Health News

Ban puts spotlight on medication abortion

Some Mississippi pregnant women denied vaccine

New drug could help fight breast cancer

COVID-19 hybrid immunity could be a game-changer

Schools get the brunt of latest COVID-19 wave

Many faith leaders say no to endorsing vaccine exemptions

India gives 25M vaccine doses on Modi's birthday

Young adults dropping alcohol for hallucinogens

Doctors say not so fast to Biden boosters-for-all

Medical exemptions for COVID-19 shots cover very few conditions
Most adults, regardless of their condition, can get the vaccine, experts say.
September 15, 2021

1 hour ago

Schools get the brunt of latest COVID wave in South Carolina

South Carolina has set records for COVID-19 hospitalizations and new cases.

1 hour ago

Two Camden Elementary School students in masks listen as South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster talks about steps the school is taking to fight COVID-19, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021, in Camden, S.C. McMaster has adamantly and repeatedly come out against requiring masks in schools even as the average number of daily COVID-19 cases in the state has risen since early June. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)

2 hours ago

The Latest: India gives 25M vaccine doses on Modi's birthday

Arizona reported more than 100 daily coronavirus deaths for the second time since February

2 hours ago

FILE - In this Tuesday, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021, file photo provided by United Nations, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, left, and Volkan Bozkir, right, president of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, applaud as Abdulla Shahid, center, receives the gavel as the new president of the 76th session of the UNGA at U.N. headquarters. World leaders will have to be vaccinated against the coronavirus to speak at the U.N. General Assembly's big meeting next week, the assembly leader and New York City officials said this week, prompting swift objections from at least one nation.(Evan Schneider/United Nations Photo via AP, File)

3 hours ago

Cecile Richards: Court's Texas move could mean end of Roe

One of the country’s top abortion-rights activists is warning that the Supreme Court’s recent inaction on Texas’ extremely restrictive new abortion law could signal the end of judicial checks and balances on the issue

3 hours ago

September 18

Top doctors say not so fast to Biden's boosters-for-all plan

Just a month ago, President Joe Biden and his health advisers announced big plans to soon deliver a coronavirus vaccine booster shot to all Americans

September 18

President Joe Biden steps off Air Force One, Friday, Sept. 17, 2021, at Dover Air Force Base, Del. Biden is spending the weekend at his home in Rehoboth Beach, Del. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

September 18

Medication abortion put in spotlight by Texas ban

"An abortion road trip is a thing of the past."

September 18

A woman holds a clothes hanger wrapped in paper with "Never again" written on it at a protest for abortion rights outside the Texas state capitol on May 29, 2021, in Austin.

September 18

Democrats tackling flash points of taxes, health, climate

Congressional Democrats face a daunting assignment

September 18

FILE - In this Sept. 8, 2021, file photo speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., meets with reporters to discuss President Joe Biden's domestic agenda including passing a bipartisan infrastructure bill and pushing through a Democrats-only expansion of the social safety net, the at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

September 18

Drug shows revolutionary results in combatting tough-to-treat breast cancer

New data could help change treatment and life expectancy.

September 18

Pictured is a hand out image of a vial and packaging of ENHERTU, an antibody medication from AstraZeneca that when combined with chemotherapy is showing to extend the life of people with HER-2 positive breast cancer.

September 17

The Latest: American Samoa reports first case of coronavirus

American Samoa has reported its first case of coronavirus

September 17

Indian Youth Congress members try to breach a police barricade during a protest held to mark Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday in New Delhi, India, Friday, Sept.17, 2021. Youth members of main opposition Congress party clashed with police during a street protest Friday demanding jobs as the country’s economy recovered from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic that triggered massive unemployment in the country. The march took place as supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated his birthday as he turned 71 on Friday. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

September 17

UN using honor system to check vaccinations for big meeting

The U.N. General Assembly is relying on an honor system to ensure that world leaders have been vaccinated before they speak at next week’s big meeting

September 17

US panel backs COVID-19 boosters only for seniors, high-risk

An influential federal advisory panel has overwhelmingly rejected a plan to give Pfizer booster shots against COVID-19 to most Americans, but it endorsed the extra doses for those who are 65 or older or run a high risk of severe disease

September 17

FILE - In this March 2, 2021, file photo, Hollie Maloney, a pharmacy technician, loads a syringe with Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine at the Portland Expo in Portland, Maine. The Biden administration’s embattled plan to dispense COVID-19 booster shots to most Americans faced its first key hurdle Friday, Sept. 17, as a government advisory panel met to decide whether to recommend extra doses of the Pfizer vaccine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

September 17

Police: Prison guard beat banker, used racial slur over mask

A California prison guard has been arrested on suspicion of beating a Wells Fargo branch manager and calling him a racial slur after being asked to wear a mask inside the bank

September 17

Cambodia vaccinating 6-to-11-year-olds before schools reopen

Cambodia is vaccinating 6-to-11-year-olds so students can safely return to schools that have been closed for months due to the coronavirus

September 17

Children wait in front of Samrong Krom health center before receiving a shot of the Sinovac's COVID-19 vaccine at outside Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. Prime Minister Hun Sen announced the start of a nationwide campaign to give COVID-19 vaccinations to children between the ages of 6 and 11 so they can return to school safely after a long absence due to measures taken against the spread of the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

September 17

Judge: Tennessee gov.'s mask opt-out can endanger disabled kids

"It is that unmasked presence that creates the danger to these Plaintiffs."

September 17

FILE - Gov. Bill Lee speaks during the Tennessee Higher Education Commission session of the state budget hearings on Nov. 10, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. The health department in Tennessee's most populous county reinstituted a face mask requirement Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021, for indoor public places such as restaurants, bars and other businesses as a surge in COVID-19 cases strains hospital resources and causes concern in schools. The announcement comes two days after Lee issued an order allowing parents of K-12 students to opt out of mask requirements issued for schools. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)

September 17

Many faith leaders say no to endorsing vaccine exemptions

If you're seeking an exemption from a COVID-19 vaccine mandate, you might not get any help from your clergy person

September 17

FILE - In this Saturday, July 11, 2020 file photo, mourners attend the blessing of ashes of Mexicans who died from COVID-19 during a payer a service at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, before they were repatriated to Mexico. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York issued a statement in the summer of 2021, saying that any priest issuing an exemption letter would be “acting in contradiction” to statements from Pope Francis that receiving the vaccine is morally acceptable and responsible. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

September 17

FDA advisory panel endorses COVID-19 booster shots only for Americans 65 and over or at high risk for severe disease

September 17

FDA advisory panel soundly rejects a plan to offer Pfizer booster shots against COVID-19 to most Americans

September 17

NYC restaurant host attacked over vaccine status request

Police say a host at a popular New York City restaurant was assaulted by three women from Texas after she asked for proof they had been vaccinated against COVID-19

September 17

Start of school year fuels California job growth in August

California's unemployment rate declined slightly in August as the state added 104,300 new jobs for the month

September 17

FILE — In this Aug. 11, 2021, file photo Joy Harrison instructs her second graders at Carl B. Munck Elementary School, in Oakland, Calif. Public school teachers and staff returning to the classroom in August fueled another impressive month of job gains in California according to data from the California Employment Development Department, released Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via AP, Pool, File)

September 17

Maskless San Francisco mayor bucks health order at nightclub

The mayor of San Francisco was spotted dancing and singing at an indoor nightclub without a mask, despite a strict city order to wear masks when inside

September 17

FILE — In this March 13, 2021 file photo Mayor London Breed speaks at a rally in San Francisco. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Breed, who has promoted restrictive measures aimed at curbing the coronavirus, was spotted at the Black Cat nightclub, Wednesday Sept. 15, 2021, dancing and singing without a mask, despite a strict city order to wear masks when inside. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

September 17

North Macedonia: Protest in Tetovo for deadly hospital fire

Hundreds of protesters in Tetovo, a city in the west of North Macedonia are calling for the resignation of officials in the wake of last week's fire that destroyed a COVID-19 field hospital, killed 14 people and injured a dozen more

September 17

Supreme Court urged to review ban on drug injection sites

Supporters of a plan to open supervised injection sites to try to reduce overdose deaths urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday to review a court decision that bans the practice

September 17

While urging vaccination, WHO declines jab data on its staff

The United Nations’ health agency, which has repeatedly urged the world to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and other illnesses, has declined to say how many of its own staffers have followed that advice

September 17

Young adults dropping alcohol for marijuana and hallucinogens, survey finds

Binge drinking has decreased, while cannabis products have become more popular.

September 17

A marijuana cigarette is prepared in a public square in Guadalajara, Mexico, Aug. 12, 2021.

September 17

UK court rules under-16s can get puberty blocking drugs

Britain’s Court of Appeal has ruled that doctors can prescribe puberty-blocking drugs to children under 16 without a parent’s consent

September 17

WHO director: Lebanon's brain drain threat to health sector

The World Health Organization’s director general is deeply concerned about the impact of Lebanon’s economic meltdown and multiple crises on the people’s wellbeing

September 17

Director General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaks during a press conference, in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. Ghebreyesus said on Friday he was deeply concerned about the impact of Lebanon's economic meltdown and multiple crises on the people's wellbeing, saying the migration of healthcare workers is particularly worrisome. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

September 17

Slovenia starts mandatory vaccination for government workers

Slovenia will start mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for all government employees, further tightening anti-virus measures that sparked a major riot in the small Alpine state earlier this week

September 17

Protesters gather near parliament in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021. Hundreds of anti-vaccination protesters hurled flares at the parliament building in the Slovenian capital on Wednesday to protest a new measure that mandates a COVID pass for entering almost any shop, service or a workplace in the country. (AP Photo)

September 17

Danes take precautions after swine flu crops up in Germany

Authorities in Denmark are urging hunters, truckdrivers and farmers to be extra cautious following recent reports of African swine fever cases among domestic pigs in neighboring Germany

September 17

Trial begins over COVID outbreak in Austrian ski resort

A civil trial has opened in Austria over the government's handling of a coronavirus outbreak at an Alpine ski resort during the early stages of the pandemic that relatives say resulted in unnecessary infections and deaths

September 17

FILE - In this May 13, 2020 file photo, a barrier blocks the road at the closed border crossing from Austria to the Czech Republic near Reinthal, Austria. European Union countries are set to adopt a common traffic light system to coordinate traveling across the 27-nation bloc, but a return to a full freedom of movement in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic remains far from reach. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak, File)

September 17

How COVID-19 hybrid immunity could be a potential pandemic game-changer

Mixing vaccines could offer a stronger immune boost, preliminary data suggests.

September 17

Vials of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are seen in the town of Ricany near Prague, Czech Republic, Feb. 25, 2021.

September 17

Woman sues for right to freeze her eggs in Beijing

After almost two years, an unmarried Chinese woman suing for the right to freeze her eggs is getting her case heard in a Beijing court in a rare legal challenge against the country’s restrictions on unmarried women in reproductive health

September 17

Teresa Xu prepares to attend a court session at the Chaoyang People's Court in Beijing, China, Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. After almost two years, the unmarried woman suing for the right to freeze her eggs in Beijing is getting her case heard in court Friday in a rare legal challenge against the country's restrictions on unmarried women in reproductive health. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

September 16

Latest: SKorea reports more than 2,000 new coronavirus cases

South Korea has reported more than 2,000 new cases of the coronavirus, nearing a one-day record set last month, continuing an alarming surge as the nation enters its biggest holiday of the year

September 16

FILE - In this Sept. 10, 2021 file photo an emergency department sign is photographed at Kootenai Health, in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Idaho's public health leaders have expanded health care rationing statewide amid a massive increase in the number of coronavirus patients requiring hospitalization. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare made the announcement Thursday Sept. 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Young Kwak,File)

September 16

Florida surpasses 50K COVID deaths after battling delta wave

Health officials say the state of Florida has surpassed 50,000 coronavirus deaths since the pandemic began

September 16

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, left, speaks at a news conference alongside Broward Health CEO Shane Strum, Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021, at the Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. DeSantis was there to promote the use of monoclonal antibody treatments for those infected with COVID-19. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

September 16

Health officials in one state warn some pregnant women were denied COVID vaccines

Eight pregnant women in Mississippi have died of COVID-19 since late July.

September 16

In this Feb. 11, 2021, file photo, Michelle Melton, who is 35 weeks pregnant, receives the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against the coronavirus disease at Skippack Pharmacy in Schwenksville, Pa.

September 16

Pandemic tie to vision issues seen in Chinese kids' study

Research suggests vision problems increased among Chinese schoolchildren during pandemic restrictions and online learning

September 16

FILE - In this Sept. 7, 2020 file photo, students wearing face masks to help curb the spread of the coronavirus walk in line as they arrive at a primary school in Beijing. Research suggests nearsightedness increased among Chinese schoolchildren during pandemic restrictions and online learning, and doctors think the same has happened in U.S. kids. A report on second- and third-graders published Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021, in JAMA Ophthalmology is the latest to show the trend and the results echo those of two earlier Chinese studies. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)

September 16

Long weekend becomes 9 week lockdown for AP Vietnam reporter

The AP's Hau Dinh set off from Hanoi for the seaside resort of Vung Tau in southern Vietnam for a long weekend in mid-July

September 16

AP's journalist Hau Dinh exercises with a skipping robe during a virus lockdown in Vung Tau, Vietnam on Sept. 13, 2021. Dinh set off from Hanoi for the seaside resort for a long weekend in mid-July. The trip came just as the delta variant began sweeping through Vietnam, sparking harsh lockdown measures that left him trapped away from home. Nine weeks later, he's still there. (AP Photo/Mathieu Le Besq)

September 16

Idled taxis go green in Thailand with mini-gardens on car roofs

Taxi fleets in Thailand are giving new meaning to the term “rooftop garden,” as they utilize the roofs of cabs idled by the coronavirus crisis to serve as small vegetable plots

September 16

Miniature gardens are planted on the rooftops of unused taxis parked in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021. Taxi fleets in Thailand are giving new meaning to the term “rooftop garden,” as they utilize the roofs of cabs idled by the coronavirus crisis to serve as small vegetable plots and raise awareness about the plight of out of work drivers. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

September 16

Health care rationed statewide in Idaho as COVID surge drags on

"The situation is dire – we don’t have enough resources."

September 16

FILE - In this Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021 file photo Ann Enderle R.N. attends to a COVID-19 patient in the Medical Intensive care unit (MICU) at St. Luke's Boise Medical Center in Boise, Idaho. Idaho's public health officials say crisis standards of care are "imminent" for the state's most populated region as hospitals in the Boise area continue to be overrun with unvaccinated coronavirus patients. Hospitals in the northern half of the state were given permission to begin rationing care last week. (AP Photo/Kyle Green,File)

September 16

EXPLAINER: The Texas abortion law's swift impact, and future

Abortion providers in Texas say a new law banning most abortions in the state will result in clinics permanently closing unless a court acts in the coming weeks

September 16

FILE - In this Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021 file photo, Barbie H. leads a protest against the six-week abortion ban at the Capitol in Austin, Texas. Dozens of people protested the abortion restriction law that went into effect Wednesday. (Jay Janner=txaus

September 16

Study: Childhood obesity in U.S. accelerated during pandemic

A new study ties the COVID-19 pandemic to an “alarming” increase in obesity in U.S. children and teenagers

September 16

This Tuesday, April 3, 2018 file photo shows a closeup of a beam scale in New York. A study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released on Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021, ties the COVID-19 pandemic to an “alarming” increase in obesity in U.S. children and teenagers. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison, File)

September 16

GOP prosecutors threaten lawsuits over vaccine requirement

Two dozen Republican attorneys general are warning the White House of impending legal action if a proposed coronavirus vaccine requirement for as many as 100 million Americans goes into effect

September 16

President Joe Biden leaves after speaking about the economy in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

September 16

Covered California director to step down in February

The director of Covered California says he will step down early next year

September 16

FILE - In this Nov. 13, 2013, file photo, Peter Lee, executive director of Covered California, the state's health insurance exchange, speaks at a news conference in Sacramento, Calif. On Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021, Lee announced that he will step down from his position in February of 2022. Lee has been Covered California's only executive director since it was launched in 2012. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)

September 16

Small agency, big job: Biden tasks OSHA with vaccine mandate

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration doesn’t make many headlines

September 16

FILE - In this Sept. 14, 2021 file photo, a syringe is prepared with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic at the Reading Area Community College in Reading, Pa. President Joe Biden has directed OSHA to write a rule requiring employers with at least 100 workers to force employees to get vaccinated or produce weekly test results showing they are virus free.(AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

September 16

Outbreaks strand some students at home with minimal learning

As coronavirus outbreaks driven by the delta variant lead school districts around the U.S. to abruptly shut down or send large numbers of children into quarantine, some students are getting minimal schooling at home

September 16