Category Archives: headline

Video shows stunning moment lightning shatters tree outside school

The US National Weather Service says, "When thunder roars, go indoors" for a reason.

Video posted on the National Weather Service Green Bay Wisconsin Facebook page shows lightning strike a pine tree Thursday.

You can see the tree light up down the middle, shatter, and plummet to the ground in pieces.

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The tree was outside of Wautoma High School in Wautoma.

Principal Jennifer Johnson told CNN affiliate WLUK the strike happened just before 8:30am, as ninth and 10th grade students were getting ready to take the ACT Aspire test.

She said the students were distracted but excited to see the act of Mother Nature.

No one was hurt and there was no damage to the school, Johnson said.

'A lot of us can't even get out of bed': Living with crippling migraines

Charmaine Summers was suffering crippling migraines up to five times a week.

The Adelaide mum had to give up her job as a project administrator as she found it more and more difficult to cope.

"People would find me at work hiding in somebody's office in tears," she said.

READ MORE: A miracle migraine drug is changing sufferers' lives but most can't afford it

Charmaine Summers

"It was very, very hard to maintain employment when I would never know if I would wake up with pain or not.

"I really liked my job but my boss was not that great in understanding. I was a wreck."

The 51-year-old resigned. She said it was perhaps the lowest point in her 35-year battle with the debilitating condition.

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Charmaine Summers

Started as a teenager

Mrs Summers was 16 when she first experienced a severe stabbing headache.

She didn't know what it was until her GP diagnosed a migraine but she soon discovered the reality of dealing with Australia's most common form of severe headache.

Charmaine Summers

The severity of her migraine attacks increased when pregnant with her son Kyle. Then she was in her 20s.

By the time she reached 40 she was suffering from migraines three or four days a week. They can knock her out for days.

Many Australians live with a similar condition. Headache Australia state almost five million people suffer from migraines – the crippling condition also costs the nation $35.7 billion a year.

Pain Explained: Migraines

That includes costs to the health system, plus lost productivity.

"There's a lot of us out there that just can't even get out of bed, can't manage to look after our kids, can't cook dinner," Mrs Summers said.

Spent more than $10,000

Mrs Summers has tried everything from surgery to alternative therapies to try and ease her attacks.

Charmaine Summers

She had her breast size reduced to take weight off her shoulders, got her eyesight treated to correct her double vision, and even had sinus surgery. But nothing really helped.

"I've probably spent $10,000-plus trying to cure my migraines," she said.

Mrs Summers said some medical staff have been unsympathetic. One even told her she was suffering 'because she was a woman'.

She has also been told she gets them 'because she is fat'. But she has a thyroid problem while many migraine drugs also cause weight gain.

"It's really hard on your mental state," she said.

Pioneering new migraine drugs

Mrs Summers last year managed to get on separate trials for two of three new drugs which aim to prevent migraines developing.

Charmaine Summers

They are called CGRP's and they finally gave her some relief.

"I've gone from three or four migraines a week down to one or two a month, and my pain has gone down from an eight to a three or a four," she said.

READ MORE: Drug that mimics popular diet could bring relief for migraine sufferers

However, both trials are now over.

Charmaine Summers

And while she is still benefitting from the drugs as they are currently in her system following monthly injections, she cannot afford to continue to take them.

None are on the PBS so do not receive Australian government funding. This would make them affordable for patients.

The drugs Aimovig and Ajovy cost around $800 a month, and Emgality is also expensive.

Charmaine Summers

And while she has set up her own business selling yarn and knitting accessories from home, Mrs Summers said she can't afford the drugs long-term.

It's a hard blow to take after such a breakthrough.

"I'm starting to live," she said.

A migraine is a neurological disorder that causes a severe headache, which normally only affects one side of the head.

Other symptoms can include vomiting, sensitivity to light, sound and smells. Speech can be affected and limbs can go numb.

Some migraine attacks begin with disturbed vision, called an aura, and while many people have known 'triggers' other patients have no idea what starts them.

Doctors don't know why migraines happen.

Professor Paul Rolan, from the University of Adelaide, explained how severe pain from a migraine actually comes from the membranes and blood vessels outside the brain.

Migraine expert Professor Paul Rolan, from the University of Adelaide.

"It sounds odd, but the brain itself can't feel pain," he said. "But the membranes around it are exquisitely pain-sensitive.

"As you can imagine, they're protecting our most important organ. So any inflammation on those membranes causes this headache."

He said there is some evidence migraine patients' brains are super sensitive to environmental stimuli.

He said the new drugs are the biggest breakthrough for years, and he hopes they'll eventually be available for an affordable price.

Prof Rolan is also working on research on whether inflammation in certain brain cells causes migraines.

New migraine drug updates

The makers of Aimovig, Novartis, said it has made three submissions to the PBS and has "no plans" for more.

New migraine drug, Aimovig

Eli Lilly Australia said it is "working closely" with the government to get patients access to Emgality after it wasn't recommended for PBS listing last year.

Teva Pharma Australia, which makes Ajovy, said it "remains committed" to getting the drug on the PBS.

The Department of Health said: "There are no barriers to these companies listing these medicines on the PBS and the Government urges them to provide listing proposals consistent with the recommendations of the PBAC."

This article is part of a collaborative journalism project with the Australian Science Media Centre and Judith Neilsen Institute.

Major setback to the AstraZeneca vaccine causing chaos and confusion

More than 1.6 million Australians have received the COVID-19 jab but a major setback to the AstraZeneca vaccine is causing chaos and confusion in the community.

Australian Medical Association President Dr Omar Khorshid today called for calm about the nation's vaccine roll-out.

"Right now we've got GPs, doctors, we've got hospitals, governments, scrambling to work out what it means for them and how we reset the programs," Dr Khorshid said.

The Pfizer vaccine is the preferred jab for Australians under 50, after AstraZeneca was linked to rare blood clots.

AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine vials (Getty)

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The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) issued updated advice recommending that the AstraZeneca jab be reserved for those over the age of 50, due to a rare but serious side effect of a blood clotting disorder.

While the AstraZeneca vaccine isn't banned for an aged group, some doctors were concerned they could face legal action if their patients suffered serious side-effects.

"We have strong, clear indemnity protection against any side-effects of the vaccine for patients and doctors," Health Minister Greg Hunt said.

However, Shadow Health Minister Mark Butler claims doctors are feeling "left in the lurch by government making decisions on the run".

There is also confusion over the vaccine timeline. The federal government previously aimed for all Australians to have their first dose by the end of October this year.

While Prime Minister Scott Morrison won't be drawn on a new target date, Trade Minister Dan Tehan said the goal was "by the end of the year".

However, Mr Hunt was quick to step back Mr Tehan's comments, saying there has been no change to the timeline. He would not be drawn on a specific date, other than to say all Australians will be vaccinated "as early as possible".

A vial of AstraZeneca vaccine.

Leading Australian epidemiologist Professor Nancy Baxter said the Federal Government needs to "entirely rethink" its coronavirus vaccination strategy after the AstraZeneca health warnings.

"The vaccine program frankly was already pretty much in disarray," Professor Baxter told Weekend Today.

"Now that we have to wait for a large part of the population for the Pfizer to come, they will have to rethink the program entirely."

Professor Baxter said Australians under 50 could still elect to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine if they chose, noting the risk remained remote.

"It's uncommon – about 1 in 100,000 to one in 200,000 people – meaning that 99,999 people who get the AstraZeneca vaccine do not have a problem," she said.

Around one-quarter of those who do develop the blood clotting reaction will die.

Professor Baxter noted that this was still lower than the risk profile for many other drugs which continue to be used in Australia.

"When we give any medication, there's always some risks of side-effects. That's accepted because of the benefit of the medication," she said.

"If you got penicillin for an infection, there's ten times the risk there would be a serious drug reaction with that drug (compared to the AstraZeneca vaccine)."

Professor Baxter said the age cut-off was in part based on a weighing up of the risks of the vaccine versus the risks of contracting coronavirus.

"Older people are at more risk of COVID-19, so the risk-benefit equation balances out better for them," she said.

"Also, there is some data that indicates age is a risk factor, so younger people are more likely to get it (blood clots) than older people."

It's expected that more data will be uncovered over the coming months.

The Federal Government has already responded to the ATAGI recommendation by contracting a further 20 million doses of the Pfizer shot in addition to 20 million already secured – enough to vaccinate the bulk of the adult Australian population – but those additional doses won't arrive in Australia until at least October.

Professor Baxter, who is the head of the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, said Australia should already have enough Pfizer doses to progress through Phase 1B of its vaccine rollout.

This includes vaccinating all Australians over the age of 70 and Indigenous Australians over 55 – all of whom can still receive AstraZeneca under current health advice – but also many younger Australians, including healthcare workers, emergency responders and those with underlying medical conditions that make them vulnerable.

However, logistical concerns around administering the Pfizer vaccine are likely to further delay Australia's already tardy vaccination progress.

Australia's vaccine rollout is broken down into phases.

More ultra-low temperature freezers will likely need to be secured and getting the vaccine to more remote locations could prove problematic.

Australia's third vaccine option, Novavax, has been contracted for 51 million doses but is unlikely to be approved for use in Australia for several months as it is still undergoing phase three clinical trials in the United Kingdom.

"We have to reboot – they really need to rethink the program," Professor Baxter said.

"Once we get enough Pfizer to be vaccinating a large number of people, we need to look at how we approach it.

"We need to do it faster than we were hoping before, if we're hoping to get everyone vaccinated by the end of the year."

It's a goal that now appears unlikely, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison refusing to outline a revised timeline for the vaccination program at his National Cabinet update on Friday.