Firearm sales in the United States broke records at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, researchers have found that firearm injuries to children also increased during the pandemic’s first two years compared to the preceding year. “We experienced an increase in pediatric firearm-related injuries in spite of a decrease in total pediatric emergency department…  read on >  read on >

Teen vaping continues at concerning levels, U.S. health officials reported Thursday. About 2.5 million middle school and high school students reported that they had vaped in the past 30 days in 2022, according to new data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. That was 14.1%…  read on >  read on >

Though it is illegal nationwide to sell tobacco products to anyone under age 21, many New Jersey stores still do, an undercover study revealed. More than 40% of store visits by 18- to 20-year-olds in New Jersey resulted in purchase of cigarettes, cigars and other tobacco products, the study found. While customers in this age…  read on >  read on >

Sometimes allergies can lead to pink, irritated eyes. But allergic conjunctivitis, or “pink eye” may have a simple fix: physical fitness. That’s the conclusion of researchers in Taiwan who tracked health data of more than 1.2 million children. The kids were examined at age 10, sometime between 2010 and 2018. The investigators also used Taiwan’s…  read on >  read on >

Australia is experiencing its worst flu season in five years, and that doesn’t bode well for the United States, federal health officials warned Tuesday. America’s flu season often mirrors what unfolds in Australia, where winter spans April through October. Making matters worse, only 49% of Americans plan to get a flu shot during the 2022-2023…  read on >  read on >