HEALTH

A Boston hospital is defending itself after a man’s family claimed he was denied a new heart for refusing to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

The American Lung Association has released its 20th annual State Of Tobacco Control Report, and it’s a mixed bag of news for Florida.

Moderna has begun testing an omicron-specific version of its COVID-19 vaccine in healthy adults.

The issue of whether George Floyd was suffering from the disputed condition of “excited delirium” the day he was killed has resurfaced at the federal trial of three former Minneapolis police officers charged with depriving him of his civil rights.

A requirement to get vaccinated against COVID-19 kicks in Thursday for millions of health care workers in about half the states.

Athletes headed to the Olympics are facing COVID-19 testing hurdles as organizers seek to catch any infections early and keep the virus at bay.

It’s been six months since closing arguments were held in the first lawsuit over the U.S. addiction epidemic to go to trial.

France’s government is pledging to investigate what it called “absolutely revolting” allegations that a world leader in care for older adults has been putting profit before quality, rationing food and other items for nursing home residents.

Medicare says it's shining a light on key markers for nursing home quality.

The number of Czech citizens dying of COVID-19 has been steadily declining despite a record surge in coronavirus infections caused by the highly transmittable omicron variant.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced Wednesday it will add four new members to its board of trustees.

The number of people infected with Guinea worm dropped to just over a dozen worldwide last year as health workers try to eradicate the disease.

Romania has recorded a huge jump in COVID-19 infections, hitting a pandemic record of nearly 35,000 daily cases, almost doubling its previous record set only a day earlier.

The German government has cut its growth forecast for this year.

The World Health Organization says there were 21 million new coronavirus cases reported globally last week.

British and Australian navy ships arrived in Tonga and attempted to deliver aid without making contact with anybody ashore to avoid spreading the coronavirus in a nation which has never had an outbreak.

Pope Francis is suffering from an inflamed ligament in his right knee that makes walking and going up and down stairs painful.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is bracing for the conclusions of an investigation into allegations of lockdown-breaching parties.

Germany’s parliament is holding its first debate on a possible wide-ranging coronavirus vaccine mandate.

A growing number of people in Germany have joined grassroots initiatives and demonstrations to speak out against vaccination opponents, conspiracy theorists and far-right extremists who have been protesting COVID-19 measures.

Repeated COVID-19 testing of millions of Beijing residents is starting to test the patience of some as the city clamps down on the virus ahead of the coming Winter Olympics.

South Korea is enforcing new COVID-19 response measures, including reduced quarantine periods and expanded rapid testing as its new cases jumped nearly 50% in a day.

New Orleans' health director says she won't take part in a satirical Mardi Gras-season parade, one of the season's earliest, citing threats since COVID-19 restrictions were resumed.

Achalasia causes a spasm in the esophagus, preventing food from reaching the stomach.

Scientists and health officials are keeping their eyes on a descendant of the omicron variant that has been found in at least 40 countries.

Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. It affects more than 2.7 million individuals age 40 or older in the United States, and in some cases, it can also affect children.

The Biden administration has officially withdrawn a rule that would have required workers at big companies to get vaccinated or face regular COVID testing requirements.

Haiti's health minister says the country is fighting a rise in COVID-19 cases as the government struggles to convince people to get vaccinated.

The COVID-19 booster drive in the U.S. is losing steam, worrying health experts who have pleaded with Americans to get an extra shot to shore up their protection against the highly contagious omicron variant.

U.S. health officials say COVID-19 antibody drugs from Regeneron and Eli Lilly should no longer be used because they don't work against the omicron variant.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has further eased his country’s coronavirus lockdown.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has vowed to fight a decision from federal health regulators to block two coronavirus antibody treatments after the drugs were found to be ineffective against treating the widespread omicron variant.

Anti-vaccine activist Robert F.

An appeals judge has temporarily restored New York’s mask mandate.

Thailand has become the first country in Asia to approve the de facto decriminalization of marijuana.

The number of COVID-19 patients in the Czech Republic has begun to grow amid a record surge of infections driven by the highly contagious omicron variant.

Pfizer and BioNTech have begun studying a COVID-19 vaccine tweaked to match to the omicron variant in healthy adults.

The “partygate” scandal that threatens to derail U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s administration has deepened as police opened an investigation into gatherings at government offices that allegedly violated COVID-19 lockdown rules.

Hong Kong has expanded a partial lockdown and tightened pandemic restrictions after more than 200 cases of COVID-19 were discovered at a public housing estate.

Opponents of abortion rights insist their work won't end even if the Supreme Court decides to dismantle the Roe v.

South Korea has recorded more than 8,000 new coronavirus infections for the first time as health authorities reshape the country’s pandemic response to address a surge driven by the highly contagious omicron variant.

New research suggests giving extra cash to low-income mothers can change their infants’ brain development.

World health officials are offering hope that the ebbing of the omicron wave could usher in a new, more manageable phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says his government will remove coronavirus testing requirements for vaccinated people arriving in England.

Belgium’s health ministers have approved a recommendation to use a fourth dose of coronavirus vaccine to better protect people with a weakened immune system against the virus.

The head of the World Health Organization is warning that conditions remain ideal for more coronavirus variants to emerge and says it’s dangerous to assume omicron is the last one or that “we are in the endgame.”.

Top-ranked player Novak Djokovic could be allowed to defend his French Open title under the latest COVID-19 rules adopted Monday by the French government, even if he is still not vaccinated when the clay-court Grand Slam starts in May.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Germany’s 16 state governors are talking about charting the country’s way forward in the coronavirus pandemic.

South Korea will expand rapid testing and shorten quarantines as it reshapes its pandemic response to deal with a faster-than-expected surge in coronavirus infections driven by the highly contagious omicron variant.

Chinese authorities are testing some 2 million residents of Beijing after a series of virus cases prompted concerns two weeks ahead of the opening of the Winter Olympics.

Several viewers got in touch to say they thought they had seen a lump under Shirley Ballas's arm.

The field’s future lies in reclaiming parts of its past that it willingly abandoned.

First day rituals old and new marked CPS's first full day back to school.

Gardaí are investigating reports of abusive calls to Ireland's chief medical officer and his deputy.

The mice aren’t just causing chaos in homes, farms and hospitals.

Following through on a promise he made in May, Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state clemency board pardoned all Floridians who were arrested or fined for violating local COVID restrictions.

Intelligence agencies have long pored over what little information escapes North Korea for hints of life inside the Hermit Kingdom.

While public opinion of the medical care system has improved, a survey found opinion of local health departments and federal agencies has declined.

Should I take a vaccine selfie? Can I ask someone else if they've been vaccinated? How do I talk to family members about the shots? Vaccines bring new etiquette questions.

CDC pleads with Americans to take precautions amid rise in COVID cases Health officials are pleading with Americans to follow protective measures as coronavirus cases rise across the nation. As Mola Lenghi shows us, new infections are up 10% and hospitalizations are trending in the wrong direction. Then, Dr. Uzma Syed, an infectious disease specialist, joins CBSN's Elaine Quijano with more.

Health officials warn of potential spring break COVID surge as Americans travel Health officials are warning of a potential surge of COVID-19 cases around spring break. The warning comes as more than a million Americans traveled through U.S. airports on Monday. CBS News reporter Alex Tin joins CBSN's "Red & Blue" anchor Elaine Quijano with more on the variant that's expected to become dominant by April, as well as the latest on a new vaccine trial involving children as young as 6 months old.

Health experts fear COVID-19 surge as states lift restrictions Health officials are urging Texas residents to keep wearing masks and social distance even as restrictions are lifted. Janet Shamlian has more.

Sweeping COVID restriction rollbacks worry health experts Health officials are urging caution as states begin some of the biggest rollbacks in restrictions since the pandemic began. Nikki Battiste reports.

U.S. confirms first case of U.K. COVID-19 variant as cases and deaths rise Health officials in Colorado have identified the first case of a new coronavirus variant first detected in the U.K. CBS News correspondent Meg Oliver reports on the surge in infections already happening across the country, and Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider, internal medicine physician at California Pacific Medical Center, joined CBSN to discuss what we know about the new variant and the challenges hospitals are facing.

“All public health officials must make it clear that if you are over 65 or with significant health conditions, you should not enter any indoor public spaces where anyone is unmasked,” says the report. “If you are under 40, you need to assume you became infected if you gathered beyond your immediate household.”

“In my view, health and safety is a mandatory subject of bargaining which may not be disregarded by the provisions of 4.5, especially in light of the fact that it is unlikely in my view that the General Assembly, when contemplating 4.5, envisioned the situation we now find ourselves in,” Sered said. “It is undisputed that the Chicago Board of Education has announced a date certain to bring children and teachers back to in-person learning without bargaining that decision with the CTU. Further, as we are literally dealing with life and death issues, I find this to be irreparable harm.”

"This is the worst outbreak that we've had of a respiratory-borne illness that we've had in 102 years. You can't run away from the data. It's incomprehensible to me how people are not seeing that," Fauci said during a livestream interview. He said the U.S. needs uniform public health measures to suppress the virus' spread instead of a piecemeal approach taken by different states and counties. Meanwhile, other states have taken a less-severe approach to their growing coronavirus outbreaks in an effort to keep businesses open.

“We have seen the positive effects on Lake County’s health when being diligent in mask wearing, but it does take all of us participating to see the positive effects again,” Purdue University Northwest Nursing Professor Jodi Allen said. “I am hopeful that the mask mandate will improve our county’s influenza numbers at the start of the flu season this year which will be immensely helpful to our area’s health care system as we continue to deal with Covid cases.”

In light of recent terror attacks, President Obama and law enforcement officials have been telling the public to avoid letting terror control their lives. Dr. Jon LaPook spoke with a clinical psychologist about how fear impacts our health and behaviors.

Before you sit down for Thanksgiving dinner, take a look at the health benefits of gratitude. Studies suggest it can help relieve stress, improve your mood and boost your health all year round. Dr. David Agus joins “CBS This Morning” to discuss the findings.

How to see the signs of measles Health officials are scrambling to stop the measles outbreak from spreading even more after reaching what they call a critical point. CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook has details on the outbreak and how to combat it.

Measles outbreak linked to California Disney parks Health officials fear thousands may have been exposed to the measles at Disneyland and "Disney California Adventure" last month. Most of those who got the disease were not vaccinated against it. Carter Evans reports.

L.A. health officials to gay men: Get vaccinated Health officials have confirmed three deaths in Los Angeles County from bacterial meningitis. Officials are recommending gay men who have HIV or multiple partners get vaccinated against invasive meningococcal disease. KCAL-TV's Rachel Kim reports.

Is "oil pulling" the key to better dental health? Some say gargling oil for 20 minutes a day prevents plaque buildup, makes teeth whiter, kills bad breath and treats gum disease. So, is "oil pulling" the key to better dental health? KHOU's Rekha Muddaraj reports.