CDC: Travelers to other nations should have measles vaccine

NEW YORK (AP) — Federal health officials have changed their advice to international travelers about measles, saying that Americans should be vaccinated against the virus no matter where they’re going. United States residents are recommended to get measles-mumps-rubella shots, anyway. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention previously emphasized the importance of vaccination for travelers [...]

By |2025-06-09T14:11:33-04:00Friday, June 6, 2025|

At-home health tests becoming more available, but they aren’t always the best option

The doctor is in — the mailbox, that is. You can now do self-administered tests for everything from thyroid function to HIV in the privacy of your own home, and that list continues to grow, as the Food and Drug Administration recently approved the first at-home cervical cancer test. While the tests can make it [...]

By |2025-06-05T12:40:28-04:00Wednesday, June 4, 2025|

FDA OKs new Moderna COVID-19 vax

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week approved a new COVID-19 vaccine made by Moderna but with limits on who can use it. The new vaccine, mNexspike, is a step toward next-generation coronavirus vaccines. It’s made in a way that allows for a lower dose — a fifth of the dose of its current [...]

By |2025-06-05T12:40:56-04:00Wednesday, June 4, 2025|

Government cancels $766M contract to fight pandemic flu

The Trump administration has canceled $766 million awarded to drugmaker Moderna Inc. to develop a vaccine against potential pandemic influenza viruses, including the H5N1 bird flu. The company said it was notified last week that the Health and Human Services Department had withdrawn funds awarded in July 2024 and in January to pay for development [...]

By |2025-06-04T14:12:08-04:00Monday, June 2, 2025|

Kennedy: COVID vaccines not recommended for healthy children, pregnant women

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. earlier this week announced that COVID-19 vaccines are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women. In a 58-second video posted on the social media site X, Kennedy said he removed COVID-19 shots from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations for [...]

By |2025-06-04T14:14:27-04:00Friday, May 30, 2025|

FDA panel split on COVID shot updates

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal government advisers last week were split on whether drugmakers need to update their COVID-19 vaccines for next season. The Food and Drug Administration’s outside researchers have met annually since the launch of the first COVID-19 vaccines to discuss tweaking their recipes to stay ahead of the virus. The challenge is trying [...]

By |2025-05-29T11:20:11-04:00Wednesday, May 28, 2025|

Weight-loss drugs may lower cancer risk in some people

Excess body weight can raise the risk of certain cancers, leading researchers to wonder whether blockbuster drugs like Wegovy, Ozempic and Zepbound could play a role in cancer prevention. A new study of 170,000 patient records suggests there’s a slightly lower risk of obesity-related cancers in adults with diabetes who took those popular medications compared [...]

By |2025-05-29T11:20:21-04:00Wednesday, May 28, 2025|

COVID-19 vaccines now subject to new requirements

WASHINGTON (AP) — Annual COVID-19 shots for healthy younger adults and children no longer will be routinely approved under a policy shift unveiled this week by the Trump administration. Top officials for the Food and Drug Administration laid out new requirements for yearly updates to COVID shots, saying they’d continue to use a streamlined approach [...]

By |2025-05-27T14:43:47-04:00Friday, May 23, 2025|

After peaking in the fall, human bird flu cases have decreased in past 3 months

Health officials are making a renewed call for vigilance against bird flu, but some researchers are puzzling over why reports of new human cases have stopped. “We just don’t know why there haven’t been cases,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University. “I think we should assume there are infections that [...]

By |2025-05-22T10:01:39-04:00Wednesday, May 21, 2025|

COVID shot from Novavax gets approval, with restrictions

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration has issued a long-awaited approval of Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine, but with restrictions. Novavax makes the nation’s only traditional protein-based coronavirus vaccine and, until now, it had emergency authorization from FDA for use in anyone 12 and older. Last week, the FDA granted the company full approval for [...]

By |2025-05-22T10:02:05-04:00Wednesday, May 21, 2025|
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