Latest variant is likely to raise immunity, ushering in a sharp drop in transmission

Dr Muiris Houston: In Ireland, medical exemptions from vaccination are rare

Experts concerned an avian flu variant could ‘jump’ and cause outbreak in humans

Vaccines remain highly effective at preventing severe disease and deaths from Covid-19

Saskatchewan Letter: PM targeted by Covid protesters with big parties neck and neck

Could future variants lengthen the pandemic or make vaccines less effective?

Book review: Scientific discovery on this scale is rarely a Eureka moment for a lone genius

A decision by the US FDA to approve aducanumab has alarmed many experts

Late psychiatrist felt a deep sense of foreboding when interviewing sexual predator

Dr Muiris Houston: Some countries will get priority access to coronavirus treatments

If there’s an outbreak in areas in Cork or Dublin, citywide lockdowns will follow

Getting the right testing criteria for coronavirus presents an ongoing medical challenge

Staying in pandemic mode for three months means each GP will not see one person with a life-altering condition

Worries about PPE and ventilators creep in, while loss of smell emerges as odd symptom

Research in Lancet Infectious Diseases journal investigates early-intervention measures

In a bid to disrupt the spread of this virus further advice is now available, so what is it?

Potential impact on vulnerable patients could be ‘extremely serious’, says HPSC

Despite myriad online claims for this virus, there is no specific anti-viral treatment for it

First solid indication emerges of how lethal outbreak might be

A Doctor Writes . . . virus can spread between humans but unclear if it can do so during incubation period

A Doctor Writes: Person to person transmission of virus raises fears about it spreading

It can take 10 days to recover but see doctor if you have diabetes or cardiovascular issues

Samuel Shem returns to the world of medical care, one now ruined by software and billing

Muiris Houston: Adding €50m to the Budget will not solve the fundamental problem

Pandemrix process was much speedier than normal assessment period for new vaccines

Arfid is a recent diagnostic category – more than just picky eating. Is your family at risk?

A doctor writes: If you are already on HRT, stopping abruptly is not the answer

We tend to overestimate the true effectiveness of medical procedures

Dr Muiris Houston takes a look at the health issues surrounding the insects

A doctor writes: Contact GP if you’re worried about a recent test, says Muris Houston

Termination may be offered where there is a condition likely to lead to the death of the foetus either before, or within 28 days o(...)

Bibliophile Muiris Houston’s present was a personal consultation in a bookshop

The explosion of superbugs already claims 33,000 lives in the EU every year

There are good reasons to be circumspect about the anti-HIV technique reported this week

A recent poll shows most people with cancer are fed up with the language of battle

Dr Muiris Houston: It’s good that many former heavy smokers who quit carry on vaping

Investing in people is the first step in turning around a health system close to collapse

Medics are using more and more AI tools but how safe is your data?

Despite efforts of Government and health agencies, a no-deal scenario will affect supply

Big Yin’s forthright attitude about his condition in keeping with his attitude to life

A doctor writes: Influenza virus has arrived and it is not too late to protect yourself

From security trays to infected passengers on aircraft, flying puts us at risk of contracting a host of respiratory viruses

Muiris Houston: Time for my annual search to see if I can come up with some health benefits of eating chocolate

Better physician communication is associated with significant gains in outcomes for patients

Dr Muiris Houston explains differences in the detection, investigation and treatment of the cancers

It’s time we saw critical thinking as an essential life-skill to be taught in schools

While the discovery of a new antibiotic is rare and welcome, the focus must remain on tackling the rising rates of resistance to t(...)

Taoiseach said his experience working in various hospitals helped form his views

A new book chronicles the history of St James’s, which started out as a workhouse

The time has come to increase the percentage of operative interventions for women who are treated in the public system

Dr Muiris Houston: Symptoms include loss of muscle tone, facial droop, slurred speech

There’s an 80 per cent chance that they have been incorrectly labelled

On the centenary of the Spanish flu epidemic, a worldwide authority on infectious diseases issues a timely warning

So what does the new information really mean for moderate drinkers?

The ‘Ig Nobel’ awards honour achievements that make people laugh – then think

Doctors are being asked to ditch Latin terms and use language patients understand

Communication and disclosure are key flaws among CervicalCheck’s systemic deficits

Don’t think having an otherwise healthy lifestyle compensates for working too hard

Dr Muiris Houston: CPE is the latest bug that is hard to kill with antibiotics

In the cot was an eight-year-old boy: he could not swallow and was almost completely blind

Study highlights the important role human intuition plays in medical decisions

A belly laugh is good for the heart, clears up rashes and lowers blood sugar in diabetics

Small study in ‘Thorax’ medical journal adds to growing body of research on e-cigarettes

After a dramatic change in cabin pressure passengers can experience bleeding and intense pain

There was a huge response to a column on presentation and professionalism

Research shows if you see the same doctor you are likely to reduce your risk of death

Research into doctors’ appearance finds body art doesn’t affect patient trust. But piercings ...

Dr Muiris Houston: Risks associated with sex, dosage and duration of administration

37% of HSE dentists see children with neglected dentition at least daily, study finds

A Doctor Writes: Health effects of hot weather linked to the body’s ability to adapt

It’s common and it’s unpleasant but it’s usually transient and rarely life-threatening

‘Short (weekday) sleep is not a risk factor for mortality if it is combined with a medium or long weekend sleep’

Dozens of cases of ebola reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo in recent weeks

Method shown to be highly effective and safe when used up to 22 weeks of pregnancy

The exclusion of pregnant women from drug trials means there is little drug-safety information for them to rely on

Dr Muiris Houston: Emotional resilience, the ability to deal with difficulty, can be learned

The HSE keeps getting the basics wrong. It’s time for organisational change, writes Muiris Houston

CervicalCheck tragedy shows risks in communication failures not widely appreciated

Public trust in Ireland’s health service continues to be eroded, writes Dr Muiris Houston

Dr Muiris Houston on the big decision faced by many terminally ill cancer patients

Can women have confidence in the national cervical screening programme?

Analysis: CervicalCheck review should extend to all screening programmes

Do its labs follow best practice, and why wasn’t a flag raised for three years?

Medical argot, beloved by the profession, can stray into unacceptable territory when carelessly applied to patients

Flu pandemic of 1918 killed only slightly fewer Irish people than four years of the Great War

Thanks to the kindness of fantastic friends and neighbours, we gave ‘Nan’ a great send-off

Sergei and Yulia Skripal’s poisoner delivered neurotoxin via air conditioning in victim’s car

Respiratory infections cause inflammation, while the flu virus and pneumonia can damage heart muscle

Sometimes the recommendation contained in the aphorism is worse than the disease

There are three subgroups of meningococci: A, B and C. Vaccines are available against B and C

Dr Muiris Houston: A body of evidence links shift work with diabetes, heart disease and cancer

Dr Muiris Houston: Major new research contains valuable information on antidepressant medicines

Shingles risk risk rises sharply when you hit 50. The pain has been likened to childbirth

New approach needed to combat false information about vaccines

We must future proof the next generation by upping their education in risk and critical thinking

Cancer survivors can face post-traumatic stress and a higher risk of heart failure

Questions to ask yourself, and tips to remember, before visiting your GP

Muiris Houston: Degree of patient’s trauma must be identified as early as possible

A number of medical issues will arise if there is a policy of termination of pregnancy on request

The incidence of Type 2 has more than doubled between 1998 and 2015, so eradicating the disease has enormous appeal