A booster dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine was found to have a high efficacy — 95.6% — against Covid-19 in a Phase 3 trial, the companies announced on Thursday. They noted that “efficacy was consistent irrespective of age, sex, race, ethnicity or comorbid conditions.” The trial included more than 10,000 fully vaccinated people, age…… MORE
As we head into what was supposed to be the fall recovery, the world is still reeling from Covid-related anxiety. It shows up in tepid job recovery and stock market tremors as well as in disagreements over masks and vaccine requirements in our schools and communities. It’s not just Covid–19 that’s stressing us out. Violent…… MORE
People looking to boost their Covid-19 vaccinations have surpassed the number of people looking to begin them and the additional doses may soon be made available to a greater proportion of the US. According to the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are 1.3 times as many boosters…… MORE
A new report published Wednesday warns of the severe impact of climate change on human health, and says the prognosis is only getting worse. Droughts will hurt food production, rising temperatures will encourage the spread of dangerous pathogens such as malaria and cholera and current climate trends indicate a “code red” for future health, the…… MORE
The US Food and Drug Administration authorized booster doses of both Covid-19 vaccines made by Moderna and Johnson & Johnson Wednesday and also said any of the three authorized vaccines could be used as a booster in a “mix and match” approach. The FDA gave emergency use authorization for a half dose of Moderna’s vaccine…… MORE
You know the story of Goldilocks and the three bears, right? Papa Bear’s bed was too hard and Mama Bear’s bed too soft, but Baby Bear found Goldilock’s bed to be “just right.” That fable could apply to sleep duration in people as they age as well. Just like Baby Bear, older people who sleep…… MORE
Booster protection in the US could soon expand to a much broader population, as a source says the US government likely will soon recommend them to people as young as 40 who received either Moderna or Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine. “I believe it will happen,” the source familiar with the plan told CNN’s Elizabeth Cohen, adding…… MORE
Cars line up before sunrise. Tiny heads stick out of the back seat windows, tightly close their eyes and tilt back as the insides of their noses are swabbed for hints of coronavirus infection. For children who were exposed to someone with Covid-19 in one of Marietta City Schools’ classrooms, early morning testing in a…… MORE
The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is 93% effective in preventing hospitalization due to Covid-19 among children ages 12 to 18, according to a study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vaccine effectiveness differed only slightly within that age group, with 91% effectiveness for children age 12 to 15 and 94% effectiveness for those age…… MORE
Using e-cigarettes and other tobacco products to keep from relapsing to cigarettes doesn’t appear to be effective, according to a new longitudinal study of nearly 13,000 smokers in the United States. “This is the first study to report on whether cigarette smokers can switch to e-cigarettes without relapsing to cigarette smoking,” said study author John…… MORE
