Category: health
-
In a chaotic meeting, RFK Jr.’s handpicked advisers begin altering the childhood vaccine schedule
In a chaotic meeting, RFK Jr.’s handpicked advisers begin altering the childhood vaccine schedule ATLANTA — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said he wants his handpicked panel of vaccine advisers to restore declining public trust in vaccines. What that looked like was on full display on Thursday and Friday: The…
-
Winner of mRNA Nobel Prize says ACIP member’s claim that Covid vaccines persist is “absolutely impossible”
Winner of mRNA Nobel Prize says ACIP member’s claim that Covid vaccines persist is “absolutely impossible” On Thursday and Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention held a meeting of its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a key panel that gives the CDC’s director guidance about what vaccines to recommend to the public. The…
-
Federal vaccine panel remade by RFK Jr. votes to maintain insurance coverage for Covid shots
Federal vaccine panel remade by RFK Jr. votes to maintain insurance coverage for Covid shots WASHINGTON — A government advisory committee voted unanimously Friday to recommend that individuals 6 months and older should discuss the risks and benefits of Covid-19 vaccines with their health care providers before deciding whether to get vaccinated. The decision falls…
-
Trump administration to close Miami organ donation group it calls ‘failing’
Trump administration to close Miami organ donation group it calls ‘failing’ WASHINGTON — The Trump administration moved Thursday to shut down a Miami organ donation group, calling it “failing” because of underperformance, unsafe practices and paperwork errors. The Life Alliance Organ Recovery Agency is one of 55 organ procurement organizations, or OPOs, nonprofit agencies around…
-
Key federal vaccine panel debates delay to newborn hepatitis B shot, risking resurgence
Key federal vaccine panel debates delay to newborn hepatitis B shot, risking resurgence A key government advisory committee discussed on Thursday whether to recommend delaying the first hepatitis B vaccine shot, currently given at birth, by at least one month for babies who are born to mothers that test negative for the virus. Experts fear…
-
Cassidy invites RFK Jr. to testify before Senate health panel
Cassidy invites RFK Jr. to testify before Senate health panel WASHINGTON — The chairman of the Senate health committee, Bill Cassidy (R-La.), on Thursday invited health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to testify before the panel, part of a series of oversight hearings to make sense of the recent upheaval at the Centers for Disease…
-
Fear and politics pervade Kennedy’s CDC, former leaders testify
Fear and politics pervade Kennedy’s CDC, former leaders testify The nation’s top health agency is not well, according to a portrait that emerged in testimony Wednesday by two of its former leaders. Susan Monarez, abruptly fired 29 days into her tenure as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Debra Houry, who…
-
3 key takeaways from the Senate hearing on CDC director’s firing and RFK Jr.’s vaccine agenda
3 key takeaways from the Senate hearing on CDC director’s firing and RFK Jr.’s vaccine agenda WASHINGTON — A Wednesday Senate hearing aimed to answer questions about the exodus of top leaders from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month. Instead, it raised a host of new ones. Former CDC Director Susan Monarez…
-
STAT+: Surgeon general nominee Casey Means discloses financial ties to supplement industry
STAT+: Surgeon general nominee Casey Means discloses financial ties to supplement industry WASHINGTON — New financial disclosures from surgeon general nominee Casey Means show that she’s made hundreds of thousands of dollars promoting supplements and other health and wellness products, details likely to invite new scrutiny about potential conflicts of interest for the author and…
-
RFK Jr. adds five members to ACIP, key vaccine panel, days ahead of meeting
RFK Jr. adds five members to ACIP, key vaccine panel, days ahead of meeting WASHINGTON — Federal health officials announced the appointment of five new members to a panel of vaccine advisers handpicked by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday, just days ahead of the group’s next meeting. They include…
-
As gun violence persists, CDC research is hamstrung
As gun violence persists, CDC research is hamstrung Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. Good morning. How many pizza rolls is too many pizza rolls to eat on a Sunday? Never mind, don’t worry about it. Here’s the news. Read the rest… Theresa…
-
Twerk From Home Aims to Become the UFC of Exotic Dancing—With a Crypto Boost
Twerk From Home Aims to Become the UFC of Exotic Dancing—With a Crypto Boost Twerk From Home wants to “legitimize and professionalize” exotic dancing as a sport—and crypto bros can gamble on it. Ryan Gladwin Go to decrypt.co
-
As U.S. faces deadly week, gun violence experts lament end of prevention research
As U.S. faces deadly week, gun violence experts lament end of prevention research Two violent acts on Wednesday — the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and the shooting of two high school students in Colorado — crystallize the threat gun violence poses to public health. Yet the Trump administration just shut down its biggest…
-
STAT+: HHS to have Rensselaer investigate question of autism-vaccine link
STAT+: HHS to have Rensselaer investigate question of autism-vaccine link WASHINGTON — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Thursday its intent to fund among the first Trump administration-solicited research on a debunked link between vaccines and autism. The contract — which supports research to “investigate the association between vaccination and autism prevalence”…
-
FDA eyes tighter regulations on chatbots for mental health
FDA eyes tighter regulations on chatbots for mental health Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. Good morning. What’s your go-to karaoke song? I’ve always been partial to pop-punk, especially Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle.” But I’m open to suggestions! The newsroom’s annual karaoke…
-
STAT+: Fifty cancer types in one liquid biopsy test: Exact Sciences enters early-detection market
STAT+: Fifty cancer types in one liquid biopsy test: Exact Sciences enters early-detection market Consumers can now purchase Exact Sciences’ liquid biopsy early detection test, Cancerguard, and get an indication of whether they might have one of 50 different cancers included in the test’s analysis. The biotechnology company launched the test on Wednesday, and Tom…
-
STAT+: Scientists who revolutionized cystic fibrosis treatment win prestigious Lasker Award
STAT+: Scientists who revolutionized cystic fibrosis treatment win prestigious Lasker Award Three scientists who revolutionized the treatment of cystic fibrosis and prolonged the lifespan of patients with the deadly disease have won the Lasker Award, one of the most prestigious awards in medicine. Vertex Pharmaceuticals researcher Paul Negulescu, former Vertex researcher Jesús (Tito) González, and…
-
Risk of dying from chronic disease in the U.S. declined, but there are caveats, study says
Risk of dying from chronic disease in the U.S. declined, but there are caveats, study says The popular sentiment that Americans’ health is on a hellish downward spiral may not be true — or at least not entirely — according to a new study of global death data. From 2010 to 2019, the risk of…
-
STAT+: Kennedy looks to add new members to federal vaccine panel
STAT+: Kennedy looks to add new members to federal vaccine panel WASHINGTON — Federal health officials are planning to add more members to a key panel of vaccine advisers handpicked by health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ahead of a meeting next week, a former government official with knowledge of the situation confirmed to STAT. The…
-
CDC’s vaccine information no longer entirely trustworthy, former director says
CDC’s vaccine information no longer entirely trustworthy, former director says It pains Rochelle Walensky, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to hear people say that the agency can’t be trusted. But these days, she said, people should be cautious about the vaccination information on its website. “What I can say is…
-
The big takeaways from health secretary RFK Jr.’s contentious Senate hearing
The big takeaways from health secretary RFK Jr.’s contentious Senate hearing An archived version of a live blog about the Senate hearing, with more details, can be found here. WASHINGTON — Through shouting matches and gulfs of understanding about basic facts, health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vigorously defended his aggressive reform agenda in a remarkable…
-
LSD can help reduce anxiety, new study finds
LSD can help reduce anxiety, new study finds LSD reduced symptoms of anxiety in a midstage study published Thursday, paving the way for additional testing and possible medical approval of a psychedelic drug that has been banned in the U.S. for more than a half century. The results from drugmaker Mindmed tested several doses of LSD in patients…
-
STAT+: Now, even Senate Republicans are pushing back on Kennedy’s vaccine views
STAT+: Now, even Senate Republicans are pushing back on Kennedy’s vaccine views WASHINGTON — For the first time since health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation in February, visible fractures emerged in Senate Republicans’ united front of support for him. At the heart of the conflict: His stance on vaccines, which some Republicans had determinedly…
-
STAT+: After ousting CDC’s director, RFK Jr. mirrors her ideas to reform the agency
STAT+: After ousting CDC’s director, RFK Jr. mirrors her ideas to reform the agency WASHINGTON — In the days after health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pushed out the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, he suggested sweeping changes were needed to reform the agency — and that the ouster was part…
-
Washington, Oregon and California governors form a health alliance in rebuke of Trump administration
Washington, Oregon and California governors form a health alliance in rebuke of Trump administration SEATTLE — The Democratic governors of Washington, Oregon and California announced Wednesday that they created an alliance to safeguard health policies, believing the Trump administration is putting Americans’ health and safety at risk by politicizing the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.…
-
7 burning questions for RFK Jr. as he faces senators on CDC turmoil and more
7 burning questions for RFK Jr. as he faces senators on CDC turmoil and more WASHINGTON — Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is set to testify before Congress on Thursday as he continues to face a political firestorm that might determine his future in the Trump administration. Senators will have an opportunity to grill…
-
Opinion: How the U.S. health system can clear up confusion surrounding seasonal vaccines
Opinion: How the U.S. health system can clear up confusion surrounding seasonal vaccines Each fall, nurses and doctors brace for an all-too-familiar seasonal surge. Patients struggle to breathe. Older adults lean forward, lips pursed as if trying to drink air through a straw. Infants take more than one shallow breath per second, their wide-eyed panic reflected in their parents’…
-
STAT+: Trump administration restored funding for major diabetes study. The pause still set researchers back
STAT+: Trump administration restored funding for major diabetes study. The pause still set researchers back The Trump administration’s restoration of federal research funding to Columbia University has revived a landmark diabetes study that has tracked patients for nearly 30 years and vastly expanded understanding of the disease, its treatment, and its prevention. The study, which has been…
-
More fallout from CDC director’s firing
More fallout from CDC director’s firing Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. A wild 48 hours at the CDC has me feeling like this meme. The news truly does not stop coming. Let’s get to it. Read the rest… O. Rose Broderick Go…
-
Crisis within CDC is spilling into real world, experts say
Crisis within CDC is spilling into real world, experts say The implosion of leadership at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention threatens the agency, its mission, and the trust people place in public health, medical experts told STAT Thursday, a day after Director Susan Monarez refused to dismiss top scientists only to be ousted…
-
STAT+: Amid chaos at CDC, Kennedy consolidates his power
STAT+: Amid chaos at CDC, Kennedy consolidates his power WASHINGTON — In another administration, an exodus of top public health officials would’ve been an earth-shattering crisis for the head of the Department of Health and Human Services. In the age of MAHA, it seems like just another week under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. If…
-
Cassidy calls for meeting of CDC vaccine advisers to be postponed following agency shakeup
Cassidy calls for meeting of CDC vaccine advisers to be postponed following agency shakeup WASHINGTON — A top Senate leader is calling for next month’s meeting of a federal advisory panel on vaccines to be postponed in the wake of a mass exodus of leaders at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Serious allegations…
-
Heatwaves Age Your Body Like Smoking or Drinking, 15-Year Study Finds
Heatwaves Age Your Body Like Smoking or Drinking, 15-Year Study Finds Research tracking 25,000 people reveals that repeated exposure to extreme heat accelerates biological aging, with manual workers facing triple the impact. Jose Antonio Lanz Go to decrypt.co
-
FDA issues narrower approvals for Covid boosters, revokes emergency authorizations
FDA issues narrower approvals for Covid boosters, revokes emergency authorizations WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved updated Covid boosters, but removed emergency use authorizations for the vaccines, in a set of moves that could make the shots more difficult to obtain for children under 5, in particular. The moves were announced…
-
Trump’s hand bruise renews attention to his health — and his heart
Trump’s hand bruise renews attention to his health — and his heart President Trump’s bruised hand and his apparent use of makeup to cover the discolored patch of skin have renewed attention to his health in general and his cardiovascular health in particular. His case also highlights an often underrecognized and undertreated condition. It’s called…
-
Maryland resident is diagnosed with New World screwworm. What to know about the parasite
Maryland resident is diagnosed with New World screwworm. What to know about the parasite NEW YORK — A Maryland resident who traveled to El Salvador has been diagnosed with New World screwworm — the first reported U.S. case tied to travel to a country with a current outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…
-
STAT+: AbbVie to buy Gilgamesh’s psychedelic drug for up to $1.2 billion
STAT+: AbbVie to buy Gilgamesh’s psychedelic drug for up to $1.2 billion AbbVie on Monday said it will buy Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals’ investigational psychedelic drug to treat major depression, a sign that pharma companies are warming up more to the burgeoning field. The pharma giant will acquire the treatment, called bretisilocin, for up to $1.2 billion,…
-
Gene-edited pig lung transplanted into a brain-dead patient for first time
Gene-edited pig lung transplanted into a brain-dead patient for first time In a milestone for the newly resurgent field of xenotransplantation, a 39-year-old brain-dead person in China has become the first human to receive a lung from a pig. With consent from the person’s family, researchers took the organ from a CRISPR’d pig, trimmed it,…
-
No more minimum wage for domestic workers, says Labor Department
No more minimum wage for domestic workers, says Labor Department Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. Are you a psychiatrist or psychologist seeing patients with or working on research about so-called “AI psychosis” or “ChatGPT psychosis”? I want to talk with you. Read…
-
CDC attacker likely attempted to enter campus days before shooting
CDC attacker likely attempted to enter campus days before shooting WASHINGTON — The man who attacked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention probably tried to enter the agency’s Atlanta campus days before the shooting, investigators believe. The shooter, identified by authorities as Patrick Joseph White, appears to have been captured in security camera footage…
-
Gender-affirming care won’t be covered for federal employees in 2026
Gender-affirming care won’t be covered for federal employees in 2026 Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. Good morning. The theme of today’s newsletter seems to be: $$$ money $$$ Read the rest… Theresa Gaffney Go to statnews
-
What updated thresholds for statin use could mean for patients
What updated thresholds for statin use could mean for patients It’s a math problem with life-and-death consequences. When a new and improved model for estimating the risk of developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease emerged in November 2023, the calculator won raves for drawing on a larger, more contemporary, and more diverse population of Americans than its…
-
STAT+: How Trump may use Democrats’ drug-price negotiation law
STAT+: How Trump may use Democrats’ drug-price negotiation law You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I’m happy to report that Last Week Tonight with John Oliver did a segment on…
-
Early data on over-the-counter birth control
Early data on over-the-counter birth control Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. Good morning. Yesterday I saw a press release with the headline “Seabirds only poop while flying” and thought — wow, science is amazing. Anyway, we’ve got three bits of vaccine/virus news to…
-
Texas declares its measles outbreak over
Texas declares its measles outbreak over The Texas measles outbreak that sickened 762 people since late January is over, state health officials said Monday. Health officials have not confirmed a new case in the counties where the outbreak was spreading in more than 42 days, passing the threshold public health officials use to declare measles…
-
Draft of major MAHA report calls for more education, less regulation — and offers few policies
Draft of major MAHA report calls for more education, less regulation — and offers few policies WASHINGTON — A much-awaited game plan for how the Trump administration will make Americans healthier largely steers clear of policy recommendations, instead calling for more research on nutrition, agricultural chemicals, and “potential benefits of select high-quality supplements,” among other…
-
STAT+: Novo Nordisk’s obesity drug Wegovy cleared to treat MASH
STAT+: Novo Nordisk’s obesity drug Wegovy cleared to treat MASH Novo Nordisk’s obesity drug Wegovy was cleared by U.S. regulators on Friday to treat an increasingly common liver disease, adding to the list of conditions for which the blockbuster therapy is now approved. The Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to Wegovy for patients…
-
Lowering blood pressure reduces dementia risk, new guideline affirms
Lowering blood pressure reduces dementia risk, new guideline affirms A study in rural China demonstrating the power of intensive blood pressure control clinched the deal. The large, cluster-randomized controlled trial convincingly demonstrated that well-controlled blood pressure — below 130/80 mm Hg — lowered the risk of dementia by 15% and cognitive impairment by 16%. That was…
-
STAT+: Eli Lilly says it will raise drug prices in Europe to ‘make them lower’ in U.S.
STAT+: Eli Lilly says it will raise drug prices in Europe to ‘make them lower’ in U.S. Eli Lilly said Thursday that it would increase the prices of medicines in Europe and other developed markets “in order to make them lower” in the U.S., an apparent response to the Trump administration’s calls to do so.…
-
STAT+: Duke scientists seemed to have developed a ‘Holy Grail’ of cancer treatment. Then the truth came out
STAT+: Duke scientists seemed to have developed a ‘Holy Grail’ of cancer treatment. Then the truth came out By the time Walter and Juliet Jacobs went to see Dr. Anil Potti, Juliet’s lung cancer was spreading through her torso. She was short of breath, could no longer play tennis, and was afraid she wouldn’t make…
-
CDC leaders attempt to reassure staff after shooting, but meeting is brief
CDC leaders attempt to reassure staff after shooting, but meeting is brief The newly installed director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday sought to reassure employees their mission would continue and efforts to ensure their safety would be stepped up following a gunman’s attack on the agency’s headquarters last Friday. The…
-
Estimating from No Data: Deriving a Continuous Score from Categories
Estimating from No Data: Deriving a Continuous Score from Categories A walk-through of and the maths behind using low-capacity networks to acquire fine-grained scoring when only categorical labelling is available for training. We use it to predict the severity of an infection on a scale based on information on just rough outcomes in previous cases.…
-
NIH director: mRNA vaccine contracts were canceled because public lacks trust in technology
NIH director: mRNA vaccine contracts were canceled because public lacks trust in technology The head of the National Institutes of Health has offered a new explanation for why the federal government canceled $500 million in contracts to help develop messenger RNA vaccines, saying the platform is not viable because the public doesn’t trust it. The…
-
STAT+: Scientific panel puts new guardrails around stem cell-based embryo models
STAT+: Scientific panel puts new guardrails around stem cell-based embryo models An influential scientific panel is pumping the brakes on stem cell-based embryo models — an umbrella term for the increasingly complex structures researchers are building from stem cells and growing in the lab to mimic aspects of embryonic development. In new guidelines released Monday,…
-
In internal call, CDC employees recount shooting, ask about RFK Jr.’s response
In internal call, CDC employees recount shooting, ask about RFK Jr.’s response WASHINGTON — Leaders of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday told staff that the agency’s campus had reopened in the wake of the Friday attack by a gunman — and suggested more security measures would be put in place. On…
-
CDC shaken after gunman attacks its headquarters
CDC shaken after gunman attacks its headquarters This article was updated on Aug. 9. A gunman attacked the main campus of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta on Friday, further shaking an agency in the midst of a tumultuous year. Read the rest… Daniel Payne Go to statnews
-
HHS cites list of studies as scientific justification for cancellation of mRNA vaccine contracts
HHS cites list of studies as scientific justification for cancellation of mRNA vaccine contracts WASHINGTON — Federal health officials are citing an extensive list of studies purported to document harms caused by messenger RNA vaccines as scientific justification for canceling hundreds of millions of dollars in investment in the technology. Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy…
-
STAT+: Kennedy’s rejection of mRNA vaccines thwarts scientific progress — and threatens national security, experts say
STAT+: Kennedy’s rejection of mRNA vaccines thwarts scientific progress — and threatens national security, experts say Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s decision this week to discontinue funding of the development of messenger RNA vaccines has alarmed scientists, who have warned that it will leave the country far less prepared for future pandemics. But it is…
-
Lithium, a treatment for bipolar disorders, might be a key to Alzheimer’s disease
Lithium, a treatment for bipolar disorders, might be a key to Alzheimer’s disease A new study finds that the element lithium plays a crucial role in healthy brain function and suggests it could be used to treat Alzheimer’s disease. In a Nature study published on Wednesday, researchers found that the brain produces lithium, and that…
-
Opinion: Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for Operation Warp Speed’s global impact
Opinion: Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for Operation Warp Speed’s global impact Cambodia recently announced that it plans to nominate President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. In response, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, naming other conflicts that Trump has “ended,” said that, “It’s well past time that President Trump was awarded the…
-
Scientific innovation is driving hope for progress in women’s health, but experts warn of headwinds
Scientific innovation is driving hope for progress in women’s health, but experts warn of headwinds Scientific breakthroughs — from next-generation vaccines to long-acting medications to prevent HIV — are fueling new hope in women’s health. But experts warn that persistent gaps in funding and access could stall that progress. At a STAT event this week, Ruanne…
-
STAT+: Health secretary RFK Jr. shuts door on U.S. investment in mRNA vaccine research
STAT+: Health secretary RFK Jr. shuts door on U.S. investment in mRNA vaccine research This is a developing story. It will be updated. Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Tuesday announced that the government’s emergency preparedness agency will no longer fund work on messenger RNA vaccines, delivering a crippling blow to the country’s capacity…
-
Gates Foundation pledges $2.5 billion to women’s health initiatives
Gates Foundation pledges $2.5 billion to women’s health initiatives The Gates Foundation said Monday that it would commit $2.5 billion through 2030 to support dozens of different approaches for improving women’s health, from new medicines to prevent maternal mortality to vaccines to curb infections that disproportionately affect women. The figure represents an increase of about…
-
How healthy are ‘good-for-you’ ultra-processed foods?
How healthy are ‘good-for-you’ ultra-processed foods? Not all ultra-processed foods are bad for you. But if you’re trying to lose weight, it’s still probably better to opt for nutritious minimally processed foods over protein bars and high-fiber breakfast cereals, according to a new study. The study, published Monday in Nature Medicine, builds on a growing…
-
Screening guideline change led to more colorectal cancers being detected early in younger adults
Screening guideline change led to more colorectal cancers being detected early in younger adults Over the last decade, researchers began to notice a sharp increase in the number of young patients coming in with colorectal cancer — often with more advanced disease. The trend spurred organizations like the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to eventually…
-
FDA to stress opioids’ risk of overdose, death in new medication safety labels
FDA to stress opioids’ risk of overdose, death in new medication safety labels The Food and Drug Administration will soon require prescription opioid manufacturers to include stronger language on the medications’ labels warning that higher doses and longer-term use carry risks including overdose and death. The action, announced Thursday, comes nearly three months after a…
-
STAT+: Senators leave RFK Jr.’s MAHA agency out of 2026 budget in apparent snub
STAT+: Senators leave RFK Jr.’s MAHA agency out of 2026 budget in apparent snub WASHINGTON — Senate appropriators seemingly snubbed an effort by health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to reorganize certain primary care and chronic health programs into a new agency known as the Administration for a Healthy America. Instead, a fiscal 2026 budget…
-
STAT+: Inside the fall of Vinay Prasad at the FDA
STAT+: Inside the fall of Vinay Prasad at the FDA Vinay Prasad had a problem. Several, actually. His staff at the Food and Drug Administration kept leaking to the press. He was under attack by President Trump’s allies after moving to pull a gene therapy off the market. Democrats were not happy with his Covid…
-
STAT+: Preventive care panel could be restructured ‘imminently’ as RFK Jr. vets new members
STAT+: Preventive care panel could be restructured ‘imminently’ as RFK Jr. vets new members WASHINGTON — Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could “imminently” overhaul a key federal advisory panel that recommends which preventive services insurers must pay for, according to a person familiar with the plans. The person said that federal health officials are…
-
Tobacco use, binge drinking decrease as Americans consume more marijuana, survey finds
Tobacco use, binge drinking decrease as Americans consume more marijuana, survey finds Americans are binge drinking and smoking tobacco less but consuming marijuana significantly more, according to a new federal survey on drug use and mental health. Overall, roughly 48.4 million Americans, or 16.8% of the population, met the criteria for a substance use disorder…
-
Major Alzheimer’s group says some blood tests may be used in place of brain scans for diagnosis
Major Alzheimer’s group says some blood tests may be used in place of brain scans for diagnosis A major Alzheimer’s disease medical group is recommending that specialists may use certain blood tests to help diagnose patients with cognitive impairment in lieu of more complex and invasive tests, a move that could lead more people to…
-
Kennedy, disability advocates paint very different realities as ADA turns 35
Kennedy, disability advocates paint very different realities as ADA turns 35 Stirring speeches filled the tall, fluorescent room on Monday morning as members of the disability community and federal officials celebrated the 35th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. They spoke at length about how the landmark law birthed critical protections…
-
Judge blocks Trump administration’s efforts to defund Planned Parenthood
Judge blocks Trump administration’s efforts to defund Planned Parenthood A federal judge on Monday ruled Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide must continue to be reimbursed for Medicaid funding as the nation’s largest abortion provider fights President Donald Trump’s administration over efforts to defund the organization in his signature tax legislation. The new order replaces a previous…
-
Trump targets supervised consumption of drugs and harm reduction in executive order
Trump targets supervised consumption of drugs and harm reduction in executive order President Trump is threatening to withhold funds from supervised drug consumption sites and potentially pursue criminal penalties against them, offering his clearest stance yet against the philosophy of harm reduction and marking a significant escalation of his rhetoric on substance use and addiction. …
-
Trump eyes involuntary commitment to end homelessness
Trump eyes involuntary commitment to end homelessness Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. Saturday marks the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Some folks in the disability community are spending it at a 60-hour rally pushing back against Medicaid cuts in honor…
-
Safety of fluoride supplements, and freedom of choice, debated at FDA meeting
Safety of fluoride supplements, and freedom of choice, debated at FDA meeting As Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has advocated for the removal of fluoride from water, he has framed it as an issue of medical freedom. “We shouldn’t be demanding that parents accept something for their children and in their homes that is essentially a…
-
STAT+: HHS orders thimerosal out of all flu vaccines
STAT+: HHS orders thimerosal out of all flu vaccines You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Alex Hogan did yeoman’s work of taste testing beef-tallow-fried chicken wings and fries, soda pop…
-
STAT+: For many Duchenne families, halt to gene therapy is heartbreak upon heartbreak
STAT+: For many Duchenne families, halt to gene therapy is heartbreak upon heartbreak Jennifer Hill Blair recognized the Cincinnati number on her buzzing phone and slipped out of the school meeting, excited to finally learn when her son Cayse would receive a therapy she believed would change his life. Blair, a second-grade teacher in southern…
-
HHS Secretary RFK Jr. accepts recommendations to drop thimerosal from U.S. flu vaccines
HHS Secretary RFK Jr. accepts recommendations to drop thimerosal from U.S. flu vaccines Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Tuesday formally accepted recommendations that would require all vaccine manufacturers to discontinue using the preservative thimerosal in influenza vaccines. A statement issued by the department on Wednesday called the move the fulfillment…
-
New study advances theory on why most U.S. bird flu cases have so far been mild
New study advances theory on why most U.S. bird flu cases have so far been mild The H5N1 bird flu virus has historically extracted a heavy toll when it infects humans, with nearly half of confirmed cases ending in death over the past three decades. But of the 70 cases reported in the United States…
-
Researchers sequence complex parts of human genome, expanding the future of precision medicine
Researchers sequence complex parts of human genome, expanding the future of precision medicine Complex regions of the human genome remained uncharted, even after researchers sequenced the genome in its entirety. That is, until today. Researchers decoded DNA segments involved in the development of diseases like diabetes and spinal muscular atrophy that had previously been considered…
-
STAT+: After explosive federal report, Congress fears plummeting trust in organ donation
STAT+: After explosive federal report, Congress fears plummeting trust in organ donation WASHINGTON — Members of a congressional oversight committee said Tuesday that they fear public trust in organ donation has been fractured after a federal report found that an organ procurement organization ignored signs of life in patients when authorizing attempted organ removals. The…
-
For people with diabetes, even a little activity every week is tied to better health
For people with diabetes, even a little activity every week is tied to better health Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. Good morning! It’s Lev Facher, filling in for Theresa. Let’s get to today’s news. Read the rest… Lev Facher Go to statnews
-
STAT+: FDA’s new top drug regulator hails from industry
STAT+: FDA’s new top drug regulator hails from industry You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I scream! You scream! We all scream for ice cream without artificial dyes! Tell us…
-
STAT+: 10 million expected to lose health insurance under Trump’s tax cut law, CBO says
STAT+: 10 million expected to lose health insurance under Trump’s tax cut law, CBO says WASHINGTON — President Trump’s major domestic policy law will result in nearly 10 million more people going without health insurance by 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office’s estimate on the final law. The law, which included significant cuts in…
-
STAT+: What the GOP’s cuts to public broadcasting have to do with health care policy
STAT+: What the GOP’s cuts to public broadcasting have to do with health care policy WASHINGTON — Congressional Republicans early on Friday morning passed legislation to take back money they had already appropriated for this year, enacting steep cuts to foreign aid and to public broadcasting. And while none of the funding was for domestic…
-
Why MAHA’s push on Coca-Cola and ice cream is ‘nutritionally hilarious’
Why MAHA’s push on Coca-Cola and ice cream is ‘nutritionally hilarious’ Pop quiz: What’s Coca-Cola with cane sugar and ice cream made with natural dyes? Answer: Coca-Cola and ice cream. Getting Coca-Cola to use cane sugar rather than corn syrup and ice cream manufacturers to stop their use of synthetic dyes are the latest achievements…
-
Trump is checked for swelling in legs and was diagnosed with a common condition in older adults
Trump is checked for swelling in legs and was diagnosed with a common condition in older adults WASHINGTON — White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday read a doctor’s letter about President Donald Trump that she said was intended to dispel health concerns about the swelling in his ankles and a makeup-covered hand. Leavitt…
-
Births of eight healthy children show promise of mitochondrial replacement therapy
Births of eight healthy children show promise of mitochondrial replacement therapy LONDON — Ten years ago, U.K. policymakers gave the green light to a pioneering reproductive technology meant to spare children from being born with types of rare but sometimes fatal diseases caused by genetic mutations in the powerplants of cells. The method involved combining…
-
PEPFAR keeps millions of people with HIV alive and may be spared from Trump spending cuts
PEPFAR keeps millions of people with HIV alive and may be spared from Trump spending cuts The program known as PEPFAR is one of the most effective and popular U.S. foreign aid projects in history, and the government says it has saved the lives of over 25 million people around the world with HIV. But…
-
STAT+: RFK Jr. gives vaccine skeptics plum HHS posts
STAT+: RFK Jr. gives vaccine skeptics plum HHS posts You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Mr. Medicare Dr. Oz suggests 10 minutes of yoga straight out of bed, preferably with…
-
Study finds no evidence aluminum salts in vaccines are tied to higher risk of asthma, other childhood diseases
Study finds no evidence aluminum salts in vaccines are tied to higher risk of asthma, other childhood diseases When anti-vaccine activists and others argue that the immunizations used to protect children from infectious diseases are risky, they often point to aluminum salts, a product added to many childhood vaccines to increase their effectiveness. A new…
-
STAT+: The links between different gun laws and types of gun deaths
STAT+: The links between different gun laws and types of gun deaths Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. And just like that, the newsletter is back. I hope you had a restful weekend. How one elite rehab center is ‘obliterating’ all kinds of…
-
U.S. drops charges against doctor accused of throwing away Covid shots, selling fake vaccine cards
U.S. drops charges against doctor accused of throwing away Covid shots, selling fake vaccine cards The federal government on Saturday dismissed charges against a Utah plastic surgeon accused of throwing away COVID-19 vaccines, giving children saline shots instead of the vaccine and selling faked vaccination cards. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on the social…
-
Trump administration cuts undocumented immigrants’ access to range of federally funded programs
Trump administration cuts undocumented immigrants’ access to range of federally funded programs WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Thursday announced it would further curtail undocumented immigrants’ access to federally funded programs, including health care clinics, early childhood education, and nutritional support. The decision reverses a federal practice that has been in place for decades, and is…
-
STAT+: FDA won’t pay 2024 bonuses to workers who are getting laid off
STAT+: FDA won’t pay 2024 bonuses to workers who are getting laid off You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I thought the news would slow down after Republicans passed their…
-
FDA grants full approval to Moderna’s Covid vaccine for children but limits eligibility
FDA grants full approval to Moderna’s Covid vaccine for children but limits eligibility Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine for children has been given full Food and Drug Administration approval, making it the first Covid vaccine for kids in the United States that will no longer be administered under an emergency use authorization. But the approval comes with…
-
Nearly 1 in 3 teens have prediabetes, CDC finds, in ‘wake-up call’
Nearly 1 in 3 teens have prediabetes, CDC finds, in ‘wake-up call’ About 1 in 3 young people who are 12 to 17 years old have prediabetes, new national data show, putting them at risk not just for type 2 diabetes but also for heart disease and stroke. Developing chronic diseases early in life also…
-
STAT+: Kennedy abruptly cancels preventive care committee meeting
STAT+: Kennedy abruptly cancels preventive care committee meeting WASHINGTON — Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has abruptly canceled a meeting of a key expert panel that evaluates the nation’s preventive care recommendations, according to an email viewed by STAT. The email did not cite a reason. The cancellation of the Thursday meeting of the U.S.…