Edie Grice, 19, got the idea while talking with her father. If people receive an “I voted’’ sticker for voting, she wondered, why shouldn’t they have something to represent being vaccinated? Edie, a junior psychology major at Georgia Southern University, and her father, journalist DeWayne Grice, have been strong promoters of COVID vaccinations in the…
Statistics show that lung cancer has a disproportionate impact on communities of color. A new GHN Commentary outlines steps that can be taken to end health disparities related to this diagnosis. “Lung cancer adversely affects certain communities partly due to a history of targeted advertisement by tobacco companies, a disproportionate number of people of color…
By Rochelle Smalls and Dr. Daniel Miller Lung cancer is called the “silent killer” because it is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths and is often diagnosed in its later stages. It is generally associated with cigarette smoking, though it can be caused by pollutants in the air. Additionally, lung cancer has an especially large impact…
Atlanta’s air quality has improved, but the city still was given a failing grade for ozone pollution in the latest American Lung Association “State of the Air’’ report. The annual report card tracks exposure to unhealthful levels of particle pollution (also known as soot) and ozone (smog) over a three-year period. This year’s report covers…
By Brenda Goodman and Andy Miller Brenda Goodman is a reporter for Medscape and WebMD. Andy Miller the editor and CEO of Georgia Health News. On August 22, 2018, the citizens of Willowbrook, Ill., had just one hour to learn that local EPA officials were investigating high levels of a toxic gas in the neighborhoods…
State officials are halting COVID vaccinations at a Cumming site after eight people had adverse reactions to getting a Johnson & Johnson shot there Wednesday. The CDC is evaluating the situation in the Atlanta suburb and in three other states – Iowa, Colorado and Michigan. One person in Cumming was evaluated at a hospital and…
Story updated Georgia’s Department of Public Health has issued a warning about a cluster of overdoses from counterfeit pills that contain fentanyl, a potent opioid drug. Roughly 100 cases are suspected in the Augusta area, according to Public Health officials. But there also have been cases reported in the Savannah area and northwest Georgia, as…
Three rival Georgia carpet companies took a break from their floor-covering competition to focus on a foe that united them: COVID-19. Mohawk Industries, Shaw Industries and Engineered Floors collaborated on a COVID vaccination event for the workers at their Dalton-area plants recently. Almost 5,000 shots were administered over two weeks in the northwest Georgia city that’s…
By Andy Miller and Rebecca Grapevine The Georgia House’s last-day inaction on a contentious gun rights bill took many by surprise. That included opponents of House Bill 218 such as state Sen. Michelle Au. The Johns Creek Democrat not only opposed the gun rights expansion, but sponsored her own legislation on background checks and waiting…
Georgia’s controversial gun rights bill that was approved Monday by the Senate never got a final OK in the House on the last day of the General Assembly. House Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) said after the session ended Wednesday night that the recent mass shootings, including one in metro Atlanta, played a factor in…