While millions of Americans rejoiced in the news on Thursday that the fully vaccinated can now skip masks in most indoor and outdoor settings, some worried that it will be nearly impossible to distinguish those who have gotten their shots from those who have not. “I think the challenge is that it’s impossible to determine…  read on >  read on >

Though some think that vaping is a safer alternative to smoking traditional cigarettes, Canadian research suggests it could raise the risk of developing asthma or having asthma attacks for teens and adults. “Emerging research really suggests that vaping may actually worsen preexisting health conditions such as asthma,” said study author Teresa To, senior scientist in…  read on >  read on >

People with heart failure are 20% more likely than those with cancer to develop depression within five years of their diagnosis, a new study finds. Nearly 1 in 4 patients with heart failure are depressed or anxious, according to the German researchers. “The treatment of mental illnesses in cancer patients — psycho-oncology — is long-established,…  read on >  read on >

(HealthDay News) – A good movie can be more than mere entertainment: It can also help you feel more prepared to tackle life’s challenges and be a better person, a new study suggests. This may be why folks sometimes choose films with difficult subjects or those that make them sad, researchers say. “Meaningful movies actually…  read on >  read on >

A single dose of a COVID-19 vaccine isn’t enough to develop adequate antibodies in kidney dialysis patients, Canadian researchers report. “We advise that the second dose of the [Pfizer] vaccine be administered to patients receiving hemodialysis at the recommended 3-week time interval and that rigorous SARS-CoV-2 infection prevention and control measures be continued in hemodialysis…  read on >  read on >

When the COVID-19 pandemic kept young kids indoors, their time spent watching TV and other screens rose dramatically. That’s the finding of a new study that investigated the screen time of kindergarteners from low-income families in Ohio. The researchers found that their use of television, video, movies, short clips, and apps or games on any…  read on >  read on >

In a decision that clears the way for schools to reopen safely next fall, U.S. health officials on Wednesday gave their final stamp of approval for Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine to be offered to children aged 12 to 15. The decision, which makes millions more young Americans eligible for immunization, came as COVID-19 cases and deaths…  read on >  read on >

Researchers say they have developed a rapid test for gonorrhea that could help reduce the spread of the sexually transmitted disease. The test consists of an inexpensive, portable device and a cellphone app that will diagnose gonorrhea in less than 15 minutes. It can also determine whether the strain of the infection will respond to…  read on >  read on >