When Netflix debuted “13 Reasons Why” in 2017, some mental health experts argued the show was “dangerous” for its depiction of teen suicide. That argument was backed by a prominent Nationwide Children’s Hospital study in 2019, which found that the rate of suicide among 10- to 17-year-old boys surged in the month after the show’s…… MORE
At a time when almost everything is politicized, vaccination has planted itself squarely on the national stage. On one side of the debate are parents who are rebelling against settled science and calling on states to broaden vaccine exemptions. They cite their faith or believe vaccines pose danger to their children, even though no major…… MORE
Flu activity in the United States declined in the week ending January 11, according to new data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It was the second consecutive week that saw a drop. While it’s still too soon to say definitively that the flu season is past its peak, the dips in…… MORE
More than 100 staffers from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are being deployed to three US airports to check passengers arriving from Wuhan, China, for fever and other symptoms of a mysterious new virus that’s killed two and infected dozens in China, the CDC announced Friday. It’s a highly unusual step. The…… MORE
On Christmas Day, 16-year-old Kaylee Roberts opened presents at her aunt’s house in suburban Cleveland, joyfully celebrating the holiday and laughing with her cousins. By New Year’s Eve, she was dead. That’s how quickly the flu can kill a young person. “She was a healthy, happy, normal 16-year-old,” said Kaylee’s uncle, Matthew Roberts. “We knew…… MORE
About 170 people who’ve gone to Yosemite National Park this month are suffering from gastrointestinal illness, including visitors and employees. Two of the cases are confirmed as norovirus, and the majority of the others are consistent with the virus, the park said in a statement Thursday. Most of the incidents occurred around the first week…… MORE
The state of Utah is hoping to distribute condoms, just not the innuendos that were printed on them. Utah’s Department of Health planned to distribute 100,000 condoms as part of an HIV prevention campaign, according to CNN affiliate KSTU. The condoms were packaged in small cardboard holders with “Utah specific euphemisms, or play on words”…… MORE
A second person has died in China from a new virus that has infected dozens of people and put the rest of Asia on alert, Chinese health officials said Thursday. A 69-year-old man identified only by his surname, Xiong, died on Wednesday in the central city of Wuhan in Hebei province, which is where the…… MORE
That Fitbit you’ve been wearing could be doing a lot more than tracking your trips to the store. It may help health officials stop the flu from spreading, too. Researchers working at the Scripps Research Translational Institute reviewed de-identified data from users wearing Fitbits — the company’s privacy policy allows for the potential use of…… MORE
Adults in the United States who binge drink are consuming even more alcohol per binging episode, according to a new study published Thursday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Researchers analyzed data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System over a six-year period and discovered that the annual number of binge drinks…… MORE
