Latest Morning Briefing Stories

This HIV Expert Refused To Censor Data, Then Quit the CDC

KFF Health News Original

HIV physician John Weiser talks about why complying with President Donald Trump’s orders to erase transgender people is bad for science and society. And he notes that acquiescing didn’t spare the CDC from further harm.

In RFK Jr.’s Upside-Down World of Vaccines, Panel Votes To End Hepatitis B Shot at Birth

KFF Health News Original

A session of a vaccine panel dominated by skeptics was chaotically at odds with past practices of the CDC, which HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has described as a “cesspool of corruption.” His crew voted to end a 34-year recommendation to vaccinate newborns against hepatitis B.

While Scientists Race To Study Spread of Measles in US, Kennedy Unravels Hard-Won Gains

KFF Health News Original

Scientists are conducting genetic analyses to see if the measles outbreak that started in Texas is still spreading from state to state. It’s a contentious question, because the findings may determine whether America loses its measles-free status.

Under Kennedy, America’s Health Department Is in the Business of Promoting Kennedy

KFF Health News Original

Under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Department of Health and Human Services increasingly uses its social media channels to promote Kennedy himself and his agenda. Interviews with over 20 former and current employees provide a look inside an agency where personality and politics steer communications with the public.

Republicans Left Tribes Out of Their $50B Rural Fund. Now It’s Up to States To Share.

KFF Health News Original

The Trump administration has championed its Rural Health Transformation Program as an investment in American families who have been left behind. But Native American tribes, whose communities have a significant presence in rural America and have some of the greatest health needs, are ineligible to apply directly for funding.

RFK Jr. Wants To Delay the Hepatitis B Vaccine. Here’s What Parents Need To Know.

KFF Health News Original

A CDC panel is reconsidering the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine. Renewed doubt could lead to fewer kids getting vaccinated, leaving them vulnerable to an incurable, preventable virus that can be acquired by indirect contact with infected blood.

Kennedy Sharpens Vaccine Attacks, Without Scientific Backing

KFF Health News Original

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claims that the aluminum ingredients in vaccines cause a variety of harmful reactions, from allergies to autism. Scientists say that’s wrong and warn of risks if they’re removed. Here are some of the basics.

Una crisis de salud oculta tras los desastres naturales: la proliferación de moho en los hogares

KFF Health News Original

Se estima que el 47% de los edificios residenciales de Estados Unidos tiene humedad o moho. Así que, aunque la última temporada de huracanes esté por terminar, siguen presentes los problemas de salud asociados al moho.

Cancer Stole Her Voice. She Used AI, Curse Words, and Kids’ Books To Get It Back.

KFF Health News Original

After a total glossectomy and laryngectomy to treat her cancer, Sonya Sotinsky can no longer speak. She searched for a way to sound like herself again and now pays out-of-pocket for an artificial intelligence app that can replicate her old voice — emotion, inflection, and all.

Cáncer de mama y anticonceptivos: un nuevo estudio revela cómo se puede distorsionar la ciencia

KFF Health News Original

Mientras la desinformación sobre la salud de las mujeres se propaga más rápido que nunca, médicos dicen que una nueva investigación pone en evidencia los desafíos de comunicar con matices en la era de las redes sociales.

Waning Immunity and Falling Vaccination Rates Fuel Pertussis Outbreaks

KFF Health News Original

New details from health officials suggest the whooping-cough surge may be part of a national pattern driven by slipping vaccine coverage and waning immunity, with infants bearing the brunt of the consequences.