Courtenay Harris Bond
Courtenay Harris Bond is the staff writer covering health for PhillyVoice. She enjoys writing about behavioral health, maternal health and inequities in the healthcare system, as well as human rights and criminal justice. A veteran daily newspaper reporter, Courtenay has also written for national outlets, including KFF Health News, Undark Magazine and Filter. She was a 2018 Rosalynn Carter Fellow for Mental Health Journalism and has master's degrees from Columbia Journalism School and the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education.
May 27, 2025
Prevention
CDC ends COVID shots recommendation for healthy children, pregnant women
COVID-19 vaccines no longer will be recommended by the CDC for healthy pregnant women and healthy children, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Tuesday. He said there is a lack of clinical data to support repeat boosters among children.May 27, 2025
Wellness
Vibrating plates are among the latest weight-loss fads. But do they work?
Social influencers have touted vibration plates with helping them lose weight loss, improve balance and speed up muscle recovery. But research on their effectiveness is inconsistent. Vibrating plates are probably not worth the money, health experts say.May 26, 2025
Mental Health
To help people break harmful emotional patterns, experiential therapy uses activities from art therapy to animal care
Experiential therapy helps people obtain transformational change through activities like music therapy, guided imagery and animal care, rather than relying on verbal communication. Caron Treatment Centers offers a five-day, immersive program at its Berks County campus to help people break out of ineffective emotional patterns.May 22, 2025
Fitness
Sitting too long can cause dead butt syndrome. Here's how to overcome it
Dead butt syndrome, officially gluteal amnesia, is caused by sitting too long. Symptoms include numbness in the buttocks, lower back pain and hip pain. It can be prevented, and overcome, by moving around frequently and doing exercises to strengthen the glute muscles.May 22, 2025
Women's Health
Enhanced imaging could vastly improve cancer detection in people with dense breasts, study finds
Enhanced imaging in addition to mammograms can triple the detection of breast cancer in women with dense breasts, according to a study published in The Lancet. About 40% of women have dense breasts, which is a risk factor for breast cancer.May 21, 2025
Senior Health
First-of-its-kind Alzheimer's blood test made by Malvern company gets FDA clearance
A Malvern company has received FDA clearance for a first-of-its-kind blood test to help diagnose Alzheimer's disease. Health experts say the test could revolutionize the diagnosis and care of people with Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia.May 20, 2025
Health News
New FDA restrictions will make COVID-19 vaccines only available to elderly and people with medical conditions
The FDA announced in a paper published Tuesday that COVID-19 vaccines will only be available for people over 65 and people with at least one medical condition that puts them at risk for severe COVID. Vaccines must undergo further, rigorous studies before approval for healthy adults and children, regulators said.May 15, 2025
Mental Health
Subtle cyberbullying, like excluding peers from group chats, is just as traumatic as overt attacks, study shows
Subtle forms of cyberbullying, like exclusion or rejection, are as traumatizing as direct threats, a new study finds. Researchers say their findings show that no form of cyberbullying should be trivialized as 'less serious.'May 15, 2025
Adult Health
Men are twice as likely to die of broken heart syndrome as women
Men are more than twice as likely to die from broken heart syndrome than women, according to a new study. The syndrome has symptoms like a heart attacks. It is brought on by severe physical or emotional stress, such as the death of a loved one or a divorce.May 14, 2025
Children's Health
FDA takes first step to remove fluoride tablets and drops for children from the market
The FDA took steps to remove fluoride drops and pills from the market, saying they have been linked to several adverse health conditions. Dental groups support the use of supplemental fluoride as a safe way to promote oral hygiene, citing studies that show it is 'harmless' at low doses.Just In
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- N.J. bill would write Gov. Murphy's 100% clean electricity goal into law before he leaves office
- In latest World Cup ticket phase, which ends Jan. 13, FIFA says requests are over 30 times higher than supply
- Eagles-Commanders Week 18 injury report, with analysis
- A look ahead at an extremely busy 2026 for sports in Philadelphia
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