People fully vaccinated with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine appear to have a lower risk of a “breakthrough” infection caused by the Delta variant than those who received the Pfizer vaccine, a new, preliminary report suggests. The researchers emphasized that both vaccines still “strongly protect” against severe illness, but the difference appears to be in the…  read on >  read on >

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration plans on Thursday to authorize a third “booster” shot of coronavirus vaccine for people with weakened immune systems, as the highly contagious Delta variant surges across the country. Expanding the emergency use of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines should help protect those patients who are considered most vulnerable to…  read on >  read on >

New research offers insight into a rare but dangerous inflammatory disease that can occur in children after COVID-19 infection, researchers report. More than 2,600 cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) have been reported in the United States since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s characterized by fever, pain and inflammation of multiple…  read on >  read on >

A third dose of a two-shot COVID vaccine significantly boosts transplant patients’ protection against SARS-CoV-2, according to a new study. “We knew from previous studies that two doses were not enough to produce a good immune response against COVID-19 in transplant patients,” said study co-senior author Dr. Deepali Kumar. She is director of transplant infectious…  read on >  read on >

Schizophrenia is a debilitating disease that can make navigating daily life a massive challenge, but a new blood test could flag it in its early stages, researchers say. Their analysis of blood samples identified epigenetic markers — part of your DNA — that differ between people with schizophrenia and those without the mental health disorder.…  read on >  read on >

Death, injuries, abuse and mental health disorders are among the many harms faced by children whose parents are heavy drinkers, Danish researchers say. “Within the last 10 years, there has been an expansion of research on consequences that extend beyond the drinker,” wrote lead author Julie Brummer, a doctoral student in psychology and behavioral sciences…  read on >  read on >

More than 59,000 pounds of frozen, raw, breaded and pre-browned stuffed chicken products linked with a multi-state salmonella outbreak have been recalled, the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) says. The products were produced Feb. 24 and Feb. 25, 2021, by Serenade Foods in Indiana and sold under the brand names Milford Valley, Dutch…  read on >  read on >

A small, early study suggests that people who’ve already encountered SARS-CoV-2 may gain a big boost against COVID-19 if they get just one dose of the Pfizer vaccine — and that protection may extend to new viral variants. The study “supports the notion that vaccine effectiveness, even against emerging neutralization-resistant [variants], may be improved following…  read on >  read on >