The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine booster restored close to full protection against COVID-19 in a late-stage trial involving 10,000 people, the company announced Thursday. They said the booster was 95.6% effective and that they plan to submit the latest data to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and regulators in other nations. “These results provide further evidence…  read on >  read on >

Requiring COVID-19 shots for work, school or travel will boost vaccination rates without the backlash and mass walkouts that many have predicted, new research predicts. The findings come as growing numbers of U.S. states, cities and private companies start to enforce COVID-19 vaccine mandates. High-profile refusers like Brooklyn Nets’ guard Kyrie Irving and Washington State…  read on >  read on >

The United States has now donated 200 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to more than 100 countries and territories, making it the largest donor in the world. Those donations include more than 120 million surplus doses from the U.S. stockpile, along with initial deliveries of 1 billion doses the federal government has bought from Pfizer for…  read on >  read on >

U.S. cancer patients in poor and rural areas are more likely to die by suicide than those in affluent, urban areas, a new study finds. “People who have received a cancer diagnosis are faced with a number of challenges, such as accessing reliable and affordable care, that can add to existing anxiety or depression associated…  read on >  read on >

Obese people have a tougher time fighting COVID-19, even if they have a milder form of the virus, a new study finds. Researchers looked at more than 500 patients who tested positive for COVID but didn’t require hospitalization. Teens and adults who were overweight or obese had more symptoms, including cough and shortness of breath,…  read on >  read on >