(2021-01-01). Dr. Paul Farmer: Centuries of Inequality in the U.S. Laid Groundwork for Pandemic Devastation. democracynow.org 
As the United States sets records for COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations, we speak with one of the world's leading experts on infectious diseases, Dr. Paul Farmer, who says the devastating death toll in the U.S. reflects decades of underinvestment in public health and centuries of social inequality. "All the social pathologies of our nation come to the fore during epidemics," says Dr. Farmer, a professor of medicine at Harvard University, chair of global health and social medicine at Harvard Medical School and co-founder and chief strategist of Partners in Health.
(2021-01-01). US Barely Kept Track of the Nearly 3,000 Health Care Workers That Died in 2020. truthout.org This story also ran on More than 2,900 U.S. health care workers have died in the COVID-19 pandemic since March, a far higher number than that reported by the government, according to a new anal…
(2021-01-01). Peruvians look to dispel negative energy of pandemic-plagued 2020. laprensalatina.com By Carla Samon Ros Lima, Dec 31 (efe-epa).- Hoping to leave behind the evils of 2020 and the Covid-19 pandemic that has claimed nearly 38,000 lives, Peruvians faithful to the ways of their indigenous ancesters are flocking to this capital's Wishes Fair to cleanse their auras and petition the gods for good fortune in 2021. …
(2021-01-01). Colonization Fueled Ebola: Dr. Paul Farmer on "Fevers, Feuds & Diamonds" & Lessons from West Africa. democracynow.org 
We continue our conversation with medical anthropologist Dr. Paul Farmer, whose new book, "Fevers, Feuds, and Diamonds," tells the story of his efforts to fight Ebola in 2014 and how the history of slavery, colonialism and violence in West Africa exacerbated the outbreak. "Care for Ebola is not rocket science," says Dr. Farmer, who notes that doctors know how to treat sick patients. But the public health response was overwhelmingly focused not on care but containment, Dr. Farmer says, which "generated very painful echoes from colonial rule."
(2021-01-01). People's Vaccine: Calls Grow for Equal Access to Coronavirus Vaccine as Rich Countries Hoard Supply. democracynow.org 
While the United States, Britain and other wealthy countries race to vaccinate their populations against the coronavirus, a new report finds that as much as 90% of the population in dozens of poorer countries could be forced to wait until at least 2022 because wealthy countries are hoarding so much of the vaccine supply. A growing movement is calling for the development of a people's vaccine and the suspension of intellectual property rights to expand access. We speak with Dr. Mohga Kamal-Yanni, a policy adviser to the People's Vaccine Alliance, and Achal Prabhala, a public health advocate and coordinator of the…
(2021-01-01). Flying Pigs Saga Continued: WHO admits no Deadly Mutation of the 2009 H1N1 Swine Flu. globalresearch.ca Alleged Mutation of the H1N1 virus, then in 2009 and now in 2020-2021 with the SARS-2-CoV virus. | This article was first published on September 29, 2009. | *** | The World Health Organization, the UN agency (ir-)responsible for declaring a Phase …
(2021-01-01). In the Fabric of the Cuban Revolution. dissidentvoice.org 
Image from the Plaza of the Revolution by Bill Hackwell Time is starting to distance itself from that dramatic moment, 6 years ago today, when the final 3 members of the Cuban Five were freed from the prisons of the Empire after 16 years. Never the less, because of a healthy distrust of the US …
(2021-01-01). Welcome to the Vaccine Canteen: Brewing company tempts hipsters in for vaccinations with free beer. rt.com 
Pubs across the UK may be shuttered, but one brewer wants to convert its bars into vaccination centers, rewarding customers with a free beer for taking the jab. | Scottish beer manufacturer BrewDog is no stranger to taking up fashionable causes. In 2015 it
(2021-01-01). Hundreds of Israelis get infected with Covid-19 after receiving Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine — reports. rt.com 
With the vaccine not providing immediate immunity to the coronavirus, over two hundred Israeli citizens have been diagnosed with the disease days after getting the Pfizer/BioNTech jabs, local media reported. | The number of those who got Covid-19 despite being vaccinated was at around 240 people, according to data from Channel 13 News. | The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, which the Israeli health authorities rely on, doesn't contain the coronavirus and can't infect the recipient. But time is needed for the genetic code in the drug to train the immune system to recognize and attack the disease. | The course of the US…
(2021-01-01). 114 deaths, 6,286 infections in past 24h: Health Ministry. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 01 (MNA) —Spokesperson for Ministry of Health and Medical Education Sima Lari said on Fri. that in the past 24 hours, 114 patients have lost their lives to Covid-19, while 6,286 new coronavirus cases have been detected in the nationwide.
(2021-01-01). Venezuela Announces Return of 7+7 Quarantine. telesurenglish.net Venezuelans are resuming, as of this Monday, the conscious and voluntary quarantine under the 7+7 scheme, according to an announcement from today by Vice President Delcy Rodriguez. | RELATED: | A total of 437 new cases of COVID-19, all of which were community transmitted, were detected in the last 24 hours of 2020 by Venezuelan health authorities, bringing the total number of infections to 113,558, while the rate…
(2021-01-01). Equity Is More Than Words. popularresistance.org On behalf of Physician Women SOAR, an antiracist physician group, we wish to respond to the Indiana University Health (IU Health) statement regarding the medical treatment provided to the late Dr. Susan Moore, a Black physician who was admitted to IU Health in early December for COVID-19. | Twelve hours after she was discharged from IU Health, Dr. Moore was readmitted to another hospital in respiratory failure, where she was quickly transferred to the ICU. Dr. Moore remained in critical condition for over two more weeks and died on December 20th. While admitted to IU Health, Dr. Moore was treated so poorly that s…
(2021-01-01). 1.8 Mln Doses of Sinovac COVID-19 Vaccine Arrive in Indonesia. telesurenglish.net A total of 1.8 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine made by the Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech on Thursday arrived in Indonesia. | RELATED: | Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi said this is the second batch of the Sinovac vaccine delivery for Indonesia, and that the first batch of 1.2 million doses arrived on Dec. 6. | "With this arrival, it means that there are already 3 million doses of Sinovac vaccin…
(2021-01-01). Wisconsin Pharmacist Jailed After Purposely Spoiling Hundreds of COVID-19 Vaccine Doses. sputniknews.com In mid-December 2020, Americans began receiving vaccines against COVID-19, after the country's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized two jabs — the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, developed in cooperation between the US-based Pfizer and the German-based BioNTech SE companies, and a second vaccine from US-based Moderna.
(2021-01-01). Canada: The Killer H1N1 Vaccine. globalresearch.ca Of relevance to the current debate on the Covid19 vaccine, this article on the H1N1 vaccine was first published on November 20, 2009. | In 2009, the Canadian media provided us with detailed coverage on the adverse health impacts of the …
(2021-01-01). Chronic Fatigue Syndromes and the Gardasil Scandal: POTS and the Dangers of Aluminum-Adjuvanted Vaccines. globalresearch.ca Of relevance to the ongoing debate on the Covid vaccine, this incisive article by Dr. Gary Kohls was first published by Global Research on May 3, 2017. | *** | "The full extent of the Gardasil scandal needs to be assessed: …
(2021-01-01). Canada: The 2009 Killer H1N1 Vaccine. globalresearch.ca Of relevance to the current debate on the Covid19 vaccine, this article on the H1N1 vaccine was first published on November 20, 2009. | In 2009, the Canadian media provided us with detailed coverage on the adverse health impacts of the …
(2021-01-01). Professor Sir Mark Walport named as Imperial College AHSC chair. imperial.ac.uk Professor Sir Mark Walport, has been appointed chair of the Imperial College Academic Health Science Centre (AHSC) Strategic Partnership Board.
(2021-01-01). Make 2021 'safer, healthier world for children', UNICEF chief urges. news.un.org The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Thursday that more than 371,500 children would be born on the first day of 2021.
(2021-01-01). WorkWeek Exposes Racist & Corrupt SF City Health Service System Boss Mitch Griggs. indybay.org WorkWeek on Thursday 12/31/20 at 12 noon on San Francisco's KPOO 94.1 FM www.kpoo.com will have guests who expose the systemic racism and corruption at the San Francisco City Health Service System run by Mitch Griggs and also at the Department of Public Health. Joining the show will be the new editor of the SF Bay View Malik Washington who broke the story of the racist terrorism against SF City Health Service worker Malika Alima. Also joining the show will be SFCC Department of Public Health nurse and whistleblower W.D. Flient.
(2021-01-01). Mexicans say bye to 2020 at jammed hospitals waiting for news of relatives. laprensalatina.com By Cristina Sanchez Reyes Mexico City, Dec 31 (efe-epa).- Many families are spending the last day of 2020 at the doors of hospitals in Mexico City, which are on the verge of overflowing, waiting for any encouraging news about the health situation of their loved ones both inside and waiting to be admitted. Veronica Rojas …
(2021-01-01). Kim sends 'heartfelt' New Year's letter to North Korean people. laprensalatina.com Seoul, Jan 1 (efe-epa).- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent a letter to the citizens of the hermetic Asian country, wishing them happiness and good health in the New Year, state media reported on Friday. The letters replaced his traditional New Year's speech and come on the eve of an important party congress. "I extend …
(2021-01-01). The Injection Fraud — It's Not a Vaccine. globalresearch.ca Of relevance to the debate on vaccines, this incisive and carefully researched article first published by Global Research on May 28. 2020 | *** | I am not a scientist. I am not a doctor. I am not a biotech engineer. I …
(2021-01-01). 2020 California State Capitol – Racism in the Farm to Fork Capitol. indybay.org Our 22nd Annual, 2020 California State Capitol Kwanzaa continues a special tradition in the seat of authority of our Great State of California, Farm to Fork Capitol of America, where "Racism" is officially a Public Health Crisis throughout the Capitol Region.
(2020-12-31). Covid-19 vaccination still weeks away in hard-hit Brazil. laprensalatina.com By Alba Santandreu Sao Paulo, Dec 31 (efe-epa).- Brazil, which is second only to the United States in deaths from Covid-19, is entering 2021 without a firm date for the arrival of vaccines amid numbers indicating that the dreaded second wave of the pandemic has arrived. Mass vaccination is already underway in several Latin American …
(2020-12-31). #ForceTheVote Pressure Growing from Inside. dissidentvoice.org Force The Vote! We demand that every progressive in Congress refuse to vote for Nancy Pelosi for Speaker of the House until she publicly pledges to bring Medicare for all to the floor of the House for a vote in January: forcethevote.org/…
(2020-12-31). Top 10 Questions for Antony Blinken. dissidentvoice.org 
Before Antony Blinken can become Secretary of State, Senators must approve. And before that, they must ask questions. Here are some suggestions for what they should ask. 1. Second to the war on Iraq, which of the disasters you've helped facilitate do you most regret, Libya, Syria, Ukraine, or something else? And what have you …
(2020-12-31). Nearly 10.4 million children at risk of famine in 2021: Unicef. middleeasteye.net 
Nearly 10.4 million children at risk of famine in 2021: Unicef | Millions of parents in Yemen in particular 'are being left to make the gut-wrenching choice between food and medical care for their children', UN body warns | Thu, 12/31/2020 – 17: 22 | A man and children seek refuge in a cave due to poverty and lack of housing near Taiz on 2 December (AFP/File photo) | Nearly 1o.4 million children will suffer fr…
(2020-12-31). More than 10 million children at risk of famine in 2021: Unicef. middleeasteye.net More than 10 million children at risk of famine in 2021: Unicef | Millions of parents in Yemen in particular 'are being left to make the gut-wrenching choice between food and medical care for their children', UN body warns | Thu, 12/31/2020 – 17: 22 | Man and children seek refuge in cave amid poverty and lack of housing near Taiz, Yemen, on 2 December (AFP/File photo) | Almost 1o.4 million children will suffer…
(2020-12-31). 2020: Unprecedented struggles, renewed hope for victories. peoplesdispatch.org 2020 brought unexpected and unforeseen challenges. It tore away the fantasies of the capitalist regimes who amid the worst global healthcare crisis in history, still put profits over people. People's movements and socialist governments showed that a different world is possible, and that we must fight for it.
(2020-12-31). New Year's Eve Celebrations Tamped Down as Officials Caution Large Gatherings Could Be 'Catastrophic' for Healthcare Systems. commondreams.org With the number of new Covid-19 cases growing faster than ever around the world, and more than a dozen countries reporting cases of the new, highly contagious coronavirus variant that was first detected in the U.K., major New Year's events have been canceled in large cities. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-12-31). "Say Her Name: Dr. Susan Moore" zcomm.org Black Female Doctors Condemn Racial Disparities in Healthcare…
(2020-12-31). China approves commercial use of indigenous Covid-19 vaccine. laprensalatina.com Shanghai, China, Dec 31 (efe-epa).- China on Thursday greenlighted the commercial use of a homegrown coronavirus vaccine after an interim analysis of clinical trial results showed it is more than 79 percent effective against Covid-19. State-run Xinhua news agency reported that the government granted "conditional marketing authorization for a self-developed Covid-19 vaccine." A unit of …
(2020-12-31). President Arce Encourages Use of Traditional Indigenous Medicine. telesurenglish.net Bolivia's government is encouraging the use of traditional medicine, in addition to more orthodox approaches, as a means to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as the country prepares for the arrival of the Sputnik V vaccine acquired from Russia. | RELATED: | President Luis Arce noted the benefits reported by Bolivians in rural areas, many of which experienced no major COVID-19 outbreak, in contrast with the city of Santa…
(2020-12-31). Australian youth speak on their experiences during COVID-19. wsws.org One health agency reported a 72 percent increase in serious self-harm and suicidal-ideation cases in youth under 18 years during last weeks of Melbourne's lockdown.
(2020-12-31). "Drugs Don't Work If People Can't Afford Them": Big Pharma to Raise Prices of 300 Medications on Jan. 1. commondreams.org "The increases come as pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer are playing hero by developing vaccines for Covid-19 in record time." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-12-31). The virus that shut down the world: the path to a vaccine. news.un.org Vaccines that protect against COVID-19 have been developed in record time over the year but, amid fears that people from poorer countries may miss out, the UN has consistently insisted on global solidarity, to ensure that all are protected. In the final part of our series on the ways that the virus has changed the world, we trace the evolution of the COVID-19 vaccines, and how protected we are likely to be in 2021.
(2020-12-31). UN health agency clears COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use. news.un.org To speed up access to COVID-19 vaccinations in the developing world, on the eve of the new year, the UN health agency approved Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccines for emergency use.
(2020-12-31). Months of Chaos and Systemic Failure Are Wearing Down Health Care Workers. truthout.org Nurse Kristen Cline was working a 12-hour shift in October at the Royal C. Johnson Veterans Memorial Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, when a code blue rang through the halls. A patient in an isolation room was dying of a coronavirus that had raged for eight months across the country before it made the state the brightest red dot in a nation of hot spots. | Cline knew she needed to protect herself before entering the room, where a second COVID-19 patient was trembling under the covers, sobb…
(2020-12-31). Mexico Is Set to Receive Oxford-AstraZeneca Vaccine in March. telesurenglish.net Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) Wednesday informed that his country will receive the first doses of the anti-COVID-19 vaccine made by the United Kingdom-based AstraZeneca company and the Oxford University. | RELATED: | On Tuesday, the U.K. approved Mexico and Argentina to use the vaccine to immunize their people. Four months ago, British authorities also allowed both countries to produce the drug and distribute it in…
(2020-12-31). Tokyo registers over 1,000 daily Covid cases for the first time. laprensalatina.com Tokyo, dec 31 (efe-epa).- The number of daily Covid-19 infections in the Tokyo region has crossed the 1,000 mark for the first time, authorities announced on Thursday even as they contemplate fresh measures to check the spread of the disease. Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike told reporters that cases registered within the past 24 hours had …
(2020-12-31). Cuba To Keep Subsidies for 162 Basic Drugs Amid US Blockade. telesurenglish.net Cuban authorities announced that 46 percent of the items in the 2021 Basic Medicine Chart (BMC) will be subsidized to avoid affecting the population amid the U.S. blockade and the economic reforms starting on January 1st. | RELATED: | Health Ministry representative Emilio Delgado informed that the new BMC is made up of 619 products gathered in three main groups. | Placed in groups number 1 and 2, medicines associated with c…
(2020-12-31). Republican Voters Don't Know Anything About Their Party. That's Very Bad for American Democracy. commondreams.org For politics to rebalance at a healthier outcome where voters are actually able to assign the correct positions to the parties, we will need a new kind of reporting, one that doesn't flinch from assigning policy views to the parties or drawing out the implications of these ideas in clear and materially-grounded terms. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-12-31). Welcome To Operation Warped Denial of Reality. commondreams.org www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-12-31). Economist Carol Propper made a Dame in New Year's Honours. imperial.ac.uk Professor Carol Propper has been made a Dame in the New Year's Honours for her contribution to economics and public health.
(2020-12-31). 6,390 new COIVD cases detected in Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 31 (MNA) — The country's Health Ministry has announced the detection of 6,390 new infections in the past 24 hours.
(2020-12-31). A View On Health Care From 2028. popularresistance.org I just had my third heart attack. | Let me tell you about my previous two. | The first was 16 years ago in 2012. After wasting 15-20 minutes with an ER admitting clerk demanding my "insurance information" before I was allowed access to care, a triage nurse hustled me 'backstage'. I was diagnosed with a "minor" MI stopped by doses of nitroglycerin. | The following day the artery that had closed up was stented. The day after that I was kicked loose to the street. The 'retail' cost for my two day stay in the hospital and the procedure was around $250,000. My insurance "negotiated" that down to $22,000, co-pay was $2…
(2020-12-31). US Blockade Prevents Venezuela From Funding COVAX. popularresistance.org Venezuela's Health Minister Carlos Alvarado on Sunday said that the economic blockade imposed by the United States is preventing his country from funding the COVAX initiative led by the World Health Organization (WHO). | He recalled that his country offered to place US$18 million into the COVAX fund, but as a result of the U.S. blockade, Venezuela has not "been able to free those resources to pay the fund." | Alvarado added that the U.S. sanctions have affected other vaccination programs previously conducted through the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) revolving fund. | "We have not been able to pay the re…
(2020-12-31). China approves first homegrown coronavirus vaccine for general public. laprensalatina.com Shanghai, China, Dec 31 (efe-epa).- China has approved for general public distribution a homegrown coronavirus vaccine developed by state-owned pharma giant Sinopharm, moving a step closer towards a massive inoculation campaign, officials said on Thursday. The approval came after the developer on Wednesday said it had filed for conditional marketing authorization from the National Medical …
(2020-12-31). Wuhan bids farewell to 2020 without looking back. laprensalatina.com By Jesús Centeno Wuhan, China, Dec 31 (efe-epa).- Life has returned to normal in Wuhan one year after the Chinese government informed the World Health Organization of mysterious cases of pneumonia in the city, whose residents now want to turn the page on one of their darkest periods. In the final hours of 2020, a …