“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.” So wrote John Donne in 1642. While we might want to update this statement by saying “No person is an island,” and while this was intended to point out people’s dependencey on others, there Read more
Infectious Disease
Attention-grabbing headlines suggest that our crucial COVID-19 pandemic tools—monoclonal antibodies and vaccines—are incompatible. Beyond the controversy rests an evidence-based reality: monoclonal antibodies and vaccines are complementary aspects of patient care. Both are powerful interventions that can prevent hospitalizations and deaths from this virus. After weeks of declining cases and hospitalizations, the United States is experiencing Read more
As a pediatric infectious-disease specialist and primary-care physician, I encounter a barrage of medical questions and misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccines. As a vaccine advocate, I’ve gone to great lengths to keep abreast of the dizzying array of new data on these subjects. I’ve boiled down the need for vaccinations to this: “Protect yourself, your Read more
By announcing breakthrough infections as if they are unexpected and represent vaccine failure, we are doing our COVID-19 vaccines and the public a huge disservice.
Several months ago, as an infectious-diseases specialist and a career-long vaccine enthusiast, I recommended caution in seeking early vaccination against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. I write now, with much more information at hand, to reverse that stance. I suggest that all but the very few who might have contraindications (primarily severe allergies that are anaphylactic in Read more
In early March, the surge in COVID-19 cases made the Bronx the epicenter of the global pandemic. The critical months that followed would shape not only the delivery of healthcare in New York, but around the country and world. Montefiore and Einstein physicians, researchers, and other healthcare professionals were central to that effort. Now, as Read more
