Category: public health
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STAT+: TrumpRx’s slow start
STAT+: TrumpRx’s slow start 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. Mary Talley Bowden, who spent years in an expensive court battle with the Texas Medical Board over her license for…
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STAT+: Is RFK Jr. coming for your Dunkin’?
STAT+: Is RFK Jr. coming for your Dunkin’? AUSTIN, Texas — As Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ticked through a list of ways the Trump administration is trying to clean up the nation’s food supply before an appreciative Texas crowd last week, he previewed more to come, including potentially pulling certain ingredients from the…
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STAT+: Virginia lawmakers push a new approach to a prescription drug affordability board
STAT+: Virginia lawmakers push a new approach to a prescription drug affordability board As more states look to contain the cost of prescription drugs, Virginia lawmakers are pushing an affordability board that they believe will go further than similar efforts attempted by other states. At the heart of the approach is a plan to use…
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Surgeon general nominee and senator face off over vaccines and ‘shared decision-making’
Surgeon general nominee and senator face off over vaccines and ‘shared decision-making’ An eight-minute exchange at the end of Casey Means’ two-hour confirmation hearing captured the potential and the predicament the MAHA movement has created for itself. Means, an entrepreneurial wellness influencer with a medical degree from Stanford, appeared on Wednesday at the Senate health…
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Casey Means, a MAHA leader, makes bid to be nation’s top doctor
Casey Means, a MAHA leader, makes bid to be nation’s top doctor The Make America Healthy Again movement, which has turned dissatisfaction with mainstream medicine into a disruptive political movement, was poised on Wednesday to put one of its leading figures, Casey Means, at the top of the U.S. medical system. Means, an entrepreneurial wellness…
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Ralph Abraham, No. 2 official at CDC, abruptly steps down
Ralph Abraham, No. 2 official at CDC, abruptly steps down The drama and chaos surrounding the leadership of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have taken another twist, with the announcement Monday that the agency’s No. 2 official, Ralph Abraham, has resigned. A statement posted to the CDC’s website said Abraham, a former Louisiana…
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Upcoming meeting of federal vaccine panel may be postponed after HHS missed deadlines
Upcoming meeting of federal vaccine panel may be postponed after HHS missed deadlines WASHINGTON — Federal officials have missed the legal deadline to notify the public of an upcoming meeting of a vaccine advisory panel that was planned for next week, raising questions about whether the meeting, expected to be closely monitored for signs of…
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Opinion: How public health saved the CDC Injury Center
Opinion: How public health saved the CDC Injury Center Last May, the White House released a budget request for FY2026 that proposed eliminating the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Nine months later, President Trump signed into law an appropriations bill that fully funds it for the rest of the fiscal year. Read…
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STAT+: Kennedy says he’ll act on legal challenge to ultra-processed foods
STAT+: Kennedy says he’ll act on legal challenge to ultra-processed foods Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired the starting gun in a challenge to the food industry on Sunday, announcing on CBS’ “60 Minutes” that he plans to act on a plan outlined by former Food and Drug Administration chief David Kessler to overhaul…
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STAT+: Exit of CDC’s acting director highlights agency’s lack of leader
STAT+: Exit of CDC’s acting director highlights agency’s lack of leader For 28 days last summer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had a director who had been confirmed by the Senate. But in less time than it took Susan Monarez to get approved, she was fired for not kowtowing to her boss, Robert…
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STAT+: In court, AAP argues Kennedy’s HHS made unlawful changes to vaccine policies
STAT+: In court, AAP argues Kennedy’s HHS made unlawful changes to vaccine policies BOSTON — After a full day of oral arguments in a packed courtroom, Boston federal judge Brian E. Murphy did not rule from the bench on a lawsuit from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the professional body representing the country’s pediatricians, against…
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Major shakeup underway at HHS as White House braces for midterms
Major shakeup underway at HHS as White House braces for midterms WASHINGTON — Two top health officials are leaving their jobs amid a shakeup at the Department of Health and Human Services aimed at refocusing HHS on politically popular aspects of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s agenda in advance of the midterm elections. Deputy…
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WHO director-general calls plans for U.S.-funded vaccine trial ‘unethical’
WHO director-general calls plans for U.S.-funded vaccine trial ‘unethical’ The director-general of the World Health Organization said Wednesday that a U.S.-funded study of the hepatitis B vaccine in Guinea-Bissau would be “unethical” if it proceeds as planned. “Of course, a sovereign country can decide whatever they want, but as far as WHO’s position is concerned,…
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We tested the government’s official new AI nutrition tool: Grok
We tested the government’s official new AI nutrition tool: Grok How trustworthy is the new U.S. food pyramid? It’s a mixed bag, according to the government website devoted to that pyramid. Kyle Diamantas, head of the Human Foods Program at the Food and Drug Administration, alerted the public this week to a generative artificial intelligence…
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STAT+: FDA refuses to review Moderna’s influenza vaccine
STAT+: FDA refuses to review Moderna’s influenza vaccine The Food and Drug Administration refused to review Moderna’s application for a new influenza vaccine, the company said Tuesday, a surprise decision that could raise concerns about the agency’s posture toward drug companies and the Trump administration’s policies on vaccines. Moderna, revealing the rejection, took the unusual…
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Landmark settlement could create new protections for harm reduction under disability law
Landmark settlement could create new protections for harm reduction under disability law A Christian group in Washington state on Tuesday announced a potentially landmark legal settlement that could establish new legal protections for harm reduction services for people experiencing drug addiction, including syringe exchange, under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA has previously been…
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STAT+: FDA warned a Hims & Hers compounder after finding bugs and failing to report a serious side effect
STAT+: FDA warned a Hims & Hers compounder after finding bugs and failing to report a serious side effect The Food and Drug Administration late last year issued a warning letter to MedisourceRx, a compounding pharmacy owned by Hims & Hers, six months after a facility was cited for troubling problems during an inspection. One…
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Opinion: As a scientist and NFL widow, I am furious about a recent NFL Players Association-funded CTE study
Opinion: As a scientist and NFL widow, I am furious about a recent NFL Players Association-funded CTE study When 125 million Americans watch the Super Bowl on Sunday, the NFL and NFL Players Association (NFLPA) don’t want them thinking about the brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy. When fans see an exciting big hit, thinking about…
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STAT+: HHS asks Justice Department to probe Hims & Hers over its cheaper compounded version of Wegovy
STAT+: HHS asks Justice Department to probe Hims & Hers over its cheaper compounded version of Wegovy The Department of Health and Human Services asked the Department of Justice to investigate Hims & Hers for potentially violating federal law over its plan to make a compounded version of a low-cost weight loss pill widely available…
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China criticizes U.S. for WHO pullout, accusing it of sidestepping international law
China criticizes U.S. for WHO pullout, accusing it of sidestepping international law China criticized the United States on Friday for withdrawing from the World Health Organization, saying countries should not place domestic politics ahead of international law. The country’s representative, attending a meeting of the WHO’s executive board, made the comments during discussions about the…
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Study ties particle pollution from wildfire smoke to 24,100 U.S. deaths per year
Study ties particle pollution from wildfire smoke to 24,100 U.S. deaths per year Chronic exposure to pollution from wildfires has been linked to tens of thousands of deaths annually in the United States, according to a new study. The paper, published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, found that from 2006 to 2020, long-term exposure to tiny…
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To fix ‘spiritual malaise’ behind addiction, Kennedy announces efforts on homelessness and recovery
To fix ‘spiritual malaise’ behind addiction, Kennedy announces efforts on homelessness and recovery Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday lamented a nationwide “spiritual malaise” as he unveiled new plans to tackle the nation’s addiction and substance use epidemic, casting the initiative as a game-changing effort to align government and recovery organizations. The announcement…
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South Carolina measles outbreak surpasses Texas’ 2025 total, with little sign of slowing
South Carolina measles outbreak surpasses Texas’ 2025 total, with little sign of slowing The South Carolina measles outbreak has surpassed the recorded case count in Texas’ 2025 outbreak, as health officials have logged almost 600 new cases in just over a month. The outbreak centered in northwestern Spartanburg County is showing little sign of slowing down, with…
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Opinion: Alex Pretti was a nurse to the end
Opinion: Alex Pretti was a nurse to the end On Saturday, amid demonstrations over Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in Minneapolis, federal agents fatally shot Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse. Videos of Pretti’s last moments show him acting non-violently: filming officers’ actions, directing traffic, and attempting to help a woman who…
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Public health giant William Foege, who helped eradicate smallpox, has died at 89
Public health giant William Foege, who helped eradicate smallpox, has died at 89 William (Bill) Foege, credited by many for shepherding the smallpox eradication effort to completion, died Saturday at the age of 89. A towering figure, both literally — he was 6’ 7” — and figuratively, Foege epitomized all that was positive about an era…
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CDC pauses billions in public health infrastructure grants to states
CDC pauses billions in public health infrastructure grants to states WASHINGTON — Federal officials have paused more than 100 grants totaling over $5 billion awarded to states to bolster their public health infrastructure. States and organizations that had gotten funding through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s public health infrastructure grant received notices on…
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Powdered whole milk could be a culprit in the ByHeart botulism outbreak, tests show
Powdered whole milk could be a culprit in the ByHeart botulism outbreak, tests show Powdered whole milk used to make ByHeart infant formula could be a source of contamination that led to an outbreak of botulism that has sickened dozens of babies, U.S. health officials indicated Friday. Testing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found the type of bacteria…
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STAT+: The number of new drug shortages in U.S. hits lowest level in 20 years, but myriad problems remain
STAT+: The number of new drug shortages in U.S. hits lowest level in 20 years, but myriad problems remain The number of ongoing prescription drug shortages rose slightly in the last quarter of 2025, but remained significantly lower than the all-time high reached in the beginning of 2024. Moreover, the number of new shortages identified…
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As U.S. prepares to exit WHO, it is stiffing the agency on a large bill
As U.S. prepares to exit WHO, it is stiffing the agency on a large bill When the United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization goes into effect Thursday, the world’s largest economy will be leaving the global health agency with a hefty unpaid bill. The U.S. has not made good on its assessed contributions…
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STAT+: What’s in Congress’ sweeping health care deal: PBM reform, telehealth, science funding
STAT+: What’s in Congress’ sweeping health care deal: PBM reform, telehealth, science funding WASHINGTON — Congress has reached a deal on several health care policies, including a crackdown on drug-industry middlemen, transparency measures for hospital billing, pediatric cancer research measures, and Medicare coverage of multi-cancer screening tests. Those measures are part of a bill to…
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Senior CDC official: Loss of measles elimination status in U.S. would be ‘cost of doing business’
Senior CDC official: Loss of measles elimination status in U.S. would be ‘cost of doing business’ With measles transmission in the United States at levels that haven’t been seen in decades, the principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that he would not view the loss of the country’s…
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Opinion: My son had rotavirus before he could get the vaccine. Ending universal rotavirus vaccination is a tragedy
Opinion: My son had rotavirus before he could get the vaccine. Ending universal rotavirus vaccination is a tragedy The Department of Health and Human Services has removed the rotavirus vaccine, along with five others, from the list of universally recommended childhood immunizations. This makes the U.S. an outlier. According to the International Vaccine Access Center,…
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Measles cases jump again in South Carolina, rising to more than 550
Measles cases jump again in South Carolina, rising to more than 550 Reported measles cases in South Carolina surged by almost 30% in the last few days, state health officials said Friday. The South Carolina health department reported 124 new cases since Tuesday, bringing the state’s total to 558 in a wave of infections centered…
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Kennedy adds two OB-GYNs to vaccine advisory panel amid review of shots for pregnant women
Kennedy adds two OB-GYNs to vaccine advisory panel amid review of shots for pregnant women WASHINGTON — Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appointed two new members to the main federal vaccine advisory board, his latest change to a group that has made a series of controversial recommendations and upended the usual processes for vaccine…
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Decrease in drug deaths stems from ‘shock’ to fentanyl supply, new research suggests
Decrease in drug deaths stems from ‘shock’ to fentanyl supply, new research suggests The significant, recent decline in U.S. drug overdose deaths was driven in large part by a sudden shift in North America’s illicit drug supply in 2023, according to a new academic analysis. The drop in deaths likely stems from a decrease in…
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How saturated fats lost, and won, on new food pyramid
How saturated fats lost, and won, on new food pyramid For months, nutrition experts have been anxiously waiting to see whether the new U.S. dietary guidelines would follow through on health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s pledge to end the war on saturated fat. The guidelines’ longstanding recommendation to cap saturated fat consumption at 10%…
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STAT’s Helen Branswell on the ‘startling’ new U.S. vaccine schedule
STAT’s Helen Branswell on the ‘startling’ new U.S. vaccine schedule It was, in a word, unprecedented. As Helen Branswell, STAT’s infectious diseases correspondent, explains in this video, Monday’s move by the Department of Health and Human Services — political appointees of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — to unilaterally rewrite the list of vaccines…
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Dietary guidelines declare war on processed foods and sugar, encourage more protein and dairy
Dietary guidelines declare war on processed foods and sugar, encourage more protein and dairy The Trump administration on Wednesday issued a long-promised revamp of national dietary guidelines, urging Americans to eat more protein and less added sugar and, for the first time, discouraging consumption of highly processed foods. The guidelines, despite widespread expectations, do not…
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New vaccine schedule adds near- and long-term risks for children, experts warn
New vaccine schedule adds near- and long-term risks for children, experts warn WASHINGTON — When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. assumed the role of health secretary almost one year ago, he said he had one overriding goal: to improve children’s health. But Kennedy’s sudden, unilateral, and sweeping change to the nation’s childhood vaccine schedule, announced Monday,…
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STAT+: HHS slashes vaccine recommendations
STAT+: HHS slashes vaccine recommendations 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. We’re almost healthy again, according to RFK Jr., though I’m certainly not in top form after my holiday break.…
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Federal health officials slash recommended childhood vaccinations under Trump’s directive
Federal health officials slash recommended childhood vaccinations under Trump’s directive WASHINGTON — Federal health officials are unilaterally reducing the number of recommended pediatric immunizations in response to an order from President Trump, the most significant reshaping of the vaccine schedule since Trump took office and empowered health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime critic…
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Missed first vaccines make babies far more likely to miss measles shot, study finds
Missed first vaccines make babies far more likely to miss measles shot, study finds Babies who don’t get their first round of vaccines on time at 2 months of age are much less likely to get vaccinated against measles, mumps, and rubella by age 2, according to a new study that suggests pediatricians may have…
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Opinion: Why I’m skipping Dry January
Opinion: Why I’m skipping Dry January Like many of my friends, I enjoy a glass of wine with dinner or a beer with friends. But a recent U.S. surgeon general report warning that any alcohol consumption is unsafe made me pause. Should I embrace “Dry January,” or even quit altogether? Recently, at least eight respected medical societies…
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Opinion: Patients are consulting AI. Doctors should, too
Opinion: Patients are consulting AI. Doctors should, too Ask most physicians today, and they’ll describe some version of this scene: In the middle of an appointment, a patient says, “I asked ChatGPT about the treatment you recommended.” A few years ago, doctors might have bristled. Today, this is the new reality. And yet, it’s exactly…
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STAT+: Three major health care policy issues to watch in 2026
STAT+: Three major health care policy issues to watch in 2026 WASHINGTON — Health care figured prominently in the first year of President Trump’s second term, and it’ll likely play an even bigger role leading up to the 2026 midterm elections. The shift back to health care politics has been somewhat surprising. Although Republicans were…
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STAT+: CMS divvies up first payments from $50B rural health fund, with an eye toward MAHA goals
STAT+: CMS divvies up first payments from $50B rural health fund, with an eye toward MAHA goals WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Monday announced the distribution of the first payments from a new $50 billion rural health fund — but not all states are getting equal payouts. The administration is giving larger awards to…
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We wish we’d written that: STAT staffers share their favorite stories of 2025
We wish we’d written that: STAT staffers share their favorite stories of 2025 This year saw upheaval in all corners of health, science, and biotech. While our staff was covering all of the twists and turns, they were also looking with admiration at stellar work from other journalists. Below is our annual list of stories…
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In 2026, Kennedy’s MAHA vision gets put to the test. Here are 3 issues to watch
In 2026, Kennedy’s MAHA vision gets put to the test. Here are 3 issues to watch In many ways, it’s been a banner year for chronic disease. America’s enduring ailments became a central theme of the Trump administration, with health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wielding his influence over the president. Trump created a commission…
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3 issues to watch in public health in 2026
3 issues to watch in public health in 2026 We warned you late last year that 2025 was likely to be pretty rock ’n roll. Confession time: We had no idea it would be as cuckoo bananas as it turned out to be. That the administration would summarily terminate most global health aid by shuttering…
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Best of STAT 2025
Best of STAT 2025 What a year! Yes, it was our 10th anniversary, but it also brought an unprecedented blizzard of news, and while we weren’t added to a Signal chat on war plans, we did have a giant health insurer email us internal strategy documents by mistake. Our coverage featured everything from a piece…
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Opinion: What giving flu shots backstage taught me about public health
Opinion: What giving flu shots backstage taught me about public health For the past two and a half months, I’ve spent many afternoons in the hidden spaces of New York’s performing arts world — its dressing rooms, rehearsal studios, green rooms, and backstage corridors. I’m a physician, and this fall I volunteered as one of…
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STAT+: The 3 biggest issues to watch in vaccine policy in 2026
STAT+: The 3 biggest issues to watch in vaccine policy in 2026 WASHINGTON — Vaccine policy has become a key issue for the Trump administration, especially under the leadership of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who himself once led an anti-vaccine group. In less than a year, Kennedy has bulldozed vaccine policy precedent and…
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3 drug policy questions to watch in 2026
3 drug policy questions to watch in 2026 Drug policy was largely a backburner issue in 2025. Despite the ambitions of some moderate or right-leaning activists, and an apparent passion for the issue from health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., substance use and addiction issues have made few headlines in the past year. Read the…
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STAT+: Trump moves to require lower drug prices in Medicare
STAT+: Trump moves to require lower drug prices in Medicare 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. The NIH director did the Pete & Bobby fitness challenge, but I didn’t see…
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Trump administration’s plan to shrink vaccine schedule sends health sector scrambling
Trump administration’s plan to shrink vaccine schedule sends health sector scrambling WASHINGTON — A possible Trump administration effort to change the childhood vaccine schedule has left hospital leaders, health policymakers, and pediatricians scrambling to navigate what could be the most significant changes to the American vaccine program in decades. The administration had planned to announce…
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Opinion: Why Denmark’s vaccine schedule works for Denmark — but not for the United States
Opinion: Why Denmark’s vaccine schedule works for Denmark — but not for the United States Reports that the Department of Health and Human Services may overhaul the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule to resemble Denmark’s have prompted a reasonable question: Why do American children receive vaccines against diseases that Danish children do not? The answer is…
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Trump’s marijuana reclassification could boost research, broaden access
Trump’s marijuana reclassification could boost research, broaden access President Trump on Thursday signed an executive order directing the federal government to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III substance, marking a major milestone in American drug policy and choosing sides in the debate between advocates for more research and drug policy hawks. Under the new classification,…
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Facing federal hostility, supervised consumption site points to 1,900 overdose reversals
Facing federal hostility, supervised consumption site points to 1,900 overdose reversals OnPoint NYC, the nonprofit that was the first in the nation to openly offer supervised drug consumption services, celebrated its fourth anniversary Thursday by trumpeting its positive community impact, making its case triumphantly and with a touch of defiance following nearly a year of…
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STAT+: Meta is urged by state attorneys general to boost enforcement of weight loss drug advertising
STAT+: Meta is urged by state attorneys general to boost enforcement of weight loss drug advertising More than three dozen state attorneys general are urging Meta to better enforce its policies to thwart a “surge of misleading” pharmaceutical and wellness ads for weight loss drugs on Instagram and Facebook. And the state officials also want…
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CDC’s controversial new hep B vaccine guidance: everything you need to know
CDC’s controversial new hep B vaccine guidance: everything you need to know The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just rolled back decades-old guidance that newborns should be offered the hepatitis B vaccine at birth. The agency adopted the recommendation of its vaccine advisory panel known as ACIP, which voted on the policy change at…
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Free pass or failing grade for saturated fats? Review sets off scientific and political debate
Free pass or failing grade for saturated fats? Review sets off scientific and political debate Saturated fats are having a moment, one that has ensnared researchers in a political debate they never intended to enter. A new systematic review of 17 randomized clinical trials found that reducing intake of saturated fats reduced the chance of serious cardiovascular…
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Experts assess Trump’s declaration of fentanyl as weapon of mass destruction
Experts assess Trump’s declaration of fentanyl as weapon of mass destruction There is no doubt that, in the wrong circumstances, fentanyl can be an agent of mass destruction. In the last decade, the ultra-potent synthetic opioid has caused hundreds of thousands of Americans to die by overdose, shattering families, shortening life expectancy, and destabilizing the…
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FDA approves first new kind of drug to target gonorrhea in decades
FDA approves first new kind of drug to target gonorrhea in decades A new kind of oral antibiotic to treat gonorrhea has secured Food and Drug Administration approval, the second time in two days that a new drug for the common sexually transmitted infection has come through licensure. Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacterium that causes gonorrhea,…
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STAT+: As superbug fears grow, sales of antibiotics used in food-producing livestock rose dramatically last year
STAT+: As superbug fears grow, sales of antibiotics used in food-producing livestock rose dramatically last year Amid fears of superbugs, the sale of medically important antibiotics given to food-producing livestock rose by 16% overall in the U.S. in 2024 from the year before, an increase that prompted advocates to complain that not enough is being…
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STAT+: Acting head of beleaguered mental health agency to depart this week
STAT+: Acting head of beleaguered mental health agency to depart this week Art Kleinschmidt, the official serving as the de facto head of the federal agency overseeing mental health and addiction treatment, is leaving his post on Friday, according to an email reviewed by STAT. Kleinschmidt has led the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services…
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Myocarditis is a rare but real Covid vaccine side effect. A new study sheds light on what might cause it
Myocarditis is a rare but real Covid vaccine side effect. A new study sheds light on what might cause it While extensive studies have found Covid-19 vaccines to be safe, effective, and to have saved millions of lives during the pandemic, these shots come with a rare but real risk of inflamed heart muscle, or…
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RFK Jr.’s vaccine panel is laying the groundwork for more scrutiny of childhood shots
RFK Jr.’s vaccine panel is laying the groundwork for more scrutiny of childhood shots WASHINGTON — Federal vaccine advisers, through a freewheeling, and at times combative two-day meeting, recommended a major change to childhood vaccinations that runs counter to the medical consensus — and began setting the stage for a larger rethink in the future. …
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CDC panel recommends delaying birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine
CDC panel recommends delaying birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine A panel that advises on U.S. vaccine policy voted on Friday to recommend a delay in when most babies begin to be vaccinated against hepatitis B, overturning a 30-year-old policy that has contributed to a massive decline in cases of the virus. The Advisory Committee…
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STAT+: Ashish Jha to step down as Brown University public health dean
STAT+: Ashish Jha to step down as Brown University public health dean PROVIDENCE — Ashish K. Jha, one of the nation’s leading public health experts who became a household name during the Covid pandemic, is leaving his post as the dean of the Brown University School of Public Health at the end of this year. Jha, a practicing physician…
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A dozen former FDA commissioners decry Prasad memo on vaccine regulation
A dozen former FDA commissioners decry Prasad memo on vaccine regulation Changes to the ways in which the Food and Drug Administration plans to regulate vaccines represent a threat to effective and available vaccines and public health, 12 former commissioners wrote Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. The changes, as described in a…
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Congo declares its latest Ebola outbreak over, after 43 deaths
Congo declares its latest Ebola outbreak over, after 43 deaths KINSHASA, Congo — Congo on Monday announced the end of an Ebola outbreak that killed 43 people in one of the country’s southern provinces, with authorities saying no new confirmed cases had been reported in the past 45 days. Health Minister Roger Kamba said the…
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Opinion: The U.S. government’s failure to acknowledge World AIDS Day takes us back to a troubling time
Opinion: The U.S. government’s failure to acknowledge World AIDS Day takes us back to a troubling time “Silence = Death.” That was the mantra of determined AIDS activists who quickly concluded the U.S. government was not doing enough to combat the then-emergent AIDS epidemic, which first hit the headlines in 1981. Read the rest… Gavin…
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Global measles vaccinations are nearly back to pre-pandemic levels, WHO report finds
Global measles vaccinations are nearly back to pre-pandemic levels, WHO report finds A new report suggests that the number of children vaccinated against measles globally — which declined during the Covid-19 pandemic — is nearly back to pre-pandemic levels. But the number of cases of the highly infectious disease surpassed the pre-Covid tally in 2024, according…
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STAT+: Kidney cancer cases spiked in this town. Will residents find out why?
STAT+: Kidney cancer cases spiked in this town. Will residents find out why? After the largest ground water contamination in New Hampshire history, a state-commissioned study released this fall found significantly elevated rates of kidney cancer in the town of Merrimack. Residents fear that toxic “forever chemicals” are to blame. But to pin down a…
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Opinion: Road-tripping through North Dakota to foster healthy conversation about vaccines
Opinion: Road-tripping through North Dakota to foster healthy conversation about vaccines Below is a lightly edited, AI-generated transcript of the “First Opinion Podcast” interview with Sandy Tibke and Josh Gryniewicz. Be sure to sign up for the weekly “First Opinion Podcast” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Get alerts about each new episode…
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STAT+: Cassidy and other Republicans have little to say about change to CDC’s position on vaccines and autism
STAT+: Cassidy and other Republicans have little to say about change to CDC’s position on vaccines and autism WASHINGTON — Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. broke another promise to Senate health committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-La.) this week. So far, there don’t seem to have been any consequences. To secure Cassidy’s decisive confirmation vote,…
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STAT+: South Africa is urged by advocates to issue a compulsory license for Gilead’s HIV prevention drug
STAT+: South Africa is urged by advocates to issue a compulsory license for Gilead’s HIV prevention drug Patient advocacy groups have urged the South African government to issue a compulsory license for a groundbreaking HIV prevention treatment after the Trump administration refused to include South Africa in a new program to distribute the drug to…
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STAT+: Trump administration lists 16 new CDC initiatives, from hepatitis B testing to bolstering workforce
STAT+: Trump administration lists 16 new CDC initiatives, from hepatitis B testing to bolstering workforce WASHINGTON — Trump administration officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention laid out 16 strategic initiatives this week, many of them bolstering health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s priorities, according to an internal agency memo obtained by STAT.…
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STAT+: Pfizer and Tris agree to $41.5 million settlement with Texas over ADHD drug for children
STAT+: Pfizer and Tris agree to $41.5 million settlement with Texas over ADHD drug for children Pfizer and Tris Pharma have agreed to pay $41.5 million to settle allegations by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that they provided an ADHD medicine to children on Medicaid while knowing about “flawed” manufacturing practices. The companies were accused…
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STAT+: A revelatory profile of RFK Jr.
STAT+: A revelatory profile of RFK Jr. 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 haven’t read Olivia Nuzzi’s new book, but I dare say my favorite line about her relationship…
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STAT+: Many poor countries where experimental drugs are tested fail to benefit after approval, analysis finds
STAT+: Many poor countries where experimental drugs are tested fail to benefit after approval, analysis finds Numerous medicines are not accessible in many of the countries where they were tested before approval by the Food and Drug Administration, raising concerns about whether pharmaceutical companies are adhering to ethical standards, a new study finds. The researchers reviewed 172…
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Creatine-filled swag bags and an embrace from Vance: MAHA marks its ascendance in Trump’s Washington
Creatine-filled swag bags and an embrace from Vance: MAHA marks its ascendance in Trump’s Washington WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance lauded the Make America Healthy Again movement as an “incredible part” of the Trump administration’s success at a mostly closed-door event at the glitzy Waldorf Astoria on Wednesday. Dubbed the “Official MAHA Summit,” top…
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Canada loses measles elimination status — as does the entire Americas region
Canada loses measles elimination status — as does the entire Americas region Canada has formally lost its measles elimination status, the country’s public health agency announced Monday, meaning all of the Americas have lost that status as well. The decision, which was widely expected, comes after a meeting last week where an expert committee of the…
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STAT+: How Children’s Health Defense plans to cement its agenda beyond RFK Jr.
STAT+: How Children’s Health Defense plans to cement its agenda beyond RFK Jr. WASHINGTON — Children’s Health Defense, the vaccine-skeptical organization once led by now-health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is playing the long game. The group has more power in Washington than the group’s CEO, Mary Holland, imagined possible in her lifetime. In an…
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STAT+: Novo Nordisk spent millions on weight loss searches that took people to its Ozempic website, analysis found
STAT+: Novo Nordisk spent millions on weight loss searches that took people to its Ozempic website, analysis found Over a recent two-year period, Novo Nordisk spent an estimated $7.5 million on more than 15,000 paid keywords related to weight loss searches and generated more than 2.4 million visits to Ozempic.com, even though the medicine is…
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When SNAP benefits run out, ‘people can die,’ say health experts
When SNAP benefits run out, ‘people can die,’ say health experts Millions of Americans are set to lose access to food benefits starting Saturday because of the government shutdown, with at least 25 states telling recipients they won’t receive checks for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in November. Health care experts warn that families…
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STAT+: Blue Cross plans to target doctors for overcharging. Physicians are furious
STAT+: Blue Cross plans to target doctors for overcharging. Physicians are furious With the help of a computer algorithm, the state’s biggest health insurer says it will scrutinize doctors who frequently bill it for the most expensive patient visits. It will then unilaterally cut payments to physicians it concludes charged too much. Targeting what it…
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STAT+: How the first nine drug companies won priority review vouchers from Marty Makary’s FDA
STAT+: How the first nine drug companies won priority review vouchers from Marty Makary’s FDA WASHINGTON — Commissioner Marty Makary wants the Food and Drug Administration to move more quickly. The launch of a new priority review voucher program in June was no exception. The agency promised winners a one- to two-month review of their drug…
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Anti-science bills hit statehouses, stripping away public health protections built over a century
Anti-science bills hit statehouses, stripping away public health protections built over a century More than 420 anti-science bills attacking longstanding public health protections — vaccines, milk safety and fluoride — have been introduced in statehouses across the U.S. this year, part of an organized, politically savvy campaign to enshrine a conspiracy theory-driven agenda into law. An Associated Press investigation found that the wave…
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STAT+: CVS Caremark tells AIDS activists Gilead needs to lower the price of its new HIV drug to get on formularies
STAT+: CVS Caremark tells AIDS activists Gilead needs to lower the price of its new HIV drug to get on formularies For the past three months, CVS Caremark has resisted adding a new Gilead Sciences HIV prevention drug to its formularies, repeatedly explaining there are “clinical, financial, and regulatory considerations” that must be reviewed before…
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NEJM and public health group are launching rival to CDC’s MMWR publication
NEJM and public health group are launching rival to CDC’s MMWR publication In the latest bid to plug gaps in the federal government’s public health infrastructure, two institutions are coming together to create an alternative to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaunted Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report — often called “the voice of the…
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STAT+: Gilead agrees not to raise prices on HIV medicines for state AIDS drug programs
STAT+: Gilead agrees not to raise prices on HIV medicines for state AIDS drug programs After months of tense negotiations, Gilead Sciences has agreed not to boost prices next year for HIV medicines that are sold to state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs, an outcome that lessens the financial strains for agencies that are relied on…
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STAT+: CBO says revised cost of orphan drug exemptions will add $3.9 billion to Medicare
STAT+: CBO says revised cost of orphan drug exemptions will add $3.9 billion to Medicare The Congressional Budget Office has revised its forecast showing the recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act will cost taxpayers as much as $8.8 billion — up from earlier estimates of $4.9 billion — over 10 years thanks to provisions…
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Government shutdown means many CDC experts are skipping a pivotal meeting on infectious disease
Government shutdown means many CDC experts are skipping a pivotal meeting on infectious disease ATLANTA — CDC researchers are being forced to skip a pivotal conference on infectious disease this week due to the government shutdown, missing out on high-level discussions not long after surges in measles and whooping cough hit the U.S. IDWeek, the largest annual meeting…
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STAT+: Roche suffers a fresh blow as India’s Supreme Court allows generic sales of its pricey rare disease drug
STAT+: Roche suffers a fresh blow as India’s Supreme Court allows generic sales of its pricey rare disease drug In a case that was billed as profits versus patients, India’s Supreme Court dismissed a petition in which Roche sought to prevent a generic drugmaker from selling a lower-cost version of a pricey rare disease medication.…
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Some of CDC’s health statistics employees are still in the dark
Some of CDC’s health statistics employees are still in the dark Confusion rules in one corner of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where the purpose is the pursuit of certainty. The National Center for Health Statistics plans and disseminates research informing public health policies on everything from food to oral health to environmental…
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Doctor groups need to ‘step up to the plate’ as CDC guidance becomes harder to trust, former leaders say
Doctor groups need to ‘step up to the plate’ as CDC guidance becomes harder to trust, former leaders say BOSTON — It’s getting harder to trust guidance coming out of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, creating an opening for physician groups to step up and fill the void, two former top agency officials…
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Democratic governors form a public health alliance in rebuke of Trump administration
Democratic governors form a public health alliance in rebuke of Trump administration A group of Democratic state governors has launched a new alliance aimed at coordinating their public health efforts. They’re framing it as a way to share data, messages about threats, emergency preparedness and public health policy — and as a rebuke to President…
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‘Doctor Mike,’ the popular YouTube creator, faults AMA communication strategies to counter misinformation
‘Doctor Mike,’ the popular YouTube creator, faults AMA communication strategies to counter misinformation BOSTON — Mike Varshavski, a family physician and content creator who goes by Doctor Mike on YouTube, has made it his mission to combat medical misinformation. He’s attracted 14 million followers by communicating both clearly and entertainingly. He wishes leaders in medicine…
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CDC team running top survey on health and nutrition is laid off
CDC team running top survey on health and nutrition is laid off Protecting the nation’s public health demands data, whether it be new measles cases, a surge in ER visits, or shifting patterns in obesity. The most recent job cuts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention threaten the mostly unseen foundation of that…