When four states between 2015 and 2021 stopped allowing parents to opt their children out of receiving routine vaccines without a medical reason, vaccination rates among kindergartners increased substantially. That’s…
Tag: Quick reads
COVID-19 mRNA vaccines could unlock the next revolution in cancer treatment – new research
The COVID-19 mRNA-based vaccines that saved 2.5 million lives globally during the pandemic could help spark the immune system to fight cancer. This is the surprising takeaway of a new…
Seasonal allergies may increase suicide risk – new research
Seasonal allergies – triggered by pollen – appear to make deaths by suicide more likely. Our findings, published in the Journal of Health Economics, show that minor physical health conditions…
Hepatitis B shot for newborns has nearly eliminated childhood infections with this virus in the US
The Conversation, CC BY-ND Before the United States began vaccinating all infants at birth with the hepatitis B vaccine in 1991, around 18,000 children every year contracted the virus before…
Most air cleaning devices have not been tested on people − and little is known about their potential harms, new study finds
Portable air cleaners aimed at curbing indoor spread of infections are rarely tested for how well they protect people – and very few studies evaluate their potentially harmful effects. That’s…
Shingles vaccination rates rose during the COVID-19 pandemic, but major gaps remain for underserved groups
Vaccination against shingles increased among adults age 50 and older in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic, but not equally across all population groups. That’s the key finding from a…
About a third of pregnant women in the US lack sufficient vitamin D to support healthy pregnancies − new research
Children whose mothers had higher vitamin D levels during pregnancy scored better on tests of memory, attention and problem-solving skills at ages 7 to 12 compared with those whose mothers…
Muscle weakness in cancer survivors may be caused by treatable weakness in blood vessels – new research
Tumors can destroy the blood vessels of muscles even when the muscles are nowhere close to the tumor. That is the key finding of a new study that my colleagues…
More than half of US teens have had at least one cavity, but fluoride programs in schools help prevent them – new research
Programs delivering fluoride varnish in schools significantly reduce cavities in children. That is a key finding of our recently published study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Fluoride varnish…
Older adults with dementia misjudge their financial skills – which may make them more vulnerable to fraud, new research finds
Older adults diagnosed with dementia lose their ability to assess how well they manage their finances, according to a recent study I co-authored in The Gerontologist. In comparison, people of…
