Vaccines

Nearly 70 percent of the U.S. population has completed the primary series of Covid-19 vaccinations, but only 16 percent have received the updated bivalent booster dose.  

CDC Includes Covid-19 Shots in Routine Immunization Schedule

The federal health agency updated its vaccination guidance for children and adults

Moderna is one of several companies currently working on a vaccine for RSV.

Experimental RSV Vaccine Prevents Illness in Older Adults, Moderna Says

In a large clinical trial, the vaccine was 83.7 percent effective at preventing two or more symptoms of respiratory illness in people over the age of 60

Pollinators, including bees, face pressure from disease-causing organisms, habitat loss, climate change and other factors.

The World's First Vaccine for Honeybees Is Here

It could be a game-changer for beekeepers fighting American foulbrood, a disease that can wipe out entire colonies

A Covid-19 testing site in New York City on December 9. An estimated 27.6 percent of cases nationwide were caused by the XBB.1.5 variant this week, according to the CDC's most recent data.

What to Know About the 'Most Transmissible' Covid-19 Variant

XBB.1.5 is the fastest-spreading variant in the country, but it is not known to cause more severe illness than previous ones

More than 150 people die every day from synthetic opioids.

Scientists Create a Vaccine Against Fentanyl

Researchers hope the vaccine, which blocked the drug from entering rats’ brains, could help reduce overdoses in humans

Only a quarter of American adults have received their flu shot this year. 

U.S. Flu Hospitalizations Highest in a Decade

The CDC estimates that 120,000 people have been hospitalized since October

Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman in Gaslight, a film adaptation of the 1938 play Gas Light

'Gaslighting' Is Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year

Searches for the term, defined as the "practice of grossly misleading someone," skyrocketed in 2022

A pharmacist prepares to administer a Covid-19 booster shot to help protect a patient against the Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5.

Four Big Questions About the New Covid-19 Boosters, Answered

The FDA and CDC recently recommended new boosters to target the Omicron subvariants. Here’s what you need to know about them.

An inhaled Covid-19 vaccine is displayed at the CanSino Biologics booth at the Hainan International Health Industry Expo in November 2021.

Needle-Free Covid-19 Vaccines Approved in China and India

Doses inhaled through the mouth or nose might provide better protection against mild infections and transmission, preliminary studies show

People line up for Covid-19 vaccines in Washington, D.C., last December. The Food and Drug Administration approved updated booster shots Wednesday. 

CDC Recommends New Covid-19 Boosters Targeting Omicron Subvariants

The updated shots could be available within days

A registered nurse measures out a monkeypox vaccine in Miami, Florida.

Six Big Questions About the Monkeypox Virus, Answered

The United States recently declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency. Here’s what you need to know about the disease

A tick runs over a human hand.

Large Lyme Disease Vaccine Clinical Trial Begins in U.S. and Europe

If approved, it would be the first new shot to combat the misunderstood disease in the U.S. in 20 years

Jynneos monkeypox vaccine

U.S. Declares Monkeypox a Public Health Emergency

The announcement comes as nationwide case counts reach 7,000

Monkeypox blood samples

WHO Declares Monkeypox a Global Health Emergency

Five deaths have been attributed to the disease in the Central African Republic and Nigeria in 2022

Poliovirus particles, computer illustration.

First Polio Case in U.S. Since 2013 Detected in New York State

Experts warn that the virus poses a health risk to unvaccinated communities

The protein-based Covid-19 vaccine from Maryland biotechnology company Novavax. 

FDA Authorizes Novavax Covid-19 Vaccine for Emergency Use

The shots work similar to the way that vaccines against influenza and shingles work

Both Pfizer and Moderna already developed updated shots to target Omicron variant BA.1, and their data showcasing superior antibody responses against the Omicron variant were evaluated by the panel of experts deciding which strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus should be included in updated booster shots.

FDA Panel Endorses Updated Covid Boosters Targeting Omicron Subvariants

Updated vaccines will target both virus strains that dominated in the past and current Omicron subvariants

The vaccine, known as BPL-1357, was developed by experts at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and contains four strains of non-infectious, chemically inactivated avian influenza, thought to be not highly pathogenic.

Universal Flu Vaccine Enters Clinical Trials in Humans

The test will inoculate 100 volunteers with a vaccine that protected mice from lethal doses of six different flu strains

The Tower of London with the slogan "End Polio Now" on World Polio Day in October 2021

Poliovirus Found in London Sewage

No cases have been reported and the overall risk to the public is low, but public health officials are urging vaccination

As of June 15, the World Health Organization had recorded a total of 2,103 confirmed monkeypox cases in 42 countries. Pictured: a colorized transmission electron micrograph of monkeypox virus particles (green) cultivated and purified from cell culture

History of Now

What You Need to Know About the History of Monkeypox

Mired in misconception, the poxvirus is endemic in certain African countries but was rarely reported in Europe and the U.S. until recently

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