Category: Featured Headlines
RFK Jr. defends widespread HHS cuts, response to measles outbreak during House hearing
ABC News Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., before a House committee Wednesday morning, defended the massive cuts to the department’s workforce and laid out his priorities for the Trump administration’s proposed budget — all while he is expected to field questions about his history of promoting conspiracy theories and controversial comments about vaccines. […]
May 14, 2025
Measles cases hit six-year high in South Korea amid outbreaks across south-east Asia
The Guardian South Korea passes annual tally for 2024 already, as Vietnam and Thailand continue to battle outbreaks. South Korea has recorded the highest number of measles cases in six years, adding to concerns that low vaccination rates combined with international travel are contributing to further outbreaks elsewhere in the region. The country has confirmed 52 cases so far this […]
May 7, 2025
States loosen vaccine rules — even as measles outbreak rages
Politico With a longtime vaccine skeptic serving as the country’s top health official, the movement is likely to make further inroads. The U.S. is on track to surpass 1,000 measles cases this year as the viral illness — once so rare that most young doctors don’t recognize the telltale rash — makes an alarming comeback. […]
May 7, 2025
RFK Jr. Hits NIH With More Layoffs, Plans to Bring Others Back
Bloomberg The National of Institutes of Health laid off another 200 employees as part of the health department’s large-scale reduction-in-force carried out last month, with plans to bring back a similar number of employees for other areas. The agency on May 2 sent notices to “less than 250 employees” that they were affected by the […]
May 7, 2025
H5N1 Bird Flu Cases Have Slowed in Animals and People
Medpage Today Detections of H5N1 avian influenza have slowed in both animals and humans, but continued surveillance is warranted, CDC researchers said. In dairy cattle, cases surged over the fall and early winter but eased in January, while cases in poultry flocks fell after February, and came down last month in backyard flocks, according to data […]
May 7, 2025
Texas measles total tops 700 cases amid rises in other states
CIDRAP The Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) today reported 19 more cases since its last update on May 2, lifting the state’s total to 702 cases. As the country’s biggest measles hot spot, the state has reported outbreak-linked cases from 29 counties, mainly in west Texas. So far 91 people have been hospitalized, […]
May 7, 2025
5 Places to Turn for Accurate Health Information
NY Times Changes to federal health websites have raised concerns about their reliability. These independent sources offer an alternative. Soon after President Donald J. Trump took office for his second term, thousands of health websites run by the federal government that kept the public informed about infectious diseases, mental health, vaccines and more were taken […]
Apr 30, 2025
Many Americans say they will lose trust in public health recommendations under federal leadership changes
Harvard School of Public Health One hundred days into the new federal administration, a new poll reports that major segments of the U.S. public anticipate they will lose trust in public health recommendations with the changes in health agency leadership. The poll, conducted among a national sample of U.S. adults, found that 44% of the […]
Apr 30, 2025
Americans expect to lose trust in public health under new leadership
Washington Post Leadership changes at federal health agencies are eroding trust in public health recommendations, with more Americans expecting to lose confidence than gain it, according to a poll released Tuesday by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the de Beaumont Foundation. The findings come as public health guidance is under intense […]
Apr 30, 2025
How public health has been upended in Trump’s first 100 days
Washington Post More than 20,000 jobs were eliminated, billions of dollars in scientific research has been threatened or paused, and a budget draft proposes a major restructuring of Health and Human Services. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and President Donald Trump have reshaped the nation’s public health infrastructure in the administration’s first 100 days. More than 20,000 […]
Apr 30, 2025