Could COVID-19 one day go the way of smallpox and polio? New research suggests it might be possible to beat the coronavirus with high vaccination rates and rapid responses to immunity-evading variants, the study authors said. “While our analysis is a preliminary effort, with various subjective components, it does seem to put COVID-19 eradicability into…  read on >  read on >

After lagging behind for months, the European Union (EU) now has a higher COVID-19 vaccination rate than the United States. Rates of people in the 27-member EU with at least one dose have climbed from less than 4% in mid-February to 60%, while rates in the United States rose from nearly 12% to less than…  read on >  read on >

Vaccination is the best way parents can protect the health of kids 12 and older during the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Academy of Pediatrics says. AAP offers a checklist to prepare older kids and teens for the shot. To begin, tell their health care provider you’re planning to have your child vaccinated against COVID. Ask…  read on >  read on >

Gangrene. Throat cancer. A newborn on a feeding tube. Gruesome warning images like those on cigarette packs do indeed scare smokers, but they should be combined with other anti-smoking measures, a new study finds. These kinds of graphic warning labels were approved by U.S. lawmakers in 2009, but implementation has been stalled until legal challenges…  read on >  read on >

Telemedicine may fall short when it comes to people with voice and speech disorders, researchers report. There was a significant rise in telemedicine use — health visits using computer, tablet or smartphone video conferencing — during the COVID-19 pandemic. And even though the pandemic “appears to be waning, telepractice popularity is here to stay,” said…  read on >  read on >