Vice President Kamala Harris announced Monday that the Biden administration will spend $1.5 billion to tackle a health care worker shortage in underserved communities. The money from the COVID-19 recovery program, called the American Rescue Plan, and other sources will go to three federal programs that provide scholarships and loan repayments for health care students…  read on >  read on >

U.S. government worker compliance with the COVID-19 vaccination mandate had reached 95% as of Monday, which was the deadline set by the Biden administration. “Already 95% of USG [federal government] employees are in compliance with the President’s vax requirement,” White House assistant press secretary Kevin Munoz wrote on Twitter. “There are no disruptions related to…  read on >  read on >

Teens and young adults with autism show marked differences in their brains’ white matter compared to those without the disorder, a new study finds. “If you think of gray matter as the computer, white matter is like the cables,” said study co-author Clara Weber, a postgraduate research fellow at Yale University School of Medicine. The…  read on >  read on >

An experimental Lyme disease vaccine shows promise in animal studies and could also help protect against other tick-borne diseases, researchers say. The vaccine — which relies on the same mRNA technology used by some COVID-19 vaccines — protected guinea pigs against infection by Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. The vaccine doesn’t trigger…  read on >  read on >

The evidence against vaping is mounting, and a new study now links e-cigarettes with an increased risk for broken bones. Over time, vaping appears to increase the risk for fracture of the hip, spine and wrist by 46%, according to the findings. Researchers said these fractures happen from falls while standing and even from lower…  read on >  read on >

Don’t drive drunk. That’s simple and obvious advice. And it appears ridesharing services are making it easier for people to take it. In a new study that looked at Chicago data, more rideshare trips meant fewer alcohol-involved crashes. “This study was designed to look specifically at drunk driver crashing,” said study author Christopher Morrison. “When…  read on >  read on >