The Union Health Ministry implemented a ban on 156 "irrational" FDC medicines, effective immediately. These medicines, including widely used antibiotics, painkillers, and multivitamins, were commonly used to treat fever, cough, and infections. The ban was imposed due to the associated health risks and lack of therapeutic justification for the ingredients in these FDCs.

What are FDC medicines?

FDCs or fixed-dosed combinations, also known as "cocktail drugs," are medications that combine multiple drugs in a single pill. They are designed to treat multiple symptoms or conditions simultaneously. While they offer convenience, they can pose significant risks. These risks include the possibility of overdose, adverse interactions between the drugs, and the development of antibiotic resistance. Additionally, many FDC medicines lack sufficient scientific evidence to support their safety and efficacy.

Expert opinions on FDC medicines

Experts have raised concerns about the use of FDC medicines. They believe that many of these combinations lack sufficient scientific evidence to support their safety and effectiveness. Additionally, the combination of multiple drugs in a single pill can increase the risk of adverse side effects and interactions with other medications.

Experts have also found that FDC medicines may not be as effective as individual drugs in treating certain conditions. It is important to note that safer and more effective alternatives are available for most of the medical conditions that FDC medicines were used to treat. One particular concern is the inclusion of antibiotics in some FDCs. Overuse of antibiotics can contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance, a major public health threat.

The risks of FDC medicines

The use of FDC medicines can lead to adverse effects, including serious ones. Additionally, safer alternatives, tested in clinical trials, are available to treat the same medical conditions. Experts recommend prescribing drugs individually based on a patient's clinical symptoms rather than combining them in FDCs.

The ban on irrational FDC medicines by the Union Health Ministry can be seen as a positive step towards promoting rational drug use and protecting public health. The goal is to eliminate unnecessary and potentially harmful drug combinations. This is a step forward in reducing the risks associated with medication and ensure safer and more effective treatment options for patients.

An unknowing harboring of genetic mutation that raised the risk of cancer by a sperm donor who fathered at least 197 children across Europe. BBC reported on a major investigation that revealed that some children have already died and only "a minority who inherit the mutation will escape cancer in their lifetimes".

According to BBC, the sperm was not sold to UK clinics, in fact, a "very small" number of British family used the sperm while they had their fertility treatment in Denmark. It was the European Sperm Bank of Denmark that admitted that the sperm was used to make too many babies in some countries and that they had their "deepest sympathy" for the families affected.

What Was The Investigation All About?

The investigation was conducted by 14 public broadcasters, which included BBC, as part of the European Broadcasting Union's Investigative Journalism Network.

This is what the investigation revealed: This sperm donor, who was perfectly healthy on paper started donated sperm as a young student in 2005. He was paid for each donation. He passed all the routine screening tests and showed no signs of illness. For nearly 17 years, women across Europe used his sperm to have children.

But there was something inside his DNA that no one could have detected at the time.

Before the donor himself was born, a random change occurred in some of the cells that were forming his body. This mutation damaged a crucial gene called TP53. This gene acts like the body’s security guard. Its job is to spot dangerous changes in cells and stop them from turning cancerous.

Most of the donor’s body does not carry this mutation, which is why he has never become ill. However, his sperm cells are a different story. Up to 20% of them carry the faulty TP53 gene.

This created a devastating possibility. If a sperm carrying the mutation fertilizes an egg, the resulting child will have the mutation in every single cell of their body. That child is then born with Li Fraumeni syndrome, a condition that brings an up to 90 percent lifetime risk of cancer. These cancers often appear in childhood and include leukemia, bone cancers, brain tumors and breast cancer later in life.

The donor had no idea any of this was happening. Neither did the clinics using his sperm.

How Was This Mutation Discovered?

The alarm was first raised when doctors across Europe began seeing children with aggressive cancers whose genetic tests all pointed back to the same TP53 mutation. Eventually, they discovered that the children were conceived using sperm from the same donor.

By the time this was uncovered, the donor’s sperm had been used by 67 fertility clinics across 14 countries. At least 197 children are known to have been born using his donations, though the final number could be higher. It is not yet known how many of them inherited the dangerous gene.

Doctors say several of these children have already been diagnosed with cancer, some have developed more than one cancer, and some have died.

Dr Edwige Kasper, a cancer geneticist in France, has been helping families navigate the diagnosis.

“We have many children who have already developed cancer,” she said. “Some have had two cancers and some died very early.”

A Mother’s Discovery

One mother, whose name is changed to Céline (as per the BBC report), conceived her daughter with the donor’s sperm in Belgium. 14 years later, she received a call from the clinic urging her to get her child screened.

Her daughter tested positive for the mutation.

Céline says she does not blame the donor but is devastated that she was given sperm that “was not safe”. She knows cancer could strike at any point.

“We do not know when, we do not know which cancer, and we do not know how many times,” she said. “When it comes, we fight.”

How Regulation Failed

There is no global law limiting how many families a sperm donor can help. Each country sets its own rules.

In Belgium, for example, one donor should be used for no more than six families. This donor helped create 38 families in Belgium alone.

The UK limit is ten families, but the donor’s sperm was never sold directly to UK clinics. Instead, the Danish authorities informed the UK that a small number of British women travelled to Denmark for treatment using this donor’s sperm. Those women have since been contacted.

The European Sperm Bank admits national limits were breached in some countries and says the donor was immediately blocked once the mutation came to light. They say the donor and his relatives are healthy and that this type of mutation cannot be detected with standard screening.

Can Donor Screening Ever Catch Everything?

Experts say cases like this are extremely rare but nearly impossible to prevent entirely.

“You cannot screen for everything,” said Prof Allan Pacey from the University of Manchester. “If we make screening even tighter, we would not have any donors left.”

He added that countries have become too dependent on large international sperm banks, which supply multiple nations simultaneously.

Important Questions Parents Must Ask

Experts advise choosing licensed clinics and asking:

• Is the donor local or from another country?
• How many families has this donor helped?
• What screening has been done?

Measles Outbreak: It is not yet over in the US, two states, South Carolina and Utah are dealing with ongoing measles outbreaks and have reported more infections today along with additional school and community exposure. South Carolina confirmed 27 new cases, bringing its total to 114. Utah reported 10 more cases, raising its statewide count to 115.

What Is Happening In These Two States?

In South Carolina, health officials said all 27 new cases are from Spartanburg County, which remains the center of the Upstate outbreak. Of the state’s 114 cases, 111 have been recorded in this county alone. The outbreak has been connected to exposures at two elementary schools earlier in the season.

The newly confirmed infections stem from a mix of exposure settings. According to the South Carolina Department of Public Health, sixteen of the new patients were linked to an earlier exposure at the Way of Truth Church in Inman. Eight were household contacts of known cases. One patient was connected to a previously identified school exposure and another picked up the infection in a health care setting. The source of exposure for one case remains unclear.

Health officials said 254 people are currently in quarantine and 16 are in isolation. Among those quarantined are 43 students from Inman Intermediate School. Most of the state’s patients are children and teenagers. Seventy-five cases fall in the five to seventeen age group. Vaccination rates remain a major concern. Officials confirmed that 105 of the infected individuals are unvaccinated. Three others had received one dose of the vaccine, one was fully vaccinated, and two have an uncertain immunization history.

In Utah, the state has recorded 10 new measles cases in the past week. The most recent patient was infectious while attending the Kopper Kids child care program inside Bingham High School in South Jordan, located in Salt Lake County. Authorities said the individual was unvaccinated, though they have not disclosed whether the patient is a child or an adult.

“Measles is extremely contagious, so quick action is critical,” said Dorothy Adams, executive director of the Salt Lake County Health Department. She added that because the source of this infection is unknown, families and staff linked to Bingham High School should watch closely for symptoms and remain aware of possible exposure.

Salt Lake County has reported only three measles cases this year. Most of Utah’s cases, a total of 82, have occurred in the Southwest Utah health district near the Arizona border.

What Is Measles?

Measles, a highly contagious viral disease, had been largely controlled in the U.S. thanks to the widespread use of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. However, gaps in vaccination coverage have led to a resurgence.

The disease is known for its rapid transmission. A single case can lead to significant spread if vaccination rates in a community fall below the 95% threshold needed for herd immunity. Children are particularly vulnerable; although the first dose of the MMR vaccine is typically administered at 12 months, increased parental concern has led some to seek earlier vaccination during the outbreak.

Early warning signs include:

• Fever
• Fatigue and tiredness
• Cough and runny nose
• Red, inflamed eyes

From time and again experts have highlighted that flu has come early this year. In fact, they have predicted that this could be a 'nasty season', all thanks to the mutated version of H3N2 virus.

What Is The K Strain Flu?

Known as the superfly, this is H3N2 'subclade K'. It is a type of seasonal influenza A virus and people have not encountered much of it in the recent years. This is why there is less immunity against it. However, the National Health Service (NHS), UK, has already sent out a 'flu jab SOS' to vulnerable people.

NHS has confirmed that the super flu is circulating in England this year, and due to less immunity, it is making it easier to spread across people. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has urged people to get a flu jab. As per the early data, this year's vaccine has offered good protection despite the new strain.

Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of NHS Providers, said that the major concern is that H3N2 is associated with a more severe illness and superflu could be "a very nasty strain of flu". He said that UK could be experiencing a "tidal wave" of illness.

Read More: Unique Symptoms Of H3N2 Flu Strain In UK And How Long Infection Now Last

Who Needs The Flu Jab?

NHS offers free flu jabs to people who need it the most, which includes:

• anyone aged 65 or above
• those with long-term health conditions
• pregnant women
• care home residents
• carers for older or disabled people, or those who receive a carer's allowance
• people who live with someone who has a weakened immune system

NHS also includes frontline health and social care workers to get the jab.

The flu jab is also available in a nasal spray version, which could be administered to children aged 2 to 3 years as well as school-aged children, up to year 11.

Everyone else who is not in this list have to buy the jab.

Should You Buy The Flu Shot? How Long Does It Take For The Jab To Work?

Even if you are healthy, you should get the shot, say doctors. Vaccines are still working against the drifted influenza A (H3N2) subclade, also known as the super flu. The vaccines in high street chemists are sold for £20.

Anyone can be vaccinated, except for those who have a serious allergy to any of its ingredients or to the vaccine it self. The best way to know is to speak to the pharmacist and your GP.

For the vaccine to work, it usually takes up to 14 days. However, what is more important to not is that during the 14-day-long period, you are still vulnerable to catching the virus.

What Are Some Of The Misconceptions Around Flu Vaccine?

Some people think that it is the flu vaccine itself that has given them the flu, however, the truth is that while vaccine does not give you a flu, it gives your body the instruction it needs to fight off an infection, in case you catch it. While you may still catch the flu after being vaccinated, the affects will be milder and would not last as long.

The best part, the vaccine is frequently updated to match the strain or the version of flu that experts expect will be circulating.

Also Read: This ONE Key Symptom Will Help You Differentiate Flu From COVID, According To Doctor

What More Can Be Done To Protect Yourself Against The Super Flu?

Elkeles says that anyone experiencing flu or cold symptoms should wear a mask in public places. This is important for the "tidal wave" of illness in the UK. Speaking to Times Radio, he said, "When you were talking about anything like Covid, I think we need to get back into the habit that if you are coughing and sneezing, but you’re not unwell enough to not go to work, then you must wear a mask when you’re in public spaces, including on public transport, to stop the chances of you giving your virus to somebody else. And we were all very good about infection control during Covid. And we really, really need to get back to that now.”