Pope Francis injured his right arm after suffering a fall earlier this week. According to the Vatican, while the 88-year-old pontiff did not break his arm, a sling was put on as a precaution. This incident comes just weeks after another fall on December 7, where he hit his chin on a nightstand, resulting in another, visible bruise. The pope's health has been a topic of ongoing speculation due to his age and medical history, which includes long bouts of bronchitis and mobility challenges. Often seen using a wheelchair or a cane, Francis also uses a walker within the Vatican's Santa Marta hotel, where he resides. Notably, his frailty has brought renewed attention to the risks of falls among elderly individuals and the steps one must follow to mitigate such falls.

Preventive Measures For Bone Health

A study published in Frontiers in Aging Neurosciences people get older, the bone density in the lower back and thigh bone decreases significantly. This raises the risk of osteoporosis (OP). Therefore it becomes pivotal to pay early attention to nutrition, exercise ability, vitamin D levels, and uric acid levels in older individuals to prevent Ostreopsis and mitigate fall risks. The risk of falls and bone injuries among elderly individuals underscores the importance of preventive measures for maintaining bone health and minimizing fall risks.

Elderly, particularly menopausal women, require a daily calcium intake of 1,200 mg, divided into two or more doses. This can be achieved through dietary sources such as dairy and non-dairy products or through supplements like calcium carbonate and calcium citrate. However, total daily calcium intake should not exceed 2,500 mg to avoid potential health risks.

Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption and bone mineralization. While sunlight exposure helps synthesize vitamin D, older individuals often require supplements due to reduced skin synthesis and the limited availability of foods. Fortified milk and supplements containing 200–600 IU of vitamin D daily are recommended, with higher doses required for those with deficiencies. Severe cases may necessitate high-dose treatments, such as 50,000 IU weekly for up to three months, along with regular monitoring of calcium and vitamin D levels.

Regular exercise is vital for preserving bone mass and reducing fall risk. Weight-bearing activities, strength training, and balance exercises like brisk walking or skipping can enhance bone density and improve coordination. Experts recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week, supplemented by strength training twice weekly. For individuals unable to engage in standard exercise routines, alternatives like vibrating platforms may help maintain bone health.

Falls remain a leading cause of fractures among individuals over 60. Addressing contributing factors such as balance issues, vision problems, and environmental hazards can significantly reduce risks. Preventive measures include regular vision checks, minimizing medications causing dizziness, improving home safety (e.g., installing railings and removing loose rugs), and wearing rubber-soled footwear. Hip protectors may also help mitigate the impact of falls.

Belgium has been hit by a Salmonella outbreak linked to contaminated eggs, with more than 300 people falling ill, according to the country’s food safety agency. The outbreak comes after similar Salmonella outbreaks linked to contaminated eggs were reported in the US and UK.

Eggs Linked to Salmonella Outbreak

According to the Belgian Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC), the outbreak has been linked to eggs produced by Laerco, a company based in Geel in northern Belgium.

“Salmonella is relatively common in Belgium, but we never had such a broad cluster with so many people hit,” an AFSCA spokesperson said.

No deaths have been reported in connection with the Belgian outbreak. However, officials warned that the actual number of cases could be higher, as some people may have experienced mild or no symptoms and did not seek medical testing, BOL News reported.

Eggs Recalled Across Europe

Also read: UK Food Agency Warns Vulnerable Groups to Avoid Runny Eggs: Who Is At Risk And Which Foods To Avoid

Salmonella was first detected at Laerco’s Geel facility at the end of April. In May, a large-scale recall was launched, with all eggs from the site withdrawn from the market.

The affected products were distributed through several major supermarket chains, including Colruyt, Delhaize, Aldi and Carrefour.

The precautionary recall was also extended to Luxembourg. FASFC notified several other European countries that may have received the eggs, including the Netherlands, France, Italy and Portugal.

As many as 2 million potentially contaminated eggs may have been sold, according to authorities.

Poultry Farm Closed

AFSCA first discovered the contamination in May and responded by recalling the affected eggs and closing one henhouse at the farm in Flanders.

However, additional cases were reported in the following months. Officials expanded the investigation and closed the entire farm. The poultry were subsequently destroyed after a second egg recall was issued on August 10.

Secondary testing found that the bacteria had spread across multiple sheds despite initial isolation efforts, Euronews reported.

UK, US Report Salmonella Cases

Read More: From Dog Food To Fruit Bars: Over 10 Products Recalled In US Over Contamination

The Belgian outbreak comes after the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) linked two deaths and 474 illnesses to three separate Salmonella Enteritidis clusters across the UK.

The US is also experiencing a Salmonella outbreak linked to eggs. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) upgraded the recall to its highest risk level and classified nearly 1.6 million dozen eggs as “Class I”, its most serious category for products that could cause serious adverse health consequences or death.

The multistate Salmonella outbreak has been linked to Midwest Poultry Services, L.P. person.

What Is Salmonella?

Salmonella is a bacterial infection that commonly causes diarrhea and gastrointestinal illness.

Common symptoms include:

• Diarrhea
• Stomach cramps
• Vomiting
• Fever

Symptoms usually begin six hours to six days after swallowing the bacteria.

Most people recover from Salmonella infection without medical treatment. However, children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems may develop serious illness requiring medical care.

It can spread through contaminated food, including:

• Eggs
• Poultry
• Meat
• Unpasteurized dairy products
• Fresh produce

The bacteria can also spread through contact with contaminated environments or from person to person.

How To Stay Safe

Health officials have advised consumers to follow recall instructions and avoid eating affected eggs. UK officials also urged vulnerable people to avoid undercooked or runny eggs, especially when dining out.

• Refrigerate items promptly
• Cook eggs thoroughly
• Wash your hands
• Sanitize surfaces
• Check for recalls
• Wash before use.

Long hours, jet lag and rapidly changing time-zone are few of the perils of aviation jobs.

Just days after a study revealed that pilots and flight attendants are at a higher cancer risk than the general population, a French court ruled in favour of a former flight attendant, recognising her breast cancer as an occupational disease.

The ruling has exposed the serious risks of exposure to ionising radiation at high altitudes.

About The Lawsuit

A court in Bayonne has recognised former Air France flight attendant Sophie Lainault's breast cancer as an occupational disease, marking the first such ruling for France’s aviation industry.

The court considered her long-term exposure to cosmic radiation, night shifts, and passive smoking during her career that spanned almost three decades.

Lainault, now 59, worked for Air France from 1989 to 2019, first as cabin crew and later as a purser on long-haul flights. She logged more than 12,600 flight hours, including over 6,500 at night.

She told AFP, "It is truly my dearest wish that this opens the way for other women who might not have dared until now."

Also read: Why Flight Attendants, Pilots Face Higher Risk Of Radiation-Linked Cancer Deaths Than Other Occupations?

What Does Flying Have To Do With Radiation Exposure?

The higher you travel, the thinner the atmosphere becomes. At commercial cruising altitudes, there is therefore less atmospheric protection against cosmic radiation.

Aircrew can accumulate substantially more occupational radiation exposure than people working at ground level because they spend hundreds or thousands of hours at high altitude during their careers.

The French court specifically cited ionising radiation as one of the occupational factors in Lainault's case.

It also considered night shifts and second-hand smoke, which was particularly relevant because smoking was permitted on Air France flights until 2000.

The ruling does not mean that radiation alone was the reason behind her breast cancer. The court considered several workplace exposures which may have contributed to her diagnosis.

Also read: Daraxonrasib: US FDA Approves Once-Daily Pill for Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer

New Study Added To The Concern

The ruling comes just days after a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine examined cancer risk among pilots, flight attendants, and other airline staff who spend several hours at high altitudes.

Researchers analysed more than 12.7 million deaths from 2020 to 2024 across 503 occupations. Flight attendants had the highest proportion of deaths from radiation-related cancers, while pilots ranked second.

Radiation-related cancers accounted for approximately 6.9% of deaths among flight attendants and 6.7% among pilots, compared with about 5% in the general working population.

The cancers examined in the study included breast cancer, melanoma, prostate cancer, leukaemia and cancers involving the central nervous system, among others.

The researchers, however, have cautioned against interpreting the findings as proof that cosmic radiation caused these deaths. Aircrew also experiences night work, disrupted circadian rhythms and other occupational exposures, which can contribute.

Also read: ‘Sunscreen Is A Health Essential’: UK Skin Cancer Survivor Urges Govt To Scrap Tax

What Does This Mean For Frequent Flyers?

The recent study speaks about the occupational hazards faced by pilots and flight attendants, who may spend thousands of hours in the air over decades of their careers. That is very different from someone taking a few commercial flights each year. Airline staff who fly regularly are at higher risk due to the cumulative effect of radiation.

Air France said it was not a party to Lainault's case and had not been informed of the court's reasoning but said the “health and safety of employees at work is an absolute priority.”

A Phase 3 trial of the new tuberculosis (TB) vaccine candidate VPM1002, sponsored by Pune-based Serum Institute of India, has fallen short of showing that it is as effective as the over 100-year-old BCG vaccine at preventing TB infection in newborns, according to results published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

VPM1002 is a live recombinant vaccine created by genetically modifying BCG. It was originally developed in Germany and licensed to the Serum Institute of India.

The trial compared VPM1002 with BCG in newborns across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa and Gabon.

What Did The Trial Find?

• VPM1002 did not meet the criteria for non-inferiority compared with BCG.
• After a median follow-up of 35 months, QFT conversion (an indicator of TB infection) occurred in 5.3% of infants given VPM1002 versus 4.3% given BCG.
• VPM1002 also failed to meet non-inferiority criteria for other endpoints, including microbiologically confirmed TB.
• No vaccine-related serious adverse events were reported.

“The results favored BCG over VPM1002 across the efficacy endpoints,” said the research team, which included Videlis Nduba of the Kenya Medical Research Institute and Center for Respiratory Disease Research.

The VPM1002 group had more QFT conversions (184 vs 150), confirmed TB cases (18 vs six), unconfirmed TB cases (92 vs 53) and sustained QFT conversions (44 vs 33), researchers said.

How Was The Study Conducted?

The trial included healthy newborns aged 0–14 days weighing at least 2.3 kg.

• 6,940 newborns were randomized; 6,897 received vaccination.
• Of those randomized, 720 were born to mothers living with HIV, while 6,220 were HIV-unexposed.
• The trial ran from November 2020 to June 2022.

Trial Limitations

The trial recorded only 334 of the 632 planned TB infection events. Researchers also noted that TB blood-test results did not always match confirmed TB infections, while more infants in the VPM1002 group had household TB exposure.

“In this paper, what the researchers have measured is developing ‘TB infection’ after vaccination. This does not mean that all babies had TB disease,” said Dr Swathi Krishna, a TB researcher in Maharashtra who was not part of the study.

“A slightly higher number of babies in the VPM group developed infection as compared to the BCG group. This does not explicitly mean that VPM is inferior to BCG, but it falls short of proving its ability in this particular study,” she told HealthandMe.

Why New TB Vaccines Are Needed

BCG, introduced in 1921, remains the only licensed TB vaccine. While it protects children against severe TB, its effectiveness against pulmonary TB in adolescents and adults varies.

VPM1002 is one of 17 TB vaccine candidates in development. TB affected an estimated 10.7 million people and killed 1.2 million globally in 2024.

“There is an urgent need for new tuberculosis vaccines” that are effective across age groups and can be produced at scale, the researchers wrote.

Helen McShane, professor of vaccinology at the University of Oxford, said the findings show that “there are no obvious shortcuts in tuberculosis vaccine efficacy trials.”

Previous Study Of VPM1002 And Immuvac

A Phase 3 trial published in The British Medical Journal in April found:

• Both vaccines could be safe for adults and children in India.
• Neither provided general protection against TB or prevented latent TB infection.
• Both showed an ability to prevent progression to active TB among those who developed latent TB.
• VPM1002 showed 50.4% effectiveness against extrapulmonary TB across all age groups.