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Shen Wu Tan

stan@washingtontimes.com

Shen Wu Tan was a general assignment reporter, with a focus on health news, at The Washington Times.

Articles by Shen Wu Tan

While American parents debate the risks of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, a report by two global health organizations said the majority of unvaccinated children live in the world's poorest countries and are disproportionately in "fragile or conflict-affected states" such as Syria, Afghanistan and Congo. (Associated Press/File)

Measles vaccine stagnation alarms global health groups

About 1 in 10 children, or 20 million worldwide, missed out on lifesaving vaccines for infectious diseases such as measles last year, revealing a "dangerous stagnation of global vaccination rates," two leading global health organizations said.

July 15, 2019
Women coming from Congo wash their hands with chlorinated water to prevent the spread of infection, at the Mpondwe border crossing with Congo, in western Uganda Friday, June 14, 2019. In Uganda, health workers had long prepared in case the Ebola virus got past the screening conducted at border posts with Congo and earlier this week it did, when a family exposed to Ebola while visiting Congo returned home on an unguarded footpath. (AP Photo/Ronald Kabuubi)

Two Ebola treatments in field show promise in lab tests

Two Ebola treatments being used to tackle the ongoing outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo have been proven to block the virus from replicating itself in a laboratory setting, according to new research this week.

July 11, 2019
E-cigarettes are not considered as risky as regular cigarettes, but youth advocacy groups are worried about the dramatic rise in use among middle and high school students. (Associated Press/File)

FDA seeks time as youths swarm e-cigarette market

The Food and Drug Administration has told a federal court that the agency, not the court, should set its timeline to review thousands of electronic cigarette products in response to a lawsuit filed last year.

June 13, 2019
This Feb. 19, 2013, file photo shows OxyContin pills arranged for a photo at a pharmacy in Montpelier, Vt. A report found drug overdose deaths among U.S. teens inched up in 2015 after years of decline. The report was released on Wednesday, August 16, 2017, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot, File) ** FILE **

Opioids prescribed to teens at high rate: Study

A new study found that doctors have frequently prescribed opioids to teens and young adults who visit emergency rooms or outpatient clinics, prompting the study's lead researcher to call on fellow physicians to rarely prescribe the painkillers.

May 28, 2019
U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Tim Chambers salutes as motorcyclists ride in the 32nd Operation Rolling Thunder rally on Sunday in the District. The event honors prisoners of war and those killed in action. (Associated Press)

Rolling Thunder motorcyclists ride for fallen soldiers

Army veteran Sue Gough untied the American flag on the back of her motorcycle Sunday in preparation for what was to be the last ride of Rolling Thunder -- the annual Memorial Day weekend gathering of cyclists honoring prisoners of war and service members killed in action.

May 26, 2019
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., speaks to media during a break in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018, with Christine Blasey Ford and Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) **FILE**

Parents advocate for car passenger alert system to prevent child deaths

Over the last 29 years, nearly 900 children have died of vehicular heatstroke. To stop such deaths, lawmakers are reintroducing the Helping Overcome Trauma for Children Alone in Rear Seats (HOT CARS) Act, which would require all new cars to have a child safety alert system. It calls for equipping cars weighing less that 10,000 pounds with a mechanism that alerts drivers to check the rear seat after they turn off the engine.

May 22, 2019