Pfizer Inc. announced Tuesday that it has asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve emergency use of its booster shot for children ages 5 to 11. The application hinges on a study of 140 children with no evidence of prior coronavirus infection. Their antibody levels against the original strain of the virus were… read on > read on >
Babies and toddlers who’ve been given antibiotics might have a less vigorous immune response to routine childhood vaccinations, new research warns. The study is the first to suggest that antibiotics might dampen youngsters’ ability to generate infection-fighting antibodies in response to vaccination. Experts cautioned that more research is necessary, and it’s not clear whether antibiotic… read on > read on >
Witnessing violence between your parents is traumatic when it happens, but a new study finds that trauma can raise your risk of depression and other mental health problems. The study included more than 17,700 Canadian adults who took part in a national survey on mental health. Of those respondents, 326 said they witnessed parental domestic… read on > read on >
Far fewer U.S. women lost health insurance coverage after giving birth during the COVID-19 pandemic than in previous years, likely due to a federal law that prevented Medicaid from dropping people, researchers say. But they noted that the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which was signed into law in March 2020, is set to expire… read on > read on >
Thanks to the Omicron surge this past winter, 3 in every 5 Americans have now been infected with COVID-19, a new government report shows. Once Omicron surfaced as the predominant variant in this country, the highest infection rates were seen among children and teens, and the upward shift was steep: Only 1 in 3 Americans… read on > read on >
It remains one of the most painful images of the pandemic: Families who were not allowed to be by their loved ones’ bedside as they waged a lonely battle against COVID in a hospital ICU, with some forced to say goodbye via a smartphone or tablet held by a compassionate nurse who didn’t want a… read on > read on >
Imagine a birth control pill a woman can take before having sex that prevents pregnancy for the next three to five days. This may become a reality, according to a small, new study. The traditional birth control pill is taken daily, while emergency contraceptive pills are taken after sex to prevent pregnancy from occurring, but… read on > read on >
Plans to nearly double the number of pharmacies and other locations that carry the antiviral pill Paxlovid for COVID-19 were announced Tuesday by the Biden administration. Demand for the drug has risen in recent weeks along with coronavirus cases, but many Americans have said they can’t find a doctor to prescribe the drug, or a… read on > read on >
If you think teen gun violence is not a pressing issue, a new study suggests otherwise. Researchers found the percentage of U.S. teenagers carrying handguns has risen by 41% over the past two decades — with notable increases seen among white teens from higher-income families. The researchers tracked handgun carriage among 12- to 17-year-olds between… read on > read on >
Are you vaccinated and wonder what your chances are of a breakthrough COVID-19 infection? A new study answers that question: Breakthrough COVID infections in fully vaccinated people are least likely to occur in those who’ve received an mRNA vaccine and who were infected with the coronavirus before vaccination. The study included more than 8 million… read on > read on >
