Health Highlights: Dec. 22, 2022​

Gene therapy breakthrough for children born without immune systems. Ten children with an especially rare and hard-to-treat form of "bubble boy" disease are living normal lives after receiving a the new treatment, researchers say. Read more

Stop screening asymptomatic hospital patients for COVID, experts say. A nationwide group of infection control specialists is recommending the rule be relaxed and health care facilities instead step up other infection controls. Read more

Final data confirms big drop in U.S. life expectancy in 2021. While the average American could expect to live an average of 78.8 years in 2019, life expectancy had declined to 76.4 years by 2021 -- the lowest level since 1996, statistics show. Read more