INSIDER
Guillain-Barre syndrome 'more common than expected' with RSV vaccine in older people, CDC reiterates
Read full article: Guillain-Barre syndrome 'more common than expected' with RSV vaccine in older people, CDC reiteratesReports of a rare nervous system disorder are āmore common than expectedā in older U.S. adults who got the new RSV vaccines.
Researchers say taking a chill pill could help ease heart disease problems for those with anger issues
Read full article: Researchers say taking a chill pill could help ease heart disease problems for those with anger issuesAnger is a natural emotion but not dealing with the underlying issues that cause explosive outbursts of anger could lead to heart problems, according to a recent study.
New study finds no brain injuries among 'Havana syndrome' patients
Read full article: New study finds no brain injuries among 'Havana syndrome' patientsAn array of advanced tests found no brain injuries or degeneration among U_S_ diplomats who suffer mysterious health problems once dubbed āHavana syndrome.ā.
Officials investigate rare nervous system disorder in older adults who got RSV vaccine
Read full article: Officials investigate rare nervous system disorder in older adults who got RSV vaccineHealth officials are investigating whether there's a link between two new RSV vaccines and cases of a rare nervous system disorder.
Lupus and other autoimmune diseases strike far more women than men. Now there's a clue why
Read full article: Lupus and other autoimmune diseases strike far more women than men. Now there's a clue whyWomen are far more likely than men to get autoimmune diseases, illnesses like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis that occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks their own bodies.
Congress pushes for bill to expand mental health access
Read full article: Congress pushes for bill to expand mental health accessItās no secret that many people donāt have access to mental health care. Right now, members of the House of Representatives are pushing for a bill that would change that.
Hydration may be linked to longer, disease-free life, a new study finds
Read full article: Hydration may be linked to longer, disease-free life, a new study findsMany know drinking water is vital for health, but a new study by the National Institutes of Health in the journal eBioMedicine has discovered that hydration can potentially be a preventive approach to prolong a disease-free lifespan.
FDA approves over-the-counter hearing aids to lower costs, increase access
Read full article: FDA approves over-the-counter hearing aids to lower costs, increase accessEighty percent of people who would benefit from hearing aids don't wear them, according to the National Institutes of Health. That's because of cost, access and stigma. However, a new move by the FDA may change all of that.
Studys show laughter is actually the best medicine
Read full article: Studys show laughter is actually the best medicineWe all know the saying; laughter is the best medicine. But is it actually? According to The Mayo Clinic, laughter helps not only in ways of relieving stress but can also reduce pain. It may just help you feel better mentally and physically.
Suicide rates during pandemic decreased nationally, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention reports
Read full article: Suicide rates during pandemic decreased nationally, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention reportsThe American Foundation for Suicide Prevention reports national figures show that the suicide rate in the U.S. has declined 6% since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.
NIH vaccine designer takes coronavirus research to Harvard
Read full article: NIH vaccine designer takes coronavirus research to HarvardThe U.S. government scientist who helped design one of the first COVID-19 vaccines and then tackled skepticism of the shots in communities of color is getting a new research home.
J&Jās 1-dose shot cleared, giving US 3rd COVID-19 vaccine
Read full article: J&Jās 1-dose shot cleared, giving US 3rd COVID-19 vaccineThis Dec. 2, 2020 photo provided by Johnson & Johnson shows vials of the COVID-19 vaccine in the United States. (Johnson & Johnson via AP)WASHINGTON ā The U.S. is getting a third vaccine to prevent COVID-19, as the Food and Drug Administration on Saturday cleared a Johnson & Johnson shot that works with just one dose instead of two. Like other COVID-19 vaccines, the main side effects of the J&J shot are pain at the injection site and flu-like fever, fatigue and headache. All COVID-19 vaccines train the body to recognize the new coronavirus, usually by spotting the spikey protein that coats it. Itās the same technology the company used in making an Ebola vaccine, and similar to COVID-19 vaccines made by AstraZeneca and Chinaās CanSino Biologics.
Biden marks 50M vaccine doses in first 5 weeks in office
Read full article: Biden marks 50M vaccine doses in first 5 weeks in office(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON ā Days after marking a solemn milestone in the pandemic, President Joe Biden is celebrating the pace of his efforts to end it. On Thursday, Biden marked the administration of the 50 millionth dose of COVID-19 vaccine since his swearing-in. āWeāre halfway there: 50 million shots in 37 days," Biden said. āWeāll have the vaccine waiting,ā Biden said, predicting that point could come within 60 to 90 days. āWe have a plan to roll it out as quickly as Johnson & Johnson can make it," Biden said.
Judge bans enforcement of Biden's 100-day deportation pause
Read full article: Judge bans enforcement of Biden's 100-day deportation pauseA federal judge late Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021, indefinitely banned President Joe Biden's administration from enforcing a 100-day moratorium on most deportations. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)HOUSTON ā A federal judge late Tuesday indefinitely banned President Joe Biden's administration from enforcing a 100-day moratorium on most deportations. Biden proposed the 100-day pause on deportations during his campaign as part of a larger review of immigration enforcement and an attempt to reverse the priorities of former President Donald Trump. Even without a moratorium, immigration agencies have wide latitude in enforcing removals and processing cases. AdIt was not immediately clear if the Biden administration will appeal Tipton's latest ruling.
Biden wants to quadruple refugee admissions set by Trump
Read full article: Biden wants to quadruple refugee admissions set by Trump(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON ā President Joe Biden wants to raise refugee admissions to 62,500 for the current budget year, overriding former President Donald Trumpās record-low limit of 15,000, a U.S. official and others said Thursday. Trump set the ceiling on refugee admissions in October when the 2021 budget year started, and it runs until September 30. Biden's proposal of 62,500 would replace that, and the president has already announced plans to raise admissions to twice that amount in 2022. Trump targeted the refugee program under his anti-immigration policies, dropping admissions yearly until they reached a record low of 15,000. Biden, who co-sponsored legislation creating the refugee program in 1980, has said reopening the doors to refugees is āhow we will restore the soul of our nation.āAd___Watson reported from San Diego.
Biden says US is securing 600 million vaccine doses by July
Read full article: Biden says US is securing 600 million vaccine doses by JulyPresident Joe Biden speaks during a visit to the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory at the National Institutes of Health, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, in Bethesda, Md. ā President Joe Biden said Thursday that the U.S. will have enough supply of the COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the summer to inoculate 300 million Americans. He toured the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory that created the COVID-19 vaccine now manufactured by Moderna and being rolled out in the U.S. and other countries. The U.S. is on pace to exceed Bidenās goal of administering 100 million vaccine doses in his first 100 days in office, with more than 26 million shots delivered in his first three weeks. On the tour, Biden was shown the lab bench where researchers sequenced the virus and developed the precursor of the Moderna vaccine.
Harris speaks with Trudeau in first foreign leader call
Read full article: Harris speaks with Trudeau in first foreign leader callVice President Kamala Harris speaks after receiving her second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the National Institutes of Health, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, in Bethesda, Md. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON ā Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday, marking her first call to a foreign leader since entering the White House. The detained Canadians are a top priority for Trudeau, and Canada has pushed Washington to apply pressure on Beijing to release them. AdA senior official familiar with the call said Harris proactively brought up the two detained Canadians herself ā something that was appreciated by Trudeau and Canadian officials. Canada has traditionally been the first foreign stop for new U.S. presidents, and Biden's first call to a foreign leader was to Trudeau, made the Friday after he was sworn in.
The best ways to cope with seasonal depression
Read full article: The best ways to cope with seasonal depressionItās called seasonal depression. The pandemic also doesnāt help seasonal depression. Doctors say resisting the urge to drink your depression away can help your depression symptoms. Seasonal depression can be caused by a lack of sun, so go outside, best time in the winter is in the early morning. If you are having serious suicidal thoughts you are urged to call the National Suicide Prevention Line 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Early menopause comes with health risks -- but thereās something that can delay it
Read full article: Early menopause comes with health risks -- but thereās something that can delay itPast studies have shown that women who go through menopause before the age of 45 have an increased risk of early death, cognitive decline, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.
Fauci: US taking hard look at variant of coronavirus
Read full article: Fauci: US taking hard look at variant of coronavirusFILE - In this Dec. 22, 2020, file photo Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, prepares to receive his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. Dr. Anthony Fauci endorsed the decision of U.S. officials to require negative COVID-19 tests before letting people from Britain enter the U.S. He declined to weigh in on whether that step should have been taken sooner. He said the variant strain is something āto follow very carefullyā and āweāre looking at it very intensively now.āHe said: āDoes it make someone more ill? Fauci spoke on CNN's āState of the Union.ā
Dr. Fauci receives COVID-19 vaccine, says itās an āimportant momentā
Read full article: Dr. Fauci receives COVID-19 vaccine, says itās an āimportant momentāClick here to read the latest on the COVID-19 vaccine.) Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nationās top infectious diseases expert, and other health officials will receive their COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday amid a national rollout to help stunt the pandemic. āItās an important moment ā¦ I feel very good about it,ā Dr. Fauci says on @GMA, hours before receiving the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine that the NIH helped develop. https://t.co/S9TQsK0D1u pic.twitter.com/CGieH8Z5kN ā Good Morning America (@GMA) December 22, 2020The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is the second to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The nationās first COVID-19 vaccine, from Pfizer Inc. and its German partner BioNTech, was approved on Dec. 11.
US clears Moderna vaccine for COVID-19, 2nd shot in arsenal
Read full article: US clears Moderna vaccine for COVID-19, 2nd shot in arsenalThe U.S. is poised to give the green light as early as Friday, Dec. 18, to a second COVID-19 vaccine, a critical new weapon against the surging coronavirus. FDAās decision could help pave the way for other countries that are considering the Moderna vaccine, the first-ever regulatory clearance for the small Cambridge, Massachusetts, company. The FDAās main messages:--Both the new Moderna vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech shot require two doses several weeks apart. --In a study of 30,000 volunteers, the Moderna vaccine was more than 94% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 in people 18 and older. But there was a hint that Modernaās shot might provide some protection against asymptomatic infection.
FDA plans to OK 2nd COVID-19 vaccine after panel endorsement
Read full article: FDA plans to OK 2nd COVID-19 vaccine after panel endorsementModernaās shot showed similarly strong effectiveness, providing 94% protection against COVID-19 in the companyās ongoing study of 30,000 people. Modernaās vaccine uses the same groundbreaking technology as Pfizer-BioNTechās shot. At that one timepoint, swabs from 14 vaccine recipients and 38 placebo recipients showed evidence of asymptomatic infection, said Modernaās Dr. Jacqueline Miller. After the FDA acts, U.S. officials plan to move out an initial shipment of nearly 6 million Moderna doses. The governmentās Operation Warp Speed program has orders for 200 million doses of Modernaās vaccine.
The Latest: Fauci says vaccinate Biden, Harris, Trump, Pence
Read full article: The Latest: Fauci says vaccinate Biden, Harris, Trump, PenceAlter, Laureate in Physiology or Medicine, at NIH in Bethesda, Md., Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)WASHINGTON ā The Latest on President-elect Joe Biden (all times local):7:30 a.m.Top U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci says President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris should be vaccinated for COVID-19 as soon as possible. Speaking to ABC's āGood Morning Americaā on Tuesday, Fauci said, āFor security reasons, I really feel strongly that we should get them vaccinated as soon as we possibly can." Fauci says Vice President Mike Pence should get vaccinated, too. Biden pointedly criticized President Donald Trump for threatening core principles of democracy even as he told Americans that their form of self-government ultimately āprevailed.āRead more:ā In a first, leading Republicans call Biden president-electā Biden returns to Georgia as validator for Ossoff, Warnockā Trump says Barr resigning, will leave before Christmasā Under attack from Trump, institutions bend but donāt break
San Antonio doctor helps make new asthma recommendations
Read full article: San Antonio doctor helps make new asthma recommendationsSAN ANTONIO ā Twenty-five million asthmatics in the U.S. can now take a collective sigh of relief after the National Institutes of Health came up with new recommendations to treat the chronic condition. The inhalers are now being recommended to treat asthma attacks. Also, for the first time ever, allergy shots also got a shot in the arm by the NIH experts, who now recommend them for allergy-related asthma. One of the devices, a fractional exhaled nitric oxide test, helps with the proper diagnosis and treatment decisions that a doctor might face. āItās a little device that you blow into and it measures nitric oxide out of the lungs, and it correlates the elevation of nitric oxide correlates with the type of inflammation that we see in asthma,ā Brooks said.
Years of research laid groundwork for speedy COVID-19 shots
Read full article: Years of research laid groundwork for speedy COVID-19 shotsHow could scientists race out COVID-19 vaccines so fast without cutting corners? A head start helped -- over a decade of behind-the-scenes research that had new vaccine technology poised for a challenge just as the coronavirus erupted. Both shots -- one made by Pfizer and BioNTech, the other by Moderna and the National Institutes of Health -- are so-called messenger RNA, or mRNA, vaccines, a brand-new technology. U.S. regulators are set to decide this month whether to allow emergency use, paving the way for rationed shots that will start with health workers and nursing home residents. Traditionally, making vaccines required growing viruses or pieces of viruses ā often in giant vats of cells or, like most flu shots, in chicken eggs ā and then purifying them before next steps in brewing shots.
2nd virus vaccine shows striking success in US tests
Read full article: 2nd virus vaccine shows striking success in US testsModerna said its vaccine appears to be 94.5% effective, according to preliminary data from an ongoing study. Modernaās vaccine is being studied in 30,000 volunteers who received either the real thing or a dummy shot. Earlier this year, Fauci said he would be happy with a COVID-19 vaccine that was 60% effective. Modernaās vaccine also starts off frozen, but the company said Monday it can be thawed and kept in a regular refrigerator for 30 days, easing that concern. Both Moderna's shots and the Pfizer-BioNTech candidate are so-called mRNA vaccines, a brand-new technology.
Microsoft: Russian, North Korean hackers target vaccine work
Read full article: Microsoft: Russian, North Korean hackers target vaccine work(AP Photo/Hans Pennink)BOSTON ā Microsoft said it has detected attempts by state-backed Russian and North Korean hackers to steal valuable data from leading pharmaceutical companies and vaccine researchers. Chinese state-backed hackers have also been targeting vaccine-makers, the U.S. government said in July while announcing criminal charges. Two others were North Koreaās Lazarus Group and a group Microsoft calls Cerium. The Lazarus Group posed as job recruiters while Cerium targeted spear-phishing emails that masqueraded as missives from World Health Organization representatives, Microsoft said. Optimism about a COVID-19 vaccine has grown since pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced earlier this week that preliminary data showed its vaccine to be 90% effective.
The Latest: Trump says he may fire disease specialist Fauci
Read full article: The Latest: Trump says he may fire disease specialist Fauci___5:30 p.m.Joe Biden is denouncing disruptive demonstrations by supporters of President Donald Trump across the country. Trump tweeted a video of the caravan and declared, āI LOVE TEXAS!ā Biden also referenced reports that Trump supporters shut down a major roadway in New Jersey. ___12:25 p.m.Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris says Black voters are critical to defeating President Donald Trump and electing Joe Biden president. ___11:55 a.m.President Donald Trump is braving flurries and a stiff wind chill as he rallies thousands of supporters in Michigan. Bidenās return to Philadelphia underscores the significance of Pennsylvania, the Rust Belt state that helped deliver President Donald Trump the White House four years ago.
Researchers: Parents can help their children to face anxiety
Read full article: Researchers: Parents can help their children to face anxietyNow, researchers are studying a new method that helps parents help their children. Eli Lebowitz, Ph.D., Psychologist, Yale School of Medicine Child Study Center, and his colleagues, developed a method of training parents to support anxious children. Parents go through training to help their child face anxiety. Lebowitz said parents also learn to help their children by not accommodating them. In a study of 124 kids and their parents, the Yale researchers examined whether SPACE intervention was effective in treating childrenās anxiety.
Whistleblower who alleged White House virus failures resigns
Read full article: Whistleblower who alleged White House virus failures resignsWASHINGTON ā A high-ranking government whistleblower who alleges the Trump administration fumbled its coronavirus response resigned Tuesday, saying he has been forced out. Attorneys Debra Katz and Lisa Banks said NIH superiors ignored a national coronavirus testing strategy that Bright developed because he had become politically toxic within the Trump administration. The Food and Drug Administration ultimately revoked emergency authority for using the malaria drug to treat coronavirus patients. Trump, infected with the coronavirus and hospitalized over the weekend, is now back at the White House. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge.ā He says he plans to return to the campaign trail.
FDA publishes vaccine guidelines opposed by White House
Read full article: FDA publishes vaccine guidelines opposed by White HouseIn the new guidelines posted on its website, the FDA said vaccine makers should follow trial participants for at least two months to rule out any major side effects before seeking emergency approval. That standard had been a sticking point between the FDA and White House officials, who said it could unreasonably delay the availability of COVID-19 vaccines. On Monday Trump said vaccines are coming āmomentarily,ā in a video recorded after he returned to the White House. The White House attempt to block the guidance followed a string of instances in which the Trump administration has undercut its own medical experts working to combat the pandemic. Beyond exposing the rift between the White House and FDA, the delay in releasing the guidelines may have had limited practical effect.
US experts vow āno cutting cornersā as vaccine tests expand
Read full article: US experts vow āno cutting cornersā as vaccine tests expandPresident Donald Trump is pushing for a faster timeline, which many experts say is risky and may not allow for adequate testing. FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn pledged that career scientists, not politicians, will decide whether any coronavirus vaccine meets clearly stated standards that it works and is safe. In one of the largest studies yet, Johnson & Johnson aims to enroll 60,000 volunteers to test its single-dose approach in the U.S., South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. J&Jās vaccine is made with slightly different technology than others in late-stage testing, modeled on an Ebola vaccine the company created. Going forward, āwe need uniformity throughout the country.āIn a testy exchange, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky insisted public health officials were wrong that a lockdown could change the course of the pandemic.
SA researchers warn of delayed danger in children with COVID-19
Read full article: SA researchers warn of delayed danger in children with COVID-19SAN ANTONIO A new study that UT Health San Antonio researchers are participating in is providing some new details about the inflammatory condition associated with children who get COVID-19. Dr. Alvaro Moreira, a neonatologist at UT Health San Antonio, said what was previously thought about MIS-C has changed dramatically in the months since it first showed up in New York in March. It's tricky since the latest research shows that 19% of the children had no symptoms of COVID-19 whatsoever, only to sicken suddenly weeks later. One more thing researchers at UT Health San Antonio are concerned about is an unusual surprise they find among the children who test positive for COVID-19. For a more detailed look at the new information regarding children and COVID-19 from UT Health San Antonio and the National Institutes of Health, click here.
Experimental COVID-19 vaccine is put to its biggest test
Read full article: Experimental COVID-19 vaccine is put to its biggest testFinal-stage testing of the vaccine, developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc., began with volunteers at various U.S. sites given either a real shot or a dummy without being told which. In Washington, the White House disclosed that national security adviser Robert OBrien has the coronavirus the highest-ranking U.S. official to test positive so far. In Binghamton, New York, nurse Melissa Harting received one of the first injections of the Moderna vaccine candidate. But the U.S. requires its own tests of any vaccine that might be used in the country. Every month through the fall, the government-funded COVID-19 Prevention Network will roll out a new study of a leading candidate, each with 30,000 volunteers, to test not only whether the shots work but whether they are safe.
Summer may decide fate of lead shots in virus vaccine race
Read full article: Summer may decide fate of lead shots in virus vaccine raceMany scientists dont expect a coronavirus vaccine to be nearly as protective as the measles shot. If the best COVID-19 vaccine is only 50% effective, "thats still to me a great vaccine, said Dr. Drew Weissman of the University of Pennsylvania. About 15 experimental COVID-19 vaccines are in various stages of human studies worldwide. Nothing is going to be easy.The Oxford shot, with a 10,000-person study underway in England, already encountered that hurdle. EXPECT IMPERFECT PROTECTIONAnimal research suggests COVID-19 vaccines could prevent serious disease but may not completely block infection.
US halts hydroxychloroquine clinical trial after finding no additional benefit for Covid-19 patients
Read full article: US halts hydroxychloroquine clinical trial after finding no additional benefit for Covid-19 patientsThe National Institutes of Health announced Saturday that it has halted a clinical trial evaluating the safety and effectiveness of drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for adults hospitalized with Covid-19. The trial enrolled more than 470 adults patients hospitalized with coronavirus, or in an emergency department with anticipated hospitalization. The study found that those patients who were randomly assigned to receive the hydroxychloroquine treatment didn't benefit from the drug, compared to those in the placebo group. The US Food and Drug Administration on Monday revoked its Emergency Use Authorization for hydroxychloroquine to treat hospitalized patients with coronavirus, saying it was unlikely to provide any benefit based on the latest scientific research. INTERACTIVE: Tracking Covid-19 cases in the USStarting in mid-March, Trump became a frequent cheerleader for hydroxychloroquine.
Behind the scenes, scientists prep for COVID-19 vaccine test
Read full article: Behind the scenes, scientists prep for COVID-19 vaccine testDozens of research groups around the world are racing to create a vaccine as COVID-19 cases continue to grow. Inject a vaccine containing that code, called messenger RNA or mRNA, and peopleās cells produce some harmless spike protein. Corbettās team grew spike protein in the lab ā lots of it -- and stored it frozen in vials. A MERS vaccine that Inovio designed the same way passed initial safety studies in people, paving the way for testing the new COVID-19 vaccine candidate. Last year, it performed a successful safety test of experimental antibodies designed to fight MERS.