WEDNESDAY, Oct. 6, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Drug and alcohol abuse increase the risk of breakthrough COVID-19 infection as well as severe illness and death among fully vaccinated people, a new study shows. “First and foremost, vaccination is highly effective for people with substance use disorders, and the overall riskContinue Reading
TUESDAY, Oct. 5, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Medtronic has expanded a recall of its MiniMed 600 series insulin pumps to include more than 463,000 of the devices. The pumps may deliver incorrect dosing of insulin and the recall has been identified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as aContinue Reading
Dr. Francis Collins announces retirement as head of NIH. The 71-year-old ushered in such milestones as the mapping of the human genome and is the longest-serving director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Read more Study finds Pfizer vaccine prevents severe COVID over 6 months. A major study ofContinue Reading
New, better antivirals against COVID-19 are on the way. On Friday, drug giant Merck announced it would seek FDA emergency use approval for a powerful new antiviral, molnupiravir. At least two more such drugs that target the SARS-CoV-2 virus are in the pipeline from other companies, and could save thousandsContinue Reading
Merck to seek emergency approval for its new COVID antiviral pill: In a trial of the drug molnupiravir, the risk of hospitalization and death was halved when given to high-risk patients within five days of infection. Read more Has the pandemic made the opioid epidemic worse? In interviews with HealthDayContinue Reading
THURSDAY, Sept. 30, 2021 (HealthDay News) — For those who smoke or drink, it’s only a small step to marijuana, researchers report. “Legal consumption of alcohol and tobacco may directly increase the level of illicit drug use. However, the relationships are complex,” said researcher Dr. Zoe Reed. She is aContinue Reading
CDC issues urgent plea for pregnant women to get vaccinated: With only a third of women in this group immunized, health officials made a strong push for getting the shots. Read more New report finds toxins in baby foods a continuing problem: Despite an earlier report that called for action,Continue Reading
Side effects of Pfizer booster shots are no different than with first two doses: The reassuring report comes as millions of Americans sign up for their third dose of the vaccine. Read more New tests for colon, prostate cancer show promise: In a pair of studies, just a sample ofContinue Reading
TUESDAY, Sept. 28, 2021 (HealthDay News) — More U.S. teens use e-cigarettes, traditional cigarettes and marijuana together, posing greater risks to their health and behavior than if they used only one substance, a new study finds. Called “triple users,” this group score high on a profile of psychosocial risk, whichContinue Reading
Delta variant convinced many to get vaccinated, poll finds: But the Kaiser Family Foundation’s latest survey also revealed that among unvaccinated Americans, nearly 75% say they believe the need for booster shots proves the vaccines don’t work. Read more Fruits, veggies a recipe for happiness in kids: A nutritious breakfastContinue Reading