Infectious Disease

Pharmacists play a vital role in managing respiratory virus season by providing vaccinations, counseling, and recommending effective treatments for patients.

In a Swedish cohort, young women with symptomatic long COVID were found to be at higher risk of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), conferring additional burden.

Pharmacists emphasize the importance of RSV awareness, testing, and vaccination for older adults and high-risk infants to enhance community health.

CDC layoffs threaten public health surveillance, prompting urgent reinstatement of staff as pharmacists face challenges in community health response.

Compared with lower-valent vaccines and PPSV23, higher-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines were more cost-effective, especially in high-income countries.

Pharmacists’ medication expertise strengthens clinical care and supports a more collaborative, team-based approach to patient health.

A hybrid chatbot that evaluates stages of change in pneumococcal vaccination desires while providing artificial intelligence (AI)-based Q&A opportunities improved uptake in older adults.

Researchers highlight the critical link between school vaccination rates and measles outbreaks, urging targeted public health strategies to combat misinformation and improve MMR coverage.

As one of the most prescribed medications worldwide, proton pump inhibitor use could serve as a bulwark against severe outcomes in hospitalized adults with COVID-19.

Vaccination with 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine did not reduce the rates of acute coronary syndrome and ischemic stroke in a randomized clinical trial.

Derek Webb, PharmD, discusses RSV in older adults, highlighting symptoms, risk factors, and barriers to vaccination.

Derek Webb, PharmD, discusses RSV in older adults, highlighting symptoms, risk factors, and barriers to vaccination.

Pulmonary fibrosis was observed in many patients with severe COVID-19 in a retrospective cohort study, indicating the need for more effective care and prevention.

For American Pharmacists Month, see how recent instances of conflicting medical advice show the importance of pharmacists as trustworthy health care professionals.

Investigators found inconsistencies across subgroups, but the overall efficacy and safety of pneumococcal vaccination was affirmed.

Pharmacists should ensure pneumococcal vaccination strategies are tailored to high-risk individuals, especially those with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Recent FDA approval of nirsevimab and clesrovimab have transformed RSV prevention in infants, prompting new recommendations from the CDC and AAP and replacing the long-standing role of palivizumab.

Using the United States Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System database, investigators found that pneumococcal vaccination led to predominantly nonserious adverse events.

Pharmacists enhance food safety by identifying foodborne illness symptoms, especially as FoodNet narrows its focus on E coli and Salmonella.

New research raises questions regarding the efficacy of nirmatrelvir-ritonavir in preventing long COVID, with limited protection found among older adults and high-risk individuals.

Pneumococcal 21-valent conjugate vaccine (PCV21) was found to be immunogenic and safe in individuals living with HIV, providing significant indications of efficacy in immunocompromised patients.

Older adults face heightened risks from RSV due to declining immunity and chronic conditions, making vaccination crucial for prevention and health.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to recommend that COVID-19 vaccines be administered through individual-based decision-making.

A multicenter registry analysis reveals that high-risk cardiovascular patients often miss opportunities to receive pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations, showcasing gaps that could be filled by pharmacists.

Members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to restrict the combined measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccine and hepatitis B vaccine for certain age groups.