The Food and Drug Administration has advised makers of the COVID-19 vaccine to formulate the next dosage to fight the JN.1 strain of the virus.

JN.1 was first discovered in the U.S. in September, and researchers said it is similar to previous strains but spreads easier and faster. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, JN.1 accounted for 3.5% of COVID cases in November and the number jumped to 85% of cases in January.

Ben Neuman, professor of biology at Texas A&M University, said getting vaccinated is still the best way to avoid getting sick.

"It would be important, I would say, to get the updated vaccine as soon as it is available," Neuman advised. "It may not prevent infection completely, but it is, very much, the best hedge against dying of COVID."

He said, on average, about 500 people a week are still dying from the virus.

Other COVID strains, known as KP.2 and KP.3, are also circulating, part of what are called the "FLiRT" variants. The FDA considered having makers formulate the new vaccine to target KP.2 and KP.3 but chose to concentrate on JN.1 because it is spreading more quickly. Symptoms of the FLiRT mutations include fever, sore throat and a runny nose. Researchers said the strains are highly immune resistant, making breakthrough cases possible.

Neuman pointed out some doctors believe a two-dose vaccine would provide more protection for the public because COVID is constantly changing.

"We have an immune system which is learning to recognize the virus and kills off all of the viruses it can recognize," Neuman explained. "This pushes the virus to change possibly a little faster than it would otherwise, if we had no immune system. So as long as there is COVID, there will be new variants."

If you have outdated COVID tests in your medicine cabinet, Neuman added they could still be used to detect portions of the strains which have not changed over the time, but he strongly suggested using updated tests because the virus continues to mutate.


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Clinica Family Health and Mental Health Partners have announced plans to merge operations by September of this year.

Mental Health Partners co-CEO Dixie Casford said the move will create an integrated care model that can better meet the needs of historically under-resourced populations.

Patients will no longer have to navigate complex referrals, hunt for new providers, or explain their medical history over and over.

"Whether it's oral care, and mental health care," said Casford. "Whatever combination that looks like, you come in, there's no wrong door. They can come into that system and get what they need."

The new Clinica Family Health and Wellness will offer physical, behavioral, and oral healthcare to all patients regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay from locations across Adams, Boulder, Broomfield, and Gilpin counties.

Casford said the new, larger organization will also benefit workers by providing a host of new opportunities across areas of specialization.

She said the aim is to magnify the talents and skills of the compassionate, expert staff across both organizations.

"There's going to be different positions that don't exist now across both organizations," said Casford. "And so there's going to be multiple layers of professional development, and career advancement opportunities that just don't exist in the singular organizations."

Casford said the merger is also an opportunity for new innovations. Teams of providers will be able to work collaboratively to see the full picture of an individual's physical, mental, and social needs.

She said this whole-person model can better identify and manage problems before they develop into crises. And with this merger, the new operation will be better set up to deliver a lifetime of care.

"And we really believe what that will do is move people from more acute situations farther upstream in the health care system to more prevention and wellness eventually."




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Nevada's marketplace insurance program wants people who no longer qualify for Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program to know it has extended its special enrollment period through the end of November.

Russell Cook, executive director of the Silver State Health Insurance Exchange, encouraged individuals who lost coverage due to Medicaid's redetermination process to check to see if they are eligible to enroll through Nevada Health Link. He said it takes minutes to find out what type of financial assistance Nevadans could qualify for to lower their monthly premium.

"We do want to emphasize that at a high level, if anyone in your household has lost Medicaid or CHIP coverage starting in May of 2023, you are still eligible to enroll through NevadaHealthLink.com," Cook pointed out.

Since Nevada Medicaid began redetermining eligibility in April of last year, only about 4% of Nevadans who were deemed ineligible for Medicaid benefits have enrolled in a plan through Nevada Health Link. Cook explained the two main reasons people lost coverage during the unwinding process were because of procedural reasons, meaning Medicaid needed updated information to determine eligibility, or because of an increase in income.

In addition to the extension of its special enrollment period, Nevada Health Link has also launched an SMS texting initiative created to raise awareness and engage Nevadans who no longer qualify for Medicaid or CHIP. Cook described it as a direct-to-consumer approach to simplify the process of selecting affordable health insurance.

"At least through the end of September, probably the end of the year, we are going to be reaching out to these folks who have lost Medicaid coverage, again all the way back as far as May of last year," Cook emphasized. "So it really helps us reach those folks, if we have an SMS-enabled phone on file, which of course we receive from Nevada Medicaid."

Cook added it is important everyone have health insurance and receive preventive care, especially children. He warned some health conditions can quickly turn into complicated situations if not taken care of.


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Almost half of the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who live in Texas are skipping routine healthcare because of cost, according to a survey by Episcopal Health Foundation.

The report focuses on the overall health experiences of AAPI Texans and found that high medical bills, lack of affordable housing and reliable transportation have a negative impact on their lives.

Brian Sasser, chief communications officer for Episcopal Health Foundation, said non-medical factors can put a person's health at risk.

"Not being able to get reliable, affordable transportation to go to a doctor's visit, to go to a check-up, to get a test done, to get a prescription filled," Sasser explained. "You can't go to the grocery store to get health food so you may go to the closest convenience store, and if you can't get to a park or somewhere to exercise, you don't exercise."

One in five of those surveyed say when they receive medical treatment, they struggle to pay the bills.

More than 1.8 million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders live in Texas. The population of Asian Americans in the Lone Star State has grown at a faster rate than any other group over the past 20 years. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Texas counties with the highest numbers of AAPI residents are Collin, Denton, Fort Bend, Travis and Williamson.

Sasser said because of the continued population growth, future surveys will focus on the community. Their survey answers mirror those of other races and ethnic groups.

"No matter which Texans we talk with, no matter where they live in Texas, non-medical factors do make an impact. And I think what is most important is under-resourced neighborhoods hit all populations and those under-resourced neighborhoods not only have an effect on someone's life, but also their health," he explained.

More than half (55%) of those polled say the state isn't doing enough to make sure low-income adults get the health care they need, and over half say Texas should expand Medicaid to cover more low-income residents, specifically children, pregnant women and immigrants.