HEALTH AND SCIENCE HIGHLIGHTS

July 18, 2024 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

Children receive first doses of new malaria vaccine, hailed as major milestone (CNN)

Tampons contain lead, arsenic and potentially toxic chemicals, studies say. Here’s what to know (CNN)

Mystery of Gulf War Syndrome Finally Solved by Immunologists (Newsweek)

SCIENCE AND TECH

Cave discovered on Moon could be home for humans  (BBC) 

'Unprecedented' Sea Level Rise Is Making Earth's Days Longer (Newsweek)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

HEALTH

Children receive first doses of new malaria vaccine, hailed as major milestone (CNN)

Children in Ivory Coast received the first doses of a new, relatively cheap malaria vaccine on Monday, a step that has been hailed as a major milestone in the battle against one of the world’s most deadly diseases. The R21 vaccine, developed by the Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford and the Serum Institute of India (SII), has been sent to several African countries...The vaccine costs less than $4 a dose, making it “realistic to roll out in many tens of millions of doses from now on,” and it has high efficacy levels of around 75%-80% in young children...

Tampons contain lead, arsenic and potentially toxic chemicals, studies say. Here’s what to know (CNN)

The average menstruating person will spend about five years of their total reproductive lifespan using an estimated 11,000 tampons, sanitary pads, panty liners and other menstrual products...What if some of those menstrual aids contain heavy metals or potentially toxic chemicals linked to chronic diseases and reproductive and developmental problems?

Mystery of Gulf War Syndrome Finally Solved by Immunologists (Newsweek)

"This research is life-changing for the Gulf War Vets," a veteran and Gulf War Illness advocate said... In a study published in the journal PLOS One, the research team said that molecules involved in transporting calcium into our cells were defective in veterans with Gulf War Illness. Calcium plays a crucial role in cellular signalling, helping to regulate a range of essential functions, including muscle contraction, nerve function and hormone secretion... Previous studies have found clear relationships between environmental toxins and damage to these calcium-transporting structures, such as biological and chemical war agents... the researchers hope we will soon be able to develop effective treatments to cure or at least manage the symptoms of Gulf War Illness.

SCIENCE AND TECH

Cave discovered on Moon could be home for humans  (BBC) 

It is the first cave to be discovered on the moon and could protect astronauts from radiation.

'Unprecedented' Sea Level Rise Is Making Earth's Days Longer (Newsweek)

"The melting of ice sheets and global glaciers results in sea-level rise, resulting in an increase in the length of day," researchers wrote in a paper.