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Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening was associated with better oncologic outcomes in African American patients with prostate cancer, according to data presented by Edmund M. Qiao, BS, of the University of California San Diego, reported Audrey Sternberg with The Cancer Network on May 20, 2021.
An increase in the frequency of PSA screening was linked to a nearly 25% reduction in prostate cancer-specific mortality and an approximately 40% lower risk of having the metastatic disease at the time of a prostate cancer diagnosis.
The “high PSA screening” group had received an average of 3 prior screening tests, and the “low PSA screening” group had received an average of 0.5 prior screening tests.
Overall, the study included 4,726 African American men diagnosed with prostate cancer. The mean patient age was 51.8 years. The mean number of previous PSA screening tests was 1.9.
The US Preventive Services Task Force PSA screening policy is a grade C recommendation for men aged 55 to 69 years, meaning in this population, an individual decision on screening should be made based on a physician-clinician discussion of the potential benefits and risks.
The European CDC published updated free-movement maps related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on May 27, 2021. The maps are based on data reported by EU Member States to The European Surveillance System database by 23:59 every Tuesday.
These maps are published in support of the EU Council Recommendation, which EU Member States adopted in October 2020 and amended in January 2021.
Additionally, the ECDC publishes data related to each EU member's COVID-19 vaccination status and Situation Update.
The ECDC is an EU agency aimed at strengthening Europe's defenses against infectious diseases such as antimicrobial resistance and healthcare-associated infections; emerging and vector-borne diseases; food and waterborne diseases and zoonoses; HIV, sexually transmitted infections and viral hepatitis; influenza and other respiratory viruses; tuberculosis; and vaccine-preventable diseases.
Seventy-one designated cancer centers and partner organizations have issued a joint statement urging the nation’s physicians, parents, and young adults to get the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination back on track.
National Cancer Institute (NCI) centers said on May 21, 2021, 'dramatic drops in annual visits and immunizations during the COVID-19 pandemic have caused a significant vaccination gap and lag in vital preventive services among U.S. children and adolescents--especially for the HPV vaccine.
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, HPV vaccination rates among adolescents fell by 75%, resulting in a large cohort of unvaccinated children. Since March 2020, an estimated one million doses of HPV vaccine have been missed by adolescents with public insurance.
The U.S. has recommended routine HPV vaccination for females since 2006 and for males since 2011. Current recommendations are for routine vaccination at ages 11 or 12 or starting at age 9.
And catch-up HPV vaccination is recommended through age 26.
NCI Cancer Centers strongly urge health care systems and health care providers to identify and contact adolescents due for vaccinations and use every opportunity to encourage and complete vaccination.
"HPV is the cause of cervical cancer and will soon be the major cause of head and neck cancer," said Benjamin G. Neel, MD, Ph.D., director of Perlmutter Cancer Center and professor of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, in a related press statement.
"Now is the perfect time not only to get teens vaccinated against COVID-19 but also to prevent them from getting these potentially deadly cancers."
More information on HPV is available from the National HPV Vaccination Roundtable.
If you are overseas and your U.S. passport expired on or after January 1, 2020, you may be able to use your expired passport to return directly to the United States until December 31, 2021, says the updated Department of State website.
You qualify for this exception if all the following are true: You are a U.S. citizen, currently abroad seeking a direct return to the USA, flying directly, or have only short-term transit (“connecting flights”) through a foreign country, your expired passport was originally valid for 10 years. Or, if you were 15 years of age or younger when the passport was issued, your expired passport was valid for 5 years.
And, your expired passport is undamaged, unaltered, and is in your possession.
All other passport rules and regulations remain in effect as of May 25, 2021.
The Department of Homeland Security maintains discretion to reject any bearer in accordance with 22 CFR 53.2(b)(7) and 8 CFR 235.1(b). You can find updated Frequently Asked Questions about U.S. passport operations by expanding the gray boxes on this State Department webpage.
Furthermore, regardless of your passport status, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requires all air passengers entering the USA (including citizens and Legal Permanent Residents) to present a negative COVID-19 test, taken within three calendar days of departure or proof of recovery from the virus within the last 90 days.
According to Just The News reporting on May 26, 2021, Darby LaJoye, senior official performing the duties of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) administrator, commented, 'TSA agents are handling mask mandate violations in airports the "same way" they would travelers trying to take firearms or other prohibited items through security checkpoints.'
On April 30th, the TSA announced extending the face mask requirement for individuals across all transportation networks throughout the USA, including at airports, onboard commercial aircraft, on over-the-road buses, and on commuter bus and rail systems through September 13, 2021.
The TSA’s initial face mask requirement went into effect on February 1st.
Additionally, the TSA is ramping up and refine operations for expected increased passenger travel volumes throughout the summer months.
As of May 25, 2021, the TSA's weekly data indicates a slight increase in air passenger activity.
“As passenger volumes continue to rise, TSA is ready for their return to airports across the country, equipped with enhanced airport security checkpoints, over 46,000 highly-trained security professionals, and valuable partnerships with stakeholders and industry, all to ensure a secure and seamless travel experience,” stated Darby LaJoye in a recent press statement.
“For those passengers returning to travel for the first time since 2019, be aware that some processes at the checkpoint have changed, and some, like removing your shoes, remain in place.
Additionally, during high volume months, travelers should plan to arrive early at the airport to complete the airport screening process and arrive timely at their departure gate.”
For more information about the Security Directives and Emergency Amendment, visit tsa.gov/sd-and-ea.
According to a study published ahead of the June 2021 print issue, based on the number of dentists with confirmed or probable COVID-19 infections, the cumulative infection rate for U.S. dentists is 2.6%.
By comparison, in June 2020, the cumulative COVID-19 prevalence rate for other U.S. health professionals ranged from 3.3% (Chicago hospital physicians) to 35.3% (U.S.-based emergency medical services).
“We’re pleased to see that dentists have demonstrated the continued low monthly incidence during the study period,” commented American Dental Association (ADA) Science and Research Institute CEO Marcelo Araujo, D.D.S., M.S., Ph.D., the senior author of the report published on May 24, 2021.
Dr. Araujo added, “This study shows high rates of pre-appointment screening of patients and appropriate infection control measures throughout the study period, demonstrating that adhering to rigorous protocols for enhanced infection control helps protect their patients, their dental team, and themselves.”
The Journal of the ADA study is based on data collected June 9 - Nov. 13, 2020. For more information on COVID-19 and dental visits, visit MouthHealthy.org.
The study authors plan future research projects on the barriers and facilitators to wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) according to CDC recommendations and levels of protection against COVID-19 provided by different levels of PPE use and infection control procedures.
The ADA was founded in Niagara Falls, New York, during 1859.
The WHO Director-General convened a meeting of the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations on the international spread of poliovirus on May 4, 2021.
The Emergency Committee reviewed the data on wild poliovirus and circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses.
And the current situation in Afghanistan, Kenya, Pakistan, Senegal, South Sudan, and Tajikistan.
The Committee unanimously agreed that the risk of international spread of poliovirus remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and recommended the extension of Temporary Recommendations for a further three months.
The Committee recognizes the concerns regarding the lengthy duration of the polio PHEIC. Still, it concludes that the current situation is extraordinary, with a clear ongoing substantial risk of international spread and the utmost need for a coordinated international response.
Polio is a crippling and potentially deadly disease that affects the nervous system and can be prevented with a vaccine.
The U.S. CDC issued two Level 2 Travel Alerts regarding ongoing polio outbreaks on May 13, 2021. The CDC suggests visitors to certain countries in Asia and Africa should speak with a healthcare provider regarding polio vaccination options.
Since 2000, the inactivated polio vaccine is most often given in the USA. The oral polio vaccine is offered in other countries, says the CDC.
