Experts are asking seniors to get their flu shots ASAP as an exceptionally nasty flu season unfolds across the United States. Already, 8.7 million flu cases have been reported, with 78,000 hospitalizations and 4,500 deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the last week alone, the number of flu hospitalizations…  read on >  read on >

American kids are drinking to excess less and abusing marijuana more, a new study finds. Marijuana abuse among 6- to 18-year-olds has increased 245% since 2000, while child alcohol abuse has steadily declined over those years, say researchers who analyzed poisonings over two decades. “This dramatic increase does coincide with this huge wave of decriminalization…  read on >  read on >

MONDAY, Dec. 5, 2022 (HealthDay News) – Mpox cases are down significantly in the United States, prompting the federal government to plan not to renew an emergency designation for the virus when it expires late next month. “Given the low number of cases today, HHS does not expect that it needs to renew the emergency…  read on >  read on >

MONDAY, Dec. 5, 2022 (HealthDay News) – The Laundress, a laundry and cleaning products company, has recalled nearly 8 million of its products over concerns they may be contaminated with various bacteria. The bacteria include Burkholderia cepacia complex, Klebsiella aerogenes and multiple different species of Pseudomonas. So far, testing has identified these bacteria in certain…  read on >  read on >

Getting toys for some of the tots in your life this holiday season? Experts at Penn State Health offer tips on making safe choices. Each year, about 200,000 U.S. children end up in the emergency room with a toy-related injury, ranging from poisoning to choking hazards, according to Jen Lau, program manager of Pediatric Trauma…  read on >  read on >

Moms-to-be can safely take Paxlovid to help keep their COVID infection from turning serious, a new study shows. Nearly everyone in a group of 47 pregnant women prescribed Paxlovid did well on the drug, which did not appear to interfere with their pregnancy in any significant way, researchers report in the Nov. 29 issue of…  read on >  read on >