public health

Somebody in Boston has a really big ouchie

adamg — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:08:37 +0000

The Boston Public Health Commission has a new PSA seeking volunteers for its Boston Medical Reserve Corps, which helps out with large events and disasters. You don't have to have medical experience to apply.

Heartache may not be the only thing Pats fans left Indianapolis with

adamg — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:46:59 +0000

Massachusetts health officials notified about measles carrier at Super Bowl festivities.

Liquid nicotine in a tube now illegal for Boston teens and in the workplace and restaurants

adamg — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 13:50:35 +0000

The Boston Public Health Commission yesterday enacted regulations that prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes to anyone under 18 - and their use in the workplace. the new rules will also soon make it illegal to sell single cigars and doubles the fines for violations.

Boston Latin Academy student with meningitis dies

adamg — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 22:58:31 +0000

Channel 4 reports the seventh grader, who fell ill Friday and was hospitalized the same day with meningitis, died today.

Mayor Tom Menino and School Superintendent Carol Johnson issued statements:

"At this difficult time our hearts ache for the family and friends of this young student," said Mayor Thomas M. Menino. "We mourn her loss and join with the Boston Latin Academy in this hour of grief."

"Tonight, the entire Boston Public Schools community mourns the loss of one of our students," said Superintendent Carol R. Johnson. "We send our most sincere condolences to those who loved her. We have assembled a team of counselors who are ready to work with the Boston Latin Academy community in the difficult days ahead."

Boston Latin Academy student with meningitis not doing well

adamg — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 17:08:07 +0000

UPDATE: Channel 4 reports the girl has died.

Dr. Anita Barry on the meningitis case at BLA.

A 12-year-old Boston Latin Academy student is "very, very, seriously, critically ill" with bacterial meningitis, but poses no risk to most other students, a city public-health official says.

A school nurse recognized symptoms of the potentially fatal disease when the seventh grader came into her office Friday not feeling well and had her rushed to a local hospital, Dr. Anita Barry, director of infection control at the Boston Public Health Commission said this morning.

Boston Latin Academy student hospitalized with possible meningitis

adamg — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 05:39:25 +0000

Channel 5 reports, says officials have not said which form of meningitis the seventh-grader has, but that in any case, the risk to other students is low. The school has posted a fact sheet on bacterial meningitis on its Web site.

Why H1N1 killed otherwise healthy kids

adamg — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:31:14 +0000

CommonHealth alerts us to a Children's Hospital study that found kids infected with MRSA seemed to be especially at risk to death by flu. In some areas, up to 9% of kids now have the antibiotic-resistant bacteria living in their noses; such kids had an eightfold risk of severe and sometimes fatal H1N1 flu infections. And this, they say, is why kids need to get flu shots.

Boston reports first flu-related death of the season

adamg — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 22:03:51 +0000

A Boston man in his 40s has died after coming down with the flu, the Boston Public Health Commission said today. The man was particularly vulnerable because of unspecified underlying health issues, the commission said.

The commission says everybody should get a flu shot and take other precautions to reduce the odds of contracting or spreading the virus, including frequent hand washing or sanitizing, staying home with flu symptoms and for at least one day after your fever breaks, covering your mouth when coughing and avoiding sick people.

Boston public-health officials move to bar sale of new nicotine delivery systems to kids

adamg — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 21:37:42 +0000

The Boston Public Health Commission today approved draft regulations to ban the sale of "e-cgarettes" to minors, prohibit the sales of single cigars and double the fines for violating the city's tobacco-control rules.

The proposed e-cigarette regulations would cover devices that "are made of plastic and metal and heat a liquid nicotine solution in a disposable cartridge to create vapor that the smoker inhales," the board said in a statement.

There are no current laws that bar their sale to minors and already several convenience stores sell them, with more interested in pushing them, the board says. Under the proposed regulations, anybody who wants to sell e-cigarettes would require a city permit and would require the gizmos to be stored behind a counter, like cigarettes, and not sold to anyone under 18.

Fatsmackers

adamg — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 15:41:59 +0000

From the Boston Public Health Commission's Fatsmack.org, which has lots more photos of people getting smacked in the face with blobs of fat.

At this point, best to just assume any mosquito you smash is infected with West Nile Virus

adamg — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:39:44 +0000

The Boston Public Health Commission reports latest bug testing shows mosquitoes laced with West Nile Virus are in Hyde Park, South Boston and East Boston. Earlier testing had shown germy bugs in West Roxbury, Roslindale and Dorchester.

Last week, the state raised Boston's risk of WNV from low to moderate. There have yet to be any confirmed cases of the normally mild illness in Boston people this year.

West Nile Virus moves into Roslindale

adamg — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 21:34:54 +0000

The Boston Public Health Commission today added Roslindale to the list of neighborhoods where mosquitoes have tested positive for the virus, which doesn't pose much of a threat to most people.

West Roxbury and Dorchester had already yielded virus-laden mosquitoes; the commission says new sampling in those two neighborhoods showed more germy bugs.

How can this even happen in a city like Boston?

adamg — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 13:44:47 +0000

The Globe reports doctors at Boston Medical Center are seeing an increased number of young children suffering from malnourishment:

Many families are unable to afford enough healthy food to feed their children, say the Boston Medical Center doctors. The resulting chronic hunger threatens to leave scores of infants and toddlers with lasting learning and developmental problems.

Germy mosquitoes found in Dorchester and again in West Roxbury

adamg — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 19:42:24 +0000

The Boston Public Health Commission reports the latest sampling of mosquitoes shows West Nile Virus in one sample taken in Dorchester and three in West Roxbury - following the detection of the virus in other West Roxbury locations a few days earlier.

To date, nobody has been diagnosed with the mosquito-borne virus, which typically does not seriously affect otherwise healthy individuals, the commission says.

Governor to Boston cigar bars: You're going down

adamg — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 17:00:57 +0000

NorthEndWaterfront.com reports that for the second time, Gov. Patrick has vetoed a bill to override a city public-health ordinance that will force cigar and hookah bars to shut down by 2018.

The proposed law was co-sponsored by state Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, D-North End, whose district includes the Stanza dei Sigari cigar bar on Hanover Street.