Health

To solve opioid epidemic, governors say there need to be federal dollars behind pledges

By PBS News Hour

The governors of Maryland and Oregon are making an urgent call for greater federal help to deal with the opioid epidemic in their hard-hit states. Gov. Larry Hogan, R-Md., and Gov. Kate Brown, D-Ore., sit down with William Brangham to…

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Flu vaccine grown without eggs provided measurably better protection this season, FDA says

By Helen Branswell, STAT

The sole influenza vaccine made in cell culture in the United States may have worked about 20 percent better this flu season than the standard vaccines made in eggs, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said Thursday.

Mississippi could soon be the only state to ban abortion after 15 weeks

By Laura Santhanam

Critics say the new law, which Gov. Phil Bryant is expected to sign, could set up a Supreme Court showdown over the 40-year-old landmark Roe v. Wade case that gave women in the United States the legal right to have…

Martin Shkreli, pharmaceutical chief who increased price of lifesaving drug, sentenced to 7 years in prison

By Tom Hays, Colleen Long, Associated Press

Martin Shkreli, the self-promoting pharmaceutical executive notorious for trolling critics online, was convicted in a securities fraud case last year unconnected to the price increase dispute.

Does Tamiflu work? We asked a scientist

By Teresa Carey, Nsikan Akpan

When the flu strikes, many rush to the doctor for Tamiflu, but there is debate over the complications it can treat.

Help! How will receiving a legal settlement affect my health care?

By Philip Moeller

A reader asks: When money from a legal settlement runs out, how should she get medical and rehab care again?…

Opinion: To prevent school shootings, can mental health be taught?

By Lauren Porosoff, Jonathan Weinstein

Maybe if students learn how to accept feelings of frustration, fear and embarrassment, they won’t need to avoid those feelings by hurting themselves or someone else.

Emergency department visits for opioid overdoses rise by 30 percent in a year

By Laura Santhanam

Emergency department visits linked to opioid overdoses are on the rise, and new data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tuesday show virtually no sign of improvement across much of the U.S.

This scientist is testing a marijuana ingredient as a way to prevent relapse. It’s a daunting task

By Megan Thielking, STAT

A neurobiologist at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York thinks cannabidiol -- one of the two main compounds plucked from the marijuana plant -- might hold the potential to curb cravings for heroin and other opioids.

Opinion: Schools shouldn’t wait for red flags to address student mental health needs

By Nathaniel von der Embse, The Conversation

In order to prevent future mental health problems among at-risk students, schools must do a better job of screening for mental health problems earlier.