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From so-called vaccine skeptics like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to anti-vaccine advocates like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., some politicians are hoping to gain political power by exploiting the misguided fears of worried parents and the curdled selfishness of American individualism exemplified by the anti-vaxxer movement. (1/9)

Few public health challenges have been more daunting and persistent than the opioid crisis, which started because of egregious conduct by opioid manufacturers and now is driven by an influx of fentanyl. In my home state of New Hampshire — which has been at the forefront of this heartbreaking epidemic for more than a decade — too many promising futures have been snatched away. (Maggie Hassan, 1/9)

The ledger on COVID-19 has been closed for 2023. But the contagion is not, as some have proclaimed, “over,” with the Upper Midwest dealing with a mini-surge that will probably continue through January. Because reporting and interest in general have tailed off, no one has a good idea how many cases are actually occurring, but there are enough that hospitalizations have doubled since autumn. (Cory Franklin, 1/8)

The COVID-19 deniers are being faced with a new reality, that of long COVID-19, and no amount of disinformation on how it is not dangerous can make this danger go away. A study published last month documented that long COVID-19 is more dangerous than the flu. And the coronavirus' dangers are compounded by how easily it can spread. (Dr. Kevin Kavanagh, 1/9)

In 2022, the American Hospital Association launched its Health Equity Roadmap, which offers an electronic assessment and tools to help hospitals and health systems determine a program that best fits their individual needs. The program is seeing some uptake. As of last month, according to the trade group, 37% of its member hospitals have requested and received the assessment. Only 13% have completed it. (Mary Ellen Podmolik, 1/8)