Public Health Archives - Page 29 of 182 - �鶹Ů�� Health News

Countdown to Shutdown

Episode 315

Sept. 21, 2023

Congress appears to be careening toward a government shutdown, as a small band of House conservatives vow to block any funding for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1 unless they win deeper cuts to health and other domestic programs. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump continues to roil the GOP presidential primary field, this time with comments about abortion. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, and Tami Luhby of CNN join �鶹Ů�� Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week they think you should read, too.

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Florida Surgeon General Joe Ladapo speaks at a podium. Florida Gov. Ron Desantis stands beside him.

COVID-19

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Injects Presidential Politics Into the Covid Vaccine Debate

Losing ground in the Republican primary, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida and his top medical advisers dismissed the recent federal recommendation that almost everyone get an updated covid shot.

By Phil Galewitz and Daniel Chang

Sept. 18, 2023

A photo of a lab technician writing a note while wearing a surgical mask and scrubs inside a hospital.

Health Workers Warn Loosening Mask Advice in Hospitals Would Harm Patients and Providers

Clinicians, researchers, and workplace safety officers worry new guidelines on face masks from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention might reduce protection against the coronavirus and other airborne pathogens in hospitals.

By Amy Maxmen

Sept. 18, 2023

A screenshot of the three-person Zoom panel. From clockwise, the speakers are: Céline Gounder, Bill Foege, and Helene Gayle.

Epidemic

Watch: Thinking Big in Public Health, Inspired by the End of Smallpox

A conversation about how the lessons from the victory over smallpox could be applied to public health challenges today.

Sept. 18, 2023

A man in blue prison uniform sits and holds out a card in front of him with both hands.

COVID-19

A New Covid Booster Is Here. Will Those at Greatest Risk Get It?

The CDC says everyone over 6 months old should get the new covid booster. But the emergency response mechanisms that supported earlier vaccine campaigns are gone. As one expert wonders: How to get boosters to people beyond Democrats, college graduates, and those with high incomes?

By Amy Maxmen

Sept. 15, 2023

What the Health? From �鶹Ů�� Health News

Underinsured Is the New Uninsured

Episode 314

Sept. 14, 2023

The percentage of working-age adults with health insurance went up and the uninsured rate dropped last year, the U.S. Census Bureau reported this week. There isn’t much suspense about which way the uninsured rate is now trending, as states continue efforts to strip ineligible beneficiaries from their Medicaid rolls. But is the focus on the uninsured obscuring the struggles of the underinsured? Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico join �鶹Ů�� Health News’ Emmarie Huetteman to discuss these issues and more.

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COVID-19

Why the CDC Has Recommended New Covid Boosters for All

As covid-19 hospitalizations tick upward with fall approaching, the CDC says it’s time for new boosters — and not only for those at highest risk of serious disease. Here are seven things you need to know.

By Arthur Allen

Sept. 13, 2023

A nurse uses a syringe to pull solution from a vial.

COVID-19

Pfizer and Moderna Are Pushing the New Covid Booster. Should You Get It? The CDC Is About to Decide.

Chances are, if you aren’t older, chronically ill, or obese, you don’t need a forthcoming covid vaccine to stay out of the hospital. But it probably wouldn’t hurt.

By Arthur Allen

Sept. 11, 2023

A photo of the dome of the U.S. Capitol at dawn.

In Move to Slash CDC Budget, House Republicans Target Major HIV Program Trump Launched

Republicans in Congress have proposed substantial cuts to the budget of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, taking aim at one of former President Donald Trump’s major health programs: a push to end the HIV epidemic in the U.S.

By Andy Miller and Sam Whitehead

Sept. 8, 2023

A line chart showing an overall rise in heat-related deaths in recent years in both California and the entire country.

Heat-Related Deaths Are Up, and Not Just Because It’s Getting Hotter

Excessive heat contributed to 1,670 deaths nationwide last year, according to federal data — the highest rate in at least two decades. An increase in drug use and homelessness, along with hotter temperatures, were among the reasons.

By Phillip Reese

Sept. 8, 2023

What the Health? From �鶹Ů�� Health News

Welcome Back, Congress. Now Get to Work.

Episode 313

Sept. 7, 2023

Congress returns from its summer recess with a long list of tasks and only a few work days to get them done. On top of the annual spending bills needed to keep the government operating, on the list are bills to renew the global HIV/AIDS program, PEPFAR, and the community health centers program. Meanwhile, over the recess, the Biden administration released the names of the first 10 drugs selected for the Medicare price negotiation program.

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‘Like a Russian Roulette’: US Military Firefighters Grapple With Unknowns of PFAS Exposure

Federal research linking “forever chemicals” to testicular cancer confirms what U.S. military personnel long suspected. But as they seek testing for PFAS exposure, many wonder what to do with the results. There’s no medical treatment yet.

By Patricia Kime and Hannah Norman

Sept. 7, 2023

A photo of an infant sleeping in a crib on their back without blankets or pillows.

Cozy Images of Plush Toys and Blankets Counter Messaging on Safe Infant Sleep

Unsafe sleep environments are among the main reasons accidental suffocation or strangulation is a hard-to-solve public health problem.

By Colleen DeGuzman

Sept. 6, 2023

A photo of a construction worker covering his face with his hand while working outside.

Workers Pay the Price While Congress and Employers Debate Need for Heat Regulations

Studies suggest official numbers vastly underestimate heat-related injuries and illness on the job. To institute protections, the government must calculate their cost — and the cost of inaction.

By Amy Maxmen

Sept. 5, 2023

A portrait of former smallpox eradication worker Shahidul Haq Khan. He wears glasses, and a short, gray beard covers his jawline. He stands in front of his home, which has bright blue walls with dark wooden support beams.

NPR and �鶹Ů�� Health News Share the Story of Two Health Heroes Who Helped Stop Smallpox

Regina G. Barber from NPR’s “Shortwave” podcast speaks with physician-epidemiologist Céline Gounder about two men who were among the public health heroes who helped wipe out a 3,000-year-old virus, and the lessons that victory offers for the next public health emergency.

Sept. 5, 2023

A photo of a doctor speaking to a patient.

When Temps Rise, So Do Medical Risks. Should Doctors and Nurses Talk More About Heat?

The medical dangers of heat are real. But people often ignore public heat alerts or don't realize how vulnerable they are. A new alert system prompts clinicians to talk about heat with patients.

By Martha Bebinger, WBUR

Sept. 1, 2023

�鶹Ů�� Health News & PolitiFact HealthCheck

Activist Misuses Federal Data to Make False Claim That Covid Vaccines Killed 676,000

Anti-vaccine tech entrepreneur Steve Kirsch, whose wild assertions have been repeatedly debunked, wrongly attributes deaths following vaccination to the vaccines themselves. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which runs the database, calls that inaccurate and irresponsible.

By Tom Kertscher, PolitiFact

Sept. 1, 2023

How Far Will Montana’s Push to Remove Lead from School Drinking Water Go?

Montana has earmarked $3.7 million to address widespread high levels of lead in school drinking water. But it likely isn’t enough to solve the problem.

By Keely Larson

Aug. 31, 2023

Epidemic

Speedboat Epidemiology

Season 2, Episode 4

Aug. 29, 2023

In Bangladesh, smallpox eradication workers went to great lengths to vaccinate even one person, sometimes traveling by speedboat, crossing rickety bamboo bridges or leech-infested paddy fields. Episode 4 of the “Eradicating Smallpox” podcast is about what it takes to bring care directly to people where they are.

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