A new study suggests the market alone will not deter or punish pharmaceutical companies whose products turn out to have adverse effects after they have been approved.
Ethics are important to vaccination decisions because while science can clarify some of the costs and benefits, it cannot tell us which costs and benefits matter most to us.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
When making the decision whether to vaccinate children aged five to 11 against COVID-19, regulators in Canada must rely on sound ethics as well as sound science.
Regulators are currently reviewing the safety and efficacy data of the Pfizer vaccine for five to 11 year olds before deciding whether to approve its use in this age group.
Ceci n'est pas un Magritte.
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Three tobacco-flavored cartridges and a vaping device have been approved by the FDA for sale in the US. It comes after a decadelong debate over e-cigarettes.
Pregnancy poses significant risks for severe illness or death from COVID-19, for both mother and baby.
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In light of mounting research showing the serious risks of contracting COVID-19 during pregnancy, the CDC is re-upping its urgency that pregnant women get their shots.
Theranos promised that a drop of blood could yield many health secrets.
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Only 3.7% of people in the U.S. with hearing difficulty own hearing aids. Thanks to a federal law in progress of being implemented, OTC hearing aids may help bridge the gap.
An FDA panel has voted against recommending approval of a booster COVID-19 shot for the general population – disappointing some public health officials.
Protesters gather at Indiana University in June 2021 to demonstrate against mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for students, staff and faculty.
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Subtly shifting the crafting and delivery of public health messaging on COVID-19 vaccines could go a long way toward persuading many of the unvaccinated to get the shot.
Rapid antigen COVID-19 tests, designed for use at home, can show results in 15 minutes.
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Zoë McLaren, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Making rapid antigen tests for COVID-19 cheaper and more accessible can catch the infectious cases before they spread and help everyone resume normal activities safely.
COVID-19 vaccines have been proved safe and effective. But it’s understandable to have questions.
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The U.S. FDA has approved the first COVID-19 vaccine. How is approval different from emergency use authorization, and what difference will it make to a vaccine that’s already in global use?
More than half of Americans regularly take supplements.
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The FDA has largely lost its ability to regulate the myriad pills, powders and potions that promise to grow muscle, shed body fat and improve your focus.
Full FDA approval of the COVID-19 vaccines may help people feel more secure in its safety and effectiveness.
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Ongoing tracking is meant to spot very rare risks – like the connection between the Johnson & Johnson shot and Guillain-Barré syndrome. And it relies on public reporting.
Though drug recalls are relatively uncommon in the U.S., reduced inspections increase the likelihood of manufacturing errors that slip through the cracks.
AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool
COVID-19 has exacerbated a backlog of domestic and foreign drug manufacturing inspections that the FDA is still too short-staffed to adequately deal with.
Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by progressive memory loss, spatial disorientation and many other cognitive and behavioural disorders that ultimately lead to a state of total dependence.
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The FDA approved Alzheimer’s disease drug aducanumab despite minimal evidence of its efficacy. Whether this decision ultimately hurts or helps patients depends on data researchers don’t yet have.
Exterior of the Pfizer World headquarters building. Pfizer produced the first COVID-19 vaccine to gain emergency use authorization.
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The FDA receives almost half its funding from companies it regulates, such as drug and medical device makers. Is this something you should be concerned about?
Professor and Director of Quantitative Biosciences Institute & Senior Investigator at the Gladstone Institutes, University of California, San Francisco