WEDNESDAY, Nov. 30, 2022 (HealthDay News) — An early surge in cold and flu cases has created shortages in key antiviral and antibiotic drugs needed for the annual “sick season,” pharmacists report. The antiviral flu drug Tamiflu is in short supply for both adults and children, in both its brandContinue Reading
TUESDAY, Nov. 29, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Teenagers and young adults who use benzodiazepines to treat insomnia may be at heightened risk of overdose, a new study finds. Benzodiazepines include anxiety medications like Ativan, Klonopin, Valium and Xanax, as well as prescription sleep aids such as estazolam (ProSom), triazolam (Halcion)Continue Reading
MONDAY, Nov. 28, 2022 (HealthDay News) – U.S. health officials are tracking a new COVID variant that’s a combination of two earlier Omicron subvariants. Known as XBB, this latest subvariant now represents 3.1% of new COVID cases throughout the U.S. and 5% of cases in the Northeast. Based on preliminaryContinue Reading
MONDAY, Nov. 28, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Steroid users, especially teen boys and young men, seem indifferent to the serious side effects and dependency associated with use of the drugs, a new study finds. “We’re seeing more young adults and adolescent boys engaging in risk behaviors, such as the useContinue Reading
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 23, 2022 (HealthDay News) — People with one form of the genetic blood disorder hemophilia now have a one-time treatment with a $3.5 million price tag. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the new gene therapy Hemgenix on Nov. 22. Soon after, drugmaker CSL Behring revealed itsContinue Reading
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 23, 2022 (HealthDay News) — It’s not too late to get the latest COVID-19 booster shot. Whether it’s the bivalent vaccine from drug maker Pfizer or from Moderna, the shots offer more protection against symptomatic infection, public health officials reiterated at a White House briefing on Tuesday. However,Continue Reading
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 23, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Even if you’ve already had COVID-19, you can still benefit from a vaccine that can help prevent another infection, a new study shows. Danish patients gained between 60% and 94% protection against reinfection, depending on the COVID variant wave, the researchers found. TheContinue Reading
MONDAY, Nov. 21, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Vaccines have become a hot topic in the past few years, but a new survey finds many parents aren’t discussing immunization with their child’s doctor. Though a child’s pediatrician has often been the go-to resource on vaccines, the University of Michigan Medicine pollContinue Reading
FRIDAY, Nov. 18, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Pfizer’s updated COVID booster shots are proving their mettle against emerging omicron variants, the company announced Friday. The latest version of the vaccine generated virus-fighting antibodies against four more omicron lineages, including the troubling BQ.1.1 variant. Notably, the immune response wasn’t as strongContinue Reading
FRIDAY, Nov. 18, 2022 (HealthDay News) — The Biden administration on Thursday offered assistance to communities and hospitals dealing with a surge in cases of pediatric respiratory illnesses, but it did not declare a national public health emergency. The Children’s Hospital Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics had askedContinue Reading