centers for disease control and prevention

CDC plans session on preparing for a nuclear detonation

By Helen Branswell, STAT

With this week’s bellicose boasting about who has the bigger red button on his desk, an alert Thursday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention felt more than a bit on the nose.

CDC director says there are ‘no banned words’ at the agency

By Michael D. Regan

Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald said in a series of Tweets on Sunday said there are "no banned words," while emphasizing the agency's commitment to data-driven science.

CDC says more people die of influenza worldwide than some experts have estimated

By Laura Santhanam

As many as 646,000 people may die from influenza each year worldwide, according to the latest estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- a larger number than what other health experts have predicted in years past.

Flu season arrives early and may peak during the holidays

By Helen Branswell, STAT

If you have been planning to get a flu shot but just haven’t gotten around to it yet, the time to act is now — especially if you hope to be healthy at Christmas.

Poll: Most Americans think Trump hasn’t done enough to fix opioid crisis

By Laura Santhanam

Only 2 percent of adults nationwide said the country’s opioid problem improved over the last year.

Twitter chat: Why suicide rates are on the rise, especially among teen girls

By Lora Strum

The suicide rate among teen girls doubled from 2007-2015, reaching a 40-year high according to new analysis from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. What are the risk factors and what can parents and educators do to support teens?…

Brenda Fitzgerald named new CDC director

By Helen Branswell, STAT

Georgia’s public health commissioner, Brenda Fitzgerald, will succeed Dr. Tom Frieden as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Prescription opioids tripled between 1999 and 2015, CDC says

By Laura Santhanam

The amount of opioids prescribed in 2015 was enough for every American to be medicated around the clock for three weeks, according to a new CDC report.