Latest Health News

FRIDAY, Sept. 29, 2023 (HealthDay News) – Despite reports of trouble last week where some people may have been denied insurance coverage while seeking COVID shots at pharmacies, the Biden administration said Thursday those issues have been ironed out.That issue is "largely, if not completely," resolved after U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Secretary Xavier Becerra met with CVS Health, United Health Group, Anthem and Cigna, agency spokesperson Jeff Nesbit told NBC News.More than 2 million people had already received the updated vaccines by Wednesday, according to HHS.The companies are "fully covering the new vaccine shots," the HHS stated, which added the problems were due to "systemic technical issues," NBC News reported.The federal government is no longer paying for the...

FRIDAY, Sept. 29, 2023 (HealthDay News) – When pregnant women get a COVID vaccine, it helps protect their newborns from the virus, a new government study shows."These findings indicate that maternal vaccination during pregnancy could help prevent COVID-19–related hospitalization in infants too young to be vaccinated," researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wrote.Antibodies after COVID vaccination crossed the placenta and were found in the cord blood, according to the study.Babies can’t receive COVID vaccines until they’re 6 months old. In infants younger than 3 months old, a vulnerable stage of life, maternal vaccination was 54% effective against COVID hospitalization, according to the report.In infants 3 to 5 months old, the vaccine was still 35%...

FRIDAY, Sept. 29, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Some children who have a common form of eczema should also be tested for allergic reactions because they may have a second allergic-type eczema, a new study suggests. While atopic dermatitis is common and usually develops by age 5, allergic contact dermatitis has similar symptoms and can be triggered by a range of substances. In general, eczema is a group of medical conditions causing inflamed, irritated and itchy skin.In the study, children with atopic dermatitis were more likely to test positive for allergies in patch testing. The findings were published Sept. 26 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. “When a dermatologist sees a child who looks like they have eczema, we usually think that it’s atopic dermatitis because...

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 27, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Just 23% of American adults say they 'definitely' will get the new COVID-19 vaccine, while another 23% say they will 'probably' get it, according to a new poll, which also finds interest in the shot falls along partisan lines.More people plan to get seasonal flu shots and the new vaccine to help prevent severe symptoms for respiratory syncytial virus or RSV.The poll -- by the nonprofit organization KFF -- breaks down what Americans are thinking about vaccination and their trust in public health agencies.“The poll shows that most of the nation still trusts the [U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] on vaccines -- but there is a partisan gap, and most Republicans don’t trust the...