Child Health, Measles, Vaccines

Child Vaccination Rates, Already Down Because of COVID, Fall Again

Child vaccination rates dipped into dangerous territory during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, when schools were shuttered, and most doctors were only seeing emergency patients. But instead of recovering after schools reopened in 2021, those historically low rates worsened. Experts fear that the skepticism of science and distrust of government that flared up during the pandemic are contributing to the decrease.

Drugs, Health Costs

More States Are Doing What They Can to Cap Insulin Costs

In response to the steep rise in out-of-pocket costs for insulin over the past two decades — enough to compel many diabetic patients to ration their use of the medicine — nearly two dozen states have passed measures in the past few years capping the out-of-pocket costs for some patients. 

Coronavirus, Immunology, Public Health, Vaccines

COVID in 2023 and beyond – why virus trends are more difficult to predict three years on

So how will the pandemic be felt in 2023? This question is in some ways impossible to answer, given a number of unknowns. In early 2020 the scientific community was focused on determining key parameters that could be used to make projections as to the severity and extent of the spread of the virus. Now, the complex interplay of COVID variants, vaccination and natural immunity makes that process far more difficult and less predictable.

Addiction, Emergency Medicine, Opioids, Painkillers

As Overdose Deaths Rise, Few Emergency Rooms Offer Addiction Help

Medical professionals and addiction treatment advocates have long argued that buprenorphine, which is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, should be available in every emergency room in the country — just like drugs for heart attacks, strokes and diabetic emergencies.  And they argue that emergency physicians should have basic training in addiction medicine and be licensed to write a take-home prescription for buprenorphine.

Marijuana, Pain Medicine, Painkillers

Cannabis is no better than a placebo for treating pain – new research

Although cannabis (and cannabis-derived products, such as CBD) may be widely used for reducing pain, how effective it really is in doing this is still unclear. This is what our recent systematic review and meta-analysis sought to uncover. Our study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, suggests cannabis is no better at relieving pain than a placebo.

Graph showing percentage of women of women on oral contraceptives who will become pregnant in a year
Contraception, Contraceptives, Pregnancy, Women's Health

Post-‘Roe,’ Contraceptive Failures Carry Bigger Stakes

The failure rate for typical use of birth control pills is 7%. For every million women taking pills, 70,000 unplanned pregnancies could occur in a year. According to the most recent data available, more than 6.5 million women ages 15 to 49 use oral contraceptives, leading to about 460,000 unplanned pregnancies. Even seemingly minuscule failure rates of IUDs and birth control implants can lead to surprises.Even seemingly minuscule failure rates of IUDs and birth control implants can lead to surprises. Some 4.8 million women use IUDs or implants in the U.S., leading to as many as 5,000 to 20,000 unplanned pregnancies a year.