Teens should be able to get vaccines without consent from parents, say NY lawmakers

A bill in New York would let older kids get vaccinations against their parents' wishes.

Ethan Lindenberger (R), student at Norwalk High School in Norwalk, Ohio before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on March 5, 2019. (Photo credit: JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)
  • Teens 14 and older should be able to get vaccinated on their own, says a new bill in New York.
  • Lawmakers were inspired by Ethan Lindenberger, an Ohio teen who fought to take vaccines against his mom's wishes.
  • Anti-vaccination attitudes have been blamed for recent measles outbreaks.
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Schizophrenia's surprising link to the gut

What's in your tummy might affect what's in your head.

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  • For decades, researchers have tried in vain to answer the question: What causes schizophrenia?
  • At the same time, we've developed a growing understanding of how intimately linked the bacteria in our gut and our brains are.
  • New research shows that schizophrenics have vastly different microbiomes, potentially uncovering a cause of — and maybe a future cure to — schizophrenia.
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New 'swallowable needles' could deliver insulin as a pill

Diabetics have to endure constant injections on a daily basis, but this new device could make staying alive easier.

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  • Insulin breaks down in the stomach, so diabetics haven't had the option of taking insulin in a pill.
  • A new device whose design is inspired by tortoises can be swallowed and inject diabetics with insulin from the inside.
  • Though it's still a prototype, the device is an exciting development for delivering insulin and other drugs.
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How antibiotics used in factory farming destroy our microbiomes

Good bacteria are our friends. We need to protect them.

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  • More and more research nowadays links good gut flora to several health benefits, such as the inhibition of Alzheimer's to a fast metabolism.
  • Since we're over prescribed antibiotics, and because much of the meat we consume comes from animals that were fed antibiotics, we are destroying much of the good bacteria, and often at the risk — because of our diets — of replenishing them.
  • A well-rounded diet that's light in animal protein, high in macronutrients, and supplemented with a good intake of prebiotics can ensure we're keeping probiotics flourishing.
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2019 already boasts more measles cases than all of 2010

The spike in measles cases stems from three outbreaks in Washington and New York.

Flickr via Dave Haygarth
  • The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has recorded 79 measles cases in 2019.
  • Three outbreaks are responsible for the high number of cases, particularly an outbreak in Washington State that's affected at least 50 people so far.
  • The measles vaccine is effective, though vaccine hesitancy and the virus' extremely contagious nature put some communities at risk.
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