World Health Organization Names Anti-Vaxxers Among Global Health Threats

The World Health Organization has listed people who decide not to vaccinate as one of 10 global health threats they plan to monitor and address in 2019. On their website, the WHO said vaccine hesitancy “threatens to reverse progress made in tackling vaccine-preventable diseases.” It said vaccines already prevent 2 to 3 million deaths per year, a number that could go up by an additional 1.5 million if global access to vaccinations was improved.

The WHO highlighted the dangers anti-vaxxers pose, noting the 30 percent increase in measles cases worldwide. While the WHO said that not all of these cases were a result of vaccine hesitancy, they said that the disease has seen a resurgence in several countries where it was close to being eliminated.

“The reasons why people choose not to vaccinate are complex; a vaccines advisory group to WHO identified complacency, inconvenience in accessing vaccines, and lack of confidence are key reasons underlying hesitancy,” the WHO said. “Health workers, especially those in communities, remain the most trusted advisor and influencer of vaccination decisions, and they must be supported to provide trusted, credible information on vaccines.”

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Opioid Crisis: FDA Clears Life-Saving Drug for Over-the-Counter Sales

On Thursday, January 17th, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it was taking unprecedented steps to encourage drug companies to develop over-the-counter (OTC) versions of the overdose antidote naloxone in an effort to increase access and cut costs for consumers in hopes of reducing opioid deaths.

“FDA-approved versions of naloxone currently require a prescription, which may be a barrier for people who aren’t under the care of a physician or may be ashamed or even fearful of admitting to issues with substance abuse,” FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in a statement on the agency’s website. “Having naloxone widely available, for example as an approved OTC product, is an important public health advance, and a need that we’ve been working on at the FDA.”

Before companies can apply to sell any drug over-the-counter, they must develop a consumer-friendly Drug Fact labels (DFL) and conduct studies which demonstrate that the drug can be used without a doctor’s supervision. Recognizing that these requirements are “a barrier to development of OTC naloxone products,” the FDA created and tested two model DFLs “with easy-to-understand pictograms” — one for a nasal spray and one for an auto-injector — that drug companies can use when they apply for permission to sell naloxone without a prescription.

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These Were the 2019 Golden Globes Most Viral Moments

The 2019 Golden Globes happened, and, as always, Vogue is here to tell you every most-viral moment, so that you can know exactly what to talk about tomorrow (even if you didn't watch the whole thing).

Sandra Oh was the big winner, of the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Drama, but also of our hearts. And we got a new Amy and Tina in Amy and Maya, and we’re not mad about it. Taylor Swift (yes, Taylor Swift) made an appearance, and we actually heard some moving speeches, too. But don’t just take out word for it; scroll down for the most viral moments from the 2019 Golden Globes that everyone will be sharing. Read full article here.

Cyntoia Brown, Sentenced to Life in Prison as a Juvenile Victim of Sex Trafficking, Will Finally Go Free

Cyntoia Brown, a Tennessee woman who has been incarcerated since the age of 16, has been granted clemency after spending 15 years in prison for killing a man who had bought her for sex in 2004. Activists and human rights organizers rejoiced at the decision, having fought a long battle to free Brown, who was serving a life sentence and was tried as an adult despite being convicted as a minor, and one who had been sex trafficked; juvenile sentencing laws in Tennessee have since been amended. In a statement, Brown reacted to the news: “With God’s help,” Brown said, “I am committed to live the rest of my life helping others, especially young people. My hope is to help other young girls avoid ending up where I have been.”

Brown’s case has attracted attention from celebrities including Rihanna, Ashley Judd, Amy Schumer, and Kim Kardashian West (who last year advocated for the release of Alice Johnson, another woman serving life in prison) for the harsh sentence Brown received both as a teenager and as a victim of sex trafficking. Prosecutors said that Brown, now 30, shot Johnny Mitchell Allen in the head while he was sleeping, and stole money and guns from him; her defense argued that Brown was worried for her life. Brown’s case has helped spark a debate about reviewing life-without-parole sentences imposed on teens in Tennessee and about treating juvenile sex-trafficking victims as just that—victims.

Governor Bill Haslam, who commuted Brown’s sentence to parole during his last days in office, said in a statement: “This decision comes after careful consideration of what is a tragic and complex case. Cyntoia Brown committed, by her own admission, a horrific crime at the age of 16. Yet, imposing a life sentence on a juvenile that would require her to serve at least 51 years before even being eligible for parole consideration is too harsh, especially in light of the extraordinary steps Ms. Brown has taken to rebuild her life. Transformation should be accompanied by hope.”

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This Is What Chrissy Metz Really Called Alison Brie at the Golden Globes

The catfight cliché is (sadly) alive and well. In the midst of an overcooked Golden Globes on Sunday night, the Twittersphere—and even some members of the crowd at the ceremony itself—became morbidly fascinated with a supposed female feud: This Is Us star Chrissy Metz maybe/possibly calling Alison Brie “such a bitch” on a hot mic during a Facebook Live interview (even if the last word Metz was saying wasn’t totally clear).

https://twitter.com/wheelsee/status/1082075320008798209

This story was widely written about and circulated like the hot gossip it purportedly was—because, again, catfights. The only problem is that Metz wasn’t actually calling GLOW star Brie a bitch, after all, as Metz quickly commented on Sunday night.

https://twitter.com/ChrissyMetz/status/1082097427966963712

One of the reporters interviewing Metz has now also swooped in to clarify that Metz wasn’t calling Brie a “bitch” but rather a “babe.” Big difference—huge! And when you listen to the above clip, it sure does sound like “babe.”

“While interviewing Chrissy during the HFPA Presents: Globes Red Carpet LIVE preshow and as our conversation came to its natural conclusion, we were told to wrap and toss over to our cohosts on another portion of the carpet, who were on standby with Alison Brie,” AJ Gibson said in a statement to People. “I jokingly asked Chrissy if she knew who Alison was, as a way to transition into the ‘toss,’ and she played along. She then referred to Alison as a ‘babe’ and the fun exchange ended.” Brie also responded via her Instagram Stories, saying, “Nothing but love” for Metz. “Rumors can’t keep us down.”

Sorry to disappoint everyone, but these two successful women don’t actually hate each other after all.

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