Latest / Morning Medical with Dr. Chow / Mpox Outbreak Updates, Global Response, and Vaccination Strategies in Canada

Transcript

Mpox Outbreak Updates, Global Response, and Vaccination Strategies in Canada · Morning Medical with Dr. Chow

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  Welcome to Morning Medical with Doctor Chow, your daily dose of the latest medical and
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  health news from around the world.
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  I am Doctor Chi-Ming Chow, and today we have some urgent news regarding a significant health
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  concern affecting Toronto and the world at large.
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  The World Health Organization has declared mpox a public health emergency of international
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  concern for the second time.
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  This announcement comes as mpox cases are rising in Toronto, causing public health
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  officials to urge residents to get vaccinated against the virus as soon as possible.
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  Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral disease that can cause a range of symptoms,
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  from fever and headache to more severe manifestations such as rash and lesions.
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  Although it is less transmissible than some other viral diseases, its spread in urban areas
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  like Toronto is alarming and necessitates prompt public health interventions.
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  Public health officials in Toronto are particularly concerned about the potential for
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  community spread and are emphasizing the importance of vaccination.
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  Vaccines for mpox have been shown to be effective in preventing the disease and
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  reducing its severity.
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  Health authorities are setting up vaccination clinics across the city to make it easier for
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  residents to get immunized.
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  Toronto is not alone in facing this challenge.
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  Cities around the world are experiencing similar rises in mpox cases, prompting global
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  health authorities to coordinate efforts in combatting the virus.
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  The World Health Organization's declaration aims to mobilize resources and foster
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  international collaboration to contain the outbreak.
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  For those who may be hesitant about getting vaccinated, it is important to understand that
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  the benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks.
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  The vaccines have undergone rigorous testing and have been deemed safe for public use.
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  Getting vaccinated not only protects you but also helps to protect vulnerable members of the
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  community who may be at higher risk of severe illness.
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  In addition to vaccination, public health officials are recommending other preventive
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  measures such as frequent hand washing, avoiding close contact with infected
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  individuals, and staying informed about the latest health advisories.
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  These steps can significantly reduce the risk of contracting mpox and help to curb its
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  spread.
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  We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates as new information
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  becomes available.
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  In the meantime, if you are in Toronto, please consider getting vaccinated and following the
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  recommended preventive measures to keep yourself and your community safe.
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  As the number of mpox cases escalates in Africa and creeps upward in other countries like
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  Canada, the World Health Organization again declared the virus a global public health
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  emergency.
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  This declaration comes more than two years after the World Health Organization first
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  declared a global mpox emergency in 2022, which subsequently subsided in many regions.
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  However, the virus has surged dramatically since January 2024, particularly in Africa,
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  prompting health officials to describe the outbreak as “unprecedented.”
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  Here in Canada, Toronto Public Health is urging eligible residents to get vaccinated against
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  mpox after a sharp rise in cases.
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  As of July 31, there have been a total of ninety-three confirmed cases of the virus in
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  Toronto compared with twenty-one cases for the same period in 2023.
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  This sharp increase is alarming, and health officials are working tirelessly to control the
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  spread.
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  As health officials grapple with the ongoing spread of the virus, complicated by the
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  emergence of a deadlier strain in Africa, Doctor Mark Loeb, an infectious disease
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  physician at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, expressed concern about its potential
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  to continue spreading.
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  He noted, “There’s an explosion of cases in Central Africa, particularly in the Democratic
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  Republic of Congo, and there are cases occurring in the surrounding countries,
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  including Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.”
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  Doctor Loeb emphasized the challenges faced by under-resourced countries in terms of
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  surveillance and management, predicting higher mortality rates, especially among very young
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  children.
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  He stressed the importance of getting the outbreak under control, given the high rates of
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  mortality associated with the new strain.
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  Originally identified in monkeys in 1958, mpox, previously known as monkeypox, was primarily
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  confined to central and western Africa and transmitted through close contact with infected
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  animals.
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  However, a shift occurred in 2022 when the virus spread rapidly among people worldwide,
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  including Europe, North America, and beyond.
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  Mpox belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox and causes similar, but generally
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  milder, symptoms.
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  Mpox is a disease caused by a virus, and it causes symptoms such as a rash at the site of
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  exposure, which can be on the face if you have been kissing someone or in the genital area if
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  you have had sexual contact.
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  Other symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, and feeling generally unwell.
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  Most people recover within two to four weeks, but in a small number of cases, it can be more
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  serious, leading to hospitalization.
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  While not considered strictly a sexually transmitted infection, mpox is spread through
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  contact with bodily fluids or scabs and contaminated personal items like clothing,
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  bedding, sex toys, or toothbrushes.
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  The virus is characterized by two distinct genetic variants known as clades one and two,
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  which are endemic to central and west Africa.
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  Clade one is known for being more transmissible and causing a higher rate of severe infections
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  compared to clade two.
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  The ongoing global mpox outbreak, which began in 2022 and continues to see cases reported
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  worldwide, is caused by clade two, including the mpox found in Canada.
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  In Canada, the vaccine Imvamune is an authorized shot used for immunization against
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  smallpox and mpox in adults eighteen years of age and older who are at high risk for
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  exposure.
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  Vaccination involves two doses of the vaccine to provide the best protection, with the second
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  dose being taken twenty-eight days after the first one, according to the Public Health
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  Agency of Canada.
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  Doctor Rita Shahin, an associate medical officer with Toronto Public Health, said, “We
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  have a lot of people that were immunized in 2022 when we had our first outbreak.
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  Those people are still protected, so they don’t need a booster dose.
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  But anyone who has not yet should get the vaccine.” She encouraged people to get in touch
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  with their sexual-health-care provider or book an appointment.
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  For individuals experiencing severe mpox symptoms, such as intense pain and fever, an
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  antiviral drug called tecovirimat is available as a treatment option, Doctor Shahin added.
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  The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared on Tuesday that the
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  increasing spread of mpox across the continent is a health emergency, warning the virus might
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  ultimately spill across international borders.
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  Africa has reported a staggering surge in mpox cases this year, with at least fourteen
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  thousand infections and five hundred twenty-four deaths — a one hundred sixty
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  percent increase compared to the same period last year, according to the World Health
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  Organization.
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  The World Health Organization said mpox was recently identified for the first time in four
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  East African countries: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.
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  All of those outbreaks were linked to the epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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  In the Ivory Coast and South Africa, health authorities have reported outbreaks of a
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  different and less dangerous version of mpox that spread worldwide in 2022.
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  Earlier this year, scientists reported the emergence of a new form of mpox in a Congolese
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  mining town that can kill up to ten percent of people and may spread more easily.
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  Unlike in previous mpox outbreaks, where lesions were mostly seen on the chest, hands,
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  and feet, the new form of mpox causes milder symptoms and lesions on the genitals.
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  That makes it harder to spot, meaning people might also sicken others without knowing they
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  are infected.
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  Canada’s first significant mpox outbreak occurred in 2022 and 2023, peaking in late June
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  2022 with a total of one thousand five hundred forty-one cases reported, according to Public
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  Health Agency of Canada data.
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  The outbreak disproportionately affected gay and bisexual men, and other men who have sex
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  with men between the ages of eighteen and forty-nine years.
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  Most cases were reported in Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia.
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  While case numbers declined following the initial outbreak, a gradual increase in
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  infections has been observed since early 2024 — mainly in Toronto.
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  Doctor Shahin noted more of a spike in June and July, potentially related to events such as
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  Pride where people meet more partners and are more social in the summertime.
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  However, it is hard to pinpoint exactly what is behind the rise.
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  In today’s episode, we’re shifting gears from pressing health emergencies to an inspiring
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  story about the future of healthcare.
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  If you’ve ever considered a career in healthcare, there’s a fantastic new resource
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  that could help you get started.
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  A Kaiser Permanente radiologist and a group of Maui High School students have teamed up to
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  create a learning website specifically designed for youth interested in healthcare careers.
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  This initiative comes at a crucial time as Hawaii faces an ongoing healthcare worker
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  shortage, with approximately four thousand vacancies statewide.
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  The project, which has been five years in the making, offers a wealth of information on how
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  to prepare for healthcare careers early on.
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  It includes details on various specialties, scholarship opportunities, interviews with
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  professionals in the field, and even interactive cases to practice caring for
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  patients.
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  It’s a comprehensive resource aimed at equipping future healthcare workers with the
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  knowledge and tools they need to succeed.
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  Kaiser Permanente’s Doctor Lee Miyasato partnered with the late Mr.
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  Clint Gima, a former digital media instructor at Maui High School, to bring this vision to
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  life.
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  Doctor Miyasato described the project as a labor of love, expressing his gratitude to Mr.
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  Gima, who was instrumental in its development.
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  He said, “It has been incredibly rewarding to see students not only gain skills in website
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  development and content creation but also become inspired to pursue careers in
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  healthcare.
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  I’d like to extend my sincere gratitude to Mr.
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  Gima, as this website would not exist without his support.
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  He also served as our inspiration to see this project to fruition as part of his legacy in
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  using digital media to change lives and impact our community.”
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  The impact of this initiative is already evident; eight students who worked on the
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  project are now pursuing careers in healthcare.
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  This is a testament to the power of education and mentorship in shaping the future of the
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  healthcare industry.
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  For those interested in exploring this resource further, the website offers a user-friendly
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  interface and a plethora of information to guide you on your path to a healthcare career.
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  It’s a shining example of how community collaboration and innovative thinking can
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  address critical workforce shortages and inspire the next generation of healthcare
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  professionals.
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  That’s it for today’s episode of Morning Medical with Doctor Chow.
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  Thank you for tuning in.
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  Stay safe and stay informed.
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  We’ll be back tomorrow with more updates on the latest in medical and health news from around
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  the world.