Latest KFF Health News Stories
New Vaccine Recommendation Cuts Number Of HPV Shots Children Need
The vaccine protects kids against infection and several types of cancer but many parents have been reluctant to use it for their children.
ER Visits Linked To Falls Spike Among California Seniors
State data show a rise of nearly 40 percent in fall-related visits from 2010 to 2015, a period in which the elderly population grew about 21 percent.
In Search Of A Vaccine To Vanquish The Plague
The scourge of the Middle Ages could still be pretty scary as a bioterrorism weapon, so scientists are trying to find a way to immunize people against it.
Deadly Superbug Linked To Four Deaths In The U.S.
A deadly superbug has been linked to at least four deaths and nine other cases in the U.S. and has spread across the globe in just six years.
Vinculan súper hongo mortal con cuatro muertes en EE.UU.
Un nuevo hongo mortal resistente a los medicamentos se ha relacionado con la muerte de cuatro pacientes hospitalizados en los Estados Unidos, según un nuevo informe de los CDC.
Many Localities Find Past Ambivalence On Mosquitoes Hinders Zika Response
Efforts to control and track the mosquitoes that carry the Zika virus have been hampered by lack of resources.
Women And The Zika Virus: Smart Questions And A Few Solid Answers
Here’s a breakdown of what women should know, and what is still unclear, regarding how Zika is transmitted, who is at risk and how to take precautions against it.
Reporter’s Notebook: Pregnant And Caught In Zika Test Limbo
Pregnant women in South Florida can get free Zika tests through the state’s health department. But delays in getting back the results are heightening worries and may affect medical options.
In Battle Against Zika, Researchers Seek Foolproof Test For Infection
Most people who have been infected don’t have symptoms, so they don’t know they have the virus.
The Ads Say ‘Get Your Flu Shot Today,’ But It May Be Wiser To Wait
The flu vaccine is available for longer windows of time. Experts say to weigh convenience and science in deciding when to roll up your sleeve.
Geographic, Racial Disparities In Stroke Treatment Tracked In New Study
Patients living in the Northeast are more than twice as likely to get a powerful drug than those in the Midwest or South and African-Americans were 26 percent less likely to get the medicine, a study in the journal Neurology finds.
CDC Deploys New Rapid Response Teams To Fight Zika
Based on lessons learned in the 2014 Ebola outbreak, the federal agency has designated teams to help identify patients and health care workers who have been exposed to the virus.
Shhh! America’s Most Common Workplace Injury Is Hearing Loss
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hearing loss is the most common work-related injury with approximately 22 million workers exposed annually to hazardous levels of occupational noise. The Department of Labor has issued a challenge to find new ways to turn down the volume.
A Young Woman Dies, A Teen Is Saved After Amoebas Infect The Brain
In Florida, perfect timing and alert medical staff saved a teen from almost certain death. But in North Carolina, one young woman died of an amoeba infection after rafting at a popular tourist site.
Children Exposed To Hepatitis C May Be Missing Out On Treatment
Hepatitis C can be passed from mothers to babies, but it often is not diagnosed until much later in a person’s life. Specialists are debating new screening practices to catch the disease earlier.
CDC Urges Doctors To Aggressively Test Pregnant Women For Zika
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also directs that all pregnant women in the U.S. and its territories should be “assessed for possible Zika virus exposure” whenever they get a prenatal care visit.
Montana’s ‘Pain Refugees’ Leave State To Get Prescribed Opioids
With rising awareness of opioid abuse, some pain patients say doctors are less likely to prescribe them. One Montana sufferer goes to great lengths to get his prescription — he flies to California.
How A Caribbean Island Became Prime Source Of U.S. Zika Cases
Many Dominican Republic immigrants in Florida and New York City brought Zika home after visiting the island, one of many destinations outside the U.S. where Zika has been active, say public health officials.
Mike Pence’s Health Policy Record Is A Mixed Bag
As governor of Indiana, Mike Pence expanded Medicaid with conservative tweaks, responded to an HIV outbreak with a limited needle-exchange program and signed one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country.
Hispanics Least Prepared For A Major Disaster In Los Angeles
Only 38 percent of Latino households have a disaster plan, the lowest of any ethnic or racial group.
