The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced Biden-Harris Administration appointments that include individuals dedicated to President Biden's mission to end the pandemic, expand affordable healthcare, lower costs, and promote equity. "As our country navigates an unprecedented public health crisis, President Biden is building a strong, experienced, and diverse team at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services," declared HHS Chief of Staff Sean McCluskie. The new appointees join tens of thousands of skilled career officials throughout HHS, whose expertise is crucial for addressing the ongoing public health crisis, guaranteeing that Americans have access to quality and affordable healthcare, fortifying support for seniors and other vulnerable populations, and undertaking groundbreaking research.

A report based on the results of the University of Michigan (U-M) National Poll on Healthy Aging found eight in 10 older adults in the United States have not been screened for hearing loss in primary care within the last two years, according to HealthDay News . Analysis of 2,074 U.S. adults aged 50 to 80 years in June 2020 determined that 51 percent rated their hearing as "excellent" or "very good," 33 percent described their hearing as "good," and 16 percent considered their hearing "fair" or "poor." Men were more likely than women to rate their hearing as "fair" or "poor," as were those 65 to 80 years old compared to those aged 50 to 64. In general, 6 percent of respondents reported using a hearing aid or cochlear implant, of whom 13 percent rated their hearing as "fair" or "poor." Just 20 percent said their primary care provider had inquired about their hearing in the previous two years. "These poll results are especially timely given the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's expected regulations regarding over-the-counter hearing aids, which could improve access but also make screening and testing more important for those who might seek to buy their own device without a prescription," said U-M's Preeti Malani.

President Biden on Tuesday projected that the United States would have sufficient COVID-19 vaccines for all American adults by the end of May — two months ahead of earlier forecasts — following regulatory authorization of Johnson & Johnson's (J&J) one-shot vaccine, reports the Wall Street Journal . He also urged states to prioritize immunization for teachers, school staff, and child-care workers. However, infectious disease specialist Celine Gounder cautioned that the push to inoculate teachers would take vaccines away from higher-risk groups and communities of color. Merck will help produce J&J's vaccine, and J&J said it expects the collaboration to "enhance our production capacity so that we can supply beyond our current commitments." White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki explained that a Merck facility will help "fill-finish" the vaccine, while another will help make the product. Under J&J's $1 billion contract with the federal government, the company was supposed to have 12 million doses ready by the end of February, with provisions for J&J to make deliveries up to 30 days late in case of delays.

WTAJ reports that the Juniper Village at Brookline long-term care community in State College, Pa., has started a special program to better serve residents with higher levels of dementia. A specialized team that includes coordinators with expertise in music, fitness, and sensory engagement will serve 27 people with more advanced memory impairment and physical limitations. The community has been accepting residents since Feb. 1.

El Paso Inc. reports that the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth (HSC) has launched an outreach campaign throughout Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) following an announcement to invest $7 million in the first-ever Black Alzheimer's (ALZ) Brain Study. The goal is to discover why Alzheimer's disproportionately affects Black families, and media personality Sybil Wilkes, along with community, civic, and faith-based leaders, have joined the campaign to help boost awareness and encourage Black residents in DFW to participate. An estimated 2.2 million African Americans have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and in point of fact one out of two Black households is impacted by Alzheimer's or some type of dementia. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that African Americans have the highest prevalence of Alzheimer's among those 65 and older. HSC's Black ALZ Brain Study will apply cutting-edge imaging and robotics to analyze brain protein markers, with participants receiving free comprehensive interviews, functional exams, blood drawings, brain magnetic resonance imaging, and a positron-emission tomography scan. "Transparency and trust will be key components of the Black ALZ Brain Study's success — and we're all in," said Associate Director of the Institute for Translational Research Leigh Johnson.

WTAP-TV reports that an assisted living community in Parkersburg, W.Va., has started a program to cheer up seniors isolated during the pandemic by delivering goodie bags called "pots of gold" to their door. The bags will include items like candy and puzzles. Jordan Melott at the Cedar Groves community said the initiative aims "to bring some joy and bring some light to them right to their doorsteps in a safe manner." Anyone who wants to nominate a senior for a goodie bag can send Cedar Groves a message via their Facebook page.

Fox News reports of recent U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance on COVID-19 vaccine scams targeting older adults. According to the guidance, adults 65 and older should know that COVID-19 vaccines are "free of charge" for those living in the United States. "If anyone asks you to pay for access to vaccine, you can bet it's a scam," the CDC warned. "Don't share your personal or financial information if someone calls, texts, or e-mails you promising access to the vaccine for an extra fee." Since the start of the pandemic, federal officials have also noticed more bogus websites claiming to sell vaccines, as well as fake medications produced overseas. The Better Business Bureau earlier this month also advised vaccine recipients against sharing their COVID-19 vaccination cards on social media. "Unfortunately, your card has your full name and birthday on it, as well as information about where you got your vaccine," the organization stated. "If your social media privacy settings aren't set high, you may be giving valuable information away for anyone to use."

The Wall Street Journal reports that the pandemic has driven new milestones for gene-based vaccine design, suggesting future protection against a broad spectrum of infectious disease. Johnson & Johnson's (J&J's) COVID-19 vaccine, just authorized for use in the United States, is on the front line of a class of shots designed to rally the immune system against the virus. It will be the first U.S.-administered COVID-19 vaccine to use viral-vector technology, which employs an engineered cold virus to shuttle coronavirus-fighting genetic code to cells. COVID-19 viral-vector vaccines are produced by engineering a harmless version of a virus to ferry a gene from the coronavirus into the cell. "The beauty is that you use natural systems, which are optimized by millions of years of evolution, to deliver what you want to have your body respond to," said Vincent Munster at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. Ahead of J&J's breakthrough were RNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, borne from years-long efforts to use fatty particles to deliver synthesized genetic code to cells.

New research by University of Alberta biologists published in eLife found that preventing seizures after a head injury could slow or deter the onset of dementia, reports News-Medical . Since seizures are a common occurrence among patients who have suffered these injuries, neurologists often prescribe anti-epileptic treatments to prevent them. "Our data suggest that, at least in animal models, blocking these seizures . . . could have a benefit later in life by slowing or preventing the onset of dementia," said Alberta's Hadeel Alyenbaawi. "A prophylactic treatment to prevent dementia is an exciting possibility, though there is much work to be done to develop our concept. We are excited to see that our research and the tools we developed resolved some of the mystery around the link between traumatic brain injury and dementia."

A new study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease suggests that aerobic exercise may help slow memory loss for older adults with Alzheimer's dementia, reports the Hindustan Times . Arizona State University Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation Professor Fang Yu led a pilot randomized control trial including 96 older adults living with mild to moderate Alzheimer's. Participants were randomized to either a cycling or stretching intervention for six months. Their cognition was assessed using the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognition (ADAS-Cog) index.