Some recreational pot shops are using tricks from the old playbooks of alcohol and tobacco companies to target underage users on social media, a new study reports. Despite state laws restricting such marketing, researchers found marijuana retailers on social media promoting their wares with posts that: Featured cartoon characters like Snoopy, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Rick…  read on >  read on >

The risk of hospitalization for COVID-19 among older Americans is far higher for those who are unvaccinated than for those who are fully vaccinated and have had a booster shot, new government data shows. The differences were stark: In December, unvaccinated people 50 and older were 17 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19…  read on >  read on >

Herd immunity against COVID-19 is unlikely, and coping with the disease will likely hinge on vaccination, treatment and ensuring adequate hospital capacity, a new study conducted in Los Angeles County claims. With herd immunity, most people have antibodies from vaccination or prior infection, so a virus has fewer people to infect and stops spreading. Early…  read on >  read on >

Sharing food and smooching are two ways babies can suss out whom they can depend on to take care for them, a new study suggests. The tell-tale clue common to both is a surprising one: saliva. “Babies don’t know in advance which relationships are the close and morally obligating ones, so they have to have…  read on >  read on >

Having a child with type 1 diabetes can be a challenging health condition for parents to manage, but new research suggests an “artificial pancreas” system may beat standard treatment in controlling the blood sugar disease in young children. Forms of the technology — which automatically monitors and regulates blood sugar — are already available for…  read on >  read on >

If you need more proof that a third shot of COVID vaccine is needed, new British research confirms that boosters can “neutralize” the virus’ Omicron variant. To arrive at that conclusion, they analyzed 620 blood samples from 364 health care workers and staff at the Francis Crick Institute and the National Institute for Health Research…  read on >  read on >

Think your prior bout of COVID shields you enough from another encounter with the coronavirus? New research suggests that adding in vaccination is still your best bet. A combination of vaccination and prior infection offers the most optimal protection against infection with COVID-19, a new government study shows. Researchers analyzed data on infections in New…  read on >  read on >

A rare and serious inflammatory condition called MIS-C can strike kids weeks after they’ve recovered from their COVID infection. But now there’s good news for parents: Children tend to recover completely from any heart injury within three months of falling ill, a new study from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) shows. “Although it can…  read on >  read on >

If COVID-19 vaccines and medicines are shared equally worldwide, the pandemic could ease this year, a top World Health Organization official said Tuesday. However, if wealthier countries don’t share their resources with poorer countries, there will continue to be high rates of deaths and hospitalizations, warned Dr. Michael Ryan, head of emergencies at WHO. “What…  read on >  read on >