Category: states

Dramatic Drop in Common Viruses Raises Question: Masks Forever?

Hospitalizations are down 62% for childhood respiratory illnesses, a study shows. Masking and social distancing are keeping a variety of viruses in check this flu season.

Web Event: The Crucial Role of Home Health Workers, Unsung Heroes of the Pandemic

Watch an intimate conversation about this workforce, which provides vital care to vulnerable people. Our panel included those doing the work and those who rely on them, as well as expert insight on improving the jobs, honoring the care and paying for it all.

Getting a Prescription to Die Remains Tricky Even as Aid-in-Dying Bills Gain Momentum

Access to physician-assisted death is expanding across the U.S., but the procedure remains in Montana’s legal gray zone more than a decade after the state Supreme Court ruled physicians could use a dying patient’s consent as a defense.

Covid Vaccine Hesitancy Drops Among All Americans, New Survey Shows

A nationwide poll released by KFF also revealed which arguments are most compelling to persuade people to get a shot — and which ones are unlikely to work.

It’s Not Just QAnon. Democrats and Independents Also Want to Recall California’s Governor.

Gov. Gavin Newsom is painting the effort to remove him from office as a partisan power grab. But among the tens of thousands of Californians who signed the recall petition are Democrats and independent voters frustrated by his pandemic policies, from school closures to vaccine distribution.

How One State’s Public Health Defunding Led to Vaccination Chaos

The underfunding of public health and political backlash destabilized Missouri’s vaccine rollout, creating racial inequity and forcing some residents to drive hours to get shots.

The Great Undoing: Which of Trump’s Policies Will Biden Reverse?

In his campaign, President Joe Biden promised to undo policies, particularly health policies, implemented by former President Donald Trump. Yet, despite immense executive power, reversing four years of action takes time and resources.

Inmates’ Distrust of Prison Health Care Fuels Distrust of Covid Vaccines

Many inmates at Western Missouri Correctional Center, like their peers in prisons across Missouri and the nation, are hesitant about getting vaccinated against covid-19 because they don’t trust prison health care.

‘Press 1 for English’: Vaccination Sign-Ups Prove Daunting for Speakers of Other Languages

In Virginia, if you called 1-877-VAX-IN-VA to register for a vaccine and wanted help in a language other than English or Spanish, the system might hang up on you.

Indiana School Goes Extra Mile to Help Vulnerable Kids Weather Pandemic

Many students at Sarah Scott Middle School in Terre Haute, Indiana, deal with poverty, dysfunction and stress. Since the pandemic hit, teachers and administrators have struggled to give kids and families the support they need.