THURSDAY, May 18, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- The first vaccine designed to protect infants against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) by vaccinating their mothers during pregnancy has been backed by a panel of advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.On Thursday the independent committee of experts voted unanimously that the Pfizer-made vaccine was effective, and 10-4 that there was adequate data on safety to move the vaccine to approval, the Associated Press reported. The shot would be given to pregnant women at 24 to 36 weeks gestation. This should stimulate the production of maternal antibodies to RSV that would then pass through the placenta to the fetus.“Before the pandemic, RSV was the No. 1 cause of infant hospitalization in the United States, so this is a big deal,”...

THURSDAY, May 18, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Teens who use electronic cigarettes are significantly more likely than non-vapers to binge-drink and use cannabis, new research finds.Surveys of teens ages 13 to 18 revealed that vapers were 20 times more likely to use marijuana than teens who used no nicotine products. And those who vaped in the previous month were six times more likely to have had multiple binge-drinking episodes in the previous two weeks.These associations were even stronger for kids who smoked traditional cigarettes and vaped.“The surprising thing is just how strong those links were,” said lead study author Noah Kreski, a data analyst for Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. “The associations we see there are just far and away so much higher than what...

THURSDAY, May 18, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Pregnancy is a difficult and potentially dangerous time in a woman’s life, and U.S. women say they aren’t getting the support they need while they’re expecting, a new HealthDay/Harris Poll has found.Nearly 2 in 5 women who are pregnant or have ever been pregnant (37%) say they have experienced barriers to getting needed care.Worse, women in their prime childbearing years (18 to 34) are more than twice as likely as those who are 35 and older to say they encountered barriers to needed health care during pregnancy and birth -- 74% versus 28%.The most common barrier they cite is an inability to make doctor’s appointments because of they are unable to take time off work or find child care.One in 5 women overall (19%) -- and 2 in 5 between...