More than $5.8 billion in student loan debt will be erased for over 300,000 Americans who have severe disabilities and low incomes, the Biden administration said Thursday. “We’ve heard loud and clear from borrowers with disabilities and advocates about the need for this change and we are excited to follow through on it,” Education Secretary… read on > read on >
Three vaccinated U.S. Senators reported coronavirus infections on Thursday, adding to the growing number of breakthrough cases among American politicians. The positive tests were announced by Sen. Roger Wicker, of Mississippi, Sen. Angus King, of Maine, and Sen. John Hickenlooper, of Colorado. “Senator Wicker is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, is in good health and is… read on > read on >
A decision on booster shots for the approximately 13.8 million Americans who received Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot coronavirus vaccine is likely to take weeks, according to people familiar with the issue. Federal health officials are waiting on results from a government-backed clinical trial and from studies by Johnson & Johnson to determine whether those who… read on > read on >
If you’re pregnant and worried that getting a COVID-19 vaccine might trigger severe side effects, you can relax. New research shows that pregnant women and new mothers don’t suffer more reactions after a shot than other women do. “Pregnant people do well with the vaccine,” said lead study author Dr. Alisa Kachikis, an assistant professor… read on > read on >
Could the constancy of a sympathetic ear help guard your brain against the ravages of aging? Yes, claims new research that analyzed data on nearly 2,200 American adults and found those in their 40s and 50s who didn’t have someone to listen to them had a mental (“cognitive”) age that was four years older than… read on > read on >
Dental care should be a required part of Medicaid coverage for adults in every state, the American Dental Association and nearly 130 other organizations urge in a letter to Congress. The groups called on lawmakers to support and advance a bill called the Medicaid Dental Benefit Act. “Poor oral health hurts more than our mouths,”… read on > read on >
The United States’ early rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations may have saved nearly 140,000 lives, a new study suggests. Using data on state vaccination campaigns and COVID-19 deaths, researchers estimate that immunizations prevented 139,393 deaths nationwide between December 2020 and early May 2021. On the state level, vaccinations prevented an average of five deaths for every… read on > read on >
Antibodies generated by COVID-19 vaccines are effective against the Delta variant and other coronavirus variants of concern, new research shows. The findings may help explain why most vaccinated people have avoided the surge of Delta variant cases sweeping across the United States. “In face of vaccination, Delta is relatively a wimpy virus,” said study co-author… read on > read on >
Like it or not, Broward County, Fla., has become a flashpoint for the national debate over reopening public schools in the middle of a COVID-19 surge driven by the highly infectious Delta variant. Coronavirus infections claimed the lives of three Broward educators within 24 hours of each other, just as schools are set to reopen… read on > read on >
All U.S. nursing home staff must be vaccinated against COVID-19 or their employers will risk losing Medicare and Medicaid funding, President Joe Biden announced Wednesday. “If you visit, live or work in a nursing home, you should not be at a high risk for contracting COVID from unvaccinated employees,” Biden said during a speech made… read on > read on >
