The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine will be produced for the first time in Africa by a South African firm, Pfizer announced Wednesday. The Biovac Institute in Cape Town will produce the vaccine for distribution across Africa, which is in desperate need of more COVID-19 vaccines as cases surge, the Associated Press reported. Biovac will receive large-batch… read on > read on >
It takes two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to “wake up” cells that play a very important role in the body’s immune response, with the second dose increasing their numbers 100-fold, according to new research. The Stanford University study may help explain why getting the second dose of mRNA vaccines, such as the Pfizer… read on > read on >
Coffee delivers the boost that many people need to start their day. Now, new research suggests this breakfast powerhouse may also provide some protection against COVID-19. Consuming vegetables and having been breastfed might also reduce your COVID-19 risk, according to the new study from Northwestern University in Chicago. Conversely, processed meats may increase your susceptibility… read on > read on >
Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose coronavirus vaccine is much less effective against the highly contagious Delta variant than it is against the original virus, new research claims. “The message that we wanted to give was not that people shouldn’t get the J&J vaccine, but we hope that in the future, it will be boosted with either… read on > read on >
Unlike many others in his party, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday urged unvaccinated Americans to get COVID-19 shots as new coronavirus cases climb and the country risks the return of shutdowns. During his weekly press conference call at the Capitol, McConnell said people should ignore the “demonstrably bad advice” coming from those who… read on > read on >
Just small amounts of exercise can benefit people with implanted heart defibrillators, new research shows. An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is a battery-powered device placed under the skin to detect abnormal heart rhythms and deliver an electric shock to restore a normal heartbeat. The new study found that even slight increases in physical activity reduced… read on > read on >
Breathing in smoke from wildfires may significantly increase the spread of COVID-19, researchers say. The warning, from a new study of links between smoke-caused air pollution and SARS-CoV-2 infections, comes as firefighters battle 80 large wildfires in the western United States. The largest — 300 miles south of Portland, Ore. — covers over 500 square… read on > read on >
The U.S. government issued its most dire warnings against travel to Britain on Monday as coronavirus cases surged in that country while nearly all COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in an effort to restart the economy. Both the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Level 4 travel alerts and… read on > read on >
Indiana University’s mandate that most students be vaccinated in order to attend classes was upheld by a federal judge on Monday in what may be the first such ruling in the United States. The decision came in a lawsuit involving eight students who claimed the vaccine requirement violated their right to bodily integrity and autonomy,… read on > read on >
A noninvasive method of screening for endometrial cancer often fails to detect signs of it in Black women, a new study says. The findings raise questions about the use of transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) to determine the need for a biopsy in these patients, according to the authors. “Black women have an over 90% higher [death]… read on > read on >
