It’s news that’s certain to ignite debates over vaccines again: researchers say that the childhood immunization against whooping cough fades substantially over time, leaving even fully vaccinated children vulnerable to …
Vaccines
Why Lack of Sleep May Weaken Vaccine Effectiveness
Skimping out on sleep won’t just put you in a cranky mood. It may also reduce the effectiveness of vaccines, a new study from researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), suggests.
U.S. Whooping Cough Cases Could Be Worst in More than 50 Years
Pertussis, more commonly known as whooping cough, is making a major comeback across the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Thursday. Nearly 18,000 cases have been reported nationwide to the …
H1N1 Vaccines Linked to Guillain-Barre Syndrome but Not Birth Defects
Two new studies confirm that the benefits of getting a flu shot outweigh the very small risks
Hope for Quitters? Scientists Devise a New Nicotine Vaccine
Researchers are getting closer to developing a vaccine that could help protect people from the addictiveness of nicotine.
Study Explains How the First Effective HIV Vaccine Worked
In 2009, researchers reported that an AIDS vaccine had for the first time protected people against HIV. Since then, the researchers have been wondering, How did it work?
New Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines Include HPV Tests
A government task force recommends less frequent screening for cervical cancer and reverses its initial advice on HPV testing, allowing it for some women.
Men Are More Likely to Have Oral HPV than Women
A rise in oral sex may be pushing up HPV infection rates in men, along with head and neck cancers caused by the virus.
Exposure to Common Chemicals May Weaken Vaccine Response
A study finds disturbing evidence that chemicals found in furniture, fast-food packaging and microwave popcorn bags may compromise children’s immune systems.
Study: Kids’ Chickenpox Vaccine Helps Protect Babies Too
Some parents take their children to “pox parties” to expose them to the chickenpox virus and encourage immunity. Health experts suggest just vaccinating your kids instead.
Government Panel Recommends HPV Vaccine for Boys
A federal advisory committee voted on Tuesday to recommend that boys aged 11 and 12 be vaccinated against human papillomavirus, or HPV, to protect against anal cancer and cancers of the mouth and neck. The new guidance mirrors …
Nobel Winner Ralph Steinman Will Retain His Prize
(Updated) Immunologist Ralph M. Steinman was awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine on Monday for his discoveries about the human body’s immune system — research that had for years extended the scientist’s own life in a battle …
Vaccination Causes ‘Mental Retardation’? Fact-Checking Michele Bachmann’s Claim
Monday night’s Republican primary debate saw candidate Michele Bachmann on the attack — especially against Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Bachmann slammed Perry for signing an executive order in 2007 requiring all sixth-grade girls to …