The Supreme Court began to hear oral arguments on Friday as it weighs whether the Biden administration can enforce vaccine mandates for large companies. The justices are also hearing arguments on a separate vaccine mandate for most health care workers. The court’s decision will likely determine whether these vaccine requirements will affect more than 80… read on > read on >
A review of cases from 465 U.S. hospitals underscores the protection provided by COVID-19 vaccines. The new review — by researchers at the U.S. National Institutes of Health — found that vaccinated adults who got breakthrough infections rarely got severely ill. Respiratory failure, the need for treatment in an intensive care unit, and death were… read on > read on >
When it comes to what makes us happy, is reading or listening to music any better than spending hours playing video games? Not really, says a team of researchers from the United Kingdom and Austria. “Many people believe traditional media, like reading books or listening to music, are good for us,” said study leader Niklas… read on > read on >
Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 may slightly and temporarily extend the time between a woman’s menstrual periods, a new study reports. On average, researchers found that the extra time amounts to slightly less than one day. It’s something many women would not notice and is not cause for worry from a health standpoint, they said. But… read on > read on >
Citing the rapid spread of the Omicron variant and the need for protection against it, U.S. federal health officials are shortening the recommended time between the second dose of the Moderna vaccine and a booster shot from six months down to five. “The country is in the middle of a wave of the highly contagious… read on > read on >
A fourth COVID shot may be needed for most people by next fall because of what will likely be waning immunity, Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said Thursday. While the booster that millions of Americans received this past fall should hold strong through this winter’s Omicron surge, Bancel said the efficacy of boosters will probably decline… read on > read on >
Although some U.S. states put up big amounts of cash to influence residents to get their COVID-19 vaccinations, it didn’t appear to make much any difference in immunization rates. Investigators who found that to be true in an earlier study in Ohio looked to 15 additional states for this latest research. The Boston University School… read on > read on >
First, there was Beyond Meat. Next up? Beyond Fried Chicken. KFC announced Wednesday that it will begin offering a plant-based chicken in some of its meals on Jan. 10, from the same company known for its meat-free burgers, Beyond Meat. Beyond Fried Chicken was developed by Beyond Meat exclusively for KFC, according to a news… read on > read on >
A simple blood test may help spot pregnant women who are at risk for developing preeclampsia — dangerously high blood pressure during pregnancy — before it becomes a threat to both mother and child. Marked by a sudden spike in blood pressure, protein in urine or other problems during pregnancy, preeclampsia occurs in about 1… read on > read on >
The Abbott BinaxNOW and Quidel QuickVue — two widely used rapid at-home COVID tests — may sometimes fail to spot evidence of the Omicron variant in the first days after infection, even when people are carrying substantial levels of the virus, preliminary research suggests. The researchers focused on 30 people infected with COVID at five… read on > read on >
