Urinary tract infections are common and usually simple to treat. But for people who become sick enough to land in the hospital with one, an experimental antibiotic may soon offer a new treatment option — taken by mouth instead of delivered by IV. In a clinical trial, researchers found that the pill, called tebipenem HBr,…  read on >  read on >

(HealthDay News) – Outlining a daunting timeline for development of any updated coronavirus vaccine for next fall, federal health officials told an expert advisory panel on Wednesday that clinical trials of potential candidates would have to begin by next month, and a final formula chosen by June, to meet that tight deadline. The assessment came…  read on >  read on >

(HealthDay News) –The nursing home industry is awash in ineffective care and staffing shortages, claims a new report that calls for sweeping changes in an industry whose failures have only been exacerbated by the pandemic. Experts from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine minced no words in in their 605-page report, released Wednesday.…  read on >  read on >

If you’ve ever wondered how your pooch flashes those “puppy dog eyes” that melt your heart, a new study may provide some answers. The researchers identified certain muscle features that help dogs look so cute, and it suggests that thousands of years of selective breeding have contributed to their ability to use expressions to their…  read on >  read on >

An advisory panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will meet Wednesday to discuss the best way forward with coronavirus vaccines, as evidence grows that variants are eroding the power of the country’s current shots. “As we prepare for future needs to address COVID-19, prevention in the form of vaccines remains our best defense…  read on >  read on >

Israel’s government made a second booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine available to all of its citizens aged 60 and older at the beginning of this year. Now, emerging data suggests this fourth dose greatly boosts protection against the Omicron variant. In a study published April 5 in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers…  read on >  read on >

Vaccines did a good job protecting most cancer patients against COVID-19, but those with blood cancers remain at risk for breakthrough infections, new research suggests. The study analyzed nationwide data on more than 64,000 U.S. cancer patients who were vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. The researchers looked at types of cancer, key treatments and other risk factors,…  read on >  read on >

A proposed rule to ban ongoing uses of the only known form of asbestos imported into the United States has been introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The ban would apply to chrysotile asbestos, which is known to cause cancer and is found in products like asbestos diaphragms, sheet gaskets, brake blocks, aftermarket…  read on >  read on >