A breakthrough, almost decade-long study of a spray vaccine offers promise for hundreds of millions of women who suffer from urinary tract infections (UTIs) over their lifetimes.

The vaccine, called Uromune, was developed by Immunotek, a Spanish-based pharmaceutical company. It has been approved for use in two countries, the Dominican Republic and Mexico, and is under review for approval in Canada. It is also available under special-access conditions in 26 countries, but not the US.

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From 1968 to 2020, Americans experienced a remarkable increase in life expectancy, from 70 to 78 years. Much of that was due to advances in drugs and vaccines, many of which are now unavailable because of shortages. According to the University of Utah Drug Information Service, in the first quarter of 2024, 323 drugs were in shortage — the highest number ever.

Shortages are vexing to practicing physicians and their patients. Dr. Deborah Greenhouse, a pediatrician in South Carolina, tweeted this:

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The World Health Organization (WHO) on August 14 sounded the alarm about an mpox virus outbreak, declaring it a global health emergency for the second time in two years. While the initial outbreak in 2022 primarily affected gay and bisexual men, the current crisis is unfolding in a different, more alarming way.

Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus. It can cause a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes and fever. Most people fully recover, but some become gravely ill, and the infection can be fatal.

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Many institutions and companies are finally recognizing that "good" discrimination, better known as diversity, equity, and inclusion, in admissions and hiring is counterproductive as well as often illegal. In contrast, federal agencies remain in thrall to DEI in evaluating and making grants for scientific research.

Government agencies that fund STEMM, which is science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine, such as the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health, demand DEI affirmation in proposals and want to see tangible plans to further DEI once the work begins.

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"Live long and prosper." Maybe that Star Trek Vulcan blessing needs a rethink in the United States.

Americans are by and large prospering, but the "live long" part is in serious question: More than 70% of US adults are obese or overweight, and alarming new statistics suggest that more than 90% show early signs of developing the often-associated disorders of diabetes, heart disease or kidney disease.

The numbers are "astronomically higher than expected," said Dr. Rahul Aggarwal, a cardiology fellow at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and co-author of the study.

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