Todd Brown Archives

Are pharmacies to blame in opioid deaths? Why Ohio’s federal drug verdict was an important test case.

The verdict highlights the important role pharmacies play in identifying and stopping abuse before it starts, while ensuring patients can get the medication they need, says Todd Brown, vice chair of the Department of Pharmacy and Health Systems at Northeastern.

by Tanner Stening December 1, 2021

Here’s how to make sense of the new guidance on booster shots. Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University

Why the Biden administration now says we need booster shots for COVID-19

New research reveals that COVID-19 vaccine protections began to decline in the middle of the summer when the delta variant was sweeping through the nation. “As we get new information, as the data provides new clues and a new direction in terms of what we need to do, we have to then respond accordingly,” says Neil Maniar, professor of public health practice at Northeastern.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki August 18, 2021

Illustration by Hannah Moore/Northeastern University

Why kids hold the key to herd immunity

With COVID-19 vaccine trials underway for children, and Pfizer’s teen trial a success, young people are becoming a more prominent part of the fight against the coronavirus. And, Northeastern experts say, that could prove essential to reaching herd immunity.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki April 1, 2021

Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Johnson & Johnson's 1-shot COVID-19 vaccine could spark fewer side effects

Compared to vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer, the newly approved Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine could trigger fewer allergic reactions, headaches, sore muscles, and other adverse effects, says Brandon Dionne, a pharmacy professor at Northeastern.

by Hillary Chabot March 1, 2021

Photo Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Local pharmacies and global systems: Two ways to improve COVID-19 vaccine distribution

As COVID-19 vaccines slowly make their way into the arms of people around the world, two faculty members at Northeastern consider ways to make distribution more equitable at the local and global levels.

by Molly Callahan March 1, 2021

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine caused severe allergic reactions in two recipients in the U.K. Should the general population be concerned about having similar reactions? AP Photo by Jessica Hill

Should I be worried about an allergic reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine?

“A very small population of individuals will have allergic reactions to the vaccine,” says Todd Brown, a registered pharmacist and clinical instructor in Northeastern’s department of pharmacy and health systems sciences. “Unless you’ve had an allergic response to vaccines in the past, you shouldn’t be worried about this with the COVID-19 vaccine.”

by Emily Arntsen December 15, 2020

Some participants in COVID-19 vaccine trials have experienced fevers and swelling as side effects of the immunization. Todd Brown, a registered pharmacist and professor at Northeastern, explains that these side effects are normal and prove that the vaccine is doing its job. Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University

No, the vaccine will not give you COVID-19.

The COVID-19 vaccine will not give you the disease, and if you do experience side effects, rest assured that not only are these not symptoms of COVID-19, but they’re actually signs that the vaccine is doing its job, says Todd Brown, a registered pharmacist and clinical instructor in the department of pharmacy and health systems sciences at Northeastern.

by Emily Arntsen December 2, 2020

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