Category: Public Health

Southern States’ Lackluster Monkeypox Efforts Leave LGBTQ+ Groups Going It Alone

The gay community is disproportionally affected by the monkeypox outbreak, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says public health efforts should prioritize gay and bisexual men. But in the South, some LGBTQ+ advocates fear that this is not happening consistently. They say they are having to take matters into their own hands in the absence of a coordinated response from state governments.

Hospitals push for early flu shots amid concerns of severe season

Healthcare organizations’ flu shot campaigns are in full force amid concerns that the upcoming season will be particularly severe.

Monkeypox likely won’t cause reinfection, experts say: 4 outbreak updates

Experts believe immunity to monkeypox after infection or vaccination is lifelong, The New York Times reported Sept. 8. 

Biden to name Dr. Renee Wegrzyn as director of new federal health research agency

The White House plans to name Renee Wegrzyn, PhD, as inaugural director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health — a new federal agency focused on ramping up biomedical and health research to drive breakthroughs in immunotherapy and cancer c…

CDC alerts providers of potential rise of polio-like illness in children

The CDC in a Sept. 9 advisory alerted providers of the potential for a rise in acute flaccid myelitis among children. AFM is a rare, polio-like complication of infection with an enterovirus. 

‘An Arm and a Leg’: The New Cap on Medicare Drug Costs

In this episode, Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent for KHN, guides listeners through decades of dealings between Congress and Big Pharma.

While Inflation Takes a Toll on Seniors, Billions of Dollars in Benefits Go Unused

With prices of necessities rising dramatically, many older Americans are having trouble making ends meet. They often don’t know that help is available from a variety of programs, and some sources of financial assistance are underused.

Did the US Jump the Gun With the New Omicron-Targeted Vaccines?

With fears of a winter surge looming, government agencies have authorized and encouraged vaccination with a newly formulated booster. But the science to support that decision remains inconclusive.

New York declares polio a state emergency

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sept. 9 declared a state of emergency amid evidence that polio is spreading in communities around the state. The move unlocks federal resources to help the state respond and boost vaccination rates. 

COVID-19 cases fall for 7th week: 8 CDC findings

The CDC is reporting double-digit decreases in the rate of new COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations confirmed nationwide, according to the agency’s COVID-19 data tracker weekly review published Sept. 9.