Preliminary estimates show the flu vaccine is offering moderate protection against severe illness and hospitalizations this season, according to a new CDC report.
Category: Public Health
KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: Alabama’s IVF Ruling Still Making Waves
Lawmakers in Congress and state legislatures are scrambling to react to the ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court that frozen embryos created for in vitro fertilization are legally children. Abortion opponents are divided among themselves, with some supporting full “personhood” for fertilized eggs, while others support IVF as a moral way to have children. Rachel Cohrs of Stat, Riley Griffin of Bloomberg News, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins University schools of nursing and public health and Politico Magazine join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews University of Pittsburgh law professor Greer Donley, who explains how a 150-year-old anti-vice law that’s still on the books could be used to ban abortion nationwide. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too.
Ultra-processed foods linked to 30+ adverse health conditions
Consuming more ultra-processed foods has been directly linked to more than 32 adverse health conditions including several cardiometabolic conditions, mental disorders, and mortality outcomes, new research published Feb. 28 in the British Medical Journa…
CDC recommends spring COVID booster
CDC Director Mandy Cohen, MD, has approved a recommendation from the agency’s advisory committee for adults over 65 to receive an updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine dose this spring.
TikTok sparks misinformation, fears about 'mysterious virus' spread
Multiple videos have been circulating on TikTok with individuals claiming to be sick with a ‘mysterious virus’ after testing negative for three of the most prevalent viruses currently in circulation across the U.S.: COVID-19, flu and respiratory syncyt…
CDC updates suicide reporting guidance
When public health officials notice or suspect a cluster of suicides trending in a certain area, the CDC suggests that they use three key steps to properly classify these matters.
Say That Again: Using Hearing Aids Can Be Frustrating for Older Adults, but Necessary
Hearing loss is more than a nuisance. It also raises the risk of cognitive decline, dementia, falls, depression, and social isolation.
A Government Video Would Explain When Abortion Is Legal in South Dakota
South Dakota allows doctors to terminate a pregnancy only if a patient’s life is in jeopardy. Lawmakers say a government-created video would clarify what that exception actually means.
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.
