With COVID case counts surging as the school year begins, new research showing that the Moderna vaccine is safe and effective for teens should reassure parents who are on the fence about the shots. “Large trials in adults and smaller trials in adolescents show that this vaccine is effective and safe, and outside of these…  read on >  read on >

THURSDAY, Aug. 12California on Wednesday became the first state to require teachers and other school staff to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or else have to undergo weekly tests. The announcement, made by Gov. Gavin Newsom, comes as a growing number of public and private employers nationwide implement vaccination mandates amid surging COVID-19 cases driven…  read on >  read on >

A third dose of a two-shot COVID vaccine significantly boosts transplant patients’ protection against SARS-CoV-2, according to a new study. “We knew from previous studies that two doses were not enough to produce a good immune response against COVID-19 in transplant patients,” said study co-senior author Dr. Deepali Kumar. She is director of transplant infectious…  read on >  read on >

Pregnant women should not hesitate to get coronavirus vaccines, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in updated guidance issued Wednesday. The latest recommendation comes after new data collected by the agency showed no raised risk for miscarriage in mothers-to-be who get the shots during the first 20 weeks of their pregnancy. Previous…  read on >  read on >

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 11, 2021 (HealthDay News ) — Doctors, nurses and pharmacists are highly trusted by most Americans, a new survey shows. Those health professionals do what’s right either most or all of the time, said at least seven in 10 respondents in the poll from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy…  read on >  read on >

Roaring, fast-moving blazes. Choking smoke. Fiery tornados. Thunderstorms and lightning. The Dixie Fire — now the single largest wildfire in California history — continues to spread, having burned through more than 750 square miles of forest land north of Sacramento. The astonishing spread of smoke from the fire, causing discomfort and illness to people hundreds…  read on >  read on >

A statewide indoor mask mandate and a vaccination requirement for state employees are expected to be announced Wednesday by Oregon Gov. Kate Brown as coronavirus case numbers grow due to the highly transmissible Delta variant. That would make Oregon the third state after Louisiana and Hawaii to implement a mask mandate for both vaccinated and…  read on >  read on >

The average number of first COVID-19 vaccine doses a day in the United States jumped 95% in the past month, new federal government data shows. The daily number rose from 226,209 on July 5 to about 441,198 on Aug. 5. It bottomed out at around 218,696 on July 7, but has steadily climbed in every…  read on >  read on >