The Homeland Security Digital Library (HSDL) maintains a collection of the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), which collects and analyzes data from the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on epidemiology and public health. Each issue of the MMWR is packed with raw and analyzed public health data and scientific studies from some of the top minds in the United States. Below we highlight some of the most current and informative studies included in their weekly reports.
Here are some important articles you may have missed from Volume 71, Issues 16-19 of the Centers for Disease Control’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series.
May 13, 2022 / No. 19 Featured Article:
“Vital Signs: Changes in Firearm Homicide and Suicide Rates — United States, 2019–2020″
The reported data on firearm homicide and suicide rates from 2019-2020 shows an alarming increase of nearly 35% in homicides by firearms — the highest level since 1994. The article further notes that “disparities by race and ethnicity and poverty level” are widening.
May 6, 2022 / No. 18 Featured Articles:
“Acute Hepatitis and Adenovirus Infection Among Children — Alabama, October 2021–February 2022”
This article reveals the initial study done on nine children reported in Alabama who developed acute hepatitis, which is rare amongst healthy children. While a variety of co-infections were present in the children (a provided table notes the other illnesses detected), Adenovirus was detected in all nine patients, while Hepatitis A/B/C and SARS-COV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) were detected in none. Further study is currently underway.
This article discusses the effectiveness of additional vaccine doses in nursing home residents between February 14 and March 27, 2022, based upon data entered into the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) by skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Their findings conclude that vaccine effectiveness (VE) did improve with additional vaccination and are recommending an additional primary dose for immunocompromised individuals and a booster dose for all others.
April 29, 2022 / No. 17 Featured Articles:
This articles notes that low “measles immunization coverage and an ongoing measles outbreak in Afghanistan led to U.S. measles importations among [47 out of 72,299] Afghan evacuees who were resettled as part of Operation Allies Welcome.” Fortunately, a coordinated effort at mass vaccination brought “rapid containment.”
“Provisional COVID-19 Age-Adjusted Death Rates, by Race and Ethnicity — United States, 2020–2021”
This study reviewed data of COVID-related deaths to determine any racial disparities. While there was a decline in disparities amongst most racial and ethnic groups, there was a small increase amongst non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander persons.
April 22, 2022 / No. 16 Featured Article:
This study finds that during December 19, 2021–February 28, 2022, “COVID-19–associated hospitalization rates in children aged 5–11 years were approximately twice as high among unvaccinated as among vaccinated children.” As many as “thirty percent of hospitalized children had no underlying medical conditions.”
For more information on COVID, visit our Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Resource Archive. You can also find pandemic-related resources in our HSDL In Focus on Pandemics and Epidemics, and public health statistical resources in our Research Tools. Please note that an HSDL login is required to view some of these resources.
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