infectious diseases

More and more physicians and public health officials are warning that even with the mass rollout of vaccines, Covid may become endemic.

Actress Jessica Biel says she’s not opposed to vaccinations, but she does not support a bill in California that would limit medical exemptions. The 37-year-old has drawn criticism after appearing this week in Sacramento with vaccination skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to voice concerns about the measure. Biel posted on Instagram Thursday morning that she supports children getting vaccinated and...

The flu vaccine is doing a relatively good job this season, protecting about half the people who got it, U.S. health officials said Thursday. Preliminary figures suggest the vaccine is 47 percent effective in preventing flu illness severe enough to send someone to the doctor’s office. Health officials are generally pleased if a flu vaccine works in 40 to 60...

An American who was providing medical assistance in Congo may have been exposed to the deadly Ebola virus and is being monitored at a Nebraska medical center. The University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha confirmed Saturday that it was housing the person in a secure area that is not accessible to other patients or the public. Spokesman Taylor Wilson...

An American who was providing medical assistance in Congo may have been exposed to the deadly Ebola virus and is being monitored at a Nebraska medical center. The University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha confirmed Saturday that it was housing the person in a secure area that is not accessible to other patients or the public. Spokesman Taylor Wilson...

The flu vaccine did a poor job protecting older Americans against the illness last winter, even though the vaccine was well-matched to the flu bugs going around. U.S. health officials on Wednesday released new vaccine data showing it did a so-so job overall. The vaccine was about 42 percent effective in preventing illness severe enough to send a patient to...

When the mighty orca breaks to the surface and exhales, the whale sprays an array of bacteria and fungi in its his breath, scientists said, some good, and some bad such as salmonella. The findings in a new study raises concerns about the potential role of infectious diseases as another major stress factor for the struggling population of endangered Puget...

Parents are asking doctors to delay vaccines for young children, making their kids and others vulnerable to preventable diseases, according to a new study published in Monday’s Pediatrics. Most of the doctors surveyed said the practice might lead to disease outbreaks, but most also said they at least sometimes agreed to the delays. “People just don’t understand that these diseases...

A Q & A on measles, try to answer some lingering questions about the most infectious disease known.

Chicago health workers prepare for Ebola.

Shama, a red panda who had given birth to three cubs just seven weeks ago, was euthanized over the weekend due to severe swelling of the brain, zookeepers announced Monday.