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Amina Zafar
Journalist
Amina Zafar covers medical sciences and health care for CBC. She contributes to CBC Health's Second Opinion, which won silver for best editorial newsletter at the 2024 Digital Publishing Awards. She holds an undergraduate degree in environmental science and a master's in journalism.
Latest from Amina Zafar
![](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7463433.1740009787!/cpImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_780/flu-season.jpg)
U.S. hasn't sent essential seasonal flu data to WHO ahead of key vaccine meeting
Seasonal flu vaccines need to be updated each year because the virus changes so frequently. But the U.S. hasn't contributed its information on what's spreading there since January, a World Health Organization official says.
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![](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7022720.1731218530!/cumulusImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_780/shutterstock-medium-file.jpg)
Canada buys 500,000 doses of H5N1 avian influenza vaccine for those most at risk
The Public Health Agency of Canada said Wednesday it's purchased 500,000 doses of a human vaccine to protect against avian influenza for those most at risk from being exposed to the virus by infected animals.
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![](https://i.cbc.ca/1.6679909.1739547388!/cumulusImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_780/kids-flu-clinic.jpg)
Why so many people in Canada seem to be sick right now
You may be seeing and hearing a lot of people coughing and sneezing around you right now as the Public Health Agency of Canada has said influenza is widespread in many parts of the country.
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![](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7446226.1738266272!/cpImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_780/50-plus.jpg)
Second Opinion
A way out of the family doctor shortage? Shift training, say medical school deans
Deans from Canada's three new programs for family medicine focus on meeting increased demand through team-based care and early exposure.
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![](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7444120.1738103622!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpeg_gen/derivatives/16x9_780/stefanie-strathdee.jpeg)
Uncertainty, chaos for Canadian researchers as confusion reigns over Trump administration medical funding
Canadian scientists say the uncertainty surrounding U.S. President Donald Trump's pause on federal health spending there could stall research on new drugs, vaccines and treatments for cancer, dementia and more — including at labs in this country.
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![](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7442975.1738012090!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_780/adhd.jpg)
New study suggesting people with ADHD have shorter lifespans should be 'call to arms,' lead author says
People with ADHD are living shorter lives than they should, say the authors of a new British study, who stress that much of the known link between the disorder and premature death relates to a lack of education and support services.
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![](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7438514.1737571754!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpeg_gen/derivatives/16x9_780/christopher-wanczycki.jpeg)
'Prehab' before surgery speeds up patient recovery, review suggests
Exercise, nutritional changes and psychological support could have huge benefits for people before they have planned surgeries, reducing complications and hospital stays, according to a large, new systematic review.
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Ozempic could also help fight dementia but raise other health risks, study says
Ozempic was first approved to treat diabetes in Canada seven years ago. Now the largest study of its kind suggests it and other medications like it have a host of other potential health benefits beyond obesity, but could also bring increased risk of other conditions.
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![](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7433851.1737071993!/cpImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_780/california-wildfires-remaining-homes-photo-gallery.jpg)
Why those in L.A. whose homes were spared in wildfires could still face serious health risks
The massive scale of the Los Angeles wildfires means even people whose homes didn't burn down face health concerns from airborne compounds in the ash and smoke, researchers say.
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![](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7431157.1736890033!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_780/dr-katherine-morrison.jpg)
Doctors propose new definitions of obesity that would move away from BMI
In Tuesday's issue of The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, dozens of international medical experts and people with lived experience are proposing a major change to how obesity is diagnosed because they say current medical approaches don't reliably assess an individual's health.
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