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COVID-19 vaccination may lower the risk for long COVID

People who received a COVID vaccine during the first two years of the pandemic had a lower risk of developing long COVID, according to a 2024 study.

Should I get the shingles vaccine?

The shingles vaccine, Shingrix, can trigger side effects such as a sore arm, achiness, fatigue, and fever. But Shingrix is highly effective at preventing painful shingles rashes and a complication called postherpetic neuralgia, which involves long-lasting nerve pain.

Sexually transmitted infections: What parents need to be sure their teens know

It's never easy for parents to talk to their teens about sex, so many are understandably hesitant to do so. But even if teens are not yet sexually active, it's important for them to have accurate information about sexually transmitted infections to keep themselves safe and healthy.

What is sepsis?

Sepsis is the immune system's overwhelming response to infection. It can lead to a dramatic drop in blood pressure that damages vital organs and causes death. Sepsis risk factors include older age, recent surgery, chronic illness, artificial joints, or a suppressed immune system.

The wide-ranging effects of psoriasis

Psoriasis causes skin cells to multiply far faster than normal, leading to scaly, itchy, painful skin plaques. While treatments have vastly expanded, stigma surrounding psoriasis persists. Skin lesions can affect what people wear, what they do, and how they relate to others. To better cope, people with psoriasis can get family members involved in care and treatment decisions, see a dermatologist for more advanced therapies, revisit which treatments may work for them, and connect with others with the disease.

Two-dose shingles vaccine is still highly effective after four years

A 2024 study found that two doses of the recombinant zoster vaccine to prevent shingles remains highly effective after four years.

Toothbrushing tied to lower pneumonia rates in hospitalized patients

A 2023 study suggests that toothbrushing twice daily can lower rates of hospital-acquired pneumonia in seriously ill hospitalized patients.

How to stay healthy during a drought

With climate change, rising temperatures are making many regions dry within the US and beyond. The effects of droughts on the planet and our health are complex, and include water shortages, higher risk of disease, changes in habitability, and worse air quality.

Toothbrushing can be a literal lifesaver in the hospital

A 2023 study found that patients in intensive care units (ICUs) were less likely to die and spent less time on a ventilator during their stay when their teeth were brushed twice daily. Toothbrushing appears to protect patients from pneumonia, the most common ICU-acquired infection.

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