Vaccinations have been given to the first volunteers in a Phase 1 trial of Moderna’s experimental HIV vaccine, the company has announced. The vaccine uses mRNA technology — similar to that utilized in breakthrough COVID vaccines — to deliver HIV-specific antigens that could trigger an immune response against the virus that causes AIDS, the company… read on > read on >
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Pfizer Will Ask FDA to Approve Its COVID Vaccine for Kids Under 5
Pfizer Inc. plans to ask the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as soon as Tuesday to authorize its COVID vaccine for emergency use in children aged 6 months to 4 years old. If approved, the two-shot regimen would become the first approved for use in children this young; older children are already eligible for the… read on > read on >
Shedding Pounds Might Help Stop Pre-Cancerous Colon Polyps
Colon cancer rates are increasing for younger Americans, along with rates of obesity. Could slimming down reduce young people’s risk for malignancy? A new study suggests that even a small amount of weight loss may cut your odds for benign growths in the colon known as adenomas, or polyps. Left unchecked, these growths can lead… read on > read on >
EPA to Restore Rule Limiting Mercury Pollution From Power Plants
Enforcement of a rule limiting power plant emissions of mercury and other hazardous pollutants will be resumed, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday. It’s the latest move by the Biden administration to reinstate environmental protections lifted by the Trump administration. “The science is clear: we must limit mercury and toxic air pollution to protect… read on > read on >
Airborne COVID Virus Drifts Outside Isolation Rooms at Home
Telling people to isolate in a bedroom when COVID-19 strikes may not be enough to keep the virus from spreading to others in the household, a new study suggests. Airborne coronavirus particles were found both inside and outside the rooms of people with COVID-19 who were supposed to be self-isolating at home, according to researchers… read on > read on >
Blood Pressure Crises Sending More Americans to the ER
Hospitalizations for dangerously high blood pressure more than doubled in the United States from 2002 to 2014, new research shows. This jump in hospitalizations for what’s called a “hypertensive crisis” occurred even though data show overall progress in Americans controlling their blood pressure and a decrease in blood pressure-related heart problems during that period. “Although… read on > read on >
The ‘Oreo Test’ and Other Ways to Help Kids’ Oral Health
Worried your kid isn’t brushing his or her teeth properly? You might want to try the Oreo test. “If the child eats an Oreo and brushes their teeth and the parent can still see the Oreos, they need to be checking and helping them brush,” said Elise Sarvas, a clinical associate professor of pediatric dentistry… read on > read on >
FDA Gives Moderna COVID Vaccine Full Approval
Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine has received full approval for use in people 18 and older, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Monday. The vaccine, which has been available for that age group under emergency use authorization (EUA), will be marketed as Spikevax. It’s not yet fully approved or authorized for use in people younger than… read on > read on >
Kardashian’s Figure a Tough Ideal for Women at Risk of Eating Disorders
The images are never-ending: Celebrities like Kim Kardashian posting one sultry shot after another on social media. But new research warns this constant barrage of “perfect” bodies can undermine the self-esteem of young women. They’re apt to feel their own figures come up short by comparison — whether those influencers and celebrities are super-thin, super-fit… read on > read on >
‘Stealth’ Version of Omicron Variant No Cause for Alarm, Experts Say
The so-called “stealth” variant of Omicron isn’t likely to cause another devastating wave of COVID-19, experts say. The new version of the variant, called BA.2, doesn’t appear to cause more severe disease and vaccines are just as effective against it as against the original Omicron variant (BA.1), but BA.2 does show signs of spreading more… read on > read on >