A first-of-its-kind cancer vaccine is significantly reducing the chances that melanoma patients’ tumors come back, according to results of a major study released Thursday by drugmakers Moderna and Merck. The vaccine was custom-brewed for each patient to match their tumor. Adding it to a standard post-surgery treatment reduced by 42% the risk of melanoma returning … Read more
Now is around the time when flu season usually starts to pick up — except this year, cases have been rising since late summer. Some data shows current flu activity is similar to when flu activity peaks at the end of the year. But it’s still too early to tell whether this year’s flu will … Read more
Pennsylvania health officials reported a fifth measles-associated death Wednesday as the U.S. endures its worst year for the disease since 1991. The Pennsylvania Department of Health said the person was from Lancaster County and was unvaccinated. The state did not provide any further information about the person who died. Lancaster County’s coroner, Dr. Stephen Diamantoni, … Read more
It’s impossible to predict exactly who will and who won’t get cancer — but there are certainly factors that we know increase our risk, like family history and smoking. Also upping your odds? Certain illnesses. And they account for more cancer cases than you might think. A new study published in “The Lancet Oncology” suggests … Read more
At 31, Molly Hones was preparing to die. She’d had a massive tumor removed from her liver the year prior, but was now learning the cancer had spread to her bones and into her blood. Hones had a rare cancer called fibrolamellar carcinoma that was now stage 4. After being advised that most chemotherapies wouldn’t … Read more
A common virus could cause more than just a cough. With cold and flu season quickly approaching as summer turns to fall, the chances of getting sick from influenza or COVID are also increasing. And a new study from the Public Health Agency of Canada and Statistics Canada indicates unexpected risks from one virus in … Read more
CHICAGO, Sept 1 — The percentage of parents and caregivers in the United States refusing a standard vitamin K shot for infants at birth has accelerated sharply this year, an exclusive data analysis for Reuters found, putting more newborns at risk of life-threatening bleeding episodes. The data confirms what a dozen pediatricians, neonatologists and pediatric … Read more
Could one treatment protect against some of the most feared consequences of aging? A vaccine that every adult over 50 should be getting to protect against a common virus may have another benefit: protecting the brain and heart from degeneration and deadly complications. One study from Brown University showed the shot lowered the risk of … Read more
WASHINGTON — Dr. Mehmet Oz clarified Sunday that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is not lethal, after President Trump raised concerns when signing an executive order earlier this month pushing for the three-in-one inoculation to be separated. Oz, the administrator of the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, made clear there is … Read more
A vaccine has been shown to help keep melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, from coming back in patients at higher risk of recurrence, the drug makers said. About 112,000 new melanoma cases will be diagnosed this year in the US. More than 8,500 are expected to die from this cancer in 2026. Intismeran … Read more
Timing is everything, and the executive order calling for pediatricians to change how they space out childhood vaccines comes at a difficult time. On Monday, President Trump signed an order adopting new recommendations of 11 childhood vaccines, down from 18 — and called for the Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine to be split into three separate shots, … Read more
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new kind of flu vaccine for older people, the first made with the same mRNA technology that was key to ending the COVID-19 pandemic, manufacturer Moderna said. The shot, named mFlusiva, is intended for adults age 50 or older. Other brands of flu shots already have begun arriving … Read more
Dr. Stacy Norton was only 7 years old when her mother died of colon cancer, one of several family members struck by aggressive tumors at unusually young ages. Decades later, Norton rolled up her sleeve to help test if a new kind of vaccine might protect her and her own children from cancer. The Houston doctor is … Read more
A riled-up grandma is calling out what she considers to be extreme measures taken by today’s overprotective parents — sparking a massive online melee. Randi Crawford, who happens to be a parenting coach, started the debate by announcing that she was finding herself baffled by the “mind-boggling” boundaries enforced by modern moms and dads. “The amount … Read more
Measles only needs a small opening — and it got one. For the second year in a row, cases of measles — known as the world’s most infectious disease — will hit record highs, and 2026 is on track to be substantially worse than 2025. In a matter of weeks, we’re likely to blow past … Read more
Before the first successful vaccine was developed in 1796, Americans had little protection against deadly infectious diseases like smallpox, measles and diphtheria. Over the next 250 years, vaccines helped eliminate or dramatically reduce many vaccine-preventable infectious diseases, preventing millions of illnesses, infections and deaths. “There is a reason that vaccines are widely considered to be the greatest … Read more
You are slowly dying in so many subtle, little ways that you might not even notice. That is, until you enter a biohacking expo, where thousands interested in “hacking” their biology in the name of longevity congregate to see the latest in time-defying technology. A man behind one booth will warn you that your nervous … Read more
A celebrity endorsement can sell a movie, cosmetics and, sometimes, a bogus health claim. When stars share personal health experiences or opinions, those messages can reach millions of people and spark real-world behavior change. A 2018 study found that an op-ed penned by Angelina Jolie about her BRCA testing and preventative mastectomy led to a … Read more
Americans today live roughly twice as long, on average, as they did when the Declaration of Independence was signed. When the nation was founded in 1776, life expectancy was around 35 to 40 years old, historians estimate. However, someone who survived childhood in colonial America often lived into their 60s or even 70s. Today, the average … Read more
The latest COVID-19 vaccine (2024-2025) has been linked to fewer serious heart-related events among US veterans. New research confirmed a small reduction in COVID-related cardiovascular events, or COVID-19-associated MACE, due to the vaccine. MACE (major adverse cardiovascular events) is a composite measure of serious heart-related outcomes. It typically includes cardiovascular death, heart attack and stroke, and may also include … Read more