Because polio has been vanishingly rare in the United States for nearly a half-century, doctors may not consider it when diagnosing patients with typical symptoms. Here are the signs and the science behind an infectious disease that is largely a mystery to modern society.
Republicans would like to shift the political focus away from abortion to economic issues for the midterm elections, but a bill from Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) that would ban most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy has put the issue squarely back on their agenda. The proposal was not welcomed by many of his colleagues, especially Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Also this week, the muddle about where the fight against covid stands and near-record-low numbers of uninsured in the U.S. Rachel Cohrs of Stat, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times join KHN’s partnerships editor, Mary Agnes Carey, to discuss these issues and more.
Globally, new weekly COVID-19 deaths have reached their lowest point since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, according to the World Health Organization’s latest epidemiological report.
Massachusetts had the highest pediatric flu vaccination rate in the U.S. during the 2020-21 flu season, according to a Sept. 13 analysis by WalletHub, a personal finance website.
A healthcare worker in Los Angeles has become the first person in the U.S. to contract monkeypox from a workplace exposure, The Los Angeles Times reported Sept. 13.
Shortly after birth, babies are pricked in the heel so their blood can be tested for life-threatening conditions. States generally save leftover blood from those samples, and parents and privacy experts are concerned that information could be used without consent years later.
California and New York would be the first states to require anyone under 18 to obtain prescriptions to purchase over-the-counter weight loss products, which some research has linked to eating disorders.
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.
Healthcare organizations’ flu shot campaigns are in full force amid concerns that the upcoming season will be particularly severe.
Experts believe immunity to monkeypox after infection or vaccination is lifelong, The New York Times reported Sept. 8.
