)

Mental Health & Substance Use News:

• Paris Hilton is backing CA lawmakers’ push to increase transparency of residential teen therapeutic centers by requiring these programs to report the use of restraints or seclusion rooms. (KFF Health News)
• This summer, mental health crisis center staff will work with 911 dispatch in Tampa, FL, to help redirect 911 calls that don’t need police involvement.  (WUSF)

If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or need help, call 988 or message the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741. 

Best Questions:

I read that our kids should be exposed to measles to strengthen their immune system. Is there any truth to that?

We’ve all heard this type of thing: your kid needs to get sick to build a strong immune system; kids these days just aren’t as healthy as they were back in the day. These ideas are rooted in something true - kids exposed to pets and farm animals have fewer allergies. But that doesn’t extend to infectious diseases. In fact, “kids these days” are objectively the healthiest they’ve ever been because childhood deaths are the lowest of all time. We tend to forget just how many kids died before they reached adulthood, especially infants and those under five. The leading cause? Infectious disease. Tuberculosis, pneumonia, and diarrheal illnesses killed nearly one out of every ten children as recently as 1915. So, no, kids don’t need to be infected with dangerous diseases to build healthy immune systems. Measles is particularly dangerous for kids, with 1 in 20 kids infected getting pneumonia and up to 3 out of every 1000 dying, so it’s absolutely not worth the risk. 

Source: YLE

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We’re thinking about prepping a vaccination education campaign in case of another outbreak (like bird flu). What should we consider?

We’ve learned a lot about what works to help undecided people choose life-saving vaccines. Offer clear, valid information that includes both the benefits and risks of vaccines. Compared to positive-only narratives, a “both-sided” narrative increased people’s attitudes toward and reduced resistance against vaccination in one study of people with lots of vaccine hesitancy. Even more so, when people identify with the person telling them about the pros and cons of vaccination (they feel that it’s someone who thinks and acts like they do), they feel more compelled to get vaccinated. Appealing to people’s desire to take care of their family and community is also proven to be effective.  Work on employee communication that doesn’t gloss over risks or side effects, identify a few key storytellers who reflect your employee demographics, and focus on communicating the ways that vaccines could protect the community. And last but certainly not least, we know that convenience is king. Organizing an on-site vaccination clinic that makes it super easy for people to get the vaccine is one of the biggest drivers of vaccine uptake. They’ll do it if it’s super easy (and free) for them, so make it a no-brainer. 

Source: Harvard, NIH, CDC

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Best Read:

Avian flu outbreak raises a disturbing question: Is our food system built on poop? - LA Times

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