CDC

It would make more sense to screen a plane's wastewater to look for new variants than to screen individual passenger volunteers, some researchers say. Others say any information is helpful.

The CDC released the new numbers, saying the official number was 106,699. That’s nearly 16% higher than the nearly 92,000 overdose deaths in 2020. Earlier data suggested there were more than 107,000.

The CDC came out with two studies to detail the bivalent booster's effectiveness against COVID-related emergency department visits and hospitalization.

Preliminary data — through the first 11 months of this year — indicates 2022 will see fewer deaths than the previous two COVID-19 pandemic years.

Expanded growth charts now include a body mass index of 60 — up from previous charts that stopped at 37. Officials also expanded measures to map severe obesity, which affects an estimated 4.5 million children and teens in the U.S.

The U.S. is experiencing an unusual spate of childhood RSV infections. But the critical shortage of beds to treat ailing children stems from structural problems in pediatric care that have been brewing for years.

Like many workplaces, the CDC went remote during the pandemic. Most of the agency’s staff members haven’t returned to the office full time, raising concerns about the ability to reform itself.

Immunizations are down significantly since the coronavirus pandemic began, according to a report. Meantime, there were about 9 million measles infections and 128,000 deaths worldwide last year.

The new omicron-targeting booster added 30% to 56% protection against symptomatic infection, depending on how many prior vaccinations someone had, how long ago and their age, the CDC concluded.

Among almost 4 million births in 2021, nearly 52,000 occurred at home, a CDC report showed. That's up about 12% from 2020, following a 22% rise from 2019 to 2020.