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Health Care Br iefs By Alexander MacDougall O pioid-related deaths dropped in Worcester in 2021, as the number of deaths countywide remained virtually the same, according to the latest data released by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health on June 8. Worcester went from 132 opioid related-deaths in 2020 to 123 deaths in 2021, a 7% decrease. The total number of opioid-related deaths in Worcester County remained identical, with 282 deaths. Overall, Worcetser ranked second in Massachusetts where the highest number of opioid deaths occurred, behind Boston and ahead of Springfield. While both Worcester and Springfield saw mild decreases in the number of deaths, Boston's total count increased from 311 to 322. Worcester County ranked fifth overall in 2021 in the number of opioid related deaths, trailing R esearchers at UMass Chan Medical School's vaccine branch MassBiologics have nearly completed the first phase clinical trials for a shot protecting against Lyme disease, the Worcester medical school announced May 5. The shot contains an antibody to provide immunity against Lyme and has proved 100% effective when tested in animals, Mark Klempner, professor of medicine and former executive vice chancellor for MassBiologics, said in the announcement. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted to humans by a tick bite. Roughly 476,000 Americans are diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease each year, most of whom are located in the Northeast, research from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows. Opioid deaths dropped slightly in Worcester in 2021 Middlesex, Suffolk, Bristol and Essex Counties. Since 2010, Worcester County ranks third overall in the total number of deaths, just behind Middlesex and Essex Counties. Other areas in Worcester County with significant opioid related deaths were Leominster with 17 deaths, Athol with 13 deaths; and Fitchburg, Sotuhbridge, and Gardner had 12 deaths apiece. The total number of deaths in the state for 2021 was 2,290. The opioid- related overdose death rate in Massachusetts increased to 32.6 per 100,000 people as compared to 29.9 per 100,000 in the prior year. Preliminary data from the first three months of 2022 show there were 551 confirmed and estimated opioid-related overdose deaths, a 4% decrease than the same time last year. A budget proposal by the Gov. Charlie Baker Administration plans to invest $543.8 million in total I n n o v a t i o n UMass Chan researchers move forward on Lyme disease prevention shot been chosen by the City of Worcester to assist a new crisis response model for 911 calls. The new model will see crisis teams formed by Community Healthlink to accom- pany police officers to certain emergency calls, such as welfare or safety checks. Tamara Lundi, CEO and president of Community Healthlink in Worcester, said the Community Healthlink to partner with Worcester on 911 crisis response Community Healthlink, an orga- nization within the UMass Memorial Health system that pro- vides mental health services, has Tamara Lundi, president of Community Healthlink funding for a wide range of harm reduction, treatment, and recovery programs that support individuals struggling with substance addiction and programs that work to prevent substance addiction through education, prescription monitoring, and more. MassBiologics' shot is not a vaccine. It prevents infection by delivering an antibody to a person directly, rather than triggering a person's immune system to make antibodies. The phase I trial included 48 volunteers who had never been exposed to Lyme disease to see if the shot caused any adverse effects. The phase I trial ends in August and no adverse effects have been seen yet. Second and third phase clinical trials are under development and anticipated to begin in about a year. The later trials will test the shot on participants with a heightened risk for Lyme, such as those who spend a lot of time outdoors and in high-risk areas. The shot could be licensed and available to the public in 2024, Klempner said in the announcement. H Mark Klempner, professor of medicine and former executive vice chancellor for MassBiologics 4 HE ALTH • Summer 2022 H

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