Category: Public Health

KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: Newly Minted Doctors Are Avoiding Abortion Ban States

For the second year in a row, medical school graduates across specialties are shying away from applying for residency training in states with abortion bans or significant restrictions, according to a new study. Meanwhile, Medicare’s trustees report that the program will be able to pay its bills longer than expected — which could discourage Congress from acting to address the program’s long-term financial woes. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins University schools of nursing and public health and Politico Magazine, and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

A 'neglected parasitic infection' comes to light

A little-known parasitic infection in the brain has come into the spotlight following presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr.’s admission that he once suffered from it, NBC News reported May 8.

Medical Residents Are Increasingly Avoiding States With Abortion Restrictions

A new analysis shows that students graduating from U.S. medical schools were less likely to apply this year for residency positions in states with abortion bans and other significant abortion restrictions.

New COVID variant makes up 25% of US cases: CDC

A new COVID-19 variant now makes up 25% of cases in the nation, the CDC said.

They Were Shot at the Super Bowl Parade — And Might Have Bullets in Their Bodies Forever

Despite the rise of gun violence in America, few medical guidelines exist on removing bullets from survivors’ bodies. In the second installment of our series “The Injured,” we meet three people shot at the Kansas City Super Bowl parade who are dealing with the bullets inside them in different ways.

Alzheimer's may be inherited more often than previously thought

 New research has found that nearly all people with two copies of the gene variant APOE4 develop biological markers of Alzheimer’s disease, suggesting the gene may be its own, distinct form of the disease rather than only a risk factor. 

What’s Keeping the US From Allowing Better Sunscreens?

A decade after Congress told the FDA to expedite the approval of more effective sunscreens, the federal government still has not approved sunscreen ingredients that are safely being used around the world. Meanwhile, skin cancer is the nation’s most common cancer.

Stranded in the ER, Seniors Await Hospital Care and Suffer Avoidable Harm

Many older adults who need hospital care are getting stuck in emergency room limbo — sometimes for more than a day. The long ER waits for seniors who are frail, with multiple medical issues, lead to a host of additional medical problems.

Hospital experts fret over potential bird flu outbreak

As it stands, federal health officials say the risk avian flu poses to public health is low. If that were to change, hospital leaders say they don’t feel any more prepared in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and they fear they would face a repeat of chal…

Bird Flu Is Bad for Poultry and Dairy Cows. It’s Not a Dire Threat for Most of Us — Yet.

Cattle across the country are infected by the H5N1 bird flu. The virus isn’t spreading among people — but if it evolves to do that, fears of another pandemic could be realized.