Key metrics for COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus continue to fall, though flu activity is still elevated, CDC data for the week ending March 2 shows.
Category: Public Health
An Arm and a Leg: The Medicare Episode
On this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” host Dan Weissmann breaks down the complicated and expensive world of Medicare with practical tips to pick the right plan and avoid penalties.
Why Covid Patients Who Could Most Benefit From Paxlovid Still Aren’t Getting It
Price worries, bureaucratic obstacles, and “I’m-over-covid-itis” slow uptake of a drug that’s complicated to take but often effective.
US measles cases tick up: 4 updates
Measles activity continues to rise in the U.S., with Illinois becoming the latest state to confirm infections this year, CDC data shows.
Biden Said State of the Union Is Strong and Made Clear His Campaign Is Off and Running
President Joe Biden used his roughly 68-minute address to Congress to counter lackluster public approval ratings and draw clear contrasts between his administration’s policies and those of Donald Trump and some congressional Republicans. Abortion and health care were in the spotlight.
The State of the Union Is … Busy
At last, Congress is getting half of its annual spending bills across the finish line, albeit five months after the start of the fiscal year. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden delivers his annual State of the Union address, an over-the-counter birth control pill is (finally) available, and controversy erupts over new public health guidelines for covid-19 isolation. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Neera Tanden, the White House domestic policy adviser, about Biden’s health agenda. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too.
Concerns grow over bird flu's human risks
Avian flu’s spread among mammals is elevating concerns about the risk the disease may pose to humans.
Common acne products contain carcinogen, lab alerts FDA
An independent testing laboratory has filed a petition with the FDA after finding common acne products contain elevated levels of benzene, a carcinogen that’s previously been detected in other consumer products such as sunscreens and dry shampoos, acco…
Man got 217 COVID shots — here's what happened
A 62-year-old man who, for private reasons, elected to hypervaccinate, rolling up his sleeves for 217 COVID-19 shots, did not experience any adverse reactions, nor did it boost his immune system more than normal doses of the shot, according to research…
Why Even Public Health Experts Have Limited Insight Into Stopping Gun Violence in America
After the 1996 Dickey Amendment halted federal spending on research into firearms risks, a small group of academics pressed on, with little money or political support, to document the nation’s growing gun violence problem and start to understand what can be done to curb the public health crisis.
