Getting the HPV shot in adolescence can spare kids a lifetime of risk for cervical and other cancers related to the virus, but only half of American kids are up-to-date on these shots. Now, a new review suggests that if schools mandate HPV shots as an entry requirement for students, immunization rates rise. “A majority…  read on >  read on >

The benefits of physical fitness for kids spill over into their mental health, new research shows. Getting plenty of exercise may guard against depressive symptoms, anxiety and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a new study published April 29 in the journal JAMA Pediatrics found. And the more exercise, the better: Higher performance in cardiovascular activities, strength and…  read on >  read on >

Teens who vape frequently are exposing themselves to harmful metals like lead and uranium, a new study finds. Lead levels in urine are 40% higher among intermittent vapers and 30% higher among frequent vapers, compared to occasional vapers, results show. And urinary levels of uranium were twice as high among frequent vapers as occasional vapers,…  read on >  read on >

Kids who don’t like vaccination shots might soon have an alternative in a painless skin patch, researchers say. More than 90% of 190 Gambian infants were protected from measles and all were protected from rubella after receiving a single vaccine dose through the patch, early trial results show. The patch contains an array of microscopic…  read on >  read on >

At major medical centers across the southeast, 1 in every 20 visits to emergency departments involve people who are homeless or face “housing insecurity,” a new U.S. study finds. Concerns of suicide was the leading medical reason bringing these types of patients to the ER and many were uninsured, said a team reporting recently in…  read on >  read on >

A long-awaited ban on menthol cigarettes has been delayed indefinitely, the Biden administration said Friday. “This rule has garnered historic attention, and the public comment period has yielded an immense amount of feedback, including from various elements of the civil rights and criminal justice movement,” U.S. Health and Human Service Secretary Xavier Becerra said in…  read on >  read on >

People worry about contracting Lyme disease from ticks, but they should be concerned for their furry friends as well, veterinarians say. Dogs throughout the United States are increasingly vulnerable to the tick-borne illness, say experts from the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech. Lyme disease was traditionally thought to be limited mostly to…  read on >  read on >