Category: Public Health

Old-school remedy may lower COVID hospitalization risk, new research suggests

Gargling with salt water and rinsing nasal passages may ease COVID-19 symptoms and lower the risk of hospitalization, new research suggests. 

Who Will Care for Older Adults? We’ve Plenty of Know-How but Too Few Specialists

The principles and practices of geriatrics are being widely disseminated. And we understand much more now about how to improve older adults’ care. Yet we don’t have enough geriatricians to meet the growing demand.

Flu, COVID-19 shot coverage among healthcare staff: What the latest data shows

The majority of hospital staff received their flu shot during last year’s respiratory virus season, while less than half of nursing home staff received one. Meanwhile, less than a quarter of healthcare personnel across both settings had gotten up-to-da…

Getting COVID-19, flu shots together or separate yields similar effectiveness

Getting both a COVID-19 vaccine and the flu shot in one fell swoop is just as effective as getting the two jabs separately, a study published Nov. 8 in JAMA has determined. 

KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: A Very Good Night for Abortion Rights Backers

Abortion rights backers won major victories in at least five states in the 2023 off-year elections Nov. 7, proving the staying power of abortion as a political issue in the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Meanwhile, the National Institutes of Health finally has a new director, after Democrats temporarily blocked President Joe Biden’s nominee over a mostly unrelated fight about prescription drug prices. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Julie Appleby, who reported and wrote the latest “Bill of the Month” feature.

Another GOP Primary Debate … Another Night of Verbal Clashes

In a faceoff that took some strange turns, five presidential hopefuls focused on foreign affairs and inflation but still revealed the party’s political struggles over its abortion position. Once again, former President Donald Trump did not appear on the debate stage.

A New RSV Shot Could Help Protect Babies This Winter — If They Can Get It in Time

Supply problems, a high price tag, and bureaucratic obstacles are slowing the distribution of a therapy that can protect infants from the respiratory syncytial virus. That will leave them unnecessarily at risk of hospitalization this winter, pediatricians fear.

3 states where abortion access was preserved on election Tuesday

Abortion policy and pro-choice candidates sustained victories in several states in what was the second election cycle since Roe v. Wade was overturned.

CDC: Number of babies born with syphilis increase 1022%

Compared to 2012, more than 10 times as many congenital syphilis cases were reported in 2022, marking a 1,022% jump in newborn syphilis cases, according to CDC data released Nov. 7.

Ohio Voted on Abortion. Next Year, 11 More States Might, Too.

Ohio is the latest state where voters have directly weighed in on abortion, and the next wave of such ballot measures is in the works in at least 11 other states, including Missouri.