Here’s some of HealthDay’s top stories for Friday, July 16:

Changing the minds of anti-vax friends, family is in your hands. What does it take to alter someone’s view on getting the COVID vaccine? The example and advice of people closest to them, claims a survey conducted in July. Read more

Vaccine misinformation must be fought: U.S. Surgeon General. U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said in a report released Thursday that falsehoods about the COVID-19 vaccines, spread on the internet and elsewhere, must be countered at the national and interpersonal level. Read more

Fermented foods do a microbiome good. Fermented foods — everything from yogurt to kimchi to kombucha — are all the rage. Now, research shows they might alter your internal ‘flora’ in very healthy ways. Read more

Stick with statins, big review finds. Millions of Americans pop a statin each day to help lower their cholesterol. A huge new review of the data finds the popular pills offer far more benefit than risk. Read more

Mask mandates return to Los Angeles. Even vaccinated Los Angelenos must put masks back on at most indoor gatherings, L.A. County health officials said Thursday. Rising rates of infections and hospitalizations among the unvaccinated are driving the move. Read more