Latest Health News

SUNDAY, July 18, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- With many summer camps open again this year, parents of kids with asthma and allergies need to make sure the one they choose is safe for their youngsters.While federal health officials have issued guidelines to protect campers and staff from COVID-19, "camps still need to make sure measures are in place in case a camper has an allergic reaction or an asthma flare," said Dr. Luz Fonacier, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI).Most campers won't be vaccinated against COVID, so the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges camps to use masks, practice social distancing and have adequate supplies for sanitizing. That recommendation applies even if all camp employees have had their COVID...

SATURDAY, July 17, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- If you're not careful, your grilling season could go up in flames, an expert warns.Each year, U.S. fire departments respond to about 5,700 residential barbecue fires, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's U.S. Fire Administration. Those fires result in thousands of emergency department visits and $37 million in damages a year."The best way to prevent damages and injuries when grilling is to maintain your equipment," said Diane Reinhold, a University of Illinois Extension nutrition and wellness educator and registered dietitian.Gas grills have a higher fire risk than charcoal because of leaks or breaks in parts. Do a safety check of your gas grill each year and also every time the cylinder, hose or regulator is...

FRIDAY, July 16, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Pfizer Inc. announced on Friday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted priority review to its COVID-19 vaccine, positioning the vaccine for full approval by January.The Pfizer vaccine has been administered to more Americans than any other shot so far in the U.S. vaccination campaign. According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some 85 million people have been fully vaccinated with the two-dose Pfizer regimen.A full approval for the Pfizer vaccine could help boost U.S. vaccination efforts. Some people who have been reluctant to get a shot have said they are unwilling to get an experimental medication, and an approval could also make it easier for employers, school districts and others to mandate...

FRIDAY, July 16, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Giving a third dose of COVID-19 vaccines to adults with weakened immune systems — the immunocompromised — will be up for discussion during a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel meeting next week.At the meeting scheduled for July 22, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will focus on the 2% to 4% of U.S. adults with weakened immune systems. These include organ transplant recipients, people receiving cancer treatments, and those living with rheumatologic conditions, HIV and leukemia, the Washington Post reported.The director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health doesn't consider giving an additional dose of currently approved two-dose vaccines to immunocompromised people a "booster" shot."I wouldn't...