Resources & Information

STATNews
May 31, 2025
The Food and Drug Administration approved Moderna’s new Covid-19 vaccine late Friday, though it placed restrictions on its use that the company’s existing Covid shot, Spikevax, does not currently face. The new vaccine, which will be marketed under the name mNexspike, will not immediately replace Spikevax. A statement from the company said both vaccines will be available on the market for the time being.

As it did earlier this month with Novavax’s Covid vaccine, the FDA said the new Moderna shot is licensed for use only in people aged 65 and older and people aged 12 to 64 who have at least one medical condition that puts them at increased risk of becoming seriously ill if they contract the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Such conditions include diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder or COPD, and obesity.

NBC News
May 29, 2025
A new Covid variant that’s gaining momentum globally has landed in the U.S. The World Health Organization announced last week that it was monitoring the variant, NB.1.8.1, following a rise in cases in several parts of the world, including Europe, Southeast Asia and North and South America. The variant appears to be more transmissible than the dominant strain worldwide, LP.8.1, meaning it has the potential to drive up cases this summer. But it does not seem to be much better than LP.8.1 at evading protection from vaccines or a prior infection. And the WHO has found no evidence that it leads to more severe illness, so the agency has determined that it doesn’t pose an added health risk.

Medical News Today
May 28, 2025
A person can self-advocate by gaining knowledge about their healthcare rights and taking action to improve the level of care they receive. Learning to self-advocate can help people understand their rights and actively participate in and receive better care. Some people face challenges and barriers when seeking healthcare, such as discrimination or feeling that doctors dismiss their concerns. This article offers tips for self-advocating at the doctor’s office and discusses a person’s rights. It also discusses a person’s options when they feel a doctor is not listening to their healthcare concerns and offers support and resources.

Medical News Today
May 26, 2025
A study led by researchers from Uppsala University examined how sleeping poorly can affect the body — specifically heart health. In the crossover study, scientists checked the participants’ biomarkers after they underwent sessions of poor sleep and healthy sleep. They found that biomarkers associated with inflammation and heart health increased after just three nights of poor sleep.

STATNews
May 13, 2025
You don’t need to look further than a can of Alani Nu (center stage in the above illustration) to see that the $22 billion energy drink industry has gotten a makeover. Long dominated by labels like Monster and Red Bull that use extreme sports swagger to appeal to young men, the industry is tapping into the aesthetics of health and wellness to reach new demographics and continue its exponential growth.

But it’s not just aesthetics. Many of the newer brands tout “better for you ingredients,” STAT’s Sarah Todd reports, from biotin to lion’s mane mushrooms. Despite the magical powers one might assume “lion’s mane mushrooms” have, many energy drinks still contain supercharged doses of caffeine that are particularly risky for children, teenagers, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and people with underlying heart conditions. Health experts say the new wellness-themed marketing may be worsening consumer confusion over the risks.

WIRED
May 12, 2025
In early May, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that it would split up the agency’s main arm devoted to scientific research. According to a report from NPR, scientists at the 1,500-person Office of Research and Development were told to apply to roughly 500 new scientific research positions that would be sprinkled into other areas of the agency—and to expect further cuts to their organization in the weeks to come.

This reorganization threatens the existence of a tiny but crucial program housed within this office: the Integrated Risk Information System Program, commonly referred to as IRIS. This program is responsible for providing independent research on the risks of chemicals, helping other offices within the agency set regulations for chemicals and compounds that could pose a danger to human health. The program’s leader departed recently, ahead of the restructuring announcement.