Health News

Official: Chinese vaccines' effectiveness low

South Africa variant may evade Pfizer vaccine

UK variant more transmissible, maybe not deadlier

Locked-down Toronto still seeing a COVID surge

New Mexico governor signs bill to legalize recreational pot

'Breakthrough' COVID cases are expected, rare

Australia rules out adding J&J vaccine to inoculation plan

What are vaccine 'passports?'

Pubs, hairdressers set to reopen as UK eases virus lockdown

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24 minutes ago

WHO urges pause in market sale of captured live wild animals

The U.N. health agency is urging countries to suspend the sale of live animals captured from the wild in food markets as an emergency measure
24 minutes ago
2 hours ago

Australia rules out adding J&J vaccine to inoculation plan

The Australian government decided against buying the single-dose Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine and identified a second case of a rare blood clot likely linked to the AstraZeneca shot
2 hours ago
Australia's Health Minister Greg Hunt discusses the COVID-19 vaccination program at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Friday, April 9, 2021. The Australian government has decided, Tuesday, April 13, 2021, against buying the single-dose Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine as a way to accelerate its immunization program. (Mick Tsikas/AAP Image via AP)
3 hours ago

India reels amid virus surge, affecting world vaccine supply

India is experiencing its worst pandemic surge, with average daily infections exceeding 130,000 over the past week
3 hours ago
An Indian woman waits for the result of her COVID-19 test at a hospital in Hyderabad, India, Monday, April 12, 2021. With its explosive surge in recent days, India's confirmed infections surpassed Brazil's total Monday as the second-worst hit country. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
April 13

New Mexico governor signs bill to legalize recreational pot

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has signed legislation that will legalize recreational marijuana
April 13
FILE - In this April 6, 2018, file photo, are the leaves of a marijuana plant inside Ultra Health's cultivation greenhouse in Bernalillo, N.M. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is set to sign legislation that will legalize recreational marijuana use and sales in the state. The Democratic governor has scheduled a signing ceremony and a news conference for Monday, April 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan, File)
April 12

Indonesia satisfied with effectiveness of Chinese vaccine

Indonesia says it is satisfied with the effectiveness of the Sinovac coronavirus vaccine it is using, after the acknowledgement by China’s top disease control official that current vaccines offer low protection against the virus
April 12
Chinese residents, some wearing masks, pass by a coronavirus vaccination center in Beijing Friday, April 9, 2021. In a rare admission of the weakness of Chinese coronavirus vaccines, the country's top disease control official says their effectiveness is low and the government is considering mixing them to give them a boost. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
April 12

The Latest: Australia has 2nd likely Astra-Zeneca clot case

Australian authorities have identified a second case of a rare blot clot likely linked to the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine
April 12
Kendra Kahnapace talks with Alexandra Grant at a pop-up COVID-19 vaccine clinic run by the Waakebiness-Bryce Institute for Indigenous Health and the University of Toronto Dalla Lana School of Health, in Toronto, Saturday, April 10, 2021. The vaccination center serves Toronto's Indigenous community. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)
April 12

Hawaii to allow some nurses to perform abortions

Gov. David Ige has signed legislation making Hawaii the latest state to allow some nurses to perform abortions
April 12
April 12

California lifts COVID-19 limits on indoor worship services

California has lifted its limits on indoor worship services in the face of U.S. Supreme Court and other rulings that struck down the coronavirus public health mandates
April 12
April 12

CDC chief urges Michigan to 'close things down' amid spike

The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Michigan should “close things down” to help address surging coronavirus infections
April 12
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer U.S. talks about the statewide COVID-19 vaccination effort during a press conference outside the Eastern Michigan University Convocation Center, which was hosting a vaccination clinic, Monday, April 12, 2021, in Ypsilanti, Mich. (Lon Horwedel/Detroit News via AP)
April 12

Microsoft buying speech recognition firm Nuance in $16B deal

Microsoft, on an accelerated growth push, is buying speech recognition company Nuance in a cash deal worth $16 billion
April 12
FILE - In this Nov. 10, 2016, file photo, people walk near a Microsoft office in New York. Microsoft, on an accelerated growth push, is buying speech recognition company Nuance in a deal worth $19.7 billion including debt. (AP Photo/Swayne B. Hall, File)
April 12

COVID variant more transmissible but may not be more deadly, new studies show

B.1.1.7 is now spreading in the United States -- here's why.
April 12
People wear face masks while walking on Fifth Avenue, April 10, 2021, in New York.
April 12

California re-opens enrollment for health insurance coverage

California has re-opened enrollment for its state health insurance exchange
April 12
This image provided by Covered California shows Covered California Executive Director Peter Lee participating in a virtual news conference on Monday, April 12, 2021. Lee announced that Covered California is re-opening enrollment to let people purchase health care coverage through the end of the year. Lee said his goal is to get people to take advantage of new federal subsidies that can lower their monthly premiums by $1,000 or more in some cases. (Covered California via AP)
April 12

In rare instances, South Africa variant may evade Pfizer vaccine, researchers say

Reason for concern, but not unnecessary alarm, researchers say.
April 12
A health worker administers a dose of the Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine at a mobile clinic near Moshav Dalton in northern Israel on Feb. 22, 2021.
April 12

Immune-boosting drug may help before lung cancer surgery

Doctors say that a drug that boosts the immune system may help before lung cancer surgery
April 12
FILE - This product image provided by Bristol-Myers Squibb shows their drug Opdivo. On Saturday, April 10, 2021, doctors say that the drug, which helps the immune system fight cancer, gave dramatic results when used with chemotherapy before surgery in patients with operable lung tumors. (Bristol-Myers Squibb via AP)
April 12

Asia Today: India records another surge in COVID-19 cases

India reported another record daily surge in coronavirus infections to pass Brazil as the country with the second-most reported infections since the pandemic began
April 12
Hindu devotees gather to take holy dips in the Ganges River during Kumbh Mela, or pitcher festival, one of the most sacred pilgrimages in Hinduism, in Haridwar, northern state of Uttarakhand, India, Monday, April 12, 2021. Tens of thousands of Hindu devotees gathered by the Ganges River for special prayers Monday, many of them flouting social distancing practices as the coronavirus spreads in India with record speed. (AP Photo/Karma Sonam)
April 12

Small but quick: Bhutan vaccinates 93% of adults in 16 days

Bhutan’s COVID-19 vaccination drive was fast from the start
April 12
FILE- In this March 24, 2008 file photo, Bhutanese people queue up to cast their votes outside a polling station, in Thimphu, Bhutan.Bhutan’s COVID-19 vaccination drive was fast from the start. As other countries rolled out their vaccination campaigns over months, Bhutan is nearly done just 16 days after it started. The tiny Himalayan kingdom has vaccinated nearly 93% of its adults. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup, File)
April 12

Unusual treatment shows promise for kids with brain tumors

Scientists are reporting progress against a deadly type of childhood cancer with an unusual treatment
April 12
This combination of MRI images provided by the University of Alabama in April 2021 shows scans of a child with a brain tumor, before and after a treatment that involves using viruses to spur an immune system response to the cancerous cells. Lighter-colored areas inside the red circles indicate the tumor size. (UAB via AP)
April 12

Czechs start to ease lockdown, youngest kids back to schools

The Czech Republic has taken its first steps toward easing a tight lockdown
April 12
A young boy waits for the result of rapid COVID-19 test before entering his class at a kindergarten in Prague, Czech Republic, Monday, April 12, 2021. The Czech government has agreed to start easing the tight lockdown in one of the hardest-hit European countries and has given a green light for at least some children to return to schools. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
April 12

Chilly weather doesn't dampen UK joy at lockdown easing

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged people to “behave responsibly” as shops, gyms, hairdressers, restaurant patios and beer gardens reopened after months of lockdown
April 12
A queue grows big as people wait to enter a Nike Town shop on Oxford Street in London, early Monday morning, April 12, 2021. Millions of people in England will get their first chance in months for haircuts, casual shopping and restaurant meals on Monday, as the government takes the next step on its lockdown-lifting road map. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
April 12

Tokyo adopts tougher virus rules, starts vaccinating elders

Tokyo has adopted tougher measures against the coronavirus as Japanese authorities struggle to curb the spread of a more contagious variant ahead of the Olympics in a country where less than 1% of people have been vaccinated
April 12
An elderly man receives his first dose of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine at Hachioji City Hall in Tokyo Monday, April 12, 2021. Japan started its vaccination drive with medical workers and expanded Monday to older residents, with the first shots being given in about 120 selected places around the country. (Kyodo News via AP)
April 12

Danes vaccinate 100,000 people in a day to test system

Denmark is vaccinating 100,000 people in one day as they test their system ahead of a June rollout where four times as many people will be vaccinated per day
April 12
A person receives the COVID-19 vaccine as members of the Aalborg Symphony Orchestra play at the vaccination center in Arena Nord in Frederikshavn, Jutland, Denmark, Monday April 12, 2021. (Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)
April 12

Thailand sees record new infections ahead of major festival

Thailand has reported 985 new coronavirus cases, its highest daily increase since the start of the pandemic
April 12
People wait for the the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccination in Bangkok, Thailand, Monday, April 12, 2021. Thailand's Health Ministry warned Sunday that restrictions may need to be tightened to slow the spread of a fresh coronavirus wave, as the country hit a daily record for new cases. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
April 12

Huge gatherings at India's Hindu festival as virus surges

Tens of thousands of Hindu devotees gathered by the Ganges River for special prayers, many of them flouting social distancing practices as the coronavirus spreads in India with record speed
April 12
Devotees take holy dips in the river Ganges during Shahi snan or a Royal bath at Kumbh mela, in Haridwar in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, Monday, April 12, 2021. As states across India are declaring some version of a lockdown to battle rising Covid cases as part of a nationwide second-wave, thousands of pilgrims are gathering on the banks of the river Ganga for the Hindu festival Kumbh Mela. The faithful believe that a dip in the waters of the Ganga will absolve them of their sins and deliver them from the cycle of birth and death. (AP Photo/Karma Sonam)
April 12

US colleges divided over requiring student vaccinations

U.S. colleges hoping for a return to normalcy next fall are weighing how far they should go in urging students to get the COVID-19 vaccine, including whether they should — or legally can — require it
April 12
April 12

Top Chinese official admits vaccines have low effectiveness

In a rare acknowledgement, China’s top disease control official says current vaccines offer low protection against the coronavirus and mixing them is among strategies being considered to boost their effectiveness
April 12
A worker opens a package of coronavirus vaccine made by a Sinopharm subsidiary during a COVID-19 vaccination session for resident foreign journalists at a vaccination center in Beijing, Tuesday, March 23, 2021. Chinese medical firm Sinovac said its COVID-19 vaccine is safe in children ages 3-17, based on preliminary data, and it has submitted the data to Chinese drug regulators. State-owned Sinopharm, who has two COVID-19 vaccines, is also investigating the effectiveness of its vaccines in children. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
April 12

Some GOP-led states target abortions done through medication

About 40% of all abortions in the U.S. are now done through medication — rather than surgery — and that option has become all the more pivotal during the COVID-19 pandemic
April 12
April 11

S Korea to resume AstraZeneca jab for ages 30-60

South Korea resumes AstraZeneca jab for ages 30-60.
April 11
Gao Fu, director of the China Centers for Disease Control, speaks at the National Vaccines and Health conference in Chengdu in southwest China's Sichuan province Saturday, April 10, 2021. In a rare admission of the weakness of Chinese coronavirus vaccines, Gao the country's top disease control official says their effectiveness is low and the government is considering mixing them to give them a boost. (Chinatopix Via AP)
April 11

Pubs, hairdressers set to reopen as UK eases virus lockdown

Millions of people in Britain will get their first chance in months for haircuts, casual shopping and restaurant meals on Monday, as the government takes the next step on its lockdown-lifting road map
April 11
Final touches are made to a window display in a Primark store on Oxford Street, central London, Sunday April 11, 2021. Millions of people in Britain will get their first chance in months for haircuts, casual shopping and restaurant meals on Monday, as the government takes the next step on its lockdown-lifting roadmap. (Yui Mok/PA via AP)
April 11

Here's what high schoolers think about getting the vaccine

"Things are starting to seem a little safer now," one student said.
April 11
Camden Beatty, 17, receives his first COVID vaccine at Thomas Worthington High School Wednesday, April 7, 2021, through Nationwide Children's Hospital's vaccine clinics for teenagers in Columbus, Ohio, April 7, 2021. 01 vax
April 11

EU and COVID-19: When a vaccine only adds to the trouble

COVID-19 has wrought division in the European Union
April 11
April 11

Here's why COVID cases are surging in Toronto despite early lockdown

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is making efforts to provide more funding.
April 11
An employee walks past cordoned off aisles of non-essential goods at a Walmart store as new measures are imposed on big box stores due to COVID-19 in Toronto, Canada, April 8, 2021.
April 11

Las Vegas family awarded $29.5M in allergic reaction case

A jury has awarded $29.5 million to the family of a woman who was left brain damaged after being treated for a severe allergic reaction by an ambulance service in Las Vegas in 2013
April 11
April 10

Marchers protest Romania's virus restrictions as cases soar

Protest comes as new daily infections, deaths rose in the European Union nation.
April 10
People protest outside the Cotroceni Presidential Palace in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, April 10, 2021. Marchers took to the streets Saturday in the Romanian capital of Bucharest to protest restrictive measures to fight the spread of COVID-19 even as new daily infections and deaths rose in the European Union nation. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
April 10

The Latest: Lawmakers aim to limit state emergency powers

State lawmakers are taking actions to limit the emergency powers of governors — not just during the coronavirus pandemic, but for any future emergencies
April 10
People wait to register themselves to receive the vaccine for COVID-19 at Railway hospital in Prayagraj, India, Saturday, April 10, 2021. India has a seven-day rolling average of more than 100,000 cases per day and has reported 13 million virus cases since the pandemic began, the third-highest total after the United States and Brazil. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
April 10

What are vaccine 'passports' and why are they controversial?

Electronic vaccine proof could make us safer, but critics say not so fast.
April 10
This illustration from April 6, 2021 shows a person looking at the app for the New York State Excelsior Pass, which provides secure, digital proof of a COVID-19 vaccination.
April 10

Iran enforces 10-day lockdown amid fourth wave of pandemic

State TV reports that Iran has begun a 10-day lockdown amid a fourth wave of coronavirus infections
April 10
People walk through closed Tehran's Grand Bazaar, Iran, Saturday, April 10, 2021. Iran on Saturday imposed partial lockdown on businesses in major shopping centers as well as intercity travels through personal cars in major cities including capital Tehran as it struggles with the worst outbreak of the coronavirus in the Mideast region. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
April 10

More Black Americans open to vaccines after outreach efforts

More Black Americans say they are open to taking the coronavirus vaccine
April 10
April 10

Mobile vaccination aims to reach older Mississippi adults

Close to 80 older adults have received a COVID-19 vaccination in the first mobile vaccination event hosted by the state of Mississippi
April 10
April 10

Reforms follow deadly year in New York nursing homes

After a deadly year in New York’s nursing homes, state lawmakers have passed legislation that could potentially force facility owners to spend more on patient care
April 10
FILE - In this March 21, 2021 file photo, Theresa Sari, left, and her daughter Leila Ali look at a section of a memorial wall after a news conference in New York Sari's mother, Maria Sachse, was a nursing home resident and died from COVID-19. After a deadly year in New York’s nursing homes, state lawmakers have passed legislation that could potentially force facility owners to spend more on patient care. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
April 10

Lost taste and smell from COVID-19? A new cookbook aims to help

One of the most common COVID-19 symptoms is the loss of taste and smell.
April 10
Leah Holzel, 60, food editor, smells aromatic spices during an interview with AFP on March 22, 2021 in New York City. - Holzel, who had lost her sense of smell from 2016 to 2019, now coaches people who have lost their sense of smell due to Covid-19 and has helped six people recover from anosmia since the start of the pandemic.
April 10

Stalled at first jab: Vaccine shortages hit poor countries

As many as 60 countries might be stalled at the first shots of their coronavirus vaccinations because nearly all deliveries through the global program intended to help some of the world's poorest nations are blocked until as late as June
April 10
April 09

The Latest: Navajo Nation issues weekend stay-at-home order

The Navajo Nation has issued a stay-at-home order for the weekend after reporting 26 more confirmed COVID-19 cases
April 09
A woman walks past a poster depicting a scene from the famed movie " Roman Holiday" with Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn wearing surgical masks as riding a Lambretta scooter in Rome, Friday, April 9, 2021. Italy has seen a stabilizing of the new variant-fueled infections over the past three weeks, though its daily death count remains stubbornly high, averaging between 300-500 COVID-19 victims per day, and its ICU capacity for virus patients is well over the threshold set by the government. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
April 09

Biden to rush vaccinators to Michigan as gov urges limits

Washington is rushing federal resources to support vaccinations, testing and treatments to Michigan in an effort to control the state’s worst-in-the-nation COVID-19 outbreak
April 09
President Joe Biden speaks about gun violence prevention in the Rose Garden at the White House, Thursday, April 8, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
April 09

Thailand faces growing outbreak ahead of New Year travel

Thai authorities are struggling to contain a growing coronavirus outbreak just days before the country’s traditional Songkran New Year’s holiday, when millions of people travel
April 09
A health worker administers a dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to a Buddhist monk at Nak Prok Temple in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, April 9, 2021. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
April 09

The Latest: US 7th Fleet: 14,000 personnel fully vaccinated

The U.S. 7th Fleet that operates throughout the Indo-Pacific says more than 14,000 of its service members have received their full doses of the coronavirus vaccine, which it began administering on January 5
April 09
People wait in line at a COVID-19 vaccination clinic to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, on Thursday, April 8, 2021. Quebecers 55 and over can now get the AstraZeneca vaccine at walk-in clinics across the province. (Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press via AP)
April 09

Duke University to require COVID vaccinations for fall term

Officials at Duke University say the school will require all new and returning students to present proof of vaccination before they can enroll for the fall semester
April 09
April 09

Countries worldwide hit new records for virus cases, deaths

Nations around the world are setting new records for COVID-19 deaths and coronavirus infections, and the disease is surging even in some countries that have kept the virus in check
April 09
April 09

What are vaccine passports?

With vaccinations on the rise, the debate over vaccine passports in the U.S. is heating up.
April 09
With vaccinations on the rise, the debate over vaccine passports in the U.S. is heating up.
April 09

Shots for shots: New Orleans bars offer vaccines

Bars in New Orleans are doing their part to battle the coronavirus pandemic
April 09
April 09

No region in the world spared as virus cases, deaths surge

A surge in virus cases and deaths is hitting all regions of the world
April 09
FILE - In this Sunday, March 28, 2021 file photo, people wait to receive a COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic in Baghdad, Iraq. Iraq's Health Ministry has warned of "dire consequences" ahead because citizens are not heeding coronavirus prevention measures, after the country reached a new high in daily infection rates. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed, File)
Amira Hassan, of Burnsville, Minn., plays in the waiting room at the specialty clinic at Children's Minnesota in Minneapolis, May 2, 2017. Hassan went to the hospital's clinic for a routine wellness check, but had to wear a mask to protect her from measles after an outbreak has sickened more than 30 children in Minnesota.
Amira Hassan, of Burnsville, Minn., plays in the waiting room at the specialty clinic at Children's Minnesota in Minneapolis, May 2, 2017. Hassan went to the hospital's clinic for a routine wellness check, but had to wear a mask to protect her from measles after an outbreak has sickened more than 30 children in Minnesota.
In Minnesota's worst measles outbreak, a battle of beliefs over vaccines
May 04
Amy Forliti/AP Photo
A doctor talks to an older patient in this undated photo.
A doctor talks to an older patient in this undated photo.
What patients need to know about new recommendations for prostate cancer screening
Apr 11
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