Birthdays are exciting for everyone. There's celebration, a cake, and balloons. But what if it goes wrong? This is what happened with Giang Pham, from Vietnam, who was celebrating her 33rd birthday on February 14, when a hydrogen balloon in her hand touched the flame from the candle on the cake and exploded on her face.

This incident was also captured on camera. The footage clearly shows how the balloon blew up as soon as it touched the flame. Her friends were shocked and can be heard gasping in the background as they saw this.

In the days following the incident, she also shared photos on her Instagram showing her bandaged face, and revealed the first-degree burns on her hand and second-degree burns on her face. However, the good news was that her vision was unaffected, though for her face to recover, it would take months.

She is now also warning others about the risks of using highly inflammable hydrogen balloons. The other alternative could be a helium balloon, which you could fly higher and they remain on the ceiling.

Health Update

She revealed that her doctor estimated up to six months for her skin to recover. She would still have to go to the hospital for dressing and treatment. Another such case happened with a woman named Tine from Australia, when on her son's 7th birthday, the balloon exploded and "shook her house". Her son was burned in the forearm.

Such incidents happen because decorators want to save the cost by replacing helium with hydrogen, which is highly inflammable.

In Healing

Giang shared that she experienced second-degree burn on her face and first-degree burn on her hands. As per John Hopkins Medicine, first degree burns affect only the epidermis, or the outer layer of skin. The burn site becomes red, painful, dry, however, there are no blisters. A mild sunburn could be an example of such a burn. This is also called superficial burns.

Whereas, second degree burns involve the epidermis and part of the dermis layer of the skin. The burn site appears red, blistered and could also be swollen and painful. This is also known as partial thickness burn.

Then comes the third degree burns, also known as full thickness burn. This destroys the epidermis and dermis and could also damage the underlying bones, muscles, and tendons. However, when the bones and muscles are burned, it could be referred to as a fourth degree burn. The burn sit appears white or charred and there is no feeling in the area since the nerve endings are destroyed.

How burns are treated?

The right way to treat a burn depends on its depth and how much of the body it covers. While minor, superficial burns can be managed at home, deeper or larger burns may need medical attention. Keep these essential guidelines in mind:

Do:

• Remove the source of the burn immediately – For example, take off clothing soaked in hot liquid to prevent further damage.
• Run cool water over the burn – This helps soothe the skin, except in cases of certain chemical burns.
• Keep the burn clean and protected – Cover it with a clean, non-stick bandage when possible.
• Seek medical help – If the burn is deeper than a superficial layer, larger than your hand, or full-thickness, see a doctor.

Don’t:

• Use home remedies like bleach or butter – These can make the burn worse.
• Apply ointments or creams on deep burns – They can trap heat and worsen the injury.
• Put ice on the burn – It can cause more damage to the skin.
• Pop blisters – This increases the risk of infection.

Knowing these simple steps can make a big difference in burn care and healing.

India’s first approved dengue vaccine, QDENGA, could be available in the private market by the first half of 2027, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories said. The company is partnering with Japan’s Takeda to promote and distribute the vaccine in India.

“Subject to the completion of applicable processes with local authorities, the vaccine is anticipated to become available in the first half of 2027,” the companies said.

QDENGA Vaccine: Why The Launch Matters

Also read: Delhi Dengue Cases Rise In September: Is Weather Fueling The Surge?

India’s dengue burden has risen 11-fold over the past two decades. Rapid urbanization, climate change and mosquito breeding have contributed to the growing public health challenge.

A nationwide ICMR dengue surveillance study found that all four dengue virus serotypes — DENV-1 to DENV-4 — are circulating across multiple regions. About one in 14 patients had concurrent infections with multiple serotypes.

QDENGA Approved In India: Who Can Take It?

QDENGA received market authorization from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) in July to prevent dengue in people aged 4 to 60 years.

According to Takeda, it can be given regardless of previous dengue infection and does not require pre-vaccination testing.

Since 2022, QDENGA has been approved in 43 countries across Asia, Latin America and Europe. It is also part of Brazil’s National Immunization Program and public immunization programs in Argentina, Colombia and Indonesia.

How Effective Is QDENGA?

READ: Dengue Is Spreading Beyond Monsoons And Into New Regions Across India, Says Expert

QDENGA is designed to protect against all four dengue virus serotypes, regardless of previous dengue exposure.

The DCGI approval is supported by Takeda’s clinical program, which included 19 Phase 1, 2 and 3 trials involving more than 28,000 participants.

The pivotal Phase III TIDES trial included more than 20,000 participants across eight countries. Key findings included:

• 80.2% efficacy against virologically confirmed dengue one year after the second dose.
• 90.4% efficacy against dengue-related hospitalization at 18 months.
• 84.1% protection against dengue-related hospitalization after 4.5 years.
• Data showed protection across all four serotypes for up to seven years.

An Indian Phase III trial involving people aged 4 to 60 years also found the vaccine safe, well tolerated and immunogenic.

What Is QDENGA?

QDENGA (TAK-003) is a live-attenuated tetravalent dengue vaccine targeting all four dengue virus serotypes.

It is given as two 0.5 mL subcutaneous doses, three months apart. The vaccine uses a DENV-2 backbone with structural proteins from DENV-1, DENV-3 and DENV-4.

The WHO recommends QDENGA for use in dengue-endemic settings without pre-vaccination screening. It is also WHO-prequalified for procurement through agencies including UNICEF and PAHO.

QDENGA Manufacturing In India

Dr Reddy’s will handle promotion and distribution in the private market, while Takeda will retain rights to promote and distribute QDENGA in India’s public market.

In February 2024, Takeda partnered with Hyderabad-based vaccine maker Biological E to expand QDENGA production.

Biological E plans to manufacture 50 million doses annually, supporting Takeda’s goal of producing 100 million doses globally each year by the end of the decade.

The company’s production will focus heavily on multi-dose vials for public health sectors and National Immunization Programs in dengue-endemic countries globally.

Nearly one in four doctors globally is aged 55 or older and could reach retirement age within the next decade, according to a new World Health Organization (WHO) report, highlighting growing pressure on health systems.

The WHO has published its National Health Workforce Accounts: Health Workforce Levels and Trends 2026, the first in an annual series providing a global picture of health workforce levels and trends.

The report flagged that ageing among health workers is intensifying workforce shortages in some countries, while an ageing population is simultaneously increasing demand for healthcare services.

The global health worker shortage fell from 20 million in 2013 to 15 million in 2020 and was earlier projected to reach 10 million by 2030. However, newer analysis has revised the 2030 shortage estimate upward to 11.1 million.

“Ageing is the hidden health workforce crisis that requires urgent attention. It is creating a double pressure on health systems, primarily in high-income countries,” said Dr Khassoum Diallo, Acting Unit Head of Health Workforce Policies and Data, WHO Academy.

“We know that better data drives better policy, and these findings reinforce the importance of future-focused action to strengthen health workforce planning, education, employment and retention,” Dr Diallo added.

Also read: Japan Has 107,677 Centenarians; 88% Are Women: Challenges Of An Aging Population

Key Findings From The WHO Report

Based on the latest available data from 122 countries, nearly 25% of doctors are aged 55 or older and could reach retirement age within the next decade. In high-income countries, this rises to nearly one in three.

There are currently more than 70 million health and care workers worldwide. Global health workforce density increased by 52%, from 44.8 per 10,000 people in 2006 to 67.9 in 2025.

The WHO estimates that:

• 67 countries will not have enough health workers to maintain population health needs by 2030.
• The global health workforce shortage is projected to reach 11.1 million by 2030.
• An additional 832,000 health workers are needed just to maintain current age-standardized workforce density, primarily in high-income countries.

Major Gaps Between Rich And Poor Countries

Read More: Unusually High Cancer-Fighting Immune Cells Could Explain Why Some People Live Beyond 100: Study

The report also found major disparities in health worker availability between regions and income groups.

The density of medical doctors is 13 times higher, while the density of nurses and midwifery personnel is six times higher, in the WHO European Region than in the WHO African Region.

Health worker density also remains strongly linked to national income, with high-income countries having substantially greater workforce density than low-income countries.

“Despite gains in workforce production and data reporting, uneven and severe shortages of health and care workers remain, and health worker density remains strongly correlated with national income,” explained Dr Diallo. “Addressing these inequities is essential to achieving Health for All.”

Ageing Population Could Further Increase Demand

The workforce challenge is also unfolding as the global population ages. About one in 10 people worldwide was aged 65 or older in 2024. In high-income countries, the share was nearly one in five. Globally, the proportion is projected to reach about one in eight by 2030.

The WHO noted that population ageing will increase healthcare needs, meaning countries cannot simply aim to maintain their current health workforce density.

“Investing in the health and care workforce is essential to strengthening health systems, safeguarding health security and advancing sustainable development,” said Dr Diallo.

Lung cancer in people who have never smoked is an increasingly recognized global health concern. A new study found that a rare inherited EGFR mutation may increase lung cancer risk by over 60 times in never-smokers.

Lung cancer in never-smokers is the seventh leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Approximately 60% to 80% of lung cancer cases in never-smokers globally occur in females.

The study, published in Science, found that a rare inherited EGFR T790M mutation can increase lung cancer risk by over 60 times in never-smokers and 25 times in smokers.

Smoking itself increases the risk of developing lung cancer fourfold in the general population.

What Did The Study Find?

To look for the rare mutation, researchers evaluated genotyping data from 3.37 million people and found that it occurs in about 1 in 15,850 people.

Among the 17 cancers and non-pulmonary conditions screened, the mutation showed a strong association only with lung cancer. Researchers also traced its origin to southern Appalachian populations in the US.

“Recognition of individuals more likely to carry EGFR T790M, including those with family history of lung cancer, multifocal lung cancer, or lung nodules or Southeastern US ancestry, may help to inform future screening and prevention strategies for those at highest risk,” said the researchers.

“Smoking is bad for lung cancer. This mutation is bad for lung cancer. When you do both, your risk is the sum of those two risks,” said Alexander Gusev, a quantitative geneticist at Dana-Farber. “So, you definitely don't want to smoke.”

The mutation was not linked to any of the 17 other common cancers studied, suggesting that its effects may be largely limited to lung cancer.

Could Genetic Testing Change Lung Cancer Screening?

“Today, lung cancer screening is driven almost entirely by smoking history,” said Jaclyn LoPiccolo, attending physician and lung cancer researcher at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, who co-led the study.

LoPiccolo added that the findings raise the possibility that, in the future, screening could also be dictated by inherited genetic risk.

“If further studies confirm the benefit, people with EGFR T790M could be identified through genetic testing and offered personalized CT screening to identify lung cancers when they are at their most curable stage,” she said.

How Does The Mutation Increase Risk?

Although most lung cancers are associated with tobacco use or exposure, the proportion diagnosed in people who have never smoked has been rising. Yet the genetic factors underlying these cancers, particularly the role of inherited risk, are not well understood.

In 2005, researchers identified the rare inherited EGFR T790M mutation in a European family with multiple cases of lung cancer. Since then, the mutation has been reported in other families with unusually high rates of the disease.

In the study, LoPiccolo noted that the mutation occurs in about 1 in 15,000 people in the US population, but in certain areas of the Southeastern US, it can be as frequent as 1 in 2,000 people.

Other Lung Cancer Risk Factors

Lung cancer occurs when abnormal cells grow uncontrollably in the lungs. It remains the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, with an estimated 2.5 million new cases and 1.8 million deaths in 2022.

Beyond inherited genetic risk, lung cancer can also develop following exposure to second-hand smoke, air pollution, and workplace chemicals and carcinogens.

These include asbestos, silica dust, diesel exhaust, arsenic and other industrial chemicals.

Radon gas is another lesser-known risk factor. It is invisible and odorless, and prolonged exposure to high levels of radon can increase the risk of lung cancer.