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More Americans have been getting flu shots this year, apparently heeding the advice of health officials fearful of a flu and coronavirus double pandemic, public health officials said Wednesday. But the flu vaccination rate for Black children is down, fueling worries that Black Americans may be turning away from shots. “It’s certainly a point of concern,” said Dr. Ram Koppaka of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which posted new flu vaccination data Wednesday. “We’ll monitor this over the coming weeks very closely.” (Stobbe, 12/10)

Nothing prepares a parent for a child’s cancer diagnosis. Even more unthinkable is wondering if the cancer could have been caught sooner. When the coronavirus pandemic exploded in March, people in many states were urged to stay home — and they did. Primary care offices closed, gradually converting to telehealth if they could. In-person office visits for both children and adults fell off a cliff, dropping by as much as 60% in April by some estimates, while what-if questions about possible harms soared. (Cooney, 12/10)

As the coronavirus continues to surge in Maryland, it’s become increasingly clear that residents are in for a long, dark winter. But for Rabbi Yanky Baron, one thing has remained certain: There will be a menorah lighting this Hanukkah. “That’s really the message of Hanukkah,” said Baron, of the Ellicott City Chabad. “A little bit of light can dispel much darkness.” (Roberts, 12/10)

Can exercise help us shed pounds? An interesting new study involving overweight men and women found that working out can help us lose weight, in part by remodeling appetite hormones. But to benefit, the study suggests, we most likely have to exercise a lot — burning at least 3,000 calories a week. In the study, that meant working out six days a week for up to an hour, or around 300 minutes a week. (Reynolds, 12/9)

As temperatures drop in much of the United States, American sports enthusiasts are likely weighing the risks of playing indoors during the worst surge of the coronavirus pandemic so far. A majority of Americans – 58 percent – say that people should not participate in indoor team sports this winter, according to the latest PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll, revealing a major divide between Democrats and Republicans on this health question. (Leventhal, 12/10)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar revealed he had prostate cancer in a magazine article he wrote about health risks faced by Blacks. Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA’s career scoring leader, provided no other details about that illness in the piece he wrote for WebMD that first appeared Wednesday. A publicist for Abdul-Jabbar said this is the first time he has spoken about the prostate cancer. (12/9)

In mid-September, about six months after the cancellation of the 2020 men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments, the NCAA announced that this year’s basketball season would begin Nov. 25 with teams allowed to play 27 games, at most. A handful of Division I programs — the eight-member Ivy League, Bethune-Cookman and Maryland Eastern Shore — opted to cancel their men’s and women’s seasons. But dozens of teams that have played on — including top-ranked Gonzaga; No. 7 Houston; 12th-ranked Tennessee, which didn’t play its first game until Tuesday night; and No. 18 Virginia, the most recent NCAA men’s champion — have had to pause their seasons because of positive coronavirus tests. Hundreds of games have been postponed or canceled, some of them within hours of tip-off after teams already were on-site. (Bonesteel, 12/9)

NBA referees will have to adhere to many of the same new health and safety protocols as coaches and players are this season, all part of the league’s plan to try to keep everyone safe during the coronavirus pandemic. Referees will be tested daily, just like players and coaches, and will have to comply with new league rules about avoiding bars, lounges, clubs, public gyms and many other indoor gathering spots. The league is also coming up with methods designed to reduce referee travel, some of which is still evolving. (Reynolds, 12/9)