A surge of vaping-related illnesses has sent hundreds of people to hospitals across the country, including 11 in CT, and resulted in seven deaths. So what’s being done about it?
Jenna Carlesso
Jenna is CT Mirror’s Health Reporter, focusing on health access, affordability, quality, equity and disparities, social determinants of health, health system planning, infrastructure, processes, information systems, and other health policy. Before joining CT Mirror Jenna was a reporter at The Hartford Courant for 10 years, where she consistently won statewide and regional awards. Jenna has a Master of Science degree in Interactive Media from Quinnipiac University and a Bachelor or Arts degree in Journalism from Grand Valley State University.
Posted inHealth
Lawmakers vow to introduce ban on flavored vaping products if federal effort stalls
Connecticut would be following New York and Michigan which have already enacted bans.
Posted inHealth
DPH commissioner finds her voice on immunizations
Gov. Ned Lamont promised Monday to take the lead on the repeal of religious exemptions for school-age vaccinations.
Posted inHealth
Insurance department approves smaller premium hikes for Anthem, ConnectiCare
State officials approved smaller rate hikes than those sought for policies on Connecticut’s health insurance exchange.
Posted inHealth
Lamont, health commissioner will support repeal of state’s religious vaccine exemption
Their support follows the release of data showing a recent 25% spike in the number of students claiming the exemption.
Posted inHealth
CT rejects proposed settlement of opioid suit against Purdue, Sacklers
Attorney General William Tong said the tentative settlement does not do enough to atone for the havoc wrecked by the opioid epidemic in Connecticut and across the nation.
Posted inHealth
Longtime CEO of Connecticut Health Foundation will retire in 2020
Patricia Baker, a founding member of the Connecticut Health Foundation and the group’s leader since its 1999 inception, will retire next June. A national search will be conducted for her replacement.
Posted inPolitics
Elicker upsets Harp in New Haven mayoral primary
Justin Elicker won big in New Haven over Toni Harp, but voters were kinder to incumbents in Hartford and Bridgeport.
Posted inHealth
Lawyer for Bristol couple fights to keep school vaccination data private
The couple’s lawyer argued that school-level immunization data would be used as “a scare tactic to try to bully people into vaccinating.”
Posted inHealth
A not-so public commissioner of public health
Renée Coleman-Mitchell’s recent public statements about vaccine data have provoked questions about her approach to a job that demands input and accessibility.
Posted inHealth
Three more cases of mysterious lung disease reported in Connecticut
Altogether, the state has logged five cases of the illness. All of the patients became sick in July and August and have since been released from the hospital, the department said.
Posted inHealth
Customers, lawmakers urge state insurance officials to address rising costs
The Insurance Department was urged Wednesday to block rate hikes on the state’s health exchange. Critics called the years-long cycle of increases unsustainable.
Posted inHealth
Lawyers for state say school-level vaccination data won’t be released until October
School officials have until Sept. 6 to report immunization data from 2018-19 to the health department. After that, the health department will process and sort the data, which is expected to take weeks.
Posted inNews
Religious exemptions to vaccines rose by 25 percent in one year
The increase is the largest single-year jump in religious exemptions since the department began tracking the data a decade ago.
Posted inHealth
Senate Democrats call on state to find funding for Planned Parenthood
The lawmakers want the state to provide $2 million to replace federal family planning funding the organization rejected due to new rules that prohibit recipients from referring women for abortions.