Healthcare

Chickenpox vaccine being rolled out on NHS for first time

A chickenpox vaccine is being rolled out on the NHS for the first time. It will be offered to youngsters alongside the MMR jab, which protects against measles, mumps, and…

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Respiratory Infections Surge as Italy Nears Seasonal Peak

Approximately 950,000 new cases of acute respiratory infections were recorded in Italy during the week of December 15 to 21, according to data released on Monday by the Higher Health…

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Sicily ranks last in Italy for childhood vaccination coverage

Sicily recorded the lowest childhood vaccination coverage in Italy in 2024, according to a report released by the Ministry of Health on paediatric and adolescent vaccinations for children born in…

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Mpox strain spreads in Europe

Health officials are calling for people to ensure they are vaccinated against mpox, as there are indications the 'clade Ib' strain has spread locally in some European nations. The UK…

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Antibiotic-resistance deaths to surge from 2025-2050, study says

Bacterial illnesses that are resistant to available antibiotic medicines will cause more than 39 million deaths worldwide over the next 25 years and indirectly contribute to an additional 169 million…

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No link between mobile phones and brain cancer, WHO-backed study says

There is no link between mobile phone use and an increased risk of brain cancer, according to a new World Health Organization-commissioned review of available published evidence worldwide. Despite the…

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Neighborhood noise might increase heart attack risk

Research from two studies in different European cities highlights that urban noise pollution has a significant negative impact on heart health, according to data presented at ESC Congress 2024, the…

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Washing fruit doesn’t remove pesticides, study find

A new scientific report lends weight to consumer concerns about pesticide residues on food, presenting fresh evidence that washing fruit before eating does not remove various toxic chemicals commonly used…

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Two million Britons suffer long COVID symptoms

Two million people across England and Scotland are still suffering from long COVID symptoms, of whom 381,000 have had their day-to-day activities limited a lot, according to an official study…

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Over half of world’s population could be at risk of mosquito-borne diseases

More than half of the world's population could be at risk of catching diseases transmitted by mosquitoes such as malaria and dengue by the end of the century, scientists have…

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WHO says wider alert on contaminated J&J cough syrup ‘likely’

The World Health Organization is expected to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made, opens new tab children's cough syrup found in Nigeria last week, it said in…

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MEPs vote to extend exclusivity period for new medicines

Lawmakers in a EU parliamentary committee on Tuesday voted to extend the exclusivity period for new medicines compared to an initial draft, seeking to address concerns expressed across the bloc's…

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Alcohol policies need sharper focus on gender, WHO says

LONDON, March 8 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization on Friday urged governments to consider gender when developing their alcohol policies, warning that industry marketing increasingly targeted women who face…

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More than a billion people worldwide are obese, WHO study finds

By Jennifer Rigby LONDON, (Reuters) - More than a billion people globally are now considered obese, a condition linked to an increased risk of numerous serious health problems, according to…

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US CDC recommends older Americans should get another COVID shot this spring

(Reuters) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director signed off on the use of updated COVID vaccines as a second annual shot for adults aged 65…

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Rise in reports of fake weight-loss drugs linked to shortage of real thing, WHO says

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday warned that global shortages last year of popular diabetes medicines that are also used for weight loss, such as Novo Nordisk's Ozempic, had…

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CDC says JN.1 variant accounts for about 86% of COVID cases in US

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday estimated COVID subvariant JN.1 to account for about 85.7% of cases in the United States, as of Jan. 19.…

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US panel recommends children with obesity start counseling from age 6

By Nancy Lapid Children with obesity should receive intensive counseling to promote healthy diet and exercise habits starting at age 6, according to a draft recommendation issued by a panel…

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Dutch Health minister warns about “sky high” coronavirus cases

Health minister Ernst Kuipers has warned about the “sky high” number of coronavirus infections in the Netherlands and urged people not to attend Christmas events if they have symptoms. “We…

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WHO says JN.1 COVID strain poses low risk

By Sriparna Roy (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) on classified the JN.1 coronavirus strain as a "variant of interest" and said current evidence shows risk to public health…

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WHO classifies JN.1 coronavirus strain as ‘variant of interest’

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday classified the JN.1 coronavirus strain as a "variant of interest", but said it did not pose much threat to public health. "Based on…

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Ban flavoured vapes, WHO says, urging tobacco-style controls

LONDON, Dec 14 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday urged governments to treat e-cigarettes similarly to tobacco and ban all flavours, threatening cigarette companies' bets on smoking…

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World at risk of losing malaria fight as cases rise, report says

By Pratik Jain and Jennifer Rigby The world is in danger of losing the fight against malaria, as cases of the disease rose by around 5 million year-on-year in 2022,…

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Arthritis And Work: How Arthritis Impacts Daily Working Life

Osteoarthritis is a chronic joint condition, which causes pain, stiffness and mobility problems. Although it may be perceived as a disease of the elderly, about 43% of people with Osteoarthritis…

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Measles deaths jumped by over 40% in 2022 globally: WHO

Measles deaths globally spiked by more than 40% last year and cases rose after vaccination levels dramatically dropped during the pandemic, leading health agencies said. The highly infectious disease triggered…

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Mental Health: Business leaders are vulnerable too

Hygeia Conference addresses mental wellness at work You cannot help others if first, you cannot help yourself. In the ongoing discussion on the need for action to safeguard employees’ mental…

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Weight-loss drugs in spotlight as pharma services firms rush to snap up business

By Maggie Fick BARCELONA,(Reuters) - Soaring demand for obesity drugs was in the spotlight at the world's largest trade show for the pharmaceutical services industry this week, as it fuels…

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Pfizer, BioNtech say flu-COVID shot generates strong immune response in trial

Oct 26 (Reuters) - Pfizer and German partner BioNTech said on Thursday that their vaccine to prevent flu and COVID-19 generated a strong immune response against strains of the viruses…

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First pill for dengue shows promise in human challenge trial

By Jennifer Rigby Oct 20 (Reuters) - A pill for dengue fever developed by Johnson & Johnson appeared to protect against a form of the virus in a handful of…

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Pfizer’s COVID outlook cuts hit other vaccine maker shares

Pfizer set off a fresh round of concern about the size of the U.S. COVID-19 vaccine and treatment market in the long term, driving down shares on Monday of its German partner…

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Highly mutated COVID variant found in new countries but pandemic in ‘a different phase’

A highly mutated COVID variant called BA.2.86 has now been detected in Switzerland and South Africa in addition to Israel, Denmark, the U.S. and the U.K., according to a leading…

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US CDC tracks new lineage of virus that causes COVID

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday that it was tracking a new, highly mutated lineage of the virus that causes COVID-19. The lineage is named BA.2.86,…

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US FDA approves Pfizer’s blood cancer therapy

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday granted accelerated approval to Pfizer's therapy for treating patients with a type of blood cancer that is difficult to treat, the company…

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New Covid vaccines are on the way as ‘Eris’ variant rises in US

A new COVID vaccine is due out next month, but health experts and analysts say it is likely to be coolly received even as hospitalizations from "Eris", a variant of…

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New HIV-focused drug gets approval by European regulator

GSK Plc said that its HIV-focused unit ViiV Healthcare's cabotegravir long-acting injectable and tablets had received a recommendation for marketing authorisation from the European Medicines Agency's human medicines committee. Cabotegravir,…

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Does artificial sweetener aspartame really cause cancer? What the WHO listing means for your diet soft drink habit

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is the specialised cancer agency of the World Health Organization, has today declared aspartame may be a possible carcinogenic hazard to…

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What is aspartame and what do the new WHO rulings on cancer and consumption mean?

(Reuters) - Aspartame, a popular artificial sweetener found in Diet Coke, chewing gum, yoghurt and other food products, is a "possible carcinogen" but it remains safe to consume at the…

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Tuberculosis on the rise for first time in decades

By Carlos Franco-Paredes Associate Faculty Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Colorado State University Before SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, spread across the world in 2020, tuberculosis was responsible for more deaths…

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Britain’s COVID inquiry launches with pledge to put bereaved at its heart

The chair of Britain's COVID-19 inquiry pledged to put the bereaved and those who suffered at the heart of her work as she began main hearings on Tuesday into how…

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COVID global emergency over but risks remain, says China health official

SHENZHEN, China, May 6 (Reuters) - While the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an end to the global emergency status for COVID-19, the virus remains harmful and China will…

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UPDATED: WHO declares end to COVID global health emergency

By Jennifer Rigby and Bhanvi Satija LONDON, May 5 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization ended the global emergency status for COVID-19 on Friday more than three years after its…

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No evidence yet showing which animal COVID may have come from, says former head of China CDC

(Reuters) - There is no evidence yet showing which animal the COVID-causing virus may have come from, the former head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)…

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India asks states to ramp up testing as COVID-19 cases climb

MUMBAI (Reuters) - India's federal government asked states to identify emergency hotspots and ramp up-testing for COVID-19, after the country recorded its highest daily case count since September, a Reuters…

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Florida Senate passes six-week abortion ban

Florida's Republican-led Senate passed a bill on Monday to outlaw most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, bringing the state a step closer to joining others across the U.S. South…

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As families struggle with medicine shortages, EU revamps drug laws

The EU is revamping laws governing the 136 billion euro ($148 billion) pharmaceuticals industry aimed at reviving investment and boosting access to affordable drugs at a time when health budgets…

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WHO to consider adding obesity drugs to ‘essential’ medicines list

Drugs that combat obesity could for the first time be included on the World Health Organization's "essential medicines list," used to guide government purchasing decisions in low- and middle-income countries,…

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Pfizer’s COVID drug data supports use in high-risk patients – FDA staff

Data from Pfizer Inc's trials of its COVID-19 drug support its use in adults at high-risk of the disease, staff reviewers at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said…

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Switzerland detects case of atypical mad cow disease

Switzerland reported a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the eastern region of Grisons, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) said on Tuesday, citing Swiss authorities. The 12-year-old…

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Finding COVID-19’s origins is a moral imperative – WHO’s Tedros

GENEVA (Reuters) - Discovering the origins of COVID-19 is a moral imperative and all hypotheses must be explored, the head of the World Health Organization said, in the clearest indication…

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Italy ministers fume over proposed smoking ban

The Italian health minister's proposals to extend a smoking ban include the outdoor areas of bars and parks, according to details reported by local media, drawing the ire of right-wing cabinet colleagues…

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As 2024 election approaches, White House jumps into states’ abortion battles

The White House is jumping into state-level battles for women's reproductive rights, lending legal and messaging advice to allies in states pushing restrictions as the Biden administration seeks to make…

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Average of 50 people admitted with kidney stones every month in Malta

When it comes to kidney stones, Malta is facing several challenges namely limited stone analysis with only qualitative data available, the fact that certain tests are still being conducted abroad,…

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China declares ‘decisive victory’ over COVID-19

BEIJING, Feb 17 (Reuters) - China's top leaders declared a "decisive victory" over COVID-19, claiming the world's lowest fatality rate, although experts have questioned Beijing's data as the coronovirus tore…

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Chances of new wave of COVID low in China in coming months -CDC official

BEIJING, Feb 9 (Reuters) - The possibility of a large new wave of COVID-19 is relatively low in the coming months in China, Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the China…

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World should ‘calm down’ about China COVID variants – Chinese scientist

By Farah Master and Jennifer Rigby HONG KONG (Reuters) - The world should "calm down" about the possibility of new COVID-19 variants circulating in China, leading Chinese scientist George Gao…

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European Doctors and Pharmacists wants stronger laws to prevent medicine shortages

As patients throughout the content struggling to find antibiotics and other medicines, particularly for children, doctors and pharmacists have called on the European Commission to deliver stronger legislation to prevent…

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Updated COVID vaccines prevented illness from latest variants -CDC

(Reuters) - The updated COVID-19 boosters from Pfizer Inc /BioNTech SE and Moderna helped prevent symptomatic infections against the new XBB-related subvariants, offering new evidence of how the vaccines perform…

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