As a new school year approaches, U.S. parents are nearly evenly split on whether they’ll vaccinate their young kids when a COVID-19 vaccine is approved for their age group, a new survey finds. “It’s important that parents and providers don’t wait for full COVID vaccine approval to begin discussions about vaccination,” said Sarah Clark, co-director… read on > read on >
All Lifestyle:
Money Can Buy Americans Longer Life: Study
Money may not buy happiness but new research suggests it may at least help Americans live longer. “Our results suggest that building wealth is important for health at the individual level, even after accounting for where one starts out in life,” said Greg Miller, a faculty fellow at Northwestern University’s Institute for Policy Research, in… read on > read on >
Doctors Divided Over Use of Controversial New Alzheimer’s Drug
The controversial new Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm is creating something of a civil war in medicine, as health networks, hospitals, insurers and individual doctors weigh impending discussions with patients about whether they should take the medication. Many doctors believe the U.S. Food and Drug Administration “moved the goalposts” to approve Aduhelm (aducanumab) in early June, and… read on > read on >
Vaccinations Start to Climb in States Hit Hard by Delta Variant
In a sign that vaccine-hesitant Americans are starting to worry about the rapid spread of the highly infectious Delta variant, vaccinations are beginning to rise in some states where COVID-19 cases are soaring, White House officials said Thursday. Coronavirus coordinator Jeff Zients told reporters that several states with the highest proportions of new infections have… read on > read on >
Fauci Supports NFL’s Tough New COVID Policy
COVID-19 outbreaks among unvaccinated NFL players could result in forfeited games and loss of pay, the league announced Thursday. The policy sends a strong message about COVID-19 vaccines and is likely to be followed by others in the United States, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert, told CBS News. The NFL has… read on > read on >
Are Antibiotics Really the Answer for UTIs in Women?
Urinary tract infections: They’re the bane of millions of women, and a new study finds that many sufferers are unhappy that diagnosis and treatments are still limited for this painful condition. One of the biggest concerns researchers found was that many women think frequent antibiotic use to treat urinary tract infections (UTIs) might not be… read on > read on >
Lockdowns Cut Air Pollution, But Poorer Neighborhoods Benefited Less
If you thought the air was cleaner at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, you weren’t imagining it. But clean skies were less evident in poorer areas of the United States, a new study finds. COVID-19 pandemic-related lockdowns reduced overall levels of nitrogen dioxide air pollution in many U.S. cities. However, levels remained higher in… read on > read on >
As Olympics Begin, Tokyo Posts Highest Number of New COVID Cases in Six Months
One day before the official start of the Tokyo Olympics, the city has recorded its highest number of new COVID-19 cases in six months. The 1,979 cases reported on Thursday are the most seen since 2,044 cases were recorded on Jan. 15, according to the Associated Press. Japan has reported about 853,000 cases and 15,100… read on > read on >
Even at Same Hospital, Black Patients Face More Complications Than Whites
Black Americans admitted for inpatient hospital care are far more likely than white patients to experience safety-related health complications — even when both are treated in the same facility, a new report warns. And having good insurance didn’t appear to bridge racial differences in patient safety, investigators found: Even when Black patients had coverage similar… read on > read on >
Pfizer Vaccine Offers 88% Protection Against Delta Variant, But 2 Doses Needed
Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine provides surprisingly robust protection against the highly infectious Delta variant of COVID-19 — but only if you’ve gotten both doses. Fresh data out of England shows that two doses of the messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine is 88% effective in protecting people against the Delta variant, compared with about 94% effectiveness against the… read on > read on >