Public Health
RFK Jr. overhauled the CDC’s vaccine panel. Here’s what it does and why it matters
It plays a big role in deciding which vaccines kids and adults get routinely, what's covered by insurance and which shots are made available free to low-income kids.
Guns are the leading cause of death of kids and teens, and state laws matter
A study from JAMA Pediatrics compares states that have permissive gun laws with others that have strict regulations. The states with tougher rules did not see a rise in gun deaths among children and teens.
COVID vaccine changes confuse and upset some parents and families
Federal health officials have changed the game for COVID vaccine access. Pregnant moms and others who rely on them to protect a high-risk family member are scared.
Here’s the science behind the COVID vaccine in pregnancy
Existing evidence on the safety and efficacy of getting a COVID vaccine in pregnancy all points the same way: the shot is important for maternal and fetal health.
How safe is the food supply after federal cutbacks? Experts are worried
As the Trump administration slashes the federal workforce, experts say cuts to the USDA, FDA and CDC have left the food supply vulnerable to outbreaks of foodborne illness.
RFK Jr. says COVID shots no longer recommended for kids, pregnant women
Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. announced that CDC recommendations for COVID vaccines will no longer include healthy pregnant women and healthy children.
Vaccine advisers to the FDA recommended changes to COVID vaccines
Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration met Thursday to help decide which variant of the virus that causes COVID should be targeted by updated versions of the vaccines.
MAHA Commission report paints a dark picture of U.S. children’s health
The Health Secretary's report blames environmental toxins, ultraprocessed foods and more for the poor state of kids' health in the U.S.
DOGE cuts, policy changes jeopardize care, housing for vulnerable HIV patients in Alabama
Federal funding has helped states like Alabama and Mississippi make strides in fighting the HIV epidemic. Doctors and advocates are worried about the future.
‘Which is it?’ RFK Jr. waffles on cuts to lead poisoning prevention efforts
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced tough questions from senators about a lead poisoning crisis in public schools in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Why so many clinics that provide abortion are closing, even where it’s still legal
New financial pressures on clinics that provide abortion are forcing some to close their doors, even in states that protect the right to abortion.
The Environmental Protection Agency delays limits on PFAS in drinking water
Federal rules to reduce the levels of "forever chemicals" in drinking water are getting delayed.
Under pressure, HHS reinstates hundreds of occupational health workers
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is restoring several programs and bringing back the staffers who run them, but much of the agency's work is still on the chopping block.
A quarter of children have a parent with substance use disorder, a study finds
A new study estimates that 19 million children in the U.S. have a parent with a substance use disorder and that alcohol is the most commonly used substance by the parents.
Measles math: What to know about 1,001 measles cases across the country
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated the numbers of measles cases in the country on Friday. Here's what they say and what it means for public health in the U.S.
An Insider’s View of the Texas Measles Outbreak
Katherine Wells, the public health director in Lubbock, Texas, describes her fight to stop the largest measles outbreak since 2000, despite a chaotic reorganization of federal health agencies.
Former CDC staff warn of “a five alarm fire”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has laid off thousands of workers since January. Current and former CDC staff are grappling with uncertainty about both their futures and public health.
Meet the Florida group chipping away at public benefits one state at a time
The Trump administration's "Make America Healthy Again" platform has boosted the agenda of a conservative think tank that's been working for more than a decade to reshape the nation's public assistance programs.
With disability rights under attack, history offers hope and a possible playbook
Harvard researcher Ari Ne'eman says the policy shifts underway under the Trump administration pose a unique threat to people with disabilities, but that they've fought for rights before and won.
Trump cuts demolish agency focused on toxic chemicals and workplace hazards
The Trump administration has decimated an agency responsible for carrying out much of the research and prevention efforts to curb exposure to dangerous substances and situations in the workplace.
In order to have conversations — start by singing
To foster equity and community, people gather several times a year to sing together in Portland, Oregon. The woman behind this effort has twice been nominated for a Grammy in music education.
In a reversal, the Trump administration restores funding for women’s health study
The unexpected elimination of funding for the decades-long research project focused on women's health shocked scientists. They were heartened by the quick restoration of support.
Funding cut for landmark study of women’s health
The Women's Health Initiative, begun in the 1990s, has made many important discoveries. Now funding to collect more research data will end in September.
RFK’s plan to phase out synthetic food dyes could face industry pushback
The health secretary announced a push to eliminate petroleum-based colorants from the food supply. But he'll need to get food companies on board.
With CDC injury prevention team gutted, ‘we will not know what is killing us’
Workers who track data on car crashes, drownings, traumatic brain injury, falls in the elderly, and other perils lost their jobs. Advocates worry life-saving work will stop.
How FDA cuts could make the food and drug supply less safe
While Food and Drug Administration inspectors who make sure food and drugs meet quality standards were spared in recent cuts, key support staffers were dismissed.
First meeting of CDC vaccine advisers under RFK Jr. is mostly ‘business as usual’
An independent vaccine advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention met to discuss and vote on vaccine policy for the first time since the change in administrations.
RFK pushes to find ‘environmental’ cause of autism, calls rising rates an ‘epidemic’
Researchers and advocates have pushed back at what they consider inaccurate and stigmatizing comments made by the health secretary, and note the causes of autism are complex.
How psychiatric patients get caught in a cycle of homelessness and spotty care
Montana is investing $300 million to help those with severe mental illness from cycling through ERs, state psychiatric facilities, jails and homelessness. Advocates say they also need stable housing.
DOGE cut a CDC team as it was about to start a project to help N.C. flood victims
The National Center for Environmental Health was hollowed out in the cuts of 10,000 federal health workers on April 1. That's the same day an assessment of people hurt in floods was set to begin.
Europe deplores America’s ‘chlorinated chicken.’ How safe is our poultry?
President Trump wants European countries to start buying U.S. chicken and eggs. But the U.K. and E.U. think American poultry is gross and chemically washed. Turns out, chlorine isn't really the issue.
As measles spreads, federal budget cuts force closure of vaccine clinics
Federal funding cuts, though temporarily blocked by a judge, have upended vaccination outreach across the country, including in Arizona, Minnesota, Nevada, Texas, and Washington state.
