The possibility of a fall COVID surge and concerns about a “nasty” flu season might be fueling an early eagerness among some residents for the omicron-tailored COVID booster, experts said.
Robin Erb
Robin Erb covers a range of health issues in Michigan, including the industry of aging and the issues facing older residents in Michigan, a state that is aging faster than most others. She joined Bridge in 2019 and has led investigations that tracked millions of dollars in opioid settlement money and explored severe worker shortages in health care that threaten lives and the state's economy. She chronicled the shock and grief of Michigan families in COVID’s wake, as well as state policy decisions and the triumphs of medical breakthroughs. Robin previously spent six years covering health at the Detroit Free Press, documenting the battle over, and the eventual passage of, the Affordable Care Act and Michigan's Medicaid expansion. She studied communications and political science at Miami University and has a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Lourdes University (Toledo, Ohio). She and her husband raised two wonderful children — but have failed miserably at training their Beagle-Bassets — in southeast Michigan. Reach her at rerb@bridgemi.com.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Should you get a flu shot and COVID booster at the same time?
After two years of quiet, the flu is expected to make a comeback this season. The Biden administration suggests people get a flu shot at the same time as the new COVID booster. Michigan health experts weigh in on timing the flu shot.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
After abortion, sex education may be Michigan’s next cultural battleground
Michigan doesn’t require sex ed, so what is taught — and what isn’t — can vary sharply by local school district. Advocates say uncertainty around abortion access in Michigan makes comprehensive sex education more important than ever.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Could Texas ruling impact health-screening coverage in Michigan?
A federal judge’s ruling in Texas focuses on religion and HIV prevention drugs. But a Michigan insurance expert said the implications could be dramatically more far-reaching.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Redesigned COVID boosters arrive in Michigan. Here’s what you need to know
More than 200,000 newly designed boosters bound for Michigan specifically target omicron subvariants. Will the new booster hold ground against the virus’ continuing evolution?
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Heart disease exposes disparities, so medicine goes mobile in Detroit
COVID exposed generations-deep health inequities. It also may have mapped out a way to address them.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Fast-tracked new COVID boosters could be bound for Michigan by next week
The reformulated boosters — one by Moderna and the other by Pfizer — target omicron subvariants B.4 and B.5. With an ever-evolving virus, are they enough?
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Long COVID patients, dismissed by doctors, turn to art to show their pain
A Michigan-based health project asked 19 Michigan patients to depict how long COVID symptoms were impacting their bodies. In some drawings, they shared their frustration with skeptical doctors.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Court: Past crash survivors not subject to Michigan auto no-fault limits
Thursday’s appeals court decision is a victory for thousands of people who suffered severe, long-term auto injuries before the 2019 no-fault reforms. But it raises questions about the law’s ability to lower the state’s high auto insurance costs.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Pfizer seeks approval for COVID shot this fall aimed at Omicron strains
The vaccine is being updated to target newer strains that dominate U.S. COVID-19 infections, with approval sought as school year begins. Experts say COVID is moving closer to a flu-like virus with SOME seasonal predictability.