By Jenna Carlesso

Buoyed by a change of heart from the state’s medical society, proponents of legislation that would let terminally ill patients access medication to end their lives say they feel more optimistic about the bill’s chances this year.

The Connecticut State Medical Society, which had long opposed the so-called aid-in-dying measure, recently adopted a position of “engaged neutrality,” meaning the group will allow its doctors to decide whether they want to prescribe a lethal dose of medication if such a practice is legalized.

That, coupled with a new crop of lawmakers who appear more open to the proposal, may give the bill better odds this year, supporters said.

“The majority of physicians probably will not feel comfortable choosing to participate in this aid-in-dying process, but there are more and more physicians who understand … that helping people maintain the quality of life they want and make their own decisions is consistent with their role,” said Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, D-Westport, a co-chair of the legislature’s Public Health Committee.

Mark A.R. Cooper, director of health for the Westport Weston Health District, and Loren Pace, public health nurse, show off radon detector kits available at the District. Pace said, “We distributed about 50 kits in 2018 but we had 12 requests so far this morning.” Pace said the January to March period is very important for radon detection because it is a period during which windows are almost always closed and can encapsulate any underground radon seepage into a house. Cooper recommends residents view the Health District website for additional information.  (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

By Ana Radelat

UPDATE A new vaccine to protect against a painful disease known as shingles is a victim of its own success and nearly impossible to find in Connecticut and many parts of the United States.

The vaccine, produced solely by GlaxoSmithKline and called Shingrix, became broadly available in the United States about a year ago.

A few months later, it was difficult to find doses of the vaccine in pharmacies or doctor’s offices.

That’s because federal health officials lowered the recommended vaccination age from 65 to 50 last year. A robust advertising campaign for the vaccine, a two-shot process that provides greater protection than an older, single-shot vaccine, also increased demand for Shingrix.

The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) today announced that a resident of Fairfield and a resident of Newington have tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV) infection.

These are the first two human cases of WNV-associated illness identified in Connecticut this season.

The announcement came three days after it was disclosed that WNV had been found in a mosquito in Westport. (See WestportNow Aug. 7, 2018)

The patients, who are between 60-79 years of age, became ill during the last week of July with encephalitis, were hospitalized, and are recovering, a news release said.