Weekly Health News Round Up 4.2.21

The Kentucky General Assembly passed Senate Bill 51, which removes prior authorization requirements for medication-assisted treatment. This means that Kentuckians will face fewer roadblocks to substance use disorder treatment and not be forced into a waiting period before receiving medications prescribed by their doctor.

As the state continues to ramp up vaccination efforts in rural areas, the Kentucky Medical Association launched a new campaign, “Take It From Me,” featuring Kentuckians who have already gotten their shots sharing answers to common questions and concerns. 

This week, the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech was proved safeand effective for adolescents, 12-15 years old. The companies plan to begin testing their vaccine in children ages 5 to 11 next. 

New research published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology shows that the COVID-19 vaccines are extremely effective at protecting pregnant women and their babies from the virus. 

Many parents are wondering the best way to keep their children safe and healthy until they can get a COVID-19 vaccine. A pediatric infectious disease specialist in Louisville explains that social-distancing, mask wearing and hand hygiene are essential to keeping both the vaccinated and unvaccinated healthy.