Category: Public Health

WHO backs trivalent flu vaccine

The World Health Organization recommends the Northern Hemisphere’s 2024-25 flu vaccines be trivalent. 

25 states where virus levels are high as flu holds steady

Flu activity remains high across most of the country, with increases reported in half of HHS regions. Meanwhile, key metrics for COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus continue to trend down. 

Horse Sedative Use Among Humans Spreads in Deadly Mixture of ‘Tranq’ and Fentanyl

Illegal supplies of fentanyl are being cut with xylazine, a powerful horse tranquilizer. Overdoses involving this veterinary sedative are growing nationally and now Florida officials are tracking the deaths.

Going beyond the usual advice for eating healthy [PODCAST]

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! Join Francisco M. Torres, an interventional physiatrist. As the author of Dr. T’s Drop the Fat Diet: 12 Steps to Leaner You Forever, Dr. Torres shares invaluable findings …

Louisiana sees 1st measles cases since 2018: 3 updates

Children’s Hospital New Orleans is treating two children with measles, marking Louisiania’s first cases since 2018, according to The Times-Picayune.

Norovirus climbs across U.S.

Norovirus has been on the rise since October, and the stomach virus is now positive in 12.4% of tests sent to labs, according to CDC data. 

Florida Defies CDC in Measles Outbreak, Telling Parents It’s Fine to Send Unvaccinated Kids to School

The state’s surgeon general grants parents permission to send unvaccinated children to school during a measles outbreak, risking their health and that of others.

KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: Alabama Court Rules Embryos Are Children. What Now?

In a first-of-its-kind ruling, the Alabama Supreme Court has determined that embryos created for in vitro fertilization procedures are legally people. The decision has touched off massive confusion about potential ramifications, and the University of Alabama-Birmingham has paused its IVF program. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump is reportedly planning to endorse a national 16-week abortion ban, while his former administration officials are planning further reproductive health restrictions for a possible second term. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Rachana Pradhan of KFF Health News, and Victoria Knight of Axios join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too.

Results are in on 'tripledemic' viruses' hospital burden this season: 4 notes

The combined effects of flu, respiratory syncytial virus and COVID-19 this season led to similar levels of hospitalizations and illness, but there were smaller peaks of COVID-19 and RSV compared to the 2022-2023 virus season.

Death and Redemption in an American Prison

More than a quarter century after an inmate helped start a hospice program in one of the nation’s most notorious prisons, he is trying to spread the idea.