TUESDAY, Oct. 18, 2022 (HealthDay News) — It’s a troubling equation: Many Americans with the highest rates of hospitalization for influenza have the lowest uptake of the annual flu vaccine. That’s why the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is stepping up outreach to minority communities, including Black, HispanicContinue Reading
MONDAY, Oct. 17, 2022 (HealthDay News) — It’s official: Older Americans with hearing loss can now stroll into a big box store or pharmacy — or just visit a website — and buy hearing aids without a prescription. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved this new class ofContinue Reading
MONDAY, Oct. 17, 2022 (HealthDay News) – While a large number of Hispanic Americans have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at this point, a new study suggests barriers may still stand in the way for those who might want to get shots. Researchers identified four keyContinue Reading
MONDAY, Oct. 17, 2022 (HealthDay News) – New, more contagious Omicron variants are starting to spread across the United States, new government data show. Luckily, they’re related to the Omicron variant BA.5, so recently updated booster shots should provide some protection against the new variants, known as BQ.1. and aContinue Reading
FRIDAY, Oct. 14, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Indications are that this year’s flu season is going to be particularly nasty, making the annual influenza vaccine even more important than usual, infectious disease experts say. People already are landing in the hospital with severe cases of influenza, about a month aheadContinue Reading
FRIDAY, Oct. 14, 2022 (HealthDay News) — New trial data shows that Pfizer’s updated COVID booster shot is more powerful against Omicron subvariants than the original shot, the company announced Thursday. The findings are reassuring, since human data on the tweaked vaccine was not available when the U.S. Food andContinue Reading
FRIDAY, Oct. 14, 2022 (HealthDay News) — A proposed ban on menthol cigarettes could have a significant impact on smoking rates, especially among minorities, new U.S. research suggests. Adult smokers who are younger, have mental health problems and are from racial/ethnic minority groups are more likely to use menthol cigarettesContinue Reading
THURSDAY, Oct. 13, 2022 (HealthDay News) — A new study is sounding the alarm about the addition of antihistamines to street forms of opioids — and how they might make a fatal overdose more likely. The prime drug in question is diphenhydramine, found commonly in over-the-counter allergy meds such asContinue Reading
THURSDAY, Oct. 13, 2022 (HealthDay News) — The COVID-19 antiviral Paxlovid has been a game-changer in the global pandemic, shielding high-risk patients from the coronavirus’ most devastating effects. But Paxlovid can itself pose a risk for people taking widely prescribed heart medications to lower cholesterol, prevent blood clots or manageContinue Reading
THURSDAY, Oct. 13, 2022 (HealthDay News) — People with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or narcolepsy may rely on the drug Adderall, but it is in short supply, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday. The Adderall and Adderall IR shortage is due to intermittent manufacturing delays at Teva, one ofContinue Reading