Category: Public Health

Reported cases in Texas' measles outbreak may be 'tip of the iceberg': 4 updates

Nearly 100 cases of measles have been confirmed in Texas and New Mexico in recent weeks, though health officials say the true number of infections is likely much higher. 

Trump Froze Out Project 2025 in His Campaign. Now Its Blueprint Is His Health Care Playbook.

During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump distanced himself from the conservative governing plan after Democratic attacks. But now it’s increasingly viewed as a blueprint for his administration’s plans for federal health programs.

Trump Froze Out Project 2025 in His Campaign. Now Its Blueprint Is His Health Care Playbook.

During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump distanced himself from the conservative governing plan after Democratic attacks. But now it’s increasingly viewed as a blueprint for his administration’s plans for federal health programs.

Flu-related ER visits high as CDC ends vaccination campaign: 5 notes

The CDC reported high levels of respiratory virus activity across the U.S., with flu-related emergency department visits remaining very high, according to the latest CDC data. COVID-19 visits were low and RSV-related visits were moderate. 

Drug overdose deaths fall for 1st time since pandemic: CDC

Drug overdose deaths in the U.S. declined from 2022 to 2023, the first decrease since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data from the CDC. 

Texas Measles Outbreak Nears 100 Cases, Raising Concerns About Undetected Spread

Health officials expect a measles outbreak in West Texas to exceed 100 cases because of low vaccination rates and undetected infections. Vaccine misinformation and new laws may make such situations more common and harder to contain.

Wyoming reports 1st human bird flu case: 3 updates

A woman in Platte County, Wyo., has been hospitalized with the state’s first reported case of H5N1 avian flu, the fourth severe case in the U.S., CIDRAP reported Feb. 17. 

An Ice Rink To Fight Opioid Crisis: Drug-Free Fun vs. Misuse of Settlement Cash

A decision about how to spend settlement funds in Carter County, Kentucky, which was hit hard by the opioid epidemic, offers a window into the choices that surround this windfall.

Why this flu season is so severe

After a moderate influenza season last year, flu has returned with a vengeance this winter.

KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: Medicaid in the Crosshairs, Maybe

President Donald Trump has said he won’t support major cuts to the Medicaid health insurance program for people with low incomes, but he has endorsed a House budget plan that calls for major cuts, leaving the program’s future in doubt. Meanwhile, thousands of workers at the Department of Health and Human Services were fired over the holiday weekend, from the National Institutes of Health, the FDA, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with possibly more cuts to come.

Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.