Public Health Archives - Page 19 of 182

Let the General Election Commence

Episode 361

Aug. 23, 2024

Abortion and reproductive health issues headlined the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, as expected. But what Vice President Kamala Harris has in mind for other health policies as the Democratic nominee remains something of a mystery. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump says he would not use the 19th-century Comstock Act to impose, in effect, a national ban on abortion, which angered his anti-abortion backers. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Johns Hopkins University, and Shefali Luthra of The 19th join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Tony Leys, who reported and wrote the latest KFF Health News-NPR “Bill of the Month” feature about a woman who fought back after being charged for two surgeries despite undergoing only one.

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KFF Health News & PolitiFact HealthCheck

Trump Drastically Inflates Annual Fentanyl Death Numbers

The former president’s claim of 300,000 annual opioid deaths contradicts government statistics.

By Jacob Gardenswartz

Aug. 23, 2024

The back of a row of apartments where some of the windows are boarded up. A sidewalk runs parallel to the building.

Systemic Sickness

A Teen’s Murder, Mold in the Walls: Unfulfilled Promises Haunt Public Housing

For years, federal lawmakers have failed to deliver the money needed to fix derelict public housing, leaving tenants — mostly people of color and families with low incomes — living with mold and gun violence that has had lasting health consequences.

By Fred Clasen-Kelly and Renuka Rayasam

Aug. 22, 2024

Health Brief

The Rapidly Evolving Field of Street Medicine

By Angela Hart

Aug. 21, 2024

A photo of a woman wearing a mask and gloved hands reaching for medical supplies.

Cautious Optimism in San Francisco as New Cases of HIV in Latinos Decrease

New HIV diagnoses have decreased among Latinos in San Francisco, potentially marking the first time in five years that the group hasn’t accounted for the largest number of new cases. Public health experts express cautious optimism, but outreach workers warn that many Latinos still struggle to find testing and treatment.

By Vanessa G. Sánchez

Aug. 21, 2024

KFF Health News On Air

Journalists Discuss African Mpox Upsurge, EpiPen Alternative, and Medicaid Unwinding

KFF Health News and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and state media this week to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.

Aug. 17, 2024

A close-up photo of a person writing on a clipboard.

Amid Medicaid ‘Unwinding,’ Many States Wind Up Expanding

The end of pandemic-era Medicaid coverage protections coincided with changes in more than a dozen states to expand coverage for lower-income people, including children, pregnant women, and the incarcerated.

By Phil Galewitz

Aug. 16, 2024

Two photos are shown next to each other: a young girl with her dog on the left; a young boy seated alone on the right.

The Injured

Kids Who Survived Super Bowl Shooting Are Scared, Suffering Panic Attacks and Sleep Problems

Six months after the Feb. 14 parade, parents of survivors under 18 years old say their children are deeply changed. In this installment of “The Injured,” we meet kids who survived the mass shooting only to live with long-term emotional scars.

By Bram Sable-Smith and Peggy Lowe, KCUR

Aug. 14, 2024

Native American Public Health Officials Are Stuck in Data Blind Spot

For decades, state and federal agencies have restricted or delayed tribes and tribal epidemiology centers from accessing public health data, a blackout that leaves health workers in Native American communities cobbling together information to guide their work, including tracking devastating disease outbreaks.

By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez

Aug. 6, 2024

KFF Health News On Air

Shingles Vaccine May Stall Dementia, and Vaccine Mandates Save Lives, Studies Suggest

KFF Health News senior fellow and editor-at-large for public health Céline Gounder discussed vaccines in a couple of recent media appearances.

Aug. 3, 2024

A man in a dark blue shirt and cap faces away from the camera and stretches out his right arm where another person wearing purple medical gloves draws blood.

Bird Flu Cases Are Going Undetected, New Study Suggests. It’s a Problem for All of Us.

Dairy workers in Texas show signs of prior, uncounted bird flu infections in a new study. Without labor protection and better health care, cases are bound to quietly rise as the outbreak among livestock blazes in the United States.

By Amy Maxmen

July 31, 2024

An up-close photograph of a vial of an respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine being held in a green-gloved hand.

Florida’s RSV Season Has Started, and It’s Coming Soon to the Rest of US. Here’s a Primer.

Florida’s RSV season begins earlier and runs longer than anywhere else in the U.S., according to the University of Florida’s Emerging Pathogens Institute. New vaccines can help, but most older adults, who are vulnerable to RSV, haven’t gotten them yet.

By Sam Ogozalek, Tampa Bay Times

July 31, 2024

Letters to the Editor

Readers Weigh In on Abortion and Ways To Tackle the Opioid Crisis

KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.

July 30, 2024

A close-up view of the sign for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. The white text on the blue background reads "Department of Health & Human Services USA"

The CDC’s Test for Bird Flu Works, but It Has Issues

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention promises better tests are being developed, but the episode points to vulnerabilities in the country’s defense against emerging outbreaks.

By Arthur Allen and Amy Maxmen

July 26, 2024

Health Brief

Care Gaps Grow as OB/GYNs Flee Idaho

By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez

July 25, 2024

An aerial view of the inside of a fulfillment center.

California Speeds Up Indoor Heat Protections Amid Sweltering Summer Weather

Indoor workers who toil in hot jobsites in California gain immediate protection from this summer’s extreme heat. The state’s worker safety chief announced finalized rules Wednesday, capping a years-long push by workers.

By Samantha Young

July 24, 2024

Health Brief

Planned Parenthood’s Push to Get Voters to the Polls

By Molly Castle Work

July 24, 2024

Covid-19

Covid Is Still With Us, but the Guidance Has Changed. Here’s What to Know if You’re Exposed.

President Joe Biden tested positive for covid-19 last week, but his symptoms were reportedly mild. With covid still circulating and putting Americans at risk, KFF Health News reviews the latest safety guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

By Tarena Lofton

July 22, 2024

A photo illustration of a drone carrying a emergency medical kit.

Rescue From Above: How Drones May Narrow Emergency Response Times

Public safety and health care organizations are using drones to speed up lifesaving treatment during medical emergencies in which every second counts.

By Michelle Andrews

July 22, 2024