We wanted a baby so they could act as a transplant donor for our seriously ill daughter, reveals MINA HOLLAND. It was a minefield... but what happened next will make you believe in miracles
While I've witnessed my daughter, Vida, go through the same thing on multiple occasions, her medical condition means invasive hospital procedures are necessary to keep her alive, making it easier to fight my protective instinct.
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Reuters
11 minutes ago
- Reuters
US health secretary Kennedy's vaccine actions and policy positions
July 23 (Reuters) - U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a long-time vaccine skeptic, has been making sweeping changes to reshape vaccine, food and medicine policies. The most far-reaching of his moves culminated in the layoff of all 17 members of a panel of vaccine experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Here are some of the vaccine-related policy moves under Kennedy's leadership in recent months: Date of Announcement: March 13, 2025 Details: U.S. FDA independently recommends virus strains for 2025-2026 influenza vaccines, deviating from traditional advisory committee voting. Date of Announcement: April 16, 2025 Details: Kennedy plans a series of studies on link between autism and environmental factors, including mold, air, water and food. He said, without any scientific evidence, that "environmental toxins" are responsible for the rise in autism rates among children in the U.S. Date of Announcement: May 7, 2025 Details: Federal agencies will create a database to research causes of autism, focusing on Medicare and Medicaid data, as part of a broader effort to explore potential links between vaccines and autism. Date of Announcement: May 20, 2025 Details: The FDA plans new trials for annual COVID-19 boosters, limiting them to older adults and those at risk of severe illness. This change aligns with international perspectives on COVID vaccination strategies. Date of Announcement: May 27, 2025 Details: The U.S. stops recommending routine COVID vaccinations for pregnant women and healthy children, bypassing the CDC's traditional advisory process. Date of Announcement: May 28, 2025 Details: The Trump administration cancels a contract with Moderna (MRNA.O), opens new tab for the late-stage development of its bird flu vaccine, after determining it did not meet scientific standards. Date of Announcement: June 9, 2025 Details: Kennedy fires all members of the CDC vaccine expert panel, which recommends how vaccines are used and by whom, promising to restore public trust in health agencies. Scientists and experts say the changes would undermine public confidence in health agencies. Date of Announcement: June 11, 2025 Details: Kennedy names eight members to serve on a key panel of vaccine advisers, including several who have advocated against vaccines, after abruptly firing all 17 members of the independent committee of experts. Date of announcement: June 23 Details: The new members of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will begin a two-day meet with a revamped agenda which includes discussions on vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal. Date of announcement: July 23 Details: The United States will stop distributing all influenza vaccines that contain mercury-based preservative thimerosal, as Kennedy accepts the vaccine panel's recommendation given in June.
Daily Mail
11 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
No more sagging, wrinkles, or crepey skin! Smooth your neck with 23% off the firming cream that boosts collagen and erases turkey neck for good
Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn more Have you checked out your neck lately? If you aren't exactly thrilled by lines, sagging, or a crepey texture, you're not alone. Because it's naturally thinner and more delicate, the neck is one of the first areas to show visible signs of aging. Add in years of neglect (most of us stop at the jawline when applying skin care), and it's no wonder the neck is so vulnerable. Fortunately, there's an easy fix. The Eight Saints Firm Intentions Neck Cream is a rich, dreamy formula specifically designed to nourish, smooth, and firm the neck area. Eight Saints Firm Intentions Neck Cream This rich, ultra-nourishing cream is designed specifically for the delicate neck area, helping to smooth fine lines, firm sagging skin, and restore lost elasticity. It's packed with powerful ingredients like protein peptides, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin B5 to deeply hydrate and strengthen over time. With consistent use, it can visibly improve crepey texture and help your neck look as youthful as the rest of your skin! $34 (save 23%) Shop The luxurious texture melts right into your skin, delivering deep hydration without any sticky residue — and making it perfect for daily use at any time of the day Normally $44, the cream is currently marked down to just $34 on Amazon. It's a savings of 23 percent — and an amazing deal for a product that can make a visible difference to your neck's texture and appearance. At the top of the list are protein peptides, which support the skin's natural elasticity. That's key to slowing the formation of lines and wrinkles, which naturally develop as collagen production slows with age. That also causes the skin to become looser and more lax, leading to the telltale sagging and crepiness that seem to just creep up on you. The peptides have a strengthening effect, making the skin firmer and more resilient. Vitamin B5 also plays a starring role in the Eight Saints treatment. It attracts and holds moisture while helping improve your skin's softness, texture, and barrier function. Of course, it wouldn't be a true powerhouse without hyaluronic acid. It delivers serious hydration on contact, locking in water to keep your skin looking plump and feeling silky-smooth. As you might expect, Firm Intentions has an incredible consistency. It's thick and luxurious, which is exactly what you want when you're trying to pamper a neglected area that needs some generous TLC. A reviewer summed it up, stating: 'Silky, rich, and absorbs wonderfully. For such a rich cream, it absorbs amazingly well and doesn't leave behind a tacky feeling.' Hundreds of five-star reviews back up the cream's stellar reputation, many of which rave about the visible improvement in both tone and texture with consistent use. 'After two weeks of morning and night application I definitely am feeling some tightening in my neck area, and I feel like the lines are less noticeable,' commented one shopper. 'My face has no wrinkles so my neck was really giving my age away,' another added. 'This cream is magic! I've been using it for about two weeks and I am amazed at the difference.' Even better, the formula is fragrance-free, cruelty-free, and in line with the Eight Saints philosophy of using only the most essential and effective ingredients to treat skin — the 'eight saints' of skin care, to be precise. Whether you're already religious about your neck care routine or you're just now realizing it deserves a dedicated product, the Eight Saints Firm Intentions Neck Cream is a worthy investment that could be exactly what your skin needs!
Telegraph
41 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Washington state hides how many people die by assisted suicide
Washington state will no longer release data on how many people choose to die by assisted suicide. The Washington State Department of Health (DoH) has scrapped its annual report showing how many people are choosing an assisted death, blaming budget limitations. By law, the health service is required to publish a yearly report that breaks down the number of deaths by age and demographics. It also includes accounts of the reasons patients choose an assisted death, which campaigners have said are an 'essential' guardrail to ensure vulnerable people are not being coerced into ending their lives. However, the health service said it has taken the 'difficult decision' to suspend producing the report to free up staff to 'prioritise patient safety and other critical work'. The move has sparked dismay among doctors and disability rights campaigners who warned that it creates 'serious risks of abuse'. Dr Ramona Coelho, a family medicine practitioner based in London, Ontario, told The Telegraph: 'An accountable assisted suicide regime requires oversight. 'Assisted suicide is not a medical decision; it is a legal act, with specific eligibility criteria and procedural safeguards that must be met. 'A lack of reporting creates serious risks of abuse, negligence, and erosion of public trust.' 'Transparency is essential' Experts have warned that scrapping reporting will lead to a lack of oversight of assisted deaths in the state. 'When the state plays a role in the premature deaths of its own citizens, transparency isn't optional – it's essential. But without full, accessible data on assisted suicide, the public can't know whether cases are rising or falling, or if vulnerable groups are disproportionately affected,' said Rebecca Vachon, the director for Health at Cardus. 'So, this isn't just a data issue; it's a question of life and death. If anything needs to be cut, it's assisted suicide itself – not the public's right to know.' Jessica Rodgers, a director at Patients Rights Action Fund, said scrapping reporting could lead to abuses going unreported. 'This data, which consistently shows patients request lethal drugs for reasons of disability, not wanting to be a burden and concerns around the costs of treatment, is the foundation of accountability,' she said. 'Simply to ignore this provision begs the question of what else is ignored and what abuses remain unreported.' 'No longer following own laws' Alexander Raikin, bioethics expert at the Ethics and Public Policy Centre, said the decision represents one of 'the largest assisted suicide programmes in the United States no longer following its own laws'. The state adopted the Death with Dignity Act in 2009, becoming the second US state after Oregon to legalise assisted dying. The law, which allowed terminally ill adults to request medication to end their lives, was expanded in 2023 to reduce the 15-day waiting period to receive lethal drugs to seven days, and allow nurses to prescribe and mail medication to patients. Since passing the legislation, the number of people in the state who have opted for an assisted death every year has increased by more than 500 per cent to 524 people, according to 2023 figures. While the most common age to choose an assisted death in Washington is between 75 and 84, there were 28 people aged under 54 who died under the scheme in 2023. The DoH has been locked in a funding battle over the Death with Dignity programme, which cost $225,000 in 2025. In a policy document, the department argued that current funding levels are 'insufficient to deliver data and reporting that reflect the department's commitment to data usability and transparency'. As a result, the DoH said it has made 'reductions', including ending its annual reporting.
