First came the pandemic, then came inflation. Americans already feel anxiety caused by rising prices. However, experts say that women are feeling it more acutely. A mix of factors – including a gender imbalance in household duties and pandemic-induced financial insecurity exacerbated by an increase in childcare costs – are all impacting women’s mental wellbeing….
Read More “Inflation has hit women more ‘acutely.’ Here’s why.” »
The US should pursue a COVID-19 booster strategy that focuses on developing new shots that better protect against omicron and its subvariants, according to a recommendation from a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee. The group of independent medical experts voted 19-2 on Tuesday that the COVID-19 boosters should include omicron and its subvariants. They…
Read More “FDA advisers say the US needs updated COVID-19 boosters to fight omicron” »
Emotionally, the slog of the second year of COVID-19 proved as distressing as the shock of the first. As 2021 served up a steady diet of uncertainty, including from the pandemic, the world became a slightly sadder, more worried and more stressed-out place than it was the year before. That pushed the annual Gallup’s Negative…
Read More “The world was unhappier and more stressed than ever — then war, inflation hit” »
US stocks rose on Tuesday, finding support after China moved to ease some COVID-19 restrictions, though worries about both inflation and the threat of recession were seen limiting gains. What’s happening The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA rose 150 points, or 0.5%, to 31,589. The S&P 500 SPX gained 12 points, or 0.3%, to trade…
Read More “US stocks bounce back after a sluggish session” »
Consumers are spending more on goods and services, but they aren’t the only ones feeling a pinch. Small-business owners are facing their own constraints: higher prices and delays for supplies they need to serve their customers. Small businesses have fewer options than their bigger counterparts. When the going gets tough, they often lack the other…
Read More “Inflation is hitting small businesses hardest in these cities and states” »
The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have both authorized Pfizer PFE, + 2.99% and Moderna’s MRNA, + 0.71% COVID-19 vaccines for kids under 5, and the Biden administration said that 10 million initial COVID vaccination doses could start being administered to young children beginning Tuesday, June 21. The…
Read More “COVID vaccines for kids under 5 – what parents need to know” »
A panel of advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted unanimously Thursday to recommend Moderna’s COVID vaccine for children and adolescents aged 6 to 17. The move is expected to lead CDC head Dr. Rochelle Walensky to sign off on the vaccine for that age group, offering a second option along with…
As global monkeypox cases spread, there are plenty of questions about how people can protect themselves Part of stopping the spread has included the CDC raising its travel advisory alert to “Level 2” (out of three), which recommends that travelers “practice enhanced precautions.” These include avoiding close contact with sick people and their bedding or…
Read More “What is monkeypox? Is there a vaccine? What to know about the virus” »
COVID cases are again surging in Europe, driven by the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of the omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that are deemed to be 10% to 15% more infectious than earlier virus iterations and are spreading fast in. Portugal, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, the Netherlands and Denmark. In France, cases have…
Retailers and consumer-goods companies are taking steps to circumvent the supply-chain bottlenecks at West Coast ports and in other parts of the supply network, but Moody’s warns that some actions could have negative consequences. Supply-chain challenges during the COVID pandemic are not new; companies took sometimes dramatic steps to save Christmas in 2021. Even as…
