Adults are three times as likely to have a heart attack or stroke after a COVID-19 infection than when they are healthy. The risks are even greater for the flu.

A new study published in JAMA, which looked at fee-for-service Medicare records from 2013–2023, found that overall participation has trended upward. However, the details paint a complicated picture.

Without a formal extension before the government shutdown, the flexible telemedicine reimbursement policies introduced in 2020 that removed regional barriers for Medicare patients have officially ended.

Universal Health Services was found by a jury to be liable for fraud in an alleged scheme to destabilize Saint Mary’s during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ruling includes punitive damages.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended that all Americans six months and older consult a clinician before deciding to get a COVID vaccine, ending the pandemic-era policy that broadly encouraged getting the inoculation.

These findings are important to consider with regard to patients’ long-term health, as chronic inflammation has been implicated in cognitive decline. 

The American College of Cardiology has shared new recommendations highlighting the protective benefits of a variety of vaccines. The new guidance also examines how to speak with patients who are hesitant to be vaccinated. 

In a press conference held by Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, MD, PhD, condemned all compulsory vaccinations, declaring that the “body is a gift from God.”