Study casts more doubt on use of high-dose vitamin D pills
More research suggests it’s time to abandon the craze over vitamin D. Taking high doses of “the sunshine vitamin” doesn’t reduce the risk of broken bones in generally healthy older Americans, researchers reported Wednesday. It’s the latest in a string of disappointments about a nutrient once hoped to have wide-ranging...
Allegheny County health officials announce availability of monkeypox vaccine, eligibility still limited
Vaccine availability to those at risk for contracting monkeypox remains limited, but Allegheny County health leaders say they are working on a plan to expand eligibility as supply increases. Twenty cases of the virus have been confirmed in the county. Vaccines are being offered to people who have had a...
Should you wait for the omicron booster? Why experts say you should ‘get it now!’
If you’re like most Americans, you’ve gotten your primary doses of a covid-19 vaccine, but you haven’t gotten the recommended booster shots. So if it’s been several months since your last primary dose, you’re probably due for a booster. But the companies behind two of the more popular covid-19 shots,...
‘Never covid’: Some people have managed to avoid contracting covid-19, but their numbers are dwindling
Jordan Berkes is a member of a shrinking fraternity — he’s never contracted covid-19. For two and a half years, the Shaler resident has managed to dodge the virus, its numerous variants and the occasional surge of cases. As the latest wave of covid — the omicron subvariant known as...
New studies bolster theory coronavirus emerged from the wild
Two new studies provide more evidence that the coronavirus pandemic originated in a Wuhan, China market where live animals were sold — further bolstering the theory that the virus emerged in the wild rather than escaping from a Chinese lab. The research, published online Tuesday by the journal Science, shows...
Amazon to buy primary care provider One Medical for $3.9B
NEW YORK — Amazon will acquire the primary care organization One Medical in a deal valued roughly at $3.9 billion, marking another expansion for the retailer into health care services. The Seattle-based e-commerce giant said Thursday it is buying One Medical for $18 per share cash. Its one of Amazon’s...
5 things to know about monkeypox as WHO declares global emergency
While monkeypox has historically been limited to about a half-dozen African nations, the head of the World Health Organization over the weekend declared the spreading viral disease a “public health emergency of international concern.” The monkeypox outbreak has spread to more than 70 countries and cases now total about 16,800,...
UN health agency chief declares monkeypox a global emergency
LONDON — The chief of the World Health Organization said the expanding monkeypox outbreak in more than 70 countries is an “extraordinary” situation that now qualifies as a global emergency, a declaration Saturday that could spur further investment in treating the once-rare disease and worsen the scramble for scarce vaccines....
Monkeypox virus could become entrenched as new STD in the U.S.
The spread of monkeypox in the U.S. could represent the dawn of a new sexually transmitted disease, though some health officials say the virus that causes pimple-like bumps might yet be contained before it gets firmly established. Experts don’t agree on the likely path of the disease, with some fearing...
New York reports 1st U.S. polio case in nearly a decade
New York health officials on Thursday reported a polio case, the first in the U.S. in nearly a decade. Officials said the Rockland County resident is an unvaccinated adult, but they did not detail the person’s condition. It appears the person had a vaccine-derived strain of the virus, perhaps from...
Abortion laws spark profound changes in other medical care
A sexual assault survivor chooses sterilization so that if she is ever attacked again, she won’t be forced to give birth to a rapist’s baby. An obstetrician delays inducing a miscarriage until a woman with severe pregnancy complications seems “sick enough.” A lupus patient must stop taking medication that controls...
New mental health hotline strives to make care more accessible nationwide
A new 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline has launched nationwide, with the intent to strengthen and transform crisis care in America, according to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services officials. The 988 system will build on the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which is an existing network of over 200...
What to know about 988 — the new national mental health hotline
PHILADELPHIA — Calling for help in a mental health crisis will now be as simple as remembering a new three-digit hotline. The 988 crisis number that goes live nationwide on Saturday is designed to make it easier to get the services currently offered through the 10-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline...
Venezuela’s alarmingly low vaccine rate among worst in world
CARACAS, Venezuela — Wails pierced the walls of the walk-in clinic tucked among rundown homes in the heart of Venezuela’s capital. Artemis Parra got one vaccine in each arm, for polio and measles. The shots were free at the government site, and they filled gaps in the 1-year-old’s vaccination record....
U.S. regulators OK new covid-19 shot option from Novavax
The United States is getting another covid-19 vaccine choice as the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday cleared Novavax shots for adults. Novavax makes a more traditional type of shot than the three other covid-19 vaccines available for use in the U.S. — and one that’s already available in Europe...
Biden administration warns pharmacies can’t discriminate on reproductive health scripts
The Biden administration is warning pharmacies not to discriminate against women who may seek reproductive health prescriptions, including some that might be involved in ending a pregnancy. The Department of Health and Human Services said Wednesday that pharmacies receiving federal money from programs such as Medicare and Medicaid cannot discriminate...
Digital mental health companies draw scrutiny and growing concerns
When Pat Paulson’s son told her he was feeling anxious and depressed at college, Paulson went through her Blue Cross Blue Shield provider directory and started calling mental health therapists. No providers in the Wisconsin city where her son’s university is located had openings. So she bought a monthly subscription...
Relaxed methadone rules appear safe, researchers find
As the coronavirus pandemic shut down the nation in March of 2020, the U.S. government told methadone clinics they could allow stable patients with opioid addiction to take their medicine at home unsupervised. Methadone, an opioid itself, can be dangerous in large amounts and most patients are required to take...
‘The virus is not done with us yet’: New covid-19 variants better evade antibodies, doctors say
CHICAGO — For people who contracted covid-19 during earlier omicron surges, doctors have some unwelcome news: You are again susceptible to catching the virus. Two new variants of the virus appear to more easily evade immune protection from prior infections, meaning even some who have recovered from a case of...
Superbug infections, deaths rose at beginning of pandemic
NEW YORK — The toll of drug-resistant “superbug” infections worsened during the first year of the covid-19 pandemic, U.S. health officials said Tuesday. After years of decline, 2020 ushered in a 15% increase in hospital infections and deaths caused by some of the most worrisome bacterial infections, according to a...
Over-the-counter birth control? Drugmaker seeks FDA approval
WASHINGTON — For the first time, a pharmaceutical company has asked for permission to sell a birth control pill over the counter in the U.S. HRA Pharma’s application on Monday sets up a high-stakes decision for health regulators amid legal and political battles over women’s reproductive health. The company says...
Center for Hearing & Deaf Services celebrating 100 years
Last month, Mattel released a Barbie doll with hearing aids. She wears a floral dress, pink boots and has her hair in a ponytail. Two over-the-ear hearing aids are visible. The assistive devices might seem like small accessories to some people, but they speak volumes to the hard of hearing...
FDA allows pharmacists to prescribe Pfizer’s covid-19 pillVideo
WASHINGTON — Pharmacists can prescribe the leading covid-19 pill directly to patients under a new U.S. policy announced Wednesday that’s intended to expand use of Pfizer’s drug Paxlovid. The Food and Drug Administration said pharmacists can begin screening patients to see if they are eligible for Paxlovid and then prescribe...
Many won’t rely on virtual options after covid, poll says
WASHINGTON — Many Americans don’t expect to rely on the digital services that became commonplace during the pandemic after covid-19 subsides, according to a new poll, even as many think it’s a good thing if those options remain available in the future. Close to half or more of U.S. adults...
Medication abortion is common; here’s how it works
Medication abortions became the preferred method for ending pregnancy in the U.S. even before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. These involve taking two prescription medicines days apart — at home or in a clinic. Abortion procedures are an invasive medical technique that empties the womb. They sometimes are...
