🎧Health Brief: Judge Rules for Pfizer in Lawsuit Over COVID-19 Vaccine; US Surgeon General Calls for Cancer Warning Labels on Alcohol

A health care worker prepares a COVID-19 vaccine in a file photograph. Bay Ismoyo/AFP via Getty Images

Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times Health Brief for Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. I’m Bill Thomas, and we have some very compelling stories to share with you right now. We’re glad you’re here, and here’s what’s going on.

A federal judge issues a critical decision regarding Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, our nation’s top physician issues a dire warning regarding alcohol, and a new study points out that lounging at your desk job all day long might be hazardous to your health.

Also, doctors warn that delaying bathroom breaks could have a long-term negative effect on your body, and there’s something fishy here; new research finds that taking one particular health supplement could increase your risk of developing certain cardiac issues.

We have a number of pressing stories to share with you today and we begin with this. The Lone Star State takes a pharmaceutical giant to court. Here’s a careful look at both sides of the case and the final ruling.

Judge Rules for Pfizer in Lawsuit Over COVID-19 Vaccine

The attorney general of Texas first filed the lawsuit in late 2023, alleging that Pfizer misrepresented the results of the clinical trial that tested its COVID-19 vaccine.

So you know, both Pfizer and its partner, BioNTech, promoted the vaccine as 95 percent effective in preventing against COVID-19 infection; however, the companies relied on just two months of clinical trial data.

The lawsuit said that out of 17,000 people involved in the experiment who received a placebo instead of the actual vaccine, only 162 of them got COVID-19. The suit went on to say that based on those numbers, their vaccination status had a very small impact on whether or not a trial participant contracted the infection.

Texas officials also accused Pfizer of violating several laws that prohibit misleading advertising, including one called the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

Meanwhile, Pfizer removed the case to federal court and said in court filings that it was protected against the suit by a measure called the Public Readiness and Emergency Act (or, the PREP Act), which grants certain immunities from liability under both federal and state laws during an emergency, and the federal judge agreed.

That judge has just tossed out the lawsuit and said that U.S. law protects Pfizer due to the national emergency that was declared at that time regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

By the way, the U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary declared an emergency over COVID-19 in 2020, and recently, immunity for vaccine makers was extended through 2029.

We continue now with a story that we recently talked about on our sister podcast, The Epoch Times News Brief; the U.S. surgeon general issues a serious health advisory concerning a widespread cancer risk that he says most Americans aren’t even aware of. More now on that warning.

US Surgeon General Calls for Cancer Warning Labels on Alcohol

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy is calling for updated warning labels on all alcohol products, saying that drinking alcohol can lead to a risk of developing cancer.

Murthy said that alcohol is the third-leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States, and that each year, it’s responsible for 100,000 cancer cases, along with 20,000 deaths.

He went on to say that there’s a direct link between drinking alcohol and at least seven different types of cancer; that the risk occurs regardless of the type of alcohol you drink; and that beer, wine, and spirits can cause cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and voice box.

He wants alcohol consumption limits to be reexamined, so that people can weigh the risk of getting cancer as they make a decision regarding whether or not to drink alcohol.

By the way, a number of previous medical studies support the surgeon general’s current assessment. However, one recent analysis from Harvard University found that some of those reports “cherry-picked” material from other studies, and they say that more high-quality evidence is needed in order to fully understand the health impacts of moderate alcohol consumption.

Right now, alcohol products sold in the United States carry a health warning label that advises pregnant women not to drink them and that their consumption impairs a person’s ability to drive or operate machinery.

Also, changing that label to include a surgeon general’s warning for alcohol regarding its potential cancer risk would require approval from Congress.

Moving along, and if you’re not moving along, you may be putting your overall health at great risk and here’s what you might want to think about as you attempt to ward off devastating health issues.

Sedentary Lifestyle Linked to Higher Risk of 19 Health Conditions

A new study just published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that people who lead a sedentary lifestyle and are not committed to physical exercise face a higher risk of suffering from diabetes, hypertension, heart failure, and a number of other serious health issues.

The study analyzed survey data taken from more than 7,000 adult patients who were admitted to a hospital between 2017 and 2022 in order to investigate the link between physical engagement and overall health.

The survey asked two simple questions related to the exercise habits of those patients—how many days per week they engaged in exercising and the time they spent on those activities. The patients were then divided into three segments, with 60 percent being physically active, 36 percent insufficiently active, and 4 percent inactive.

The study concluded that physically active people had much lower blood pressure and resting pulse rates, as well as lower LDL cholesterol levels, than people who were less active.

The study also found that people who exercised more had significantly lower rates of a number of health issues, including depression, obesity, drug abuse, hypothyroidism, psychoses, congestive heart failure, and several neurological disorders affecting movement.

By the way, the study defined “active” people as those who reported at least 2 ½ hours of moderate to vigorous exercise per week.

Meanwhile, just a reminder, if you’re one of those people with a desk job, some experts have been saying for years that walking 10,000 steps daily can do wonders for your health—please do all you can to keep your body in motion.

Another important story to share with you now, and as my high school health teacher said all those years ago: Better to hold the phone than to get a kidney stone. Delaying a quick and much needed trip to the bathroom could damage your body and here’s what we’ve learned.

Doctors Warn ‘Holding It In’ Could Damage Your Bladder

When the bladder needs relief, many of us often ignore our body’s cues because we’re busy working or doing chores. But doctors say that while occasionally delaying a trip to the restroom is harmless, there can be serious health consequences if it becomes a habit.

One urology professor from New York told The Epoch Times that younger or middle-aged people often hold their bladders for longer periods of time—especially those individuals who are employed in professions with limited access to bathrooms, such as truckers, teachers, and nurses.

He said that over time, their bladders stretch out until they can hold quite a bit of fluid, and that some of these people only urinate every 8 to 12 hours.

He also says that as a result, when these people age, their bladders might not empty properly. He says this condition can lead to higher rates of urinary tract infections, discomfort, more frequent trips to the bathroom, and in some cases, severe kidney damage and even kidney failure.

Another urology expert told The Epoch Times that there are many reasons why people may have difficulty urinating, including an enlarged prostate gland for men and something referred to as dropped bladders in women. He went on to say how well these problems can be treated depends on how soon the issue is addressed.

We have time to squeeze in just one more story for you right now and it concerns a very popular supplement that some people take for heart health. But new research says think twice before you take it. More now on what we know.

Fish Oil Supplements May Increase Risk of Atrial Fibrillation

A number of studies regarding fish oil show that the health benefits of the widely used supplement are not universal, and that taking it may even increase the risk of certain cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in some people.

A recent study of more than 400,000 people between the ages of 40 and 69 found that people without prior CVD who consumed fish oil on a regular basis had a significantly increased risk of eventually developing both atrial fibrillation (AFib) and stroke.

In contrast, patients with prior cardiovascular diseases who took fish oil daily showed a lower risk of both conditions.

Now, you may be aware that fish oil is rich in polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, and its main compounds are widely recognized for their heart health benefits.

One cardiologist told The Epoch Times that a number of healthy people, especially those who eat fish twice a week, may not require any additional fish oil but that people with cardiovascular disease could, in fact, benefit from these supplements.

However, he says that fish oil should not be used by people who are allergic to fish, individuals who are prone to bleeding, and those who take aspirin, which he says is essential for managing heart disease.

He went on to say that getting your omega-3 fatty acids from natural foods may be safer and more effective than relying on supplements, and he recommends eating fish and seafood, using plant-based oils, and not forgetting to include certain nuts and seeds in your daily diet.

Finally, he says for folks who decide to take fish oil to limit your intake to under 1 gram per day to prevent potential issues; choose fish with low mercury levels, such as salmon and sardines; and consult with your doctor before making any substantial changes to your diet.

And now, it looks like our time is just about up for today, so we’re gonna call it a wrap for this edition of The Epoch Times Health Brief.

Just a reminder—you can reach out to us anytime via email with your thoughts, comments and suggestions and you’ll find us at [email protected]. You can also leave comments for us on The Epoch Times app which you can download for free on either Google Play or the App Store.

And don’t forget the Health Brief Motto: We’re portable, affordable, and always on-demand.

And as we do each and every week on this program, we share with you a very notable quote and this one comes to us from Julia Child, who said:

“Small helpings. Sample a little bit of everything. These are the secrets of happiness and good health.”

Child was an American food expert, author, and television personality who’s best known for her cooking program “The French Chef.”

As you know, each week on this program, we like to remind you that the surgeon general says smoking causes lung cancer, heart disease, emphysema, and may complicate pregnancy.

Therefore, if you’re a smoker, it would mean a great deal to your Health Brief team if you’d make an effort to stop smoking right away. It’s one of the best things you’ll ever do both for yourself as well as for the people who care a great deal about you.

And finally, we all know there are tons of fast food drive-thru restaurants all over the planet. They open up early, they stay open late and the menu options are varied. Just a reminder though—moderation—and it’s just as easy to drive by as it is to drive through.

For all of us here at The Epoch Times Health Brief, I’m Bill Thomas.

The Epoch Times Health Brief program was written today by David Ross.

Thank you for making us your one-stop source for a concise, accurate, and unbiased synopsis of many of the health stories you need to know about.

Enjoy the remainder of your day, please stay healthy, and we'll see you right back here next time for another edition of The Epoch Times Health Brief.

For now, let’s all continue to watch out for one another and have an absolutely superb day today. Bye for now.