Pfizer Inc. announced Thursday that it has asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency approval for its coronavirus vaccine to be given to children between the ages of 5 and 11. “We’re committed to working with the FDA with the ultimate goal of helping protect children against this serious public health threat,” the… read on > read on >
Scientists in Japan have discovered yet another tick-borne virus that can make people sick. The Yezo virus is transmitted by tick bites, and triggers fever and a reduction in blood platelets and white blood cells. “At least seven people have been infected with this new virus in Japan since 2014, but, so far, no deaths… read on > read on >
THURSDAY, Oct. 7Two new studies confirm that the immunity offered by two doses of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine drops off after about two months, although protection against severe disease, hospitalization and death holds strong. The reports, from Israel and Qatar, add to evidence that suggests even fully vaccinated people need to continue to guard against COVID-19… read on > read on >
You might think that wildfires in the western United States would only affect folks in places like Colorado, California or Oregon. But a new study estimates that three-quarters of smoke-related deaths and visits to the emergency room for asthma in the United States happen east of the Rocky Mountains. “We don’t often talk about smoke… read on > read on >
A shift in thinking means it’s OK to skip your monthly breast self-exam — but don’t miss your regular professional checkup and diagnostic imaging, health experts say. A periodic visual check in a mirror can be helpful, breast health experts from the Cedars-Sinai health system in California suggest. “Beginning at age 40, women with an… read on > read on >
The first vaccine to protect against malaria has been endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and could prevent the deaths of tens of thousands of children a year. Malaria kills about half a million people worldwide annually. Nearly all of those deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa and include 260,000 children under the age of… read on > read on >
Since the rise of the Delta variant, one Texas hospital has seen a surge in severe COVID-19 among pregnant women — nearly all unvaccinated. Researchers at the Dallas hospital found that in late August and early September, 10% to 15% of pregnant patients who tested positive for COVID-19 needed to be hospitalized for severe illness.… read on > read on >
The rate at which homicide is taking the lives of Americans jumped by 30% over the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic — the largest year-to-year increase ever, new federal government figures show. The rate jumped from 6 homicides per 100,000 people in 2019 to 7.8 per 100,000 in 2020, according to provisional data from… read on > read on >
The rings of stately pines on the coasts of North and South Carolina offer telling long-term evidence of climate change and a chilling forecast for the future. The upshot: The last 300 years have gotten wetter and wetter, making hurricanes ever more dangerous. “Our findings suggest that the maximum amount of rainfall from these storms… read on > read on >
If you often have a stomachache after eating, you’re not alone, a new survey finds. One in 10 people experience frequent meal-related pain. This includes 13% of women and 9% of men, and is most common in 18- to 28-year-olds (15%), according to an online survey of more than 54,000 people in 26 countries. “The… read on > read on >
