The committee did not change the recommendation that newborns of mothers known to be infected or whose status is unknown be immunized. (Freepik) By APOORVA MANDAVILLI A federal vaccine committee last Friday took a major step toward Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s goal of remaking the childhood vaccine schedule, voting to end a decades-long recommendation that all newborns be immunized at birth against hepatitis B, a highly infectious virus that can cause severe liver

It’s important to not only identify sciatica correctly, but find exercises you can comfortably do. (Joyce Lee/The New York Times) By AMANDA LOUDIN Ryan Smith was 23 when he felt a pop in his back while performing a heavy dead lift at the gym. That pop led to an immediate, radiating pain from his spine all the way down the back of his leg and into his foot. A physical therapy student at the time, he quickly recognized it as a possible sign of sciatica. “The pain was debilitati

A mother holds her 8-month-old while a COVID-19 vaccine is administered in Hatfield, Pa., June 30, 2022. Dr. Vinay Prasad, director of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said in a staff memo on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, that a review spearheaded by vaccine skeptic Dr. Tracy Beth Høeg found that at least 10 children in the U.S. died “after and because of” getting a COVID-19 vaccination. (Hannah Beier/The New York Times) By CHRISTINA JEWETT The Trump administration is casting

Struggling to feel pleasure is a key marker of depression, but this distressing symptom can also occur on its own. (Vanessa Saba/The New York Times) By CHRISTINA CARON On Wednesday, Michela turned 49. She considered forcing herself to celebrate, but when two friends offered to take her out, she said no. First, she would have to spend time getting ready. Then, she would need to participate in conversation, act enthusiastic, appreciate the moment. “All that takes so much effort

A nurse monitors a fetal heart rate at Rochester General Hospital in Rochester, N.Y., on Nov. 13, 2025. While C-sections for first-time mothers ticked up across the U.S. in recent years, Rochester General Hospital dropped its rate dramatically. (Lauren Petracca/The New York Times) By SARAH KLIFF and BIANCA PALLARO When Dr. Elizabeth Bostock took over the obstetrics department at Rochester General Hospital in New York in 2019, she was alarmed by its high rate of C-sections: 40

Everything bagel cottage-cheese dip. Make dips with nutritional heavy hitters like cottage cheese or Greek or Icelandic yogurt, and you’ll get a hefty dose of protein and calcium along with satisfying, tangy flavors. Food styled by Samantha Seneviratne. (Julia Gartland/The New York Times) By ANNA MALTBY Snacking can get a bad rap. But when it’s done well, it can be a helpful bridge between meals to manage blood glucose, support digestion and make sure you have the energy and

A patient recieves a CT scan in Thomas, W.Va., April 10, 2024. Tens of thousands of lives could be saved if more people got screened for lung cancer, according to a new study. (Kristian Thacker/The New York Times) By SIMAR BAJAJ Tens of thousands of lives could be saved if more people got screened for lung cancer, according to a new study. Each year, lung cancer kills nearly 125,000 people in the United States — more than breast, colorectal and cervical cancers combined. The

Ultraprocessed foods make up more than half of the calories consumed daily in the United States and in Britain. (Freepik) By ALICE CALLAHAN On Tuesday, in a series of three review papers published in The Lancet, 43 public health experts from around the world issued a call for government policies aimed at reducing the consumption of ultraprocessed foods which, they write, are driving global increases in obesity and chronic diseases. The papers compile years of evidence on the