Latest info suggests this claim is true
September’s Hurricane Helene damaged the largest manufacturer of intravenous or IV fluids in the U.S. Baxter Manufacturing makes IV supplies for medical facilities. IV fluids deliver medicine, water, and nutrients into a patient’s bloodstream. Many hospitals have postponed nonemergency surgeries to conserve IV supplies for medical emergencies. Other IV manufacturing plants in the U.S. have increased production to help address the shortage.
The FDA has begun importing and assessing IV products from Baxter plants in other countries, with 100,000 units on each shipment. The shortage is improving, with about 50% more IV products available now than there were immediately after the hurricane.
Power and water are back on at the Baxter Manufacturing plant, and the company believes it can start production again by the end of this year.
The FDA has also released guidelines for pharmacies to produce IV drugs that are in short supply to help fill gaps during the shortage.
Hospitals continue to get IV fluids from FDA-approved sources, and the IV supply is steadily increasing.
We are still learning when the IV supply will be back to pre-hurricane levels.
September’s Hurricane Helene damaged the largest manufacturer of intravenous or IV fluids in the U.S. Baxter Manufacturing makes IV supplies for medical facilities. IV fluids deliver medicine, water, and nutrients into a patient’s bloodstream. Many hospitals have postponed nonemergency surgeries to conserve IV supplies for medical emergencies. Other IV manufacturing plants in the U.S. have increased production to help address the shortage.
The FDA has begun importing and assessing IV products from Baxter plants in other countries, with 100,000 units on each shipment. The shortage is improving, with about 50% more IV products available now than there were immediately after the hurricane.
Power and water are back on at the Baxter Manufacturing plant, and the company believes it can start production again by the end of this year.
The FDA has also released guidelines for pharmacies to produce IV drugs that are in short supply to help fill gaps during the shortage.
Hospitals continue to get IV fluids from FDA-approved sources, and the IV supply is steadily increasing.
We are still learning when the IV supply will be back to pre-hurricane levels.
Current science suggests this claim is true
E. coli food poisoning from McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers has sickened 75 people across 13 states, including Nebraska. There's been one death and 22 hospitalizations, including a child hospitalized with severe kidney complications. Nebraska had 11 cases with at least 8 of them in Douglas and Sarpy Counties and 3 of the hospitalized individuals were from the metro area. Infections occurred between Sept. 27 and Oct. 11. If you experience diarrhea or vomiting lasting over 2 days, contact your doctor immediately.
A multi-state E. coli outbreak has been linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounder hamburgers, with 90 cases reported across 13 states (CO, NE, WI, IA, KS, MI, MO, MT, NM, OR, UT, WA, WY). The outbreak has resulted in 27 hospitalizations and 1 death as of October 30th.
While the investigation is ongoing, the FDA inquiry has identified slivered onions as a likely contamination source. McDonald’s has temporarily halted the use of this ingredient in impacted states as a preventive measure and has announced plans to resume selling Quarter Pounders in all restaurants once it is safe to do so.
Symptoms of E. coli infection include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting, which can develop 3-4 days after exposure.
Precautions against E. coli infections include washing hands before food preparation, cooking meat to safe temperatures, using separate cutting boards for raw meat, storing and refrigerating food properly, and avoiding food preparation if experiencing symptoms like diarrhea or vomiting.
Because the onions have also been recalled and are no longer available for sale to food service businesses, the CDC believes the current risk to the public is low.
Additional cases may exist that have not yet been identified, as epidemiological investigations continue. The CDC urges individuals experiencing symptoms to seek medical attention if they suspect exposure.
E. coli food poisoning from McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers has sickened 75 people across 13 states, including Nebraska. There's been one death and 22 hospitalizations, including a child hospitalized with severe kidney complications. Nebraska had 11 cases with at least 8 of them in Douglas and Sarpy Counties and 3 of the hospitalized individuals were from the metro area. Infections occurred between Sept. 27 and Oct. 11. If you experience diarrhea or vomiting lasting over 2 days, contact your doctor immediately.
A multi-state E. coli outbreak has been linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounder hamburgers, with 90 cases reported across 13 states (CO, NE, WI, IA, KS, MI, MO, MT, NM, OR, UT, WA, WY). The outbreak has resulted in 27 hospitalizations and 1 death as of October 30th.
While the investigation is ongoing, the FDA inquiry has identified slivered onions as a likely contamination source. McDonald’s has temporarily halted the use of this ingredient in impacted states as a preventive measure and has announced plans to resume selling Quarter Pounders in all restaurants once it is safe to do so.
Symptoms of E. coli infection include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting, which can develop 3-4 days after exposure.
Precautions against E. coli infections include washing hands before food preparation, cooking meat to safe temperatures, using separate cutting boards for raw meat, storing and refrigerating food properly, and avoiding food preparation if experiencing symptoms like diarrhea or vomiting.
Because the onions have also been recalled and are no longer available for sale to food service businesses, the CDC believes the current risk to the public is low.
Additional cases may exist that have not yet been identified, as epidemiological investigations continue. The CDC urges individuals experiencing symptoms to seek medical attention if they suspect exposure.
Latest info suggests this claim is true.
A new American Cancer Society report showed the rate of new breast cancer cases increased by 1% each year from 2012-2021. A larger increase was observed among women younger than 50 years than those 50 or older (1.4% vs 0.7) and Asian American/Pacific Islander women in both age groups (2.7% and 2.5%). Women aged 40 to 74 at average risk for breast cancer are recommended to get a mammogram every 2 years.
The increased trends observed in recent years may be due to post-pandemic “catch-up” mammography and diagnoses in 2021. The steeper increases among Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) women may be influenced by variations in risk factors between immigrant and U.S.-born Asian women, with some studies suggesting different risk profiles for each group. In contrast, breast cancer death rates declined by 44% from 1989 to 2022, resulting in 517,900 fewer deaths during this period.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among women in the US. Breast cancer typically occurs in middle-aged or older women, with the median age at time of breast cancer diagnosis being 62 overall but younger for Hispanic (57 years), AAPI (57 years), Black (60 years), and AIAN (60 years) women compared to White women (64 years).
A painless lump in the breast or underarm lymph nodes is the most common sign of breast cancer. Other signs and symptoms include breast pain or heaviness; dimpling, swelling, thickening or redness; and nipple changes or discharge.
Lifestyle-related breast cancer risk factors include alcohol consumption, being overweight or obese, physical inactivity, not having children, not breastfeeding, taking birth control or menopausal hormone therapy, and breast implants. Some unchangeable risk factors for breast cancer include being born female, aging, inheriting certain gene changes, dense breasts, family history of breast cancer, and personal history of breast cancer.
Breast cancer screenings cannot prevent breast cancer, instead they help find breast cancer at its early stages when it is easier to treat. Along with routine screenings, monthly breast self-exams can also help in noticing changes in breasts or detect when something feels different.
Mammograms are the most common type of breast cancer screening, used for women above 40 with or without symptoms. For symptomatic women younger than 40, a breast ultrasound test is recommended. Breast ultrasounds are especially useful for women with dense breast tissue. Both breast MRI and a yearly mammogram are recommended for certain women at high risk of breast cancer.
Treatment options for breast cancer include surgery, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, biological therapy, and radiation therapy. Choice of treatment option is dependent on the type of cancer and the extent of its spread. Consultations with cancer doctors are recommended when deciding on treatment options available according to type and stage of cancer, as well as risks/benefits and side effects.
Further research is needed to identify why women who are younger than 50 and are Asian American/Pacific Islander experience increased rates of new breast cancer cases.
Breast cancer researchers are still learning how certain risk factors play a role in breast cancer development.
A new American Cancer Society report showed the rate of new breast cancer cases increased by 1% each year from 2012-2021. A larger increase was observed among women younger than 50 years than those 50 or older (1.4% vs 0.7) and Asian American/Pacific Islander women in both age groups (2.7% and 2.5%). Women aged 40 to 74 at average risk for breast cancer are recommended to get a mammogram every 2 years.
The increased trends observed in recent years may be due to post-pandemic “catch-up” mammography and diagnoses in 2021. The steeper increases among Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) women may be influenced by variations in risk factors between immigrant and U.S.-born Asian women, with some studies suggesting different risk profiles for each group. In contrast, breast cancer death rates declined by 44% from 1989 to 2022, resulting in 517,900 fewer deaths during this period.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among women in the US. Breast cancer typically occurs in middle-aged or older women, with the median age at time of breast cancer diagnosis being 62 overall but younger for Hispanic (57 years), AAPI (57 years), Black (60 years), and AIAN (60 years) women compared to White women (64 years).
A painless lump in the breast or underarm lymph nodes is the most common sign of breast cancer. Other signs and symptoms include breast pain or heaviness; dimpling, swelling, thickening or redness; and nipple changes or discharge.
Lifestyle-related breast cancer risk factors include alcohol consumption, being overweight or obese, physical inactivity, not having children, not breastfeeding, taking birth control or menopausal hormone therapy, and breast implants. Some unchangeable risk factors for breast cancer include being born female, aging, inheriting certain gene changes, dense breasts, family history of breast cancer, and personal history of breast cancer.
Breast cancer screenings cannot prevent breast cancer, instead they help find breast cancer at its early stages when it is easier to treat. Along with routine screenings, monthly breast self-exams can also help in noticing changes in breasts or detect when something feels different.
Mammograms are the most common type of breast cancer screening, used for women above 40 with or without symptoms. For symptomatic women younger than 40, a breast ultrasound test is recommended. Breast ultrasounds are especially useful for women with dense breast tissue. Both breast MRI and a yearly mammogram are recommended for certain women at high risk of breast cancer.
Treatment options for breast cancer include surgery, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, biological therapy, and radiation therapy. Choice of treatment option is dependent on the type of cancer and the extent of its spread. Consultations with cancer doctors are recommended when deciding on treatment options available according to type and stage of cancer, as well as risks/benefits and side effects.
Further research is needed to identify why women who are younger than 50 and are Asian American/Pacific Islander experience increased rates of new breast cancer cases.
Breast cancer researchers are still learning how certain risk factors play a role in breast cancer development.
This is false
This false claim comes from a misleading social media video clip pulled from a BBC documentary. The documentary referred to an early vaccine in development in Australia that never went to larger clinical trials. Taken out of context of the full documentary, the clip implies that the HIV virus was in the COVID vaccine. However, the vaccine only contained a fragment of an HIV protein for structural purposes, not the HIV virus itself. It would have been impossible to get HIV from it.
The BBC program, titled “Horizon Special: The Vaccine,” documented the development of a COVID vaccine by the University of Queensland and biotechnology company CSL, which ultimately did not reach the market. The documentary explains how this vaccine was designed using an HIV protein to stabilize the structure of the coronavirus spike protein.
The fragment of the HIV protein, which was not a live HIV virus, triggered some people in clinical trials to develop antibodies for HIV. There was never HIV infection, or any risk of it from the vaccine, but because of the antibodies it caused false-positive HIV results in some people and was halted. Follow-up tests confirmed that all positive HIV-test results were false-positives, meaning that they did not actually have HIV even though their tests were positive.
The reason a protein in HIV was chosen is because it has been well-studied and is very understood. This protein plays no role in helping HIV replicate itself and is a highly stable structure.
This early vaccine was halted in trials due to the possibility of affecting HIV diagnostic tests, and there was never any risk of getting HIV from the fragment of a protein present in the trial vaccine.
While no COVID vaccine people receive contains HIV, the mRNA technology used in making the COVID vaccination is a promising technical advance for creating an HIV vaccine. Scientists are still trying to create an effective vaccine to protect people from HIV.
This false claim comes from a misleading social media video clip pulled from a BBC documentary. The documentary referred to an early vaccine in development in Australia that never went to larger clinical trials. Taken out of context of the full documentary, the clip implies that the HIV virus was in the COVID vaccine. However, the vaccine only contained a fragment of an HIV protein for structural purposes, not the HIV virus itself. It would have been impossible to get HIV from it.
The BBC program, titled “Horizon Special: The Vaccine,” documented the development of a COVID vaccine by the University of Queensland and biotechnology company CSL, which ultimately did not reach the market. The documentary explains how this vaccine was designed using an HIV protein to stabilize the structure of the coronavirus spike protein.
The fragment of the HIV protein, which was not a live HIV virus, triggered some people in clinical trials to develop antibodies for HIV. There was never HIV infection, or any risk of it from the vaccine, but because of the antibodies it caused false-positive HIV results in some people and was halted. Follow-up tests confirmed that all positive HIV-test results were false-positives, meaning that they did not actually have HIV even though their tests were positive.
The reason a protein in HIV was chosen is because it has been well-studied and is very understood. This protein plays no role in helping HIV replicate itself and is a highly stable structure.
This early vaccine was halted in trials due to the possibility of affecting HIV diagnostic tests, and there was never any risk of getting HIV from the fragment of a protein present in the trial vaccine.
While no COVID vaccine people receive contains HIV, the mRNA technology used in making the COVID vaccination is a promising technical advance for creating an HIV vaccine. Scientists are still trying to create an effective vaccine to protect people from HIV.
Latest info suggests this claim is true
New data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey shows that the overall use of tobacco products among teenagers grades 6-12 has declined from 2.8 million last year to 2.25 million in 2024 and is the lowest it has been in 25 years. Health officials credit the decline to health education efforts and policies limiting underage access and use of tobacco products. E-cigarettes (or vape pens) remain the most commonly used tobacco product by this age group, followed by nicotine pouches.
The survey conducted by the CDC involved middle (grades 6–8) and high school students (grades 9–12), with 29,660 students from 283 U.S. schools participating between January and May 2024.
While tobacco use is down overall, public health officials continue to strive to lower these numbers further. For example, while the overall use of tobacco products has fallen, nicotine pouch use rose to the second most common tobacco product among teens.
Nicotine pouches are disposable pouches that contain either nicotine from the tobacco plant or synthetic nicotine. The flavored pouch is placed between the gum and lower lip, and nicotine absorbs into the bloodstream through the gums, similar to other smoke-free products such as dip, chew, and snuff.
Some pouches are marketed as being “tobacco free” because they contain synthetic nicotine and not nicotine derived from tobacco. These pouches are still addictive, and synthetic nicotine has the same effect as tobacco-derived nicotine.
E-cigarette use, or vaping, continues to be the leading source of tobacco use among teens. E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that heat liquid into a vapor that can be inhaled. Some e-cigarettes that are marketed to contain zero nicotine have been found to contain nicotine. No tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, are safe.
E-cigarette flavorings, separate from the nicotine product they contain, have also been linked to lung cancer, as some substances that are safe to eat are not safe to be inhaled.
The complete long-term effects of nicotine pouches and e-cigarette use are still not known because the product is still relatively new.
New data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey shows that the overall use of tobacco products among teenagers grades 6-12 has declined from 2.8 million last year to 2.25 million in 2024 and is the lowest it has been in 25 years. Health officials credit the decline to health education efforts and policies limiting underage access and use of tobacco products. E-cigarettes (or vape pens) remain the most commonly used tobacco product by this age group, followed by nicotine pouches.
The survey conducted by the CDC involved middle (grades 6–8) and high school students (grades 9–12), with 29,660 students from 283 U.S. schools participating between January and May 2024.
While tobacco use is down overall, public health officials continue to strive to lower these numbers further. For example, while the overall use of tobacco products has fallen, nicotine pouch use rose to the second most common tobacco product among teens.
Nicotine pouches are disposable pouches that contain either nicotine from the tobacco plant or synthetic nicotine. The flavored pouch is placed between the gum and lower lip, and nicotine absorbs into the bloodstream through the gums, similar to other smoke-free products such as dip, chew, and snuff.
Some pouches are marketed as being “tobacco free” because they contain synthetic nicotine and not nicotine derived from tobacco. These pouches are still addictive, and synthetic nicotine has the same effect as tobacco-derived nicotine.
E-cigarette use, or vaping, continues to be the leading source of tobacco use among teens. E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that heat liquid into a vapor that can be inhaled. Some e-cigarettes that are marketed to contain zero nicotine have been found to contain nicotine. No tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, are safe.
E-cigarette flavorings, separate from the nicotine product they contain, have also been linked to lung cancer, as some substances that are safe to eat are not safe to be inhaled.
The complete long-term effects of nicotine pouches and e-cigarette use are still not known because the product is still relatively new.
Latest info suggests this claim is true
The number of whooping cough cases this year is 14,569 as of September 25th. This is up from 3,475 cases recorded in all of 2023. Before COVID, the U.S. averaged over 10,000 cases per year. Vaccination rates for whooping cough dropped during the pandemic, and children are still catching up on their vaccines. This means that whooping cough cases are returning to pre-pandemic levels, and they may be slightly higher due to fewer vaccinated people. Whooping cough cases were also rising before the pandemic, and researchers are still learning what factors are contributing to this trend.
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a bacterial respiratory disease that can be deadly, especially to young children and babies. Early symptoms (1-2 weeks) usually look like the common cold. The next stage of the illness (2-10 weeks) is more severe and includes violent coughing fits that can cause vomiting, difficulty breathing, and fractured ribs. After recovery (2-3 weeks), people are more susceptible to respiratory viruses for months.
Antibiotics are only effective within the early stages of this disease; once a severe cough develops, treatment is not effective. This is because the bacteria that antibiotics target are gone after 2-3 weeks, and the severe cough is a result of the damage the bacteria already did to the airways. At this point, antibiotics won’t improve the coughing.
Many babies with whooping cough don’t cough, and instead struggle to breathe or have life-threatening pauses in their breathing. For other babies, the illness looks like a common cold throughout its duration. In general, whooping cough is more likely to be severe in children than in adults. Babies under one year old are especially at risk.
The recent spike in whooping cough cases is particularly affecting unvaccinated children. Everyone should ensure they are up to date on their whooping cough vaccine, either DTaP or Tdap depending on age.
DTaP is given to children in five doses, typically at 2, 4, and 6 months, then at 15-18 months, and again between 4-6 years. The letter "P" in DTaP and Tdap represents protection against pertussis or whooping cough. The letter "T" shows they also help protect against tetanus. The letter "D/d" shows they also help protect against diphtheria.
Tdap is also recommended for preteens around age 11-12 and for adults every 10 years as a booster. Pregnant women should also get a dose during weeks 27-36 of to protect newborns.
Vaccinations for whooping cough are effective but protection wanes over time. Even if someone gets the vaccine and still gets sick, the vaccine reduces the severity of the illness and reduces the chance of hospitalization.
In 1997, public health officials began recommending Tdap or DTaP vaccines over the DTP vaccine, which was an older whooping cough vaccine that had rare cases of dangerous vaccine reactions. Today, only Tdap and DTaP vaccines are used. We are still learning about the long-term effectiveness of these vaccines.
The number of whooping cough cases this year is 14,569 as of September 25th. This is up from 3,475 cases recorded in all of 2023. Before COVID, the U.S. averaged over 10,000 cases per year. Vaccination rates for whooping cough dropped during the pandemic, and children are still catching up on their vaccines. This means that whooping cough cases are returning to pre-pandemic levels, and they may be slightly higher due to fewer vaccinated people. Whooping cough cases were also rising before the pandemic, and researchers are still learning what factors are contributing to this trend.
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a bacterial respiratory disease that can be deadly, especially to young children and babies. Early symptoms (1-2 weeks) usually look like the common cold. The next stage of the illness (2-10 weeks) is more severe and includes violent coughing fits that can cause vomiting, difficulty breathing, and fractured ribs. After recovery (2-3 weeks), people are more susceptible to respiratory viruses for months.
Antibiotics are only effective within the early stages of this disease; once a severe cough develops, treatment is not effective. This is because the bacteria that antibiotics target are gone after 2-3 weeks, and the severe cough is a result of the damage the bacteria already did to the airways. At this point, antibiotics won’t improve the coughing.
Many babies with whooping cough don’t cough, and instead struggle to breathe or have life-threatening pauses in their breathing. For other babies, the illness looks like a common cold throughout its duration. In general, whooping cough is more likely to be severe in children than in adults. Babies under one year old are especially at risk.
The recent spike in whooping cough cases is particularly affecting unvaccinated children. Everyone should ensure they are up to date on their whooping cough vaccine, either DTaP or Tdap depending on age.
DTaP is given to children in five doses, typically at 2, 4, and 6 months, then at 15-18 months, and again between 4-6 years. The letter "P" in DTaP and Tdap represents protection against pertussis or whooping cough. The letter "T" shows they also help protect against tetanus. The letter "D/d" shows they also help protect against diphtheria.
Tdap is also recommended for preteens around age 11-12 and for adults every 10 years as a booster. Pregnant women should also get a dose during weeks 27-36 of to protect newborns.
Vaccinations for whooping cough are effective but protection wanes over time. Even if someone gets the vaccine and still gets sick, the vaccine reduces the severity of the illness and reduces the chance of hospitalization.
In 1997, public health officials began recommending Tdap or DTaP vaccines over the DTP vaccine, which was an older whooping cough vaccine that had rare cases of dangerous vaccine reactions. Today, only Tdap and DTaP vaccines are used. We are still learning about the long-term effectiveness of these vaccines.
KNOW
FROM
September’s Hurricane Helene damaged the largest manufacturer of intravenous or IV fluids in the U.S. Baxter Manufacturing makes IV supplies for medical facilities. IV fluids deliver medicine, water, and nutrients into a patient’s bloodstream. Many hospitals have postponed nonemergency surgeries to conserve IV supplies for medical emergencies. Other IV manufacturing plants in the U.S. have increased production to help address the shortage.
The FDA has begun importing and assessing IV products from Baxter plants in other countries, with 100,000 units on each shipment. The shortage is improving, with about 50% more IV products available now than there were immediately after the hurricane.
Power and water are back on at the Baxter Manufacturing plant, and the company believes it can start production again by the end of this year.
The FDA has also released guidelines for pharmacies to produce IV drugs that are in short supply to help fill gaps during the shortage.
Hospitals continue to get IV fluids from FDA-approved sources, and the IV supply is steadily increasing.
We are still learning when the IV supply will be back to pre-hurricane levels.
heard this concern.
KNOW
FROM
E. coli food poisoning from McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers has sickened 75 people across 13 states, including Nebraska. There's been one death and 22 hospitalizations, including a child hospitalized with severe kidney complications. Nebraska had 11 cases with at least 8 of them in Douglas and Sarpy Counties and 3 of the hospitalized individuals were from the metro area. Infections occurred between Sept. 27 and Oct. 11. If you experience diarrhea or vomiting lasting over 2 days, contact your doctor immediately.
A multi-state E. coli outbreak has been linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounder hamburgers, with 90 cases reported across 13 states (CO, NE, WI, IA, KS, MI, MO, MT, NM, OR, UT, WA, WY). The outbreak has resulted in 27 hospitalizations and 1 death as of October 30th.
While the investigation is ongoing, the FDA inquiry has identified slivered onions as a likely contamination source. McDonald’s has temporarily halted the use of this ingredient in impacted states as a preventive measure and has announced plans to resume selling Quarter Pounders in all restaurants once it is safe to do so.
Symptoms of E. coli infection include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting, which can develop 3-4 days after exposure.
Precautions against E. coli infections include washing hands before food preparation, cooking meat to safe temperatures, using separate cutting boards for raw meat, storing and refrigerating food properly, and avoiding food preparation if experiencing symptoms like diarrhea or vomiting.
Because the onions have also been recalled and are no longer available for sale to food service businesses, the CDC believes the current risk to the public is low.
Additional cases may exist that have not yet been identified, as epidemiological investigations continue. The CDC urges individuals experiencing symptoms to seek medical attention if they suspect exposure.
heard this concern.
KNOW
FROM
A new American Cancer Society report showed the rate of new breast cancer cases increased by 1% each year from 2012-2021. A larger increase was observed among women younger than 50 years than those 50 or older (1.4% vs 0.7) and Asian American/Pacific Islander women in both age groups (2.7% and 2.5%). Women aged 40 to 74 at average risk for breast cancer are recommended to get a mammogram every 2 years.
The increased trends observed in recent years may be due to post-pandemic “catch-up” mammography and diagnoses in 2021. The steeper increases among Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) women may be influenced by variations in risk factors between immigrant and U.S.-born Asian women, with some studies suggesting different risk profiles for each group. In contrast, breast cancer death rates declined by 44% from 1989 to 2022, resulting in 517,900 fewer deaths during this period.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among women in the US. Breast cancer typically occurs in middle-aged or older women, with the median age at time of breast cancer diagnosis being 62 overall but younger for Hispanic (57 years), AAPI (57 years), Black (60 years), and AIAN (60 years) women compared to White women (64 years).
A painless lump in the breast or underarm lymph nodes is the most common sign of breast cancer. Other signs and symptoms include breast pain or heaviness; dimpling, swelling, thickening or redness; and nipple changes or discharge.
Lifestyle-related breast cancer risk factors include alcohol consumption, being overweight or obese, physical inactivity, not having children, not breastfeeding, taking birth control or menopausal hormone therapy, and breast implants. Some unchangeable risk factors for breast cancer include being born female, aging, inheriting certain gene changes, dense breasts, family history of breast cancer, and personal history of breast cancer.
Breast cancer screenings cannot prevent breast cancer, instead they help find breast cancer at its early stages when it is easier to treat. Along with routine screenings, monthly breast self-exams can also help in noticing changes in breasts or detect when something feels different.
Mammograms are the most common type of breast cancer screening, used for women above 40 with or without symptoms. For symptomatic women younger than 40, a breast ultrasound test is recommended. Breast ultrasounds are especially useful for women with dense breast tissue. Both breast MRI and a yearly mammogram are recommended for certain women at high risk of breast cancer.
Treatment options for breast cancer include surgery, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, biological therapy, and radiation therapy. Choice of treatment option is dependent on the type of cancer and the extent of its spread. Consultations with cancer doctors are recommended when deciding on treatment options available according to type and stage of cancer, as well as risks/benefits and side effects.
Further research is needed to identify why women who are younger than 50 and are Asian American/Pacific Islander experience increased rates of new breast cancer cases.
Breast cancer researchers are still learning how certain risk factors play a role in breast cancer development.
heard this concern.
KNOW
FROM
This false claim comes from a misleading social media video clip pulled from a BBC documentary. The documentary referred to an early vaccine in development in Australia that never went to larger clinical trials. Taken out of context of the full documentary, the clip implies that the HIV virus was in the COVID vaccine. However, the vaccine only contained a fragment of an HIV protein for structural purposes, not the HIV virus itself. It would have been impossible to get HIV from it.
The BBC program, titled “Horizon Special: The Vaccine,” documented the development of a COVID vaccine by the University of Queensland and biotechnology company CSL, which ultimately did not reach the market. The documentary explains how this vaccine was designed using an HIV protein to stabilize the structure of the coronavirus spike protein.
The fragment of the HIV protein, which was not a live HIV virus, triggered some people in clinical trials to develop antibodies for HIV. There was never HIV infection, or any risk of it from the vaccine, but because of the antibodies it caused false-positive HIV results in some people and was halted. Follow-up tests confirmed that all positive HIV-test results were false-positives, meaning that they did not actually have HIV even though their tests were positive.
The reason a protein in HIV was chosen is because it has been well-studied and is very understood. This protein plays no role in helping HIV replicate itself and is a highly stable structure.
This early vaccine was halted in trials due to the possibility of affecting HIV diagnostic tests, and there was never any risk of getting HIV from the fragment of a protein present in the trial vaccine.
While no COVID vaccine people receive contains HIV, the mRNA technology used in making the COVID vaccination is a promising technical advance for creating an HIV vaccine. Scientists are still trying to create an effective vaccine to protect people from HIV.
heard this concern.
KNOW
FROM
New data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey shows that the overall use of tobacco products among teenagers grades 6-12 has declined from 2.8 million last year to 2.25 million in 2024 and is the lowest it has been in 25 years. Health officials credit the decline to health education efforts and policies limiting underage access and use of tobacco products. E-cigarettes (or vape pens) remain the most commonly used tobacco product by this age group, followed by nicotine pouches.
The survey conducted by the CDC involved middle (grades 6–8) and high school students (grades 9–12), with 29,660 students from 283 U.S. schools participating between January and May 2024.
While tobacco use is down overall, public health officials continue to strive to lower these numbers further. For example, while the overall use of tobacco products has fallen, nicotine pouch use rose to the second most common tobacco product among teens.
Nicotine pouches are disposable pouches that contain either nicotine from the tobacco plant or synthetic nicotine. The flavored pouch is placed between the gum and lower lip, and nicotine absorbs into the bloodstream through the gums, similar to other smoke-free products such as dip, chew, and snuff.
Some pouches are marketed as being “tobacco free” because they contain synthetic nicotine and not nicotine derived from tobacco. These pouches are still addictive, and synthetic nicotine has the same effect as tobacco-derived nicotine.
E-cigarette use, or vaping, continues to be the leading source of tobacco use among teens. E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that heat liquid into a vapor that can be inhaled. Some e-cigarettes that are marketed to contain zero nicotine have been found to contain nicotine. No tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, are safe.
E-cigarette flavorings, separate from the nicotine product they contain, have also been linked to lung cancer, as some substances that are safe to eat are not safe to be inhaled.
The complete long-term effects of nicotine pouches and e-cigarette use are still not known because the product is still relatively new.
heard this concern.
KNOW
FROM
The number of whooping cough cases this year is 14,569 as of September 25th. This is up from 3,475 cases recorded in all of 2023. Before COVID, the U.S. averaged over 10,000 cases per year. Vaccination rates for whooping cough dropped during the pandemic, and children are still catching up on their vaccines. This means that whooping cough cases are returning to pre-pandemic levels, and they may be slightly higher due to fewer vaccinated people. Whooping cough cases were also rising before the pandemic, and researchers are still learning what factors are contributing to this trend.
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a bacterial respiratory disease that can be deadly, especially to young children and babies. Early symptoms (1-2 weeks) usually look like the common cold. The next stage of the illness (2-10 weeks) is more severe and includes violent coughing fits that can cause vomiting, difficulty breathing, and fractured ribs. After recovery (2-3 weeks), people are more susceptible to respiratory viruses for months.
Antibiotics are only effective within the early stages of this disease; once a severe cough develops, treatment is not effective. This is because the bacteria that antibiotics target are gone after 2-3 weeks, and the severe cough is a result of the damage the bacteria already did to the airways. At this point, antibiotics won’t improve the coughing.
Many babies with whooping cough don’t cough, and instead struggle to breathe or have life-threatening pauses in their breathing. For other babies, the illness looks like a common cold throughout its duration. In general, whooping cough is more likely to be severe in children than in adults. Babies under one year old are especially at risk.
The recent spike in whooping cough cases is particularly affecting unvaccinated children. Everyone should ensure they are up to date on their whooping cough vaccine, either DTaP or Tdap depending on age.
DTaP is given to children in five doses, typically at 2, 4, and 6 months, then at 15-18 months, and again between 4-6 years. The letter "P" in DTaP and Tdap represents protection against pertussis or whooping cough. The letter "T" shows they also help protect against tetanus. The letter "D/d" shows they also help protect against diphtheria.
Tdap is also recommended for preteens around age 11-12 and for adults every 10 years as a booster. Pregnant women should also get a dose during weeks 27-36 of to protect newborns.
Vaccinations for whooping cough are effective but protection wanes over time. Even if someone gets the vaccine and still gets sick, the vaccine reduces the severity of the illness and reduces the chance of hospitalization.
In 1997, public health officials began recommending Tdap or DTaP vaccines over the DTP vaccine, which was an older whooping cough vaccine that had rare cases of dangerous vaccine reactions. Today, only Tdap and DTaP vaccines are used. We are still learning about the long-term effectiveness of these vaccines.
heard this concern.