51+ min ago (531+ words) A senior Food and Drug Administration official on Friday said the agency will change its vaccine approval process, alleging that COVID-19 vaccination resulted in the deaths of 10 children. Video above: White House links Tylenol in pregnancy to autism; experts say evidence falls short In an internal memo obtained by CNN, Dr. Vinay Prasad " the FDA's chief medical and scientific officer and the director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research " claimed, "Healthy young children who faced tremendously low risk of death were coerced, at the behest of the Biden administration, via school and work mandates, to receive a vaccine that could result in death." Prasad did not provide details about the deaths or how the FDA came to that conclusion, but pointed to "an initial analysis" that examined 96 deaths and linked 10 to the COVID-19 vaccination. He also claimed that…...

2+ hour, 8+ min ago (885+ words) A decades-old data set tracking the health of new moms and babies was disrupted by CDC layoffs last spring, and there are still unanswered questions about the program's future. A decades-old data set tracking the health of new moms and babies was disrupted by mass layoffs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last spring. Since then, the agency has taken some steps to get back on track, but there are still unanswered questions about future resources and data reliability, according to former employees, researchers and state public health officials. The CDC has overseen the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) for nearly 40 years. The population-based surveillance system tracks pregnancy experiences, from pre-birth to postpartum. The goal is to improve health outcomes at a time when the United States still faces serious challenges with maternal and infant mortality. "In…...

22+ hour, 1+ min ago (776+ words) Scientists have hailed the benefits of exercising early in life to lower the risk of your brain degenerating later. But new research suggests that even once you're 45 or older, it's not too late to try. Having the highest levels of physical activity in midlife and late life was associated with a 41% and 45% lower risk of dementia, respectively, found the study that was published Nov. 19 in the journal JAMA Network Open. Midlife was defined as ages 45 to 64, while late life was ages 65 to 88. "This study shifts the conversation from 'exercise is good for the brain' to 'there may be key windows when exercise matters most for brain health,'" said Dr. Sanjula Singh, an instructor in neurology at Harvard Medical School and principal investigator at the Brain Care Labs at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. She wasn't involved in the study. A…...

22+ hour, 1+ min ago (776+ words) Scientists have hailed the benefits of exercising early in life to lower the risk of your brain degenerating later. But new research suggests that even once you're 45 or older, it's not too late to try. Having the highest levels of physical activity in midlife and late life was associated with a 41% and 45% lower risk of dementia, respectively, found the study that was published Nov. 19 in the journal JAMA Network Open. Midlife was defined as ages 45 to 64, while late life was ages 65 to 88. "This study shifts the conversation from 'exercise is good for the brain' to 'there may be key windows when exercise matters most for brain health,'" said Dr. Sanjula Singh, an instructor in neurology at Harvard Medical School and principal investigator at the Brain Care Labs at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. She wasn't involved in the study. A…...

1+ day, 2+ hour ago (358+ words) Dr. Peter Bridgman, a retired neurologist who has cancer, is a man on a mission to get funding restored for federal agencies that are conducting cancer research. Bridgman, 72, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2013. Multiple myeloma is a bone marrow cancer that is treatable with infusion therapies. The Yarmouth resident said he is doing well and is thankful for the treatments that are keeping him alive, but he is concerned about the future of cancer research. Advanced cancer treatment options are under development at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Cancer Institute (NCI), but the federal agencies face funding cuts in the billions. "NIH and the NCI expected small cuts like five or 10 percent, but they were completely floored by the 37 percent cut to the NCI," Bridgman said. "Active research is going on and that might be curtailed....

1+ day, 19+ hour ago (198+ words) The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) is reporting additional measles cases in the Upstate and another public exposure notification. DPH is reporting seven new cases of measles in the state since Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases in South Carolina related to the Upstate outbreak to 62 and the total number reported to DPH this year to 65. According to officials, six of the new cases are household members of known cases who were in quarantine. One case was an individual exposed in a school setting who was in quarantine. Symptoms of measles typically begin 7-12 days (but up to 21 days) after exposure, and start with a cough, runny nose, and red watery eyes, along with a mild to moderate fever. Two or three days later, the fever spikes, often as high as 104F. At the same time, a red blotchy…...

2+ day, 10+ hour ago (778+ words) For decades, measles vaccination has been a global success story. Deaths from measles dropped 88% around the world from 2000 to 2024, according to a new report from the World Health Organization, with an estimated 58 million lives saved in that time. But now, with vaccine coverage well below the level needed to stop transmission, cases are surging. Fifty-nine countries reported large or disruptive measles outbreaks last year, almost triple the number reported in 2021. A quarter of outbreaks are happening in countries previously declared measles-free, including Canada and the United States. "Global measles elimination remains a distant goal," according to the WHO report released Friday. The progress of the last decades is in peril with the return of outbreaks and decline in resources for immunization and disease surveillance, according to the report " in particular, the U.S. government's reduced support for global health. Elimination means a…...

2+ day, 22+ hour ago (234+ words) If you're dealing with the "holiday blues," it could be a sign of something worse. Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, could be affecting you. See the report in the video above Dr. Lillia Cherkasskiy, a Family Medicine Provider with the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska, discussed how to know if it's just the winter blues or SAD, what would be the first step to get help, and how to manage seasonal depression. Dr. Cherkasskiy notes the difference between winter blues and Seasonal Affective Disorder. The winter blues will involve a depressed mood for a day or two and sometimes a loss of joy during activities. The blues also do not affect your day-to-day life. Seasonal Affective Disorder is defined as episodes of mania, hypomania, or major depression with seasonal onset or remission. It could also come as the feeling…...

3+ day, 11+ hour ago (235+ words) Millions of Americans will be eating a hefty Thanksgiving meal, with several high calorie meals to choose from at family gatherings. Sister station KOAT's longtime health expert, Dr. Barry Ramo, explains what popular food items people can still choose from to make the meal healthier. "Start out with turkey. Turkey is a great source of protein. 50 grams in a six-ounce portion," Ramo said. "That also means it's about the equivalent of the total day's amount of protein that you need." He also said turkey is great for B vitamins. Eating turkey without the skin is also recommended to reduce saturated fat intake. Fiber-rich whole-grain bread can be used for stuffing to make it low-calorie and more nutritious. Adding onions, celery, and herbs can also provide people with natural antioxidants and provide sustained energy, according to Ramo. Cranberries are another healthy…...

3+ day, 13+ hour ago (209+ words) The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services issued a Recreational Advisory for a cove of J. Strom Thurmond Lake in McCormick County after identifying the presence of a harmful algal bloom (HAB). The cove is located off Yacht Club Drive in Plum Branch. SCDES was notified of a potential HAB by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Nov. 20. Water samples collected from the area on Monday indicated the presence of cyanobacteria capable of producing cyanotoxins. Laboratory analysis of these samples returned concentrations exceeding the state's recreational water quality standard for the cyanotoxin microcystin. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency names microcystin as a potent liver toxin and possible human carcinogen. Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are a common occurrence in natural bodies of water, most likely to occur in South Carolina in late spring to early fall when water temperatures are warmer and there…...