In a push to overcome vaccine hesitancy, the Biden administration on Thursday launched a public outreach effort that will focus on communities that have been hit hardest by the pandemic. Called the “We Can Do This” campaign, the project features television and social media ads and creates a “community corps” of public health, athletic, faith…  read on >  read on >

The faster-spreading COVID-19 variant first detected in the United Kingdom is on its way to becoming the dominant form of the virus in the United States. A new study found that the B.1.1.7 variant is being detected in an increasing proportion of SARS-CoV-2 samples and is 40% to 50% more transmissible than versions of the…  read on >  read on >

Illegal drug sales on the dark web are common, hard to detect and are fueling America’s opioid epidemic, a University of Texas study reveals. Opioids include prescription painkillers (such as oxycodone) and illegal drugs (such as heroin and fentanyl). “People are struggling from the effects of addiction,” said Tiffany Champagne-Langabeer, senior author of a new…  read on >  read on >

More than one-quarter of U.S. parents don’t plan to vaccinate their kids for COVID-19, and roughly as many oppose school-required coronavirus shots, a new study finds. This opposition was more common among moms than dads, and was especially common among white mothers who identified as Republican/Republican-leaning, the researchers said. “Women tend to serve as family…  read on >  read on >

Cancer screening rates are beginning to rebound after plummeting during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, a new survey finds. And patients are being diagnosed with more advanced cancers than before the pandemic, according to the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). “The trend toward more advanced disease, while alarming, does not automatically mean…  read on >  read on >

More than 60% of American adults who vape say they want to stop, a new study reports. Some use electronic cigarettes to try to quit smoking traditional cigarettes, then end up vaping and smoking, the researchers found. “While e-cigarettes may work for some people, they’re hindering quit attempts for other people,” said study first author…  read on >  read on >

In a finding that illustrates the heavy toll the pandemic has taken on America, a new government report confirms that COVID-19 became the third leading cause of death in 2020. Researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that more than 547,000 lives have been lost to COVID-19 since the pandemic began…  read on >  read on >