Health care notebook

Poll finds income role in virus shots

U.S. health care workers with low incomes were less likely than high-income workers to say they’d already received the coronavirus vaccine, a group of researchers from Northeastern University and other institutions found.

A survey of vaccine attitudes across all 50 states found that among health workers, people making from $150,000-$200,000 annually were the most likely to say they were “already vaccinated.” That’s 24% of respondents.

Only 13% of health workers in the $50,000-$100,000 income bracket who responded were vaccinated. The proportion dropped further, to 8%, for health workers making less than $50,000 per year.

People from the lowest-income group were also the most likely to say they “would not” get the vaccine, the report released this month said. The study used responses gathered from mid-December to mid-January.

Researchers said it was hard to determine the reason for lower vaccination rates among demographic groups. Perhaps some workers were being prioritized, or certain settings, such as hospitals, were vaccinating more quickly, they explained.

The data, however, “portend a worrisome possibility that as vaccines are distributed, we will see substantial inequalities in who gets vaccinated this winter,” they wrote.

“[W]ithout thoughtful strategies for outreach and communication now, we will see major slices of the U.S. population systematically left unprotected from COVID-19 come the spring.”

Men’s ‘stimulant’ recalled, FDA says

A supplement sold as a men’s “sexual stimulant” has been voluntarily recalled for containing undeclared erectile-dysfunction drugs, the Food and Drug Administration said in a news release.

Adamssecret.co has called back its Adam’s Secret Extra Strength 1500 and Adam’s Secret Extra Strength 3000, which were sold online.

Laboratory testing showed that the products may have contained sildenafil or taldalafil, regulators said. Part of a drug family called PDE-5 inhibitors, those medications normally treat erectile issues in men.

The medications may harmfully interact with drugs used to treat diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease, according to the FDA.

No adverse events have been reported related to the supplements, the federal public health agency said.

Free dental clinic called off for ’21

Arkansas Mission of Mercy will not host a free dental care clinic in 2021, the group said in a Facebook post.

This is the second year in a row that the group has not been able to host such an event. Last year’s clinic also was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The group is “hopeful” its annual clinics will return in 2022, the post said.

The events typically offer dental care for underserved communities and people who cannot afford dental insurance.