CDC’s vaccine committee meeting postponed; physician-patient common language reduces cardiovascular risks; AHA, Walgreens expanding CPR education – Morning Medical Update

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CDC vaccine committee meeting postponed as RFK Jr. takes over at HHS

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has postponed its upcoming meeting — which was set for February 26-28 — just days after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was sworn in as secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). HHS officials confirmed the delay, but did not provide a new date. Read more from the Associated Press.

Common language between patients and doctors reduces cardiovascular risks

A Canadian study from the University of Ottawa and the University of Manitoba, and published in JAMA Network Open, found that hypertensive patients who received care from doctors speaking their preferred language had significantly better health outcomes. Patients were 36% less likely to suffer a major cardiovascular event and 28% less likely to die compared to those treated by doctors who did not speak their language.

Walgreens pledges $15M in support of AHA’s CPR initiative

Walgreens, one of the nation’s largest community-based pharmacies, has committed $15 million to the American Heart Association’s (AHA’s) “Nation of Lifesavers” movement, aiming to double out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates by 2030. The initiative will expand cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) education across the U.S., including Walgreens customers and team members.