– were short-lived. But two additional pig kidney recipients so far are thriving – an
Pivotal to Healthy Start’s success are care coordinators like Krystal Keener, a social worker based at Oklahoma State University’s obstetrics and gynecology clinic, where clients get prenatal care. One of her responsibilities is to educate clients about health issues, like how to spot the signs of preeclampsia or how much bleeding is too much after delivery.She also helps with practical matters: Many clients don’t have cars, so they call Keener when they need a ride to a prenatal visit, and she assists in scheduling one.
With doctors, Keener serves as a patient advocate. On a recent afternoon, Keener sat in on a prenatal appointment for Areana Coles. A single mom, Coles was joined by her 5-year-old daughter, who was born prematurely and spent time in intensive care.Coles, 25, said Healthy Start is “probably the best thing that’s happened in this pregnancy.” She called Keener “an angel.”Together they navigated several recent medical concerns, including dehydration and low potassium levels that put Coles in the hospital.
Areana Coles receives an ultrasound during a prenatal visit at the Oklahoma State University obstetrics and gynecology clinic in Tulsa, Okla. (AP Photo/Mary Conlon)Areana Coles receives an ultrasound during a prenatal visit at the Oklahoma State University obstetrics and gynecology clinic in Tulsa, Okla. (AP Photo/Mary Conlon)
With Coles’ due date approaching, Keener talked about what to watch for around delivery and shortly after, like blood clots and postpartum depression. She advised Coles to take care of herself and “give yourself credit for small things you do.”
During an ultrasound a few minutes later, Coles watched Dr. Jacob Lenz point to her unborn baby’s eyes, mouth, hand and heart. He printed an image of the scan, which Coles immediately showed her daughter.allies was recently told to expect an end to COVID-19 booster recommendations for children — something that vaccine advisory panel was supposed to debate in June. And researchers around the country lost National Institutes of Health funding to study vaccine hesitancy.
“I think you have to assume that RFK Jr.’s intention is to make it harder for vaccines to come to market,” said Dr. Amesh Adalja, a vaccine expert at Johns Hopkins University. The changes are “looked at suspiciously because this is someone with a proven track record of evading the value of vaccines.”, Kennedy wrongly claimed that the only vaccines tested against a placebo, or dummy shot, were for COVID-19.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican who chairs the committee, briefly interrupted the hearing to say, “For the record, that’s not true” — pointing to placebo-controlled studies of the rotavirus, measles and HPV vaccines.Concerned by rhetoric about how vaccines are tested, a group of doctors recently compiled a list of more than 120 vaccine clinical trials spanning decades, most of them placebo-controlled, including for shots against polio, hepatitis B, mumps and tetanus.