TASK DEFINITION: Given a paragraph, generate a claim that is supported by the given paragraph. 1) The claim must contain information from within the paragraph. 2) A sentence within the paragraph can be used as a claim. 3) The claim should not have contradictions within the paragraph. 4) The claim should be at most one sentence long.
PROBLEM: A bill that would allow trained pharmacists to administer the influenza vaccine to children 12 years and older cleared the General Assembly's Public Health Committee in a 17-7 vote this year, but it later died on the Senate calendar due to inaction. Bill supporter, Nathan Tinker, CEO of the Connecticut Pharmacists Association, said his organization doesn't plan to push hard for it again in the next regular legislative session because he is worried the debate over the General Assembly's efforts to scrap a religious exemption for some vaccines will ultimately spill over into discussions about the flu shot and likely doom the bill in the short, three-month session. "There is a community of people who are concerned about the impact or potential impact, whether real or perceived, about vaccines," Tinker said. "And they get a lot of attention from legislators and that can make it difficult." When the new legislative session opens in February, lawmakers are expected to consider ending the state's longstanding religious exemption after newly released data showed a continued decline in immunization rates for measles, mumps and rubella among kindergarteners. That proposal has already met resistance and some of the concerns raised are like the ones voiced during this year's discussion of the flu vaccine bill. Legislators were flooded with testimony earlier this year from parents with concerns about whether making the vaccine more convenient could lead to injuries that pharmacists might not be trained recognize. Others questioned the motives of the pharmaceutical industry and necessity of flu shots. Dr. Sandra Carbonari, a primary care pediatrician in Waterbury and the medical director of the Connecticut Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, also opposed the bill, but for different reasons. She questioned whether state regulations for providing the flu vaccine to children who receive Medicaid benefits might ultimately make the shot too expensive, and whether DPH's vaccine program can handle a large increase in the number of providers. She also noted that immunizing a child can be complicated. "Determining the appropriate vaccine for a pediatric age patient is not simple and requires accurate information about the medical history and current state of health," she said in written testimony. Supporters of the flu shot bill argue that allowing parents to drop by a pharmacy, rather than make an appointment with a pediatrician, would ultimately lead to higher flu immunization rates. The bill had the support of the state's Department of Public Health, which noted three children in Connecticut died from flu-related complications during the 2017-18 flu season. Pharmacists in Connecticut are currently allowed to vaccinate people 18 years or older. According to DPH, individuals under 18 can be administered the flu vaccine by advanced practice registered nurses at retail locations, such as a CVS MinuteClinic. Sen. Heather Somers, of Groton, the top Senate Republican on the Public Health Committee who co-sponsored this year's bill, stressed that the legislation is voluntary and requires the consent of a parent or guardian. Somers contends the legislature just ran out of time to act on the bill earlier this year, and she plans to resurrect it when lawmakers convene again in February for the 2020 session. "This is something that saves lives," said Somers, who helped to organize a mobile flu clinic in her district last year. "I think accessibility is key in our health care system."

SOLUTION: Bill allowing pharmacists to give kids the flu shot at risk.

PROBLEM: Dr. Nelson Teich, an oncologist and health care consultant, took the job April 17 faced with the task of aligning the ministry's actions with the president's view that Brazil's economy must not be destroyed by restrictions to control spread of the virus. Teich's predecessor, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, also had rejected the use of chloroquine, which also had been touted by U.S. President Donald Trump as a treatment. Four government ministers who spoke after Teich's resignation defended the idea of patients being allowed to use the drug if they want to, including Economy Minister Paulo Guedes and the Cabinet chief of staff, Gen. Walter Braga Netto. Officials say almost 15,000 people have died in Brazil from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, though some experts say the figure is significantly higher due to insufficient testing. The peak of the crisis has yet to hit Latin America's largest nation, experts say. Gen. Eduardo Pazuello, who had no health experience until he became the Health Ministry's No. 2 official in April, will be the interim minister until Bolsonaro chooses a replacement. Brazilian media have said that Teich's ability to do his job had been weakened by the appointment of dozens of military personnel to jobs in the ministry. "Life is made up of choices and today I decided to leave," Teich told journalists in capital Brasilia. He did not explain why he left the job and refused to answer questions. Braga Netto, the Cabinet chief, said Teich left the job "for personal reasons." Bolsonaro did not comment. Teich's resignation came one day after Bolsonaro told business leaders in a videoconference he would ease rules for using chloroquine to treat people infected with the coronavirus. Teich has frequently called use of the drug "an uncertainty," and this week warned of its side effects. The Health Ministry previously allowed chloroquine to be used in coronavirus cases only for patients hospitalized in serious condition. At Bolsonaro's urging, the country's Army Chemical and Pharmaceutical Laboratory boosted chloroquine production in late March. Researchers last month reported no benefit in a large analysis of the drug or a related substance, hydroxychloroquine, in U.S. hospitals for veterans. Last month, scientists in Brazil stopped part of a study of chloroquine after heart rhythm problems developed in one quarter of people given the higher of two doses being tested. Governors who have recommended quarantine measures and refrained from touting the drug's unproven potential said Teich's resignation reflects Bolsonaro's failure to manage the pandemic. Rio de Janeiro Gov. Wilson Witzel, a former ally of Bolsonaro, said "no one can do serious work with interference in ministries." "That is why governors and mayors need to lead the pandemic crisis, and not you, Mr. President," Witzel said on Twitter. The governor of Ceara, one of Brazil's most hard-hit states, said Teich's exit "brings enormous insecurity and concern." "It is unacceptable that in the face of this serious health crisis, the focus of the government is still on political and ideological discussions. That is an affront to the nation," Camilo Santana said. On April 16, Bolsonaro fired Teich's predecessor, Mandetta, who had become the embodiment of challenges to the president's opposition to governors' quarantine recommendations and restrictions on businesses. Bolsonaro was eager to resume economic activity and warned failure to do so would cause Brazil to descend into "chaos". Teich took office pledging to balance health care concerns and the president's economic worries. He did not openly challenge the president's views, but did defend stay-at-home measures. Miguel Lago, executive director of Brazil's non-profit Institute for Health Policy Studies, which advises public health officials, said Teich wasn't able to build his own team, didn't have Mandetta's political strength and wasn't willing to violate the scientific recommendations. "He clearly had limitations," Lago said. "He would not challenge what has been consensus among the scientific community. He would never accept the chloroquine thing that Bolsonaro wanted him to do, to recommend publicly that chloroquine was a remedy to be used in the public health system." Hours after Teich left the job, the Health Ministry began listing figures on chloroquine distribution as part of its main charts about government initiatives against the pandemic, alongside intensive care unit beds, personal protection equipment, tests and flu vaccines. Risk consultancy Eurasia Group analyst Filipe Gruppelli Carvalho said that the Health Ministry's capacity for "an effective coordinating role looks to have dropped with Mandetta's exit," . "Ultimately, Teich's dismissal reinforces our view of increasing risks from the government's poor response to the pandemic, which could contribute to a weaker presidency and decline in support for Bolsonaro in the post-pandemic phase," he said. The newspaper Folha de S.Paulo published an editorial after Teich's exit saying Bolsonaro is trying to "put his own survival above state policies and national interest." "The resignation of another health minister in less than a month and during the most serious sanitary emergency of contemporary history exposes the downfall of a president that doesnt't even pretend to govern the country," the newspaper said. "As if the economic and sanitary calamities were not enough, he turned himself into a crisis to be faced." After Teich's resignation was announced, pot-banging protests were heard in different regions of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. _____ Associated Press writers David Biller and Diane Jeantet in Rio de Janeiro contributed to this report.

SOLUTION: Brazil's health minister resigns after one month on the job.

PROBLEM: Studies have shown that even a 90-year-old can build muscle, so the half-century mark is a good time to retire joint-stressing high jumps and to start lifting dumbbells to build strength. Dr. Wayne Westcott, co-author of the book "Strength Training Past 50," said maintaining lean body mass becomes harder with ageing. "The average man in good shape is about 85 percent lean weight, organs, blood, bones, muscles and skin, to 15 percent fat. The average healthy woman has a 75/25 ratio," said Westcott, fitness research director at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts. "It's more challenging with age but if you do strength training you can maintain your lean muscle to about age 70," he said, adding that an older woman who doesn't resistance train will lose up to 10 pounds of lean mass per decade. Westcott places equal value on cardiovascular training. "We recommend approximately 20 to 30 minutes of resistance exercises two to three times a week. Then try to have an equal amount of aerobic activity four to five days a week," he explained. Westcott added that older adults, who are hitting the gym in increasing numbers, might want to avoid explosive, high velocity activities, such as high jumps. In 1990 there were 1.9 million health club members aged 55 and above, while in 2012 there were over 10 million, according to a 2014 report by the trade association IHRSA (International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association). Dr. Barbara Bushman of the American College of Sports Medicine said regular physical activity, rather than a sedentary lifestyle, has the potential to minimize the physiological changes that occur with age and inactivity, in addition to limiting the progression of chronic diseases. "Older adults can benefit from exercise, and although absolute improvements may be less than for younger adults, relative increases can be similar," Bushman said, adding that older adults may take longer to make improvements. At 54, Florida-based fitness trainer and wellness coach Shirley Archer noticed that if she did not weight train she lost lean body muscle at a faster rate. She also found it harder to get it back. Happily for Archer, who has enjoyed running, cycling and hiking, her endurance activities remain unaffected by her aging. "I feel that I have not lost any endurance," said Archer, author of the book "Fitness 9 to 5: Easy Exercises for the Working Week." As people age, she explained, they lose muscle fibers that produce quick powerful bursts before fibers that are engaged in endurance activities such as running or cycling. She said that is why older athletes, who cannot physically compete against younger athletes when it comes to strength and power, can remain competitive in endurance sports. The ageing exerciser also faces longer warm-up and recovery times, as the body is stiffer and slower to heal, Archer said. And the burning of fewer calories means paying even more attention to diet. Staying hydrated is also important. "We need to be sure to hydrate even if we don't feel particularly thirsty," she said. "Hydration will keep all systems working much more efficiently and even help keep our thinking clear."

SOLUTION:
Tweaking an exercise routine to stay strong after 50.