FRIDAY, Nov. 5, 2021 The risk of serious illness or death is lower among vaccinated people who get breakthrough COVID-19 infections than among unvaccinated people who get infected, two new studies confirm. An ongoing study of 780,000 U.S. veterans found that all three vaccines available in the United States provide strong protection against severe disease…  read on >  read on >

Why is it so easy for bilingual folks to switch back and forth from one language to another? Researchers have discovered that the brain uses a shared mechanism that makes using multiple languages completely natural. “Languages may differ in what sounds they use and how they organize words to form sentences,” said lead study author…  read on >  read on >

All U.S. adults younger than 60 should be vaccinated against hepatitis B, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended Wednesday. Until now, the shots were recommended only for certain groups of adults, including prisoners, health care workers, international travelers, people with diabetes and certain other conditions, and those who inject drugs or who have multiple…  read on >  read on >

Here’s some comforting news for people who struggle with inflammatory bowel disease and worry that the immune-suppressing drugs they must take might blunt their response to COVID-19 vaccines: New research finds vaccination triggers a strong immune reaction in these patients. “At eight weeks, following completion of a two-dose mRNA vaccine series, 99% of patients had…  read on >  read on >

Large U.S. companies have until Jan. 4, 2022 to ensure their employees are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the Biden administration said Thursday. Unvaccinated workers must undergo weekly testing under the plan that applies to businesses with 100 or more employees and will cover 84 million private sector workers, the New York Times reported. President Joe…  read on >  read on >