With cases of the flu, RSV and COVID-19 rising and hospitals filling up nationwide, the Biden Administration on Wednesday announced a “winter preparedness plan” for what could be a tough season ahead. One step towards protecting Americans from spreading infection: Restarting a program where every household in the country is eligible to receive four free…  read on >  read on >

Black children and teens drown in swimming pools at rates seven times higher than white children, but a new survey suggests that special swimming programs could make a difference and help save lives. The survey, from the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, found that only 25% of Hispanic parents and 28%…  read on >  read on >

It’s an all-too-familiar scenario for many parents: Your preschooler starts to act up just as the phone rings or you start dinner. Maybe you hand over an iPad or smartphone to soothe the child so you can get down to business. And this probably does the trick. But if this is your go-to strategy, your…  read on >  read on >

For some people, dozens of U.S.-approved drugs can lead to a rare but often fatal brain infection. Researchers have now confirmed a strong link between four genetic mutations and this illness, called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). A new study found that in people taking PML-inducing drugs, having one of four genetic variants increased the odds…  read on >  read on >

One might expect identical twins to have the same health outcomes. But it’s not just genetics that makes a notable difference in their weight and in how their genes behave, according to a new study. Exercise can alter genetic markers of metabolic disease — any of the diseases or disorders that disrupt normal metabolism. The…  read on >

The updated bivalent COVID-19 boosters are now approved for use in children as young as 6 months of age, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today. Children can receive either a Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent booster shot, although the rules differ depending on their age and what type of vaccine they got as their…  read on >  read on >