Category: health
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STAT+: HHS backtracks on pledge to disclose new vaccine advisers’ conflicts of interest
STAT+: HHS backtracks on pledge to disclose new vaccine advisers’ conflicts of interest WASHINGTON — The Department of Health and Human Services is sitting on information about new vaccine advisers’ conflicts of interest, and seemingly backtracking on its vow to make key disclosure documents public. Agency officials previously said they would release ethics forms for…
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Use of antibiotic to reduce STIs appears to be fueling some antibiotic resistance, research shows
Use of antibiotic to reduce STIs appears to be fueling some antibiotic resistance, research shows When several countries endorsed the notion of some high-risk people taking the antibiotic doxycycline after unprotected sex to lower their chances of contracting a sexually transmitted disease, as the U.S. did last year, there was a theoretical concern the shift…
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STAT+: How Republicans sidelined the health care industry and pushed through historic Medicaid cuts
STAT+: How Republicans sidelined the health care industry and pushed through historic Medicaid cuts WASHINGTON — Republicans swiftly approved President Trump’s tax cut bill last week, despite a full-court press from doctors, hospitals, and patients to beat back some of the largest health care cuts in American history — more than $1 trillion in all…
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STAT+: Fed-up and demoralized, FDA staff are leaving.
STAT+: Fed-up and demoralized, FDA staff are leaving. 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. Between innings of the July 4 Chesapeake Baysox game against the Richmond Flying Squirrels there was…
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STAT+: Survival rates for cancer patients on immunotherapy depend on insurance coverage, study finds
STAT+: Survival rates for cancer patients on immunotherapy depend on insurance coverage, study finds As a cancer patient, access to innovative drugs can help extend your life — that is if you have health insurance, a new study finds. In a JAMA Open Network study published Monday, researchers from the American Cancer Society found that…
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Leading medical groups sue Kennedy over changed Covid-19 vaccine recommendations
Leading medical groups sue Kennedy over changed Covid-19 vaccine recommendations WASHINGTON — Six major medical groups, and a pregnant physician, are suing health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over changes he made to Covid-19 vaccine recommendations that they say were unlawful and undermine public trust in health care. The suit argues that a May 19 directive…
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Opinion: The U.S. government is failing on vaccine policy. The Vaccine Integrity Project is here to help
Opinion: The U.S. government is failing on vaccine policy. The Vaccine Integrity Project is here to help Recently, the Department of Health and Human Services floated new standards for vaccine approvals, rescinded longstanding Covid-19 vaccine recommendations for healthy children and pregnant women, and fired all 17 members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s…
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STAT+: Dr. Oz tries to seal the deal on Trump’s tax-cut bill
STAT+: Dr. Oz tries to seal the deal on Trump’s tax-cut bill WASHINGTON — As GOP leadership pushes to pass President Trump’s tax megabill this week, one administration official has been working hard behind the scenes to close the deal: Mehmet Oz, who oversees Medicare and Medicaid. House Republicans, including those on the fence about…
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STAT+: How the tax-cut bill that just passed the Senate would upend health care
STAT+: How the tax-cut bill that just passed the Senate would upend health care WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans passed President Trump’s landmark tax bill Tuesday morning, putting transformational health provisions a major step closer to enactment. The bill slashes health care spending by more than $1 trillion over a decade, cuts that would affect patients,…
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Why this activist is putting her body on the line for Americans with disabilities
Why this activist is putting her body on the line for Americans with disabilities Flanked by her friends as lawmakers debated the future of a 60-year-old health care plan, Latoya Maddox raised her voice, shouting, “No cuts to Medicaid! No cuts to Medicaid!” The chanting, during a meeting of the House Energy and Commerce Committee…
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Senate passes Trump’s tax-cut bill that would slash Medicaid spending
Senate passes Trump’s tax-cut bill that would slash Medicaid spending WASHINGTON — The Senate passed a $4.5 trillion tax-cut bill after last-minute changes to its health care provisions, as Republicans scrambled to get their party on board. The legislation that passed on Tuesday includes major federal funding cuts to Medicaid that were opposed by hospitals and…
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STAT+: Centene’s stock plummets as health insurance giant scraps 2025 financial outlook
STAT+: Centene’s stock plummets as health insurance giant scraps 2025 financial outlook Centene has withdrawn its financial guidance for the rest of the year after receiving data that showed its health insurance members in Affordable Care Act plans are getting a lot more care than the company had anticipated. The company is also seeing a…
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STAT+: HHS to continue funding cancer prevention, tracking work in states after uncertainty
STAT+: HHS to continue funding cancer prevention, tracking work in states after uncertainty WASHINGTON — The Department of Health and Human Services will renew funding to states for cancer prevention and tracking efforts, alleviating anxieties among local officials about the future of their work. Over 50 notices had gone out as of Monday, an HHS spokesperson…
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STAT+: New study challenges understanding of how age, chronic diseases and inflammation are linked
STAT+: New study challenges understanding of how age, chronic diseases and inflammation are linked Reducing inflammation has become all the rage lately, with many medical experts pointing to anti-inflammatory diets and other lifestyle changes as ways people can reduce their risk of chronic disease as they age. But a new study suggests that inflammation’s effects…
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WHO expert group fails to find a definitive answer for how Covid-19 began
WHO expert group fails to find a definitive answer for how Covid-19 began LONDON — An expert group charged by the World Health Organization to investigate how the Covid-19 pandemic started released its final report Friday, reaching an unsatisfying conclusion: Scientists still aren’t sure how the worst health emergency in a century began. At a press briefing on Friday,…
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CDC advisory panel, selected by RFK Jr., recommends thimerosal be dropped from flu vaccines
CDC advisory panel, selected by RFK Jr., recommends thimerosal be dropped from flu vaccines A federal vaccine advisory panel, which health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently stacked with handpicked members, recommended on Thursday that Americans should not receive flu vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal. The votes — there were three related to the topic…
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Opinion: We will not stay silent on vaccines, say leaders of five major U.S. medical associations
Opinion: We will not stay silent on vaccines, say leaders of five major U.S. medical associations Let us introduce ourselves. We are the doctors you trust with your health and the health of your family across every stage of life, from the first checkups in infancy and childhood, to health care during pregnancy and adulthood,…
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STAT+: The CDC’s vaccine advisory panel, empowered by RFK Jr., is just getting started
STAT+: The CDC’s vaccine advisory panel, empowered by RFK Jr., is just getting started The meeting began with an airing of pandemic-era grievances and closed with a move to cement a decades-old, long-dismissed anti-vaccine talking point into U.S. national policy. In the intervening 13 hours came technical issues, forgotten procedures, and a public comments…
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STAT+: ADHD medicines linked to less impulsive behavior, crashes, and crime
STAT+: ADHD medicines linked to less impulsive behavior, crashes, and crime A study tracking nearly 250,000 Swedish people using ADHD medication for 14 years found that these treatments can reduce risks of traffic crashes, injuries, and criminal behavior — and that conclusion remained true even as more girls, women, and adult men received a diagnosis.…
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STAT+: As Trump’s deadline nears, Republicans face substantial disagreement on Medicaid cuts
STAT+: As Trump’s deadline nears, Republicans face substantial disagreement on Medicaid cuts WASHINGTON — With days to go before Congress is set to leave town, lawmakers are still at odds over key Medicaid provisions in the tax bill touted by President Trump. Republicans across the House and Senate are still working out significant disagreements on…
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Generic cancer drugs used around the world fail quality tests, investigation shows
Generic cancer drugs used around the world fail quality tests, investigation shows Vital chemotherapy drugs used around the world have failed quality tests, putting cancer patients in more than 100 countries at risk of ineffective treatments and potentially fatal side effects, an investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) reveals. The generic drugs in…
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STAT+: Trump’s pick to run the CDC walks a fine line on RFK Jr. at Senate hearing
STAT+: Trump’s pick to run the CDC walks a fine line on RFK Jr. at Senate hearing WASHINGTON — There seemed to be one question on the minds of many senators grilling Susan Monarez, President Trump’s pick to run the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at a hearing on Wednesday: If confirmed, would she…
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Childhood vaccination coverage was falling across the globe even before Covid
Childhood vaccination coverage was falling across the globe even before Covid Childhood vaccination coverage has made leaps since 1980. But progress has significantly slowed in the last two decades. That is according to a study published in The Lancet Tuesday, which found stagnation and wide variation in childhood vaccination rates since 2010. The study, which…
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STAT+: Insurance coverage of vaccines at risk in RFK Jr.’s reshuffling of CDC’s vaccine advisers
STAT+: Insurance coverage of vaccines at risk in RFK Jr.’s reshuffling of CDC’s vaccine advisers The decision by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to remove and replace all members of the government’s independent vaccine advisory committee doesn’t just change how the nation will approach vaccine policy. It could also take money…
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STAT+: GLP-1 drug helped type 1 diabetes patients keep healthy glucose levels and lose weight
STAT+: GLP-1 drug helped type 1 diabetes patients keep healthy glucose levels and lose weight Obesity drugs were first approved to treat type 2 diabetes, but there’s a growing movement to test them in type 1 diabetes, too. Research presented Monday at a large diabetes meeting showed some promise for this approach. Patients who took…
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STAT+: Off-the-shelf stem cell therapy for type 1 diabetes continues to show positive results
STAT+: Off-the-shelf stem cell therapy for type 1 diabetes continues to show positive results Twelve people with type 1 diabetes who received an investigational off-the-shelf stem cell therapy were able to produce their own insulin and keep healthy blood glucose levels for at least one year, Vertex Pharmaceuticals said Friday. After three months, none of…
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STAT+: GLP-1 reduced migraine frequency by nearly half, in a pilot study
STAT+: GLP-1 reduced migraine frequency by nearly half, in a pilot study GLP-1 drugs could treat more than just diabetes and obesity. They may also reduce migraine frequency. That is according to the findings of a study presented on Friday at the European Academy of Neurology congress. The pilot study found that GLP-1 agonists reduced…
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STAT+: Researchers push back on ‘sloppy’ botched citation in MAHA report
STAT+: Researchers push back on ‘sloppy’ botched citation in MAHA report Good morning and happy Friday! It’s Lev Facher, STAT’s addiction reporter. Let’s get to today’s news. Why MAHA wants you drinking whole milk Sarah Todd, my STAT colleague and fellow Brooklynite, noticed during a recent coffee run that the usual panoply of milk options…
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STAT+: Senate Republicans debate Medicaid options as hospitals move to shape legislation
STAT+: Senate Republicans debate Medicaid options as hospitals move to shape legislation WASHINGTON — The Senate returns next week with critical choices on Medicaid policies that could cost hospitals billions of dollars and lead to millions losing coverage. Hospitals are scrambling to control the damage. Last month, the House passed its version of the One Big…
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Opinion: Bill Gates: I lost my father to Alzheimer’s. But I’m more optimistic than ever about fighting the disease
Opinion: Bill Gates: I lost my father to Alzheimer’s. But I’m more optimistic than ever about fighting the disease Father’s Day without my dad never gets easier. Although he is on my mind every day, I always find myself thinking about him even more often this time of year. My dad was a giant in…
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STAT+: CDC interim leaders, in first all-hands meeting, speak of ‘myth-busting’ and ‘resilience’
STAT+: CDC interim leaders, in first all-hands meeting, speak of ‘myth-busting’ and ‘resilience’ In their first all-staff meeting since the start of the Trump administration, the interim leadership of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention attempted to sidestep controversy and rally troops at the storied but demoralized agency on Tuesday. Staff were told CDC…
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Medicaid cuts could result in more than 16,000 preventable deaths annually
Medicaid cuts could result in more than 16,000 preventable deaths annually Key health care provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, especially the proposed Medicaid cuts and Affordable Care Act marketplace reforms, would lead to 16,642 preventable deaths every year if implemented, according to a new analysis published Monday in Annals of Internal Medicine. …
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Dismissed members of CDC vaccine committee call Kennedy’s actions ‘destabilizing’
Dismissed members of CDC vaccine committee call Kennedy’s actions ‘destabilizing’ NEW YORK — All 17 experts recently dismissed from a government vaccine advisory panel published an essay Monday decrying “destabilizing decisions” made by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that could lead to more preventable disease spread. Kennedy last week announced he would “retire” the entire panel that…
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CDC workers fired from prominent STI, hepatitis labs are rehired
CDC workers fired from prominent STI, hepatitis labs are rehired The staff of two world-class laboratories at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that were slated to be closed in a round of cuts announced in April have been informed that their terminations have been canceled. The CDC’s sexually transmitted disease laboratory and its…
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STAT+: Anne Wojcicki wins back 23andMe, this time as a nonprofit
STAT+: Anne Wojcicki wins back 23andMe, this time as a nonprofit A nonprofit led by Anne Wojcicki, the co-founder and long-time CEO of genetic data firm 23andMe, won a last-minute bidding war to buy most of the company’s assets for a price of $305 million, the company said in a press release. The news, reported…
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STAT+: RFK Jr.’s new vaccine panel raises questions of how Kennedy defines conflicts of interest
STAT+: RFK Jr.’s new vaccine panel raises questions of how Kennedy defines conflicts of interest WASHINGTON — When health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed the 17 members of the key panel that advises the federal government on vaccine recommendations, he claimed that their ties to the pharmaceutical industry had damaged public trust. However, new members…
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STAT+: HHS plans ‘bold, edgy’ campaign on ultra-processed foods and diabetes
STAT+: HHS plans ‘bold, edgy’ campaign on ultra-processed foods and diabetes The links between ultra-processed food and higher risk of diabetes will be the focus of the first wave of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s national “Take Back Your Health” campaign, according to a notice posted on a government site for contractors. The notice…
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RFK Jr. names new members of CDC’s vaccine advisory panel
RFK Jr. names new members of CDC’s vaccine advisory panel WASHINGTON — Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday unveiled the names of the eight new members who will sit on the panel of experts that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccine policy, and said they would review the current…
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STAT+: Cassidy is circulating a proposed law to push down U.S. drug prices, backing a key Trump ambition
STAT+: Cassidy is circulating a proposed law to push down U.S. drug prices, backing a key Trump ambition WASHINGTON — Senate health committee Chair Bill Cassidy (La.) is the latest Republican to take an interest in legislation that would tie U.S. brand drug prices to lower prices in other wealthy countries, according to seven people…
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HHS reverses hundreds of CDC firings
HHS reverses hundreds of CDC firings WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has reversed the firings of hundreds of staffers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including those who work in divisions that handle cruise ship safety, sexually transmitted infection prevention, and global health. A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services,…
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Exclusive: Coalition for Health AI will help The Joint Commission write responsible AI ‘playbooks’
Exclusive: Coalition for Health AI will help The Joint Commission write responsible AI ‘playbooks’ The Joint Commission is forming a partnership with the Coalition for Health AI to develop responsible AI “playbooks,” tools, and a new certification program for health AI, STAT has learned. The partnership brings together the expertise of the health AI trade…
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Merck’s RSV antibody treatment for infants is approved by FDA
Merck’s RSV antibody treatment for infants is approved by FDA A third monoclonal antibody product to protect babies against respiratory syncytial virus was approved by the Food and Drug Administration on Monday, a development public health experts hope may eventually help to bring down the price of this effective but costly way of reducing the…
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Health secretary RFK Jr. abruptly fires CDC vaccine advisory panel
Health secretary RFK Jr. abruptly fires CDC vaccine advisory panel Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has taken the extraordinary step of firing the expert panel that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on immunizations, saying the action is needed to restore faith in vaccines. “A clean sweep is needed to re-establish public…
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STAT+: RFK Jr.’s chronic disease agency would eliminate or reduce funding for some prevention programs
STAT+: RFK Jr.’s chronic disease agency would eliminate or reduce funding for some prevention programs Budget documents released by the Trump administration Friday provide the first clear indication of the priorities of a proposed new agency focused on preventing chronic disease. The Administration for a Healthy America would absorb multiple federal agencies and existing programs,…
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STAT+: FDA reassures rare disease advocates that ‘being flexible’ is plan for gene therapy
STAT+: FDA reassures rare disease advocates that ‘being flexible’ is plan for gene therapy What will the Trump administration mean for gene therapy? Researchers, advocates, and executives got a glimpse of the answer Thursday, as the Food and Drug Administration convened a “Cell and Gene Therapy Roundtable.” It was an unusual event. Multiple panelists told…
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GLP-1 drugs may be linked to elevated risk of serious eye disease, study finds
GLP-1 drugs may be linked to elevated risk of serious eye disease, study finds People with diabetes who were taking GLP-1 drugs had a low but elevated risk of an age-related eye disease that can sometimes lead to blindness, a new observational study concludes, adding to a short list of concerns about eye health in…
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Massive NIH study challenges use of race as a proxy for genetic ancestry in research
Massive NIH study challenges use of race as a proxy for genetic ancestry in research A large government study published Thursday shows more definitively than ever before that Americans’ self-reported race is a poor proxy for their genetic ancestry. Researchers said the findings have major implications for the way health disparities are studied, and how…
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STAT+: Taurine, a darling of longevity seekers, is found to be unreliable biomarker for aging
STAT+: Taurine, a darling of longevity seekers, is found to be unreliable biomarker for aging Vijay Yadav warned people not to start downing taurine — an amino acid abundant in plants, animals and some energy drinks — just because his mice and monkey study suggested it might be an elixir for long life. But that…
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STAT+: Lawmakers lobby doctors to keep quiet — or speak up — on Medicaid cuts in Trump’s tax bill
STAT+: Lawmakers lobby doctors to keep quiet — or speak up — on Medicaid cuts in Trump’s tax bill WASHINGTON — With millions of people at risk of losing health insurance under President Trump’s tax bill, lawmakers have begun lobbying the lobbyists: asking health care interests to keep quiet — or speak up — about…
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10.9 million people would lose health insurance under Trump’s tax cut bill, CBO projects
10.9 million people would lose health insurance under Trump’s tax cut bill, CBO projects WASHINGTON — House Republicans’ tax bill would lead to nearly 11 million people losing health insurance, providing a key source of savings to help finance President Trump’s tax cuts, according to projections that nonpartisan congressional scorekeepers published Wednesday. Another 5.1 million…
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How incarceration affects mortality — for people both inside and out
How incarceration affects mortality — for people both inside and out Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. Good morning. If you’re based in New York, consider spending tomorrow evening at a free happy hour, on STAT. Read the rest… Theresa Gaffney Go to…
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Trump administration revokes guidance requiring hospitals to provide emergency abortions
Trump administration revokes guidance requiring hospitals to provide emergency abortions WASHINGTON — The Trump administration announced on Tuesday that it would revoke guidance to the nation’s hospitals that directed them to provide emergency abortions for women when they are necessary to stabilize their medical condition. That guidance was issued to hospitals in 2022, weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court…
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Anti-LGBTQ+ incidents related to health care have increased
Anti-LGBTQ+ incidents related to health care have increased Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. Good morning! It’s June 3 — a significant day in the fictional “Gilmore Girls” town of Stars Hollow, and just another day of June/late spring/Pride for those of us…
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Opinion: RFK Jr.’s stance on Covid vaccines for pregnant women is profoundly unethical
Opinion: RFK Jr.’s stance on Covid vaccines for pregnant women is profoundly unethical Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy’s proposal to end the government’s existing Covid vaccine recommendation for healthy pregnant women, if enacted, will be a major setback to decades’ worth of efforts to advance the health of pregnant people and their babies.…
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Ingredient up to 13,000 times sweeter than sugar lurks in vapes popular with teens, study shows
Ingredient up to 13,000 times sweeter than sugar lurks in vapes popular with teens, study shows Ice cream, lip gloss, and sparkling water are just a few of the products that can contain neotame — an artificial sweetener that’s 7,000-13,000 times sweeter than sugar. Now researchers have found it’s also in many flavored disposable e-cigarettes,…
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Study finds exercise can keep colon cancer from recurring
Study finds exercise can keep colon cancer from recurring CHICAGO — An exercise program can reduce the risk that colorectal cancer will return after surgery and chemotherapy, according to a new study. The benefit from the study’s exercise program was about as large as what researchers might expect from a new drug, experts said, and…
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FDA commissioner evades questions on Covid shot, calls CDC panel a ‘kangaroo court’
FDA commissioner evades questions on Covid shot, calls CDC panel a ‘kangaroo court’ In an interview meant to clarify the federal government’s position on Covid-19 vaccines, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary had few answers. Instead, he urged Americans to consult with their doctors. In a Sunday appearance on CBS News’ “Face the Nation,”…
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FDA approves a next-generation Covid vaccine from Moderna, with restrictions
FDA approves a next-generation Covid vaccine from Moderna, with restrictions The Food and Drug Administration approved Moderna’s new Covid-19 vaccine late Friday, though it placed restrictions on its use that the company’s existing Covid shot, Spikevax, does not currently face. The new vaccine, which will be marketed under the name mNexspike, will not immediately replace…
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25 million cavities and $9.8 billion: Study estimates the costs of removing fluoride from water
25 million cavities and $9.8 billion: Study estimates the costs of removing fluoride from water Even before Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took office as health secretary, he promised to take action on water fluoridation. He would provide “good information” to municipalities, which regulate the water supply, and “fluoride will disappear,” he said in November. In…
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STAT+: RFK Jr.’s latest moves on vaccines
STAT+: RFK Jr.’s latest moves on 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. NIH is terminating research grants left and right, impeding early career paths and leading some young scientists…
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White House acknowledges problems in RFK Jr.’s MAHA report
White House acknowledges problems in RFK Jr.’s MAHA report WASHINGTON — The White House will fix errors in a much-anticipated federal government report spearheaded by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which decried America’s food supply, pesticides and prescription drugs. Kennedy’s wide-ranging “Make America Healthy Again” report, released last week, cited hundreds of…
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STAT+: HHS cancels nearly $600 million Moderna contract on vaccines for flu pandemics
STAT+: HHS cancels nearly $600 million Moderna contract on vaccines for flu pandemics This story will be updated The Department of Health and Human Services has notified Moderna that it is canceling a nearly $600 million contract with the company to develop, test, and license vaccines for flu strains that could trigger future pandemics, including…
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Amid measles outbreak, Texas is poised to make vaccine exemptions for kids easier
Amid measles outbreak, Texas is poised to make vaccine exemptions for kids easier AUSTIN, Texas — Texas this year has been the center of the nation’s largest measles outbreak in more than two decades, as a mostly eradicated disease has sickened more than 700 in the state, sent dozens to hospitals and led to the death of two children…
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RFK Jr. rolls back Covid vaccine recommendations for healthy children, pregnant people
RFK Jr. rolls back Covid vaccine recommendations for healthy children, pregnant people Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Tuesday that he has unilaterally struck the recommendation that healthy children and healthy pregnant people get Covid-19 booster shots — a move that experts say is unprecedented. Kennedy made the announcement on the social media site X,…
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STAT+: What’s already been lost from CDC layoffs
STAT+: What’s already been lost from CDC layoffs 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. Summer holiday weekends are a challenge. Do I seek a “relaxing” long weekend sitting in traffic…
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STAT+: What Baby KJ means for the CRISPR gene editing industry
STAT+: What Baby KJ means for the CRISPR gene editing industry For the ailing gene editing industry, hope came earlier this month in the tiny, smiling, fuzzy-headed form of KJ Muldoon. At just 6 months old, KJ received a gene editing treatment custom-built to correct his unique mutation. He’s not cured, researchers explained at the…
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New budget bans Medicaid coverage of trans gender-affirming care
New budget bans Medicaid coverage of trans gender-affirming care Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. Good morning. It’s Liz again, wondering why May looks and feels like March in Boston. Read the rest… Elizabeth Cooney Go to statnews
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STAT+: How Trump’s tax cut bill would reshape health care
STAT+: How Trump’s tax cut bill would reshape health care WASHINGTON — The House passed President Trump’s tax-cutting plan early Thursday morning with the attendant health care measures to partially pay for it. Relative to earlier drafts, GOP lawmakers revised the bill to further cut government spending, discourage Medicaid expansion, and potentially restrict coverage of…
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FDA advisory panel split on whether agency should require updates of Covid-19 vaccine
FDA advisory panel split on whether agency should require updates of Covid-19 vaccine The Food and Drug Administration’s expert vaccine panel appeared split Thursday on whether Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers should be advised to update the strain of the virus that their products target, with some favoring recommending a newer version of the virus and others…
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LGBTQ+ researchers sue HHS, NIH over grant cuts
LGBTQ+ researchers sue HHS, NIH over grant cuts A group of physicians and researchers working on LGBTQ+ health sued the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Health and Human Services Tuesday over the sweeping grant terminations that have impacted medical research on queer people as part of the implementation of President Trump’s executive…
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STAT+: Five burning questions on the FDA’s new Covid-19 vaccine framework
STAT+: Five burning questions on the FDA’s new Covid-19 vaccine framework WASHINGTON — Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary promised stakeholders last week that the agency’s new Covid-19 vaccine framework would answer all of their questions. But the framework has perhaps created as much confusion as clarity. Broadly, the FDA said it will limit approval…
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How do we know mRNA vaccines are safe and effective? An explainer
How do we know mRNA vaccines are safe and effective? An explainer Messenger RNA vaccines fueled the response to the worst pandemic the world has faced in a century and led to a Nobel Prize. This week, they’re set to face intense scrutiny from critics doubtful of the safety and efficacy of these shots. On…
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STAT+: ASCO and Google create ‘walled garden’ AI tool for doctors to query group’s guidelines
STAT+: ASCO and Google create ‘walled garden’ AI tool for doctors to query group’s guidelines The American Society of Clinical Oncology, the largest professional organization in cancer care, announced Wednesday that it had partnered with Google Cloud to develop an AI-based tool to help physicians rapidly question the organization’s guidelines on best practices in diagnosing…
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New FDA framework on Covid vaccines leaves pediatricians confused and concerned
New FDA framework on Covid vaccines leaves pediatricians confused and concerned A new framework for Covid-19 vaccines announced by Food and Drug Administration leaders Tuesday suggests the agency will no longer approve new Covid vaccines for healthy individuals under 65, including babies, without data from new randomized clinical trials showing their benefit. The plan —…
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Blunt Rochester presses RFK Jr. on CDC acting director
Blunt Rochester presses RFK Jr. on CDC acting director Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester has written a stinging letter to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. demanding that he clarify whether the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has an acting director. In her three-page missive, Blunt Rochester suggested that Matthew Buzzelli, the person Kennedy said…
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STAT+: Novavax wins narrowed approval for its Covid-19 shot after delay
STAT+: Novavax wins narrowed approval for its Covid-19 shot after delay The Food and Drug Administration has finally approved Novavax’s Covid-19 vaccine, but in doing so has placed restrictions on it that its two competitors in the U.S. market do not face. The long-awaited license limits use of the vaccine to people 65 and older…
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STAT+: Trump is moving to terminate hundreds of federal grants across Harvard
STAT+: Trump is moving to terminate hundreds of federal grants across Harvard In yet another escalation of its fight against higher education, the Trump administration has moved to terminate hundreds of research grants at Harvard University and its medical school, imperiling dozens of research projects and potentially upending the futures of young scientists. Harvard researchers studying cancer,…
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Does the CDC have an acting director?
Does the CDC have an acting director? Earlier this week, Lisa Blunt Rochester asked a seemingly simple question of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during his testimony to the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee: “Who is the acting CDC director?” Kennedy, the secretary of Health and Human Services, offered the name “Matt Buzzelli,” who…
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STAT+: Day 3 at ASGCT: Vinay Prasad speculation, screening newborns, promising data
STAT+: Day 3 at ASGCT: Vinay Prasad speculation, screening newborns, promising data NEW ORLEANS — Greetings from the home stretch of American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy conference, where everyone is still talking about Baby KJ and no one wants to talk about Vinay Prasad. The Vinay Prasad in the room Last year, hundreds…
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STAT+: MAHA has a new think tank. The Trump administration is listening
STAT+: MAHA has a new think tank. The Trump administration is listening The Make America Healthy Again movement is coalescing around a new effort to turn its goals into federal policy. The Trump administration is listening. The MAHA Institute, a policy center launched Thursday, is pushing to change the American health and food systems: from…
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HHS to stop recommending routine Covid shots for children, pregnant people, RFK Jr. ally says
HHS to stop recommending routine Covid shots for children, pregnant people, RFK Jr. ally says Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is set to announce that the Department of Health and Human Services will stop recommending Covid vaccines for children and pregnant people, a close Kennedy ally said Thursday. The news arrived between panels at…
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STAT+: Day 2 of ASGCT: Good news for Baby KJ and the dream of personalized gene editing
STAT+: Day 2 of ASGCT: Good news for Baby KJ and the dream of personalized gene editing NEW ORLEANS — Greetings from ASGCT, where the gene therapy field had some great news for once, about a highly photogenic infant. Baby KJ gets a custom CRISPR edit to his genome Kiran Musunuru, a researcher at the University of…
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STAT+: Day 1 at ASGCT: Missing scientists, a gene editing failure, and a gene editing first
STAT+: Day 1 at ASGCT: Missing scientists, a gene editing failure, and a gene editing first NEW ORLEANS — The mood at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cell and Gene Therapy isn’t amazing. The biotech market has been bad for years. The FDA and NIH are shrouded in uncertainty. But many researchers…
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Former FDA head Robert Califf says RFK Jr.’s vaccine rhetoric is ‘doing harm’ to Americans
Former FDA head Robert Califf says RFK Jr.’s vaccine rhetoric is ‘doing harm’ to Americans SAN FRANCISCO — Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf said health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s hesitance to endorse vaccines is harming the American public. “Fundamental vaccination saves millions of lives every year already, and he’s busy eroding public…
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Mental health care may be harder to obtain after HHS rule reversal
Mental health care may be harder to obtain after HHS rule reversal For a recent therapy session, Andria Donaghy’s insurance plan paid her psychiatric nurse practitioner only $11 on a $125 service. “To even put that on paper is insulting,” she said. “These people give their lives [to help others] and that’s what you pay…
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STAT+: Our biggest burning questions on Trump’s order to bring down drug prices
STAT+: Our biggest burning questions on Trump’s order to bring down drug prices WASHINGTON — President Trump’s executive order to lower drug prices through sweeping, cross-agency action left leaders in the pharmaceutical industry scrambling Monday to make sense of what may be ahead — and how to respond. The announcement was long on messaging, but…
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Bigger Brains Lead to Longer Lifespans, Says New Study
Bigger Brains Lead to Longer Lifespans, Says New Study Good news for the big brains out there: a new study links mammalian lifespans to immune-related gene expansions across 46 mammal species. Jason Nelson Go to decrypt.co
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Opinion: What it’s like to have measles, mumps, whooping cough, and other vaccine-preventable illnesses
Opinion: What it’s like to have measles, mumps, whooping cough, and other vaccine-preventable illnesses When I was recently at the vet’s office, I started eavesdropping a little on the conversation between two older women. When they started talking about the measles outbreak in Texas, I couldn’t help it. I joined in. One of the women,…
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First at-home test kit for cervical cancer approved by the FDA, company says
First at-home test kit for cervical cancer approved by the FDA, company says WASHINGTON — U.S. regulators have approved the first cervical cancer testing kit that allows women to collect their own sample at home before shipping it to a laboratory, according to a medical device company. Teal Health said Friday the Food and Drug Administration approved…
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RSV sent fewer babies to the hospital last winter, after new treatment and vaccine arrived
RSV sent fewer babies to the hospital last winter, after new treatment and vaccine arrived A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows there was a substantial drop in hospitalizations for respiratory syncytial virus this winter among very young children, who are at the highest risk of becoming severely ill if they contract…
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White House withdraws nomination of a former Fox News contributor for U.S. surgeon general
White House withdraws nomination of a former Fox News contributor for U.S. surgeon general WASHINGTON — The White House is withdrawing the nomination of former Fox News medical contributor Janette Nesheiwat for U.S. surgeon general, marking at least the second health-related pick from President Donald Trump to be pulled from Senate consideration. The withdrawal was confirmed by two people…
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STAT+: Trump nominates Casey Means, entrepreneurial doctor and MAHA leader, for surgeon general
STAT+: Trump nominates Casey Means, entrepreneurial doctor and MAHA leader, for surgeon general The health entrepreneur and “Make America Healthy Again” leader Casey Means has been nominated to be the U.S. surgeon general after President Trump pulled his prior nominee suddenly on Wednesday. Means, an M.D. and author who runs a holistic wellness blog and…
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Francis Collins blasts Trump administration’s ‘slash-and-burn’ actions at science agencies
Francis Collins blasts Trump administration’s ‘slash-and-burn’ actions at science agencies Francis Collins, the former director of the National Institutes of Health, excoriated the Trump administration’s efforts to upend federal scientific agencies on Wednesday, saying the logic behind the moves “escapes any possible explanation.” Speaking on a panel about trust in science and scientific institutions, Collins…
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Coinbase CEO’s Biotech Firm Gets $130M to Fight Aging With AI, Genomics
Coinbase CEO’s Biotech Firm Gets $130M to Fight Aging With AI, Genomics NewLimit’s Series B raise adds fuel to Silicon Valley’s growing obsession with anti-aging science and biohacking immortality. Callan Quinn Go to decrypt.co
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STAT+: Vinay Prasad tapped to run FDA center that regulates vaccines, gene therapies
STAT+: Vinay Prasad tapped to run FDA center that regulates vaccines, gene therapies WASHINGTON — Vinay Prasad, an academic and fierce critic of the medical mainstream, will be the next director of the Food and Drug Administration center that oversees the regulation of vaccines, gene therapies, and the blood supply. Prasad, previously an epidemiology professor at…
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STAT+: GOP hits resistance on Medicaid cuts, and a brewing plan to lower drug prices
STAT+: GOP hits resistance on Medicaid cuts, and a brewing plan to lower drug prices 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. A horse named Journalism was favored to win the…
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STAT+: AACR Recap: Excitement about cancer prevention, new immunotherapies and advocacy
STAT+: AACR Recap: Excitement about cancer prevention, new immunotherapies and advocacy CHICAGO — With thousands of abstracts presented at the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting, it’s hard to keep up with all the latest advances and data. Like every meeting, this year’s conference was full of presentations and posters detailing new innovations in…