Sep 26 U.S. health authorities need to play a larger role in cannabis policy, report says By Carla K. Johnson, Associated Press An estimated 18 million Americans report using marijuana daily or near-daily, more than the number who drink alcohol that often. Continue reading
Sep 12 Missouri bird flu case believed to be a ‘one-off’ and public risk remains low, officials say By Mike Stobbe, Associated Press Investigators trying to determine how the person caught the virus have not been able to confirm the exact strain of flu. Continue reading
Jul 20 As the CDC investigates a listeria outbreak linked to deli meats, here’s what to know By Associated Press As U.S. health officials investigate a fatal outbreak of listeria food poisoning, they're advising people who are pregnant, elderly or have compromised immune systems to avoid eating sliced deli meat unless it's recooked at home to be steaming hot. Continue reading
May 23 This COVID vaccine program offered a ‘bridge’ to uninsured adults, and then the funding crumbled By Laura Santhanam The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched the Bridge Access Program to connect U.S. adults with little to no health insurance to COVID vaccines. But funding cuts mean it will end this August. Continue reading
May 15 How bird flu puts workers on farms and in food processing plants at higher risk By Laura Santhanam Workers on the front lines may be handling animals and food products before they have been treated for possible bird flu contamination. Continue reading
May 15 Overdose fatalities fell last year, but the full picture is more complicated By Laura Santhanam While these national figures offer a rare glimmer of good news on this grim issue, outcomes vary greatly in different states. Continue reading
Mar 16 Marriages in the U.S. are back to pre-pandemic levels, according to the CDC By Mike Stobbe, Associated Press The COVID-19 pandemic threw many people's wedding plans into disarray. In 2020, there were 1.7 million weddings in the U.S. New York, the District of Columbia and Hawaii saw the largest increases in marriages from 2021 to 2022. Continue reading
Mar 06 Watch 5:55 Measles outbreak raises concerns about drop in vaccinations By William Brangham, Murrey Jacobson, Shoshana Dubnow There were 58 reported cases of measles in the U.S. during all of 2023. But there's already been 41 cases across 16 states so far this year. The outbreak of this highly contagious virus is cause for concern for many… Continue watching
Feb 25 Watch 5:17 How vaccine hesitancy is contributing to rising rates of measles and COVID By John Yang, Laura Santhanam, Harry Zahn Vaccines have been proven to be an effective weapon against many diseases. Measles, for instance, was declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000, and more recently, vaccines helped curb the spread of COVID. But both of those diseases are on… Continue watching
Feb 01 Newest COVID shots are 54 percent effective in preventing symptoms, CDC finds By Mike Stobbe, Associated Press Studies coming out later this year will assess how effective the shot was at preventing symptoms severe enough to send patients to a doctor's office or hospital. Continue reading