Can Costco beat Medicare Part D when it comes to prescription drug prices? Apparently so, claims a new study that found that roughly half of generic medications were cheaper when purchased from the discount retailer than from the government program. The researchers compared the prices paid by Medicare Part D plans (including patient out-of-pocket payments)… read on > read on >
The highly contagious Delta variant now accounts for more than half of all new coronavirus infections in the United States, new government data shows. The dangerous variant that crippled India recently currently makes up 51.7% of new infections in this country, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At the same time,… read on > read on >
COVID-19 vaccinations may not offer as much protection to people with compromised immune systems, but just how much appears to be driven by the type of underlying condition, new research suggests. “People with conditions that compromise their immune systems exhibit a wide spectrum of antibody responses to COVID-19 vaccination, ranging from only 1 in 5… read on > read on >
Lotteries that pay cash and prizes to Americans who get vaccinated sound like a sure-fire recipe for success, but a new study finds they don’t actually boost vaccination rates. After media reports suggested that Ohio’s “Vax-a-Million” lottery increased vaccination rates, other states decided to use lotteries to reinvigorate slowing vaccination rates. “However, prior evaluations of… read on > read on >
Want to be good to your ticker? Load up on veggies — especially beans, Italian researchers recommend. They’ve published a comprehensive review of research on eating habits and heart disease that provides consistent evidence that eating less salt and animal proteins and more plant-based foods is associated with a lower risk of heart disease. Those… read on > read on >
In the middle of a pandemic that sent many Americans into bouts of emotional distress, one-quarter of them couldn’t get counseling when they needed it the most, new research shows. “Social isolation, COVID-related anxiety, disruptions in normal routines, job loss and food insecurity have led to a surge in mental illness during the pandemic,” explained… read on > read on >
Women who are breastfeeding and wonder if COVID-19 vaccination is safe for their baby may be reassured by the results of a new study. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, report that “vaccine-associated mRNA” — the active components of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines — “was not detected in 13 milk samples collected… read on > read on >
Only 20 states reached President Joe Biden’s goal to get at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine into the arms of 70% of American adults by the Fourth of July. White House officials first acknowledged last month that they would fall short of the goal, which was set early in May, when the United… read on > read on >
Folks who suffer a rare “breakthrough” coronavirus infection after getting the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine will not get as sick and, importantly, are much less likely to pass the coronavirus on to others, a new study shows. It’s very unlikely that a person will become infected with COVID-19 after getting one of the messenger RNA… read on > read on >
Key immune system cells in folks who’ve had COVID-19 or the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are able to recognize and mount a defense against highly contagious coronavirus variants, new research shows. In both groups, CD4+ “helper” T-cells and CD8+ “killer” T-cells can recognize the Delta mutation and three other widespread variants of concern. That’s key… read on > read on >
