Damian McNamara is a journalist for Medscape Medical News and MDedge. He worked full-time for MDedge as the Miami Bureau covering a dozen medical specialties during 2001-2012, then as a freelancer for Medscape and MDedge, before being hired on staff by Medscape in 2018. Now the two companies are one. He uses what he learned in school – Damian has a BS in chemistry and an MS in science, health and environmental reporting/journalism. He works out of a home office in Miami, with a 100-pound chocolate lab known to snore under his desk during work hours.
News
Pfizer asks FDA to authorize COVID vaccine for kids 5-11
- Author:
- Damian McNamara
Participants in the studies received a lower dose of the vaccine, 10 micrograms.
News
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Study finds paying people to participate in clinical trials is not unethical
- Author:
- Damian McNamara
Researchers examine how varying cash incentives affect clinical trial recruitment, assessment of risk, and perception of coercion.
News
Booster shot back-and-forth creates uncertainty, confusion
- Author:
- Damian McNamara
“I take care of a fair number of folks...including the elderly and healthcare professionals. They are already asking for the booster.”
News
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Top questions answered about COVID-19 boosters for your patients
- Author:
- Damian McNamara
“The biggest concerns are that everyone wants it and they don’t know where to get it.”
News
Gut microbiome could make weight loss easier for some
- Author:
- Damian McNamara
Researchers found that the gut microbiome - the bacteria that help digest food and absorb nutrients in the intestines - can influence attempts at...
News
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New Moderna vaccine data ‘support’ booster shot after 8 months
- Author:
- Damian McNamara
There is still a lot of debate in the medical community about the need for boosters.
Opinion
Q&A: Get flu shot early this year? Same time as COVID vaccine?
- Author:
- Damian McNamara
What are the considerations for getting COVID-19 and flu shots at the same time?
News
Why are boosters being given after 8 months? Experts weigh in
- Author:
- Damian McNamara
It is important “that we continue to get people the full amount of protection if it’s recommended by CDC and...
News
![Dr. Ricardo Franco, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham](https://cdn-uat.mdedge.com/files/s3fs-public/styles/max_width_small/public/Franco_Ricardo_AL_web.jpg)
Delta variant could drive herd immunity threshold over 80%
- Author:
- Damian McNamara
In addition to driving up case numbers, the Delta variant could also push the threshold to achieve herd immunity higher.
News
‘War has changed’: CDC says Delta as contagious as chicken pox
- Author:
- Damian McNamara
Breakthrough infections in the vaccinated make people about as contagious as those who are unvaccinated....
News
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‘A few mutations away’: The threat of a vaccine-proof variant
- Author:
- Damian McNamara
“When we have lots of people infected, we give more chances to the virus to diversify and then adapt to selective pressures.”
News
Pfizer vaccine protection wanes after 6 months, study finds
- Author:
- Damian McNamara
Strong protection against serious illness and hospitalization remains.
News
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CDC calls for masks in schools, hard-hit areas, even if vaccinated
- Author:
- Damian McNamara
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) once again is recommending that some Americans wear masks...
News
Large remdesivir study finds no COVID-19 survival benefit
- Author:
- Damian McNamara
“There is still uncertainty about the role of remdesivir in treatment for people hospitalized with COVID-19,”...
News
FDA to warn J&J that vaccine can increase Guillain-Barré risk: Media
- Author:
- Damian McNamara
The agency still calculates the benefit of vaccination with the J&J product continues to outweigh the risk.