Today on What’s Health Got to Do with It, our medical roundtable of experts discussed some of the top health stories making headlines in Florida, like:
- The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) approved COVID-19 booster shots for the most vulnerable populations.
- In a recentstatement, the Food and Drug Administration said it's working expeditiously to make COVID vaccines available for children ages 5 to 11.
- Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed a new surgeon general for Florida. Dr. Joseph Ladapo has degrees from Harvard and taught at UCLA; however, he is known for downplaying the benefits of masks, lockdowns and vaccines. Since his appointment, Ladapo issued a new rule leaving COVID-exposure quarantine for school children up to parents’ discretion.
- Last flu season, wearing masks and social distancing prevented many Floridians from contracting influenza but also reduced immunity to this year’s strain. In conjunction with virus displacement and most of the population's abandoning stringent social distancing, that could mean an early and severe flu season. #FluVaxJax advocates for flu vaccines to prevent outbreaks.
- Healthcare workers face immense challenges, including lack of resources, too few beds for patients and understaffing. Hospitals nationwide saw3.6% more healthcare employees leave their jobs than in previous years, typically in fields that experienced increases in demands due to the pandemic. Medical employees report increased levels of burnout and other adverse effects on their mental health.
Guests:
- Dr. Sunil Joshi, Duval County Medical Society Foundation president and president of Family Allergy Asthma Consultants
- Chad Nielsen, director of accreditation and infection prevention at UF Health Jacksonville
- Dr. Michelle Aquino, a hospitalist at Baptist Health Jacksonville and Action News Jax medical correspondent
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What's Health Got to Do with It? Associate Producer Katherine Hobbs can be reached at khobbs@wjct.org or on Twitter at @KatherineGHobbs.