Category: Health

Childhood immunization rates have plummeted in Michigan during the opening year of President Trump’s second term, according to new data analysis that shows the influence of vaccine-skeptic Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on American healthcare practices.

State records reveal that Michigan experienced a dramatic decrease in vaccination completion rates among toddlers, offering one of the first concrete glimpses into how Kennedy’s anti-vaccine stance is affecting public health nationwide. Michigan stands out among states for providing detailed monthly vaccination statistics, while comprehensive national figures won’t be available until later this year.

The data analysis examined how many toddlers received their complete series of seven essential vaccines – including measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), whooping cough, and hepatitis B shots – before turning three years old, which represents the federal health standard.

Between January 2025 and January of this year, completion rates dropped nearly three percentage points to 66.5%. This represents a decline roughly 13 times larger than typical annual variations seen over the past 18 years. Only the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and the 2008 financial crisis produced steeper drops in Michigan’s vaccination rates.

The analysis found that white children, who make up the largest demographic group, and Hispanic children experienced the most significant decreases. Public health experts, parents, researchers and community advocates interviewed across Michigan identified Kennedy’s persistent criticism of vaccines as the primary factor influencing white families, while Trump administration deportation efforts have deterred Latino families from visiting public health clinics.

Stanford University epidemiology professor Mathew Kiang expressed concern about the Michigan trends, noting the state’s size and demographic diversity make it a meaningful indicator.

“What’s happening there is almost certainly happening in other states,” Kiang said.

State data indicates that approximately 4,500 additional toddlers in Michigan now face heightened vulnerability to serious diseases due to the 2025 vaccination decline. These unvaccinated children also create risks for infants too young for immunization and adults with compromised immune systems, according to health authorities.

Oakland County epidemiologist Lauren Fink emphasized the broader implications in an email statement: “Even if the public health impact of one vaccine in one arm is unmeasurably small, every unvaccinated child is at risk.”

Kennedy has spent years promoting claims, contradicted by scientific research, that standard childhood immunizations cause autism and chronic illnesses while posing greater dangers than the diseases they prevent. Since assuming his role as the nation’s top health official, Kennedy has amplified these anti-vaccine messages through government channels, bringing views previously confined to specialized social media groups into mainstream federal communication.

Rachel Atwood, a long-time vaccine skeptic from western Michigan, noted the shift in public discourse: “People are becoming a little more open to questioning things because RFK Jr is pushing out information that has never been really readily available on mainstream media.”

Atwood supports Kennedy’s position that America dedicates excessive resources to infectious disease prevention rather than addressing chronic conditions like diabetes and obesity.

Kennedy has also restructured the childhood vaccination recommendation process, removing the existing national advisory board and installing members who share his perspectives. This new board recently guided federal officials to reduce recommended childhood immunizations despite lacking fresh evidence of vaccine harm. However, a federal judge blocked these changes Monday, agreeing with major medical organizations that argued the modifications would undermine vaccine confidence and reduce immunization rates.

Health and Human Services Department spokesman Andrew Nixon disputed Kennedy’s role in declining vaccination rates, instead blaming Michigan’s aggressive COVID-19 response, including school closures and mask requirements, for eroding public trust in health policies.

“Restoring confidence in public health, not repeating the mistakes of the pandemic era and failed policies from states like Michigan, is the path to stronger vaccination uptake over time,” Nixon said. He declined to address the decline among Hispanic children.

Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan’s chief medical executive, distinguished the state’s 2025 immunization patterns from previous years, noting that vaccination rates had stabilized following the pandemic. Bagdasarian identified Kennedy’s rhetoric and policies as new factors creating doubt and confusion among families.

“Michigan is not failing,” Bagdasarian said. “I think we are being failed by some of the rhetoric that is being put out at the national level.”

The United States achieved measles elimination status in 2000 due to high vaccination coverage at that time. Increasing vaccine reluctance has gradually undermined this accomplishment.

Over the past year, America has confronted its most severe measles outbreaks in decades, beginning in Texas and continuing recently in South Carolina. At least two children have died and dozens required hospitalization, with most victims being unvaccinated. Michigan experienced surging whooping cough cases in 2024 that continued into 2025.

Rather than advocating widespread vaccination to control these outbreaks, Kennedy has characterized immunization decisions as personal choices to be made through doctor consultation.

Noah Sliwa, a Lansing father of two, said Kennedy’s policies have validated his family’s approach. He and his wife had already chosen to space out their children’s vaccinations to better monitor potential side effects and opted against the birth dose hepatitis B vaccine for both children, contrary to previous federal recommendations.

“We felt more understood,” said Sliwa. “It felt normalized.”

Michigan health officials interviewed described observing direct connections between Kennedy’s views and vaccination rate changes. Statewide 2025 data shows nearly a three-percentage-point decrease in toddlers receiving their initial MMR shot, which Kennedy frequently criticizes.

Among white toddlers statewide, the seven-shot series completion rate fell four points to 67.5% between January 2025 and January of this year. Hispanic toddlers saw a 4.6-point drop to 69.8% during the same timeframe. Federal officials established an 80% series completion target for nationwide disease prevention over ten years ago, though they have concentrated on improving specific vaccine uptake since the pandemic.

Letha Martin, who supervises immunization programs in Oakland County north of Detroit, provides training for nurses on addressing parental vaccine hesitancy. The populous, predominantly white suburban county experienced a 2.9-percentage-point decline in toddler vaccination rates from January 2025 to January 2026, according to the analysis.

Martin reported that parents frequently expressed safety concerns about childhood shots when requesting exemptions from state vaccine requirements. Now families reference Kennedy’s specific arguments, such as claims that vaccine clinical trials inadequately test for adverse effects.

“Those are very, very particular concerns,” Martin said.

Within Michigan’s Latino community, childhood vaccination series completion rates had partially rebounded after COVID-19. However, intensified Trump administration immigration enforcement prompted more families to restrict activities outside their homes, including medical appointments, due to deportation fears, according to local health officials and advocates.

Centro Multicultural La Familia, a Latino advocacy organization in Oakland County, collaborates with county officials to organize periodic vaccination clinics. Previously, up to twelve people would typically attend these immunization sessions, said Oakland County Health Officer Kate Guzmán.

As deportation activities intensified in Michigan last year, Guzmán noted that no one attended the vaccine clinic held at the county health department, which is located adjacent to the local jail and sheriff’s department.

Detroit community leader Angela Reyes, who facilitates partnerships between Latino organizations and local health departments, reflected on the broader implications: “One of the greatest public health achievements was vaccinations, and we’re going backwards.”

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin lawmakers have reached agreement on a $133 million initiative to address contamination from persistent chemicals known as PFAS, sending the bipartisan legislation to Governor Tony Evers on Tuesday and concluding years of political disputes between the Democratic governor and GOP legislators.

Governor Evers indicated he would sign the measures into law immediately following the Senate’s approval Tuesday afternoon. This uncommon cross-party agreement provides hope for numerous Wisconsin municipalities dealing with PFAS contamination in their water supplies.

“Beautiful,” said Campbell Town Supervisor Lee Donahue regarding the Senate’s decision. Citizens in this community of 4,300 people have relied on bottled water since 2021 when state health authorities alerted them that over 500 wells contained contamination. “This has been a long time coming. This is definitely a day for celebration.”

PFAS chemicals — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — are synthetic compounds that resist natural breakdown. These substances appear in numerous consumer goods, from cookware to stain-resistant fabrics, and were previously common in aviation firefighting foam. Research has connected these chemicals to health issues such as low birth weight, cancer, liver disease, and reduced vaccine effectiveness.

Towns near industrial facilities and military installations across America face PFAS contamination challenges. Federal estimates indicate nearly half of American households have detectable PFAS levels in their water supply, whether from private wells or municipal systems. However, while federal authorities have established stringent standards for utility-provided water, these regulations don’t cover approximately 40 million Americans who depend on private wells.

Multiple Wisconsin communities are battling PFAS groundwater contamination, including Marinette, Madison, Peshtigo, Wausau, Stella, and Campbell. Green Bay’s waters also show contamination.

In Stella, private wells suffered severe PFAS contamination from fertilizer containing these chemicals that was applied to agricultural land. State resources for assistance have been limited, with restricted free testing availability and only modest grant programs for well replacement.

The governor and Republican legislators have disagreed for years about the best approach to tackle this pollution. Wisconsin’s 2023-25 budget established a $125 million trust fund for PFAS remediation, but both sides couldn’t reach consensus on spending priorities.

Two years ago, Evers rejected a Republican proposal that would have allocated funds for grants to municipalities, property owners, and waste facilities for PFAS testing in treatment plants and wells. The governor argued the legislation restricted state regulators’ ability to pursue polluter accountability, and environmental organizations supported his veto.

During the political impasse, the fund has increased to $133.4 million, according to Legislative Fiscal Bureau data.

The original bill’s primary sponsors, Republican Senator Eric Wimberger and Representative Jeff Mursau, introduced two revised proposals in January following consultations with the state Department of Natural Resources, which reports to Evers.

The first measure allocates $132.2 million from the PFAS trust fund for community grants, well replacements, airports, and industrial sites, plus $1.3 million from the general fund for 10 additional Department of Natural Resources staff positions to oversee the program.

The second bill creates a liability exemption list for contamination, resembling the 2024 legislation Evers vetoed. Exemptions include individuals who spread PFAS while following permits that didn’t address PFAS; property owners whose land was contaminated under permit conditions; owners of contaminated industrial sites who didn’t cause the pollution; and fire departments that used PFAS-containing foam. However, businesses operating facilities that have used PFAS or spread industrial waste could still face liability.

The Assembly approved both bills unanimously on the final day of its two-year session in February. The Senate passed the legislation by overwhelming margins, with one bill receiving a 33-0 vote and the other passing on a voice vote with minimal debate.

“I’m incredibly proud we were able to work across the aisle to get this done — and get it done right,” Evers stated.

South Carolina health officials documented another measles infection on Tuesday, pushing the state’s total number of cases to 997, according to new data released by the state health department.

The latest figure represents an increase of one case since Friday’s report. Health authorities are cautioning that this expanding outbreak may continue for an extended period, potentially lasting several weeks or even months, as vaccination rates remain below optimal levels in affected areas.

Pharmaceutical company Pfizer announced Tuesday that a new experimental drug combination showed promising results in treating breast cancer patients, demonstrating a 40% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death.

The treatment pairs Pfizer’s investigational drug atirmociclib with fulvestrant, an established hormone therapy. Researchers conducted the mid-stage clinical trial on patients whose breast cancer had metastasized and who had undergone previous treatments.

The study compared this new drug combination against standard treatment options including fulvestrant alone or a combination of everolimus and exemestane, which represents a commonly prescribed targeted therapy approach for postmenopausal women diagnosed with the most prevalent form of breast cancer.

Trial participants included patients whose cancer had returned quickly following treatment with CDK4/6 inhibitors, a patient population that typically presents greater treatment challenges. More than 90% of study participants began taking atirmociclib within three months after discontinuing their previous cancer medication.

According to Pfizer, the experimental treatment demonstrated a tolerable safety profile, with only 6.4% of patients discontinuing the therapy due to adverse effects. The company noted that overall survival statistics, which serve as a secondary endpoint, remain preliminary and insufficient for drawing definitive conclusions at this time.

The positive trial results will support Pfizer’s plans to evaluate atirmociclib in earlier stages of breast cancer treatment, including first-line therapy and early-stage disease, where extended disease management could benefit a larger patient population.

Atirmociclib functions as an oral medication that specifically targets CDK4, a protein involved in cell cycle regulation that promotes tumor development. Pfizer has already initiated a comprehensive late-stage clinical study examining the drug’s effectiveness in patients recently diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer.

The small African kingdom of Eswatini has launched distribution of a revolutionary HIV prevention medication that requires just two injections annually, health officials announced Wednesday.

Since December, approximately 2,000 residents have received the innovative treatment called lenacapavir, making Eswatini one of only eight nations worldwide to deploy this cutting-edge prevention method.

“People have been very receptive,” stated Sindy Matse, who manages Eswatini’s National AIDS Programme. She noted that initial demand was so strong that supplies were nearly depleted.

The breakthrough medication, developed by California-based Gilead Sciences, addresses significant challenges faced by traditional daily HIV prevention pills known as PrEP. Many patients struggle with remembering daily doses or maintaining consistent access to medication supplies.

Health authorities plan to expand availability across all 206 medical facilities currently providing PrEP services throughout the kingdom, formerly known as Swaziland.

The United States, where researchers created the drug, along with seven African nations experiencing high HIV rates, have also introduced the twice-yearly injection program.

Eswatini faces one of the world’s most severe HIV challenges, with approximately 25% of residents aged 15-49 carrying the virus according to 2023 data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. However, the nation has made remarkable progress, reducing new infections by nearly 75% between 2010 and 2024 – dropping from 14,000 annual cases to 4,000 through improved prevention and treatment efforts.

CHICAGO, March 17 – A federal judge has temporarily blocked Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s sweeping changes to childhood vaccination policies, but public health experts warn that months of controversy have already undermined confidence in vaccines.

“The genie is out of the bottle. We’re going to have to live with that,” said Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy.

The ruling came in response to a legal challenge filed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other groups against Kennedy and the Health Department. The decision overturns significant portions of Kennedy’s efforts to overhaul national vaccine policy, which included cutting back on childhood immunization recommendations.

However, the victory could be short-lived if federal officials choose to challenge the court’s decision.

U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy determined that Kennedy illegally restructured his Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices after dismissing all 17 independent public health and infectious disease specialists who previously served as vaccine advisers.

Public health officials had warned that these personnel changes could undermine the nation’s immunization program and damage public confidence when the dismissals were first announced. In his Monday decision, Judge Murphy described the majority of Kennedy’s 15 personally selected panel members as “distinctly unqualified.”

Richard Hughes IV, who represented the American Academy of Pediatrics in court, recognized that harm had already occurred despite their legal win. The lawsuit was essential to “stop the continued destruction of science‑based policy for vaccines,” he said.

A representative from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services responded: “HHS looks forward to this judge’s decision being overturned.”

KENNEDY REDUCES VACCINE RECOMMENDATIONS

Throughout the past year, Kennedy’s modifications to vaccine policy frequently bypassed the government’s established evidence-based review procedures.

During the reconstituted panel’s September session, Kennedy’s appointees decided to eliminate routine COVID vaccine recommendations, instead advising individuals to discuss vaccination decisions with their healthcare providers – an approach known as shared clinical decision-making.

In December, the panel chose to end the long-standing policy of universal hepatitis B vaccination for newborns, despite data showing this practice had decreased hepatitis B infections in children by 99%. The change was made without supporting scientific evidence.

Kennedy unilaterally reduced the federal childhood immunization schedule in January without consulting the panel or providing scientific justification. He moved four vaccines from routine recommendations to shared clinical decision-making status. As a result, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now broadly recommends 11 vaccines, down from the previous 17.

Health experts noted that parents have always been able to discuss vaccines with their doctors, but changing vaccines from routine recommendations to shared decision-making creates unnecessary concerns about vaccine safety, according to Osterholm.

“It creates doubt if you now have to discuss it with your doctor,” he explained.

STATES ABANDON CDC VACCINE RECOMMENDATIONS

The policy changes have prompted numerous states to reject CDC childhood vaccination guidelines.

According to a March 10 survey by the nonprofit health policy organization KFF, approximately 30 states plus the District of Columbia announced they would not follow the updated CDC recommendations for at least some childhood vaccines. Among these, 27 states said they would completely disregard CDC guidance for all childhood vaccines.

Most of these states have indicated they will instead adopt recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics, which has provided vaccine guidance since the 1930s, decades before the CDC’s advisory committee was established in 1964.

While the AAP previously coordinated its vaccine schedules with federal guidelines, the pediatric organization abandoned this practice last year, declaring that ACIP’s process was “no longer credible.”

Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, who previously directed the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases before leaving the agency in August alongside three colleagues in opposition to Kennedy’s vaccine policies, expressed satisfaction that they successfully sounded the alarm.

“Now we need to repair the damage these HHS actions have caused and the disease that they have allowed to propagate,” he stated.

CONFLICTING POLICIES CONFUSE PARENTS

Medical professionals report that the shifting policies have created conflicting messages and increased uncertainty among parents, with some now questioning even standard newborn care like vitamin K administration.

Healthcare providers are fielding calls from confused parents unsure about vaccination decisions, said Alison Barkoff, a health law and policy specialist at George Washington University who supported the AAP’s legal brief.

A February KFF survey revealed that public trust in the CDC for dependable vaccine information has dropped to its lowest level since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

According to Jen Kates, a senior analyst at KFF, a court-mandated reversal cannot immediately undo months of politically charged discussions.

“It’s not like you can flip a switch and say, ‘OK, let’s go back to where we were,’” she said.

A federal court has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from moving forward with significant modifications to childhood vaccination guidelines, including proposed reductions in recommended immunizations for young people.

The preliminary injunction stops the implementation of the administration’s comprehensive revision of current vaccine protocols while legal proceedings continue.

The court action comes as health officials and advocacy groups have raised concerns about potential impacts on public health and childhood disease prevention programs.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service has announced it will seek to extend its Public Health Information System data collection program, which is set to expire at the end of November 2026.

Following federal requirements under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and guidelines from the Office of Management and Budget, the agency has formally declared its plans to continue the existing information gathering system without any modifications.

The Public Health Information System serves as a key tool for the Food Safety and Inspection Service to monitor and track food safety data across the nation. The agency’s request indicates it will maintain the current structure and processes of the information collection program.

The renewal process follows standard federal procedures for extending approved data collection systems that support public health monitoring and food safety oversight activities.

Amber Walcker unleashed a powerful cry that echoed across the Puget Sound waters, joining approximately twelve other participants in West Seattle as they released their built-up tensions into the evening air.

This marked only the beginning. Two additional group sessions followed, each building in duration and intensity, helping Walcker process the emotional weight of her recent unemployment. The stress of parenting two small children seemed to melt away as her voice mixed with the sounds of nearby waves, leaving her with a profound sense of peace.

“I had such a sense of feeling grounded. In that same moment, all your senses are heightened,” Walcker said. “From then on out, I was hooked.”

That September gathering launched Seattle’s branch of Scream Club, which has become part of a nationwide movement featuring 17 locations that have emerged within the past year across cities including Austin, Texas; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Atlanta; Detroit; and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The original Chicago location emerged from relationship challenges experienced by its creators.

Founders Manny Hernandez and Elena Soboleva had recently begun living together following eighteen months of maintaining a long-distance relationship. During a lakefront walk along Lake Michigan, Hernandez, who works as a breathwork practitioner and men’s coach, proposed they release their relationship tensions by shouting from a pier’s edge.

After requesting permission from nearby bystanders, the entire group decided to participate, their collective voices carrying their emotions across the water.

“After we did it, some people were crying, including Elena,” Hernandez said. “That’s when we looked at each other and said, ‘This is probably something that we should start.’”

Chapter meetings vary between weekly and monthly schedules depending on location, but consistently occur in parks or waterfront areas to reduce noise complaints. Each session starts with members documenting their concerns on environmentally-friendly paper.

Participants then engage in coordinated breathing exercises and voice preparation activities, including humming techniques combined with controlled breathing patterns.

“You can really strain your throat if you just do it,” said Soboleva, a personal brand and business mentor. “So it’s gradual, breathing from your diaphragm and carefully starting off slow and warming up to louder and louder.”

The group performs three synchronized screaming rounds with breathing breaks between each session, while discarding their written concerns into the water.

“That third scream, you have to feel it in your body,” said Walcker, who established the club’s Seattle chapter. “Get down, be in a primal stance, whatever it feels like to you in that moment.”

These Scream Club methods draw from primal scream therapy concepts developed by Los Angeles psychoanalyst Arthur Janov during the 1960s. Janov theorized that early life trauma generated adult psychological issues, which could be addressed by accessing painful emotions and expressing them through screaming and tears under professional guidance.

Subsequent decades of research have not validated scream therapy as an effective mental health treatment, according to Ashwini Nadkarni, a psychiatry professor at Harvard Medical School.

However, the practice offers excellent stress reduction benefits.

Nadkarni explained that screaming stimulates brain circuits within the amygdala and hippocampus — “the oldest part of our brain” responsible for managing stress and emotions. The act also triggers the sympathetic nervous system’s fight-or-flight response. When screaming concludes, the parasympathetic system activates, instructing the body to enter rest mode.

“It’s the same cycle of regulation that happens when you exercise,” she said. “Your heart’s racing, you get short of breath, and then you relax and you feel that calm.”

Beyond physical benefits, the communal aspect of gathering with others provides additional advantages.

“The idea of people getting together to enhance community in ways that help them blow off some steam is incredible,” she said.

Hernandez noted that while publicly discussing personal motivations isn’t required, many participants stay afterward to discuss their struggles. Chicago chapter attendees have included individuals grieving recent losses, someone facing cancer for a second time, and many dealing with relationship difficulties.

Walcker observed that some participants even attend to express joy through screaming. Regardless of motivation, the Seattle group typically gathers before sunset to observe the sun setting over the water following their sessions.

“It’s kind of like putting everything to rest,” she said. “And that everyone knows that that’s the end of that, and we can all start fresh.”

A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order Monday preventing Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from reducing childhood vaccination guidelines, ruling that Kennedy likely broke federal procedures when he overhauled a critical vaccine advisory panel.

The court order stops Kennedy’s January directive that would have eliminated universal recommendations for children to receive vaccines against influenza, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, certain types of meningitis, and RSV.

Major medical organizations sounded the alarm over Kennedy’s vaccination policy changes, warning they would weaken defenses against six different diseases. The American Academy of Pediatrics and other groups modified their existing lawsuit filed in July, requesting the court intervene to prevent the reduction of the nation’s childhood immunization guidelines.

The initial legal challenge, filed in Boston federal court, targeted Kennedy’s move to stop recommending COVID-19 vaccines for most children and expectant mothers.

The lawsuit was expanded as Kennedy implemented additional measures that concerned medical associations, prompting plaintiffs to ask Judge Brian E. Murphy to address these policy shifts as well. The updated legal filing requested court review of Kennedy’s actions regarding the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which provides guidance to public health authorities on vaccination recommendations for healthcare providers and patients.

Kennedy, who was a prominent vaccine opponent before assuming the nation’s highest health position, dismissed all 17 committee members last year and installed a new group that includes multiple vaccination critics.

Murphy, appointed to the federal bench by President Joe Biden, determined that Kennedy’s restructuring of ACIP likely broke federal statutes. He suspended the new appointments and all decisions made by the reconstituted committee.

Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Andrew Nixon responded: “HHS looks forward to this judge’s decision being overturned just like his other attempts to keep the Trump administration from governing.”

The committee had planned to convene this week to review COVID-19 vaccines and other matters, but that meeting is now delayed.

“ACIP as currently constituted cannot meet,” stated Richard Hughes IV, legal counsel for the AAP. “How can a committee meet without nearly the entirety of its membership?”

Federal health authorities announced Monday that seven individuals across three states have contracted E. coli infections connected to raw milk cheddar cheese, with most victims being young children.

The Food and Drug Administration identified California company Raw Farm as the probable source of the contamination, though the agency noted that no Raw Farm products have shown positive E. coli results during testing conducted throughout the outbreak timeframe.

Health officials documented cases spanning from September 2025 through mid-February. California reported five infections, while Florida and Texas each recorded one case. Children age 3 and under accounted for more than half the victims, and two individuals required hospital treatment.

Despite FDA recommendations for a voluntary product withdrawal, Raw Farm has refused to remove its raw cheese items from store shelves.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised consumers to “consider not eating” these products.

Raw Farm owner Mark McAfee defended his decision against recalling the cheese, stating investigators haven’t established a definitive connection between his products and the illnesses.

“They have found no pathogens in any of our products,” McAfee stated during an interview. He challenged the FDA’s conclusion that the cases showed genetic similarities and criticized the timing of the outbreak announcement as too early.

According to the FDA, interviews with three infected individuals revealed all had consumed Raw Farm brand raw milk cheddar cheese. Laboratory analysis of patient samples demonstrated that the E. coli strains responsible for their infections shared close genetic relationships.

Health investigators continue gathering details from the remaining four cases. The ongoing investigation aims to pinpoint the contamination source and determine if other products may be involved in the outbreak.

NEW YORK, March 16 – The leader of Genentech, a division of pharmaceutical giant Roche, announced Monday that her company is working to develop obesity treatments that patients can both afford and tolerate without severe side effects.

Ashley Magargee, who serves as chief executive of the Genentech unit, addressed attendees at the Reuters Pharma USA 2026 conference in Philadelphia, highlighting concerns about patient retention in obesity treatment programs.

“A lot of patients are dropping off therapy for various reasons,” Magargee explained during her presentation, identifying two key areas her company plans to focus on: helping patients maintain weight loss over extended periods and developing combination treatments for individuals who don’t respond well to single medications.

Magargee emphasized the dual challenge facing the pharmaceutical industry in obesity treatment, asking: “How can you not just get these new medicines to patients, but also, how can you get an affordable portfolio of medicines to treat all the needs across the patient population now?”

The executive’s comments come as the healthcare industry continues to grapple with making effective obesity treatments accessible to a broader range of patients who need them.

Twenty years ago, Tom McGee started using stairwells for workouts as a strategy to quit smoking. The 69-year-old Chicago-area market researcher has faced an unexpected challenge: security guards who view his exercise routine with suspicion.

“I’ve gotten kicked out of about every hotel in the city,” McGee explained.

While stair climbing has gained recognition in fitness recommendations, regular practitioners report difficulties accessing stairwells due to building management restrictions in office towers.

Medical professionals strongly advocate for this form of exercise. Dr. Luis Rodriguez, a 66-year-old semi-retired pediatric pulmonologist who competes in stair-climbing competitions, emphasized the comprehensive workout benefits.

“You are working your legs. You are working your heart. You are working your lungs,” Rodriguez noted. “You can get a lot more benefit than just walking, because gravity is working against you.”

Scientific studies support these claims, showing that four minutes of stair climbing equals approximately 10 minutes of fast-paced walking or 20 minutes of leisurely walking.

Federal fitness guidelines updated in 2018 began encouraging brief activity bursts, such as consistently choosing stairs over elevators at work. These recommendations highlight how small activities throughout the day can accumulate meaningful health improvements without requiring lengthy workout sessions.

Virginia Tech exercise specialist Stella Volpe observed that many individuals “don’t realize that they don’t have to exercise all in one bout for it to be effective.”

University of Georgia public health researcher Jennifer Gay noted additional benefits, explaining that stair climbing may boost mental wellness and increase energy levels.

Medical experts advise that individuals with mobility concerns should consult physicians before beginning stair climbing routines.

The American Lung Association organizes annual “Fight for Air” fundraising events in office buildings nationwide each spring. While these events are enjoyable, organizers explain the name references the breathlessness participants experience after ascending multiple floors, similar to symptoms of respiratory conditions.

Property owners often restrict stair access due to liability concerns. Legal advisors warn landlords and building operators about potential lawsuits if individuals slip or fall on staircases. Hazardous conditions like inadequate lighting, wet steps, and damaged railings can lead to injury claims.

Many facility managers have implemented emergency-only stair policies based on such legal guidance.

A 2018 study examining hospital emergency visits found over one million annual stair-related injuries nationwide, with fractures occurring more frequently among elderly individuals. Women comprised more than 60% of those injured.

However, Gay’s research indicates minimal injury risk for people climbing upward. Descending stairs presents greater danger, and building managers “can’t make it a one-way street,” she added.

Health advocates have spent over ten years pushing for improved stair access. In 2013, ChangeLab Solutions, a California health policy organization, published guidelines encouraging property owners to unlock stairwells, arguing they present no higher liability than other shared building areas.

Gay and her research team estimate that 60% of American workers are employed in multi-floor buildings containing stairwells. However, no data exists showing what portion of these structures limit stair usage.

Stair climbing enthusiasts frequently share stories about struggling to locate accessible staircases.

Lisa Bai, a New York real estate professional, cannot access her office building’s stairs. While this should provide convenient exercise opportunities, sometimes “it’s not,” she said.

Bai and others seek alternative stepping solutions. Exercise machines like StairMasters can simulate stair climbing workouts, though tower climb participants say these devices don’t match the intensity of actual stairs.

Creative solutions become necessary when home or public stair access is limited.

Detroit suburban residents Carmen Erickson and Vivian Dawson have maintained a stair climbing partnership for roughly ten years, typically meeting three times weekly at a local park.

Travel presents additional challenges. During joint vacations, they deliberately book top-floor rooms in tall hotels to utilize stairwells. They also seek out hills and hospital parking structures.

The pair successfully negotiated after-hours building access by signing liability waivers and checking in with security personnel during each visit.

“If you connect with the right people and tell them what they’re doing and agree to the rules, it hasn’t really been a problem for us,” said Erickson, 53.

Dawson, 64, added: “You have to really want to do it.”

Pharmaceutical companies worldwide are scrambling to find new shipping routes for life-saving medications as Middle East conflicts force the closure of major cargo airports, threatening the supply of temperature-sensitive cancer treatments and other critical drugs.

The escalating tensions, which began with U.S. and Israeli military actions against Iran two weeks ago followed by retaliatory Iranian strikes across the region, have effectively shut down crucial aviation hubs and maritime passages that serve as lifelines for medical supplies reaching Gulf nations.

Although significant medication shortages haven’t materialized yet, industry leaders warn this could rapidly change if hostilities continue. Gulf countries depend heavily on imported pharmaceuticals, many of which have limited shelf lives and require precise temperature control during transport, making lengthy ground transportation impractical.

Drug company officials report they’re actively pursuing backup routes into Gulf regions and transporting medications by truck from alternative airports including those in Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Additional routing options include facilities in Istanbul and Oman.

Critical aviation centers such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha have suspended operations due to Iranian military responses to earlier U.S. and Israeli strikes. These airports serve as vital cargo connections between Europe, Asia and Africa, with carriers like Emirates and Etihad, plus logistics companies including DHL, specializing in transporting medications requiring strict temperature maintenance for safety and effectiveness.

According to Wouter Dewulf, a professor at Antwerp Management School, industry statistics reveal that more than 20 percent of worldwide air freight – the primary transportation method for urgent or life-saving medications and vaccines – faces potential Middle East-related disruptions.

One industry leader warned that establishing alternative “cold-chain corridors” – temperature-regulated pathways for sensitive pharmaceuticals – requires significant time and isn’t always feasible.

A pharmaceutical company representative revealed their organization has formed specialized teams to prioritize shipments crucial for patient care, including cancer therapies, noting that some temperature-controlled cargo might miss scheduled connections without proper storage and handling arrangements.

A medical equipment company official explained their initial response involves tracking shipments currently in transit or awaiting departure, then determining which cargo requires rerouting and whether new shipping plans are necessary.

This executive, who requested anonymity when discussing internal procedures, noted that Europe-to-Asia freight normally passing through Dubai or Doha airports is being redirected through China or Singapore. Ocean transport isn’t viable due to extended travel times and Iran’s closure of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.

“If you have an urgent surgery with a patient waiting for treatment, you have to choose the faster mode of transport,” the executive said.

Prashant Yadav, a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations, explained that inventories of medications with short shelf lives, temperature requirements and higher costs typically last about three months, with cancer drugs – particularly monoclonal antibodies – facing the greatest risk.

Delivery delays for cancer medications can have devastating effects on patients, potentially forcing them to begin treatment programs over again or allowing their condition to deteriorate.

Yadav confirmed the disruption is already impacting some companies, with certain clients indicating they may face supply shortages within four to six weeks without improvement.

More than 100 pharmaceutical and logistics industry representatives participated in a webinar hosted by Pharma.Aero, a life sciences logistics organization, to address the Gulf crisis and its effects on supply chains and transportation.

Some logistics companies report the industry is managing the current situation. Dorothee Becher, who oversees air logistics for healthcare at freight company Kuehne+Nagel, said carriers are operating flights to Jeddah, Riyadh and Oman while utilizing ground transportation to reach final destinations.

“I do not see any risk yet that the inventory would go dramatically down,” she said, noting that healthcare cargo receives priority handling.

However, maintaining shipment flow requires constant effort.

Doaa Fathallah, chief operating officer at biopharma logistics company Marken, confirmed that cold-chain cargo continues moving, but only through continuous rerouting as airspace restrictions change rapidly.

The rerouting results in extended transit periods and increased fuel expenses, raising transportation costs and requiring additional dry ice to maintain medication temperatures.

Industry executives emphasize that risks increase if disruptions continue, as Gulf and Asian supplies diminish.

Transportation complications could also impact products that indirectly affect drug supplies, including shortages of vial stoppers, IV bag materials and packaging components.

“It’s not always a shortage of the medicine itself,” said David Weeks, who monitors the supply chain industry for ratings agency Moody’s. “In some cases, it’s the little stopper on the vial where the dosage is extracted.”

Family members across the nation are increasingly taking on the responsibility of caring for elderly relatives as America experiences unprecedented demographic shifts toward an older population.

The weight of providing care for the country’s growing senior population is primarily resting on the shoulders of family caregivers, creating significant challenges that impact both their daily routines and psychological wellbeing.

This demographic transformation is placing unprecedented demands on those who step forward to provide assistance and support for aging family members, often requiring substantial personal sacrifices and lifestyle adjustments.

A Tampa-based supplement manufacturer has launched a nationwide recall of honey-based products after federal testing discovered they contained unlisted erectile dysfunction medications.

Pure Vitamins and Natural Supplements, LLC announced the voluntary recall on March 14, 2026, affecting three specific products: Boner Bear Honey, Red Bull Extreme, and Blue Bull Extreme.

According to FDA laboratory testing, Boner Bear Honey was found to contain both sildenafil and tadalafil, while Red Bull Extreme and Blue Bull Extreme products contained sildenafil. These are the same active ingredients found in prescription medications like Viagra and Cialis.

The presence of these undeclared pharmaceutical ingredients poses serious health risks, particularly for individuals taking nitrate medications or those with cardiovascular conditions, as dangerous interactions could occur.

Consumers who have purchased any of these products are advised to stop using them immediately and consult with their healthcare provider if they have experienced any adverse reactions.

A medical diagnostics company revealed Tuesday that it has joined forces with technology giant Nvidia to dramatically cut the time patients wait for critical cancer test results after surgery.

Droplet Biosciences announced the partnership will utilize Nvidia’s artificial intelligence technology to analyze genetic information much faster than traditional methods. The company is implementing Nvidia Parabricks, a specialized software system that uses advanced processors to rapidly examine DNA sequences.

The breakthrough allows doctors to identify remaining cancer cells within 24 hours by examining fluid from the lymphatic system collected during surgery. This represents a massive improvement over current blood-based testing methods, which typically require four to six weeks before tumor remnants can be detected.

According to Droplet’s chief scientific officer, Wendy Winckler, the AI acceleration has transformed their most complex computational processes. “By leveraging NVIDIA Parabricks’ acceleration, we’ve been able to compress some of our most computationally intensive steps from more than a day down to just a few hours,” Winckler explained.

The company reported that while the advanced computing technology costs more per hour to operate, the significantly shorter processing time actually reduces the total expense for each patient sample analyzed.

This rapid turnaround means patients can receive their test results before leaving the hospital, eliminating the need for additional appointments or extended waiting periods associated with conventional blood testing procedures.

Zhuosheng Gu, senior director of informatics and research at Droplet Biosciences, highlighted another improvement in their workflow. “We are using Parabricks to speed up our genomic analysis and shorten turnaround time from 10 days to less than five days,” Gu stated.

The startup’s initial clinical application focuses on HPV-negative head and neck cancer testing, which has received validation under Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments standards. Droplet Biosciences participates in NVIDIA Inception, a program designed to support AI startups, and serves as a customer of NVIDIA AI Enterprise services.

Medical experts have long encouraged people to “exercise your brain” to ward off dementia, but new research reveals that diversifying mental activities may be more effective than sticking to just one type of puzzle or game.

Rather than simply becoming proficient at daily crosswords, scientists are discovering that engaging in multiple brain-challenging pursuits creates a cognitive fitness routine that can strengthen different areas of the brain as people age.

A recent research project found connections between reduced Alzheimer’s risk and sustained intellectual engagement throughout life. Activities such as reading, writing, language acquisition, chess, puzzle-solving, and museum visits from youth through senior years showed protective benefits.

“They kind of like stretch your brain and your thinking. You’re using your different cognitive systems,” said neuropsychologist Andrea Zammit of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, who directed the research.

According to Zammit, people who missed out on these brain-enriching pursuits earlier in life can still benefit by starting during middle age. Scientists are currently investigating various approaches to maintaining mental sharpness, including musical training, bird observation, and specialized brain exercises.

“It’s not just one activity. It’s more about finding meaningful activities that you might be passionate about,” Zammit noted, emphasizing the importance of long-term commitment over casual participation.

Maintaining physical wellness also plays a crucial role in brain protection. Medical professionals recommend cardiovascular exercise, blood pressure management, quality sleep, and staying current with vaccinations.

Dr. Ronald Petersen, an Alzheimer’s researcher at the Mayo Clinic, warns that no guaranteed formula exists to prevent dementia or typical age-related cognitive changes. However, he believes lifestyle modifications can help “slow down the arc of deterioration.”

Zammit’s research followed almost 2,000 adults between ages 53 and 100 who were initially free of dementia over an eight-year period. Participants answered questions about their educational background and mentally stimulating activities across different life stages while undergoing comprehensive neurological evaluations.

While some participants eventually developed Alzheimer’s disease, those with the most extensive lifelong learning experienced symptom onset five years later compared to those with minimal cognitive engagement, according to findings published in Neurology journal. Additionally, maintaining mental activity during midlife and beyond correlated with slower cognitive deterioration.

Zammit found the autopsy results from 948 deceased participants particularly compelling: individuals with more cognitively enriched backgrounds maintained superior memory and thinking abilities with slower decline before death, even when their brain tissue showed Alzheimer’s-related changes.

This phenomenon, known as cognitive reserve, suggests that learning builds stronger neural pathways across brain regions, creating resilience that helps the brain compensate for aging or disease-related damage temporarily.

While the Rush research demonstrates correlation rather than causation between mental stimulation and dementia risk, other investigations provide supporting evidence, including studies connecting brain health to musical instrument practice.

Additional research has explored “speed training” using computer programs that challenge users to identify images amid increasing visual distractions. The National Institutes of Health is currently funding a study examining whether extended computerized exercises targeting attention and response time provide lasting benefits.

Jessica Langbaum from the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, who is not connected to the brain training studies, explains that processing speed impacts multitasking and driving abilities. She suggests choosing activities that promote quick thinking, such as participating in book clubs that combine individual reading with group discussion and social interaction.

Many chronic conditions that develop during middle age can elevate the likelihood of later dementia. High blood pressure, for instance, harms blood vessels, reducing cardiac function and brain circulation. Uncontrolled diabetes can trigger harmful brain inflammation.

Therefore, heart-healthy practices including regular physical activity, consuming plenty of fruits and vegetables, maintaining healthy weight, and managing diabetes, hypertension, and cholesterol levels also benefit brain function.

An additional protective measure involves getting vaccinated against shingles, which not only prevents the painful skin condition but emerging research indicates vaccinated individuals show reduced dementia risk.

A groundbreaking initiative to address racial bias in medical testing that prevented Black patients from receiving timely kidney transplants is showing positive results, according to new research.

Scientists announced Monday that more than 21,000 Black transplant candidates have received additional waiting list credits to compensate for time lost due to discriminatory testing practices, advancing their position in line for organ transplants as part of a restorative justice approach.

The problematic test employed a race-based calculation to assess kidney function levels. This flawed methodology caused Black patients’ kidney health to appear better than the actual condition, postponing critical diagnoses of organ failure and transplant referrals.

Following the elimination of race-based testing from the U.S. transplant network, medical facilities were mandated to review their transplant rosters and identify Black patients who should have qualified for kidney transplants earlier by examining historical medical data for previously biased results, then awarding appropriate time credits.

Medical researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Boston Medical Center examined transplant data spanning January 2022 through June 2025, evaluating transplant statistics before and after the January 2023 policy revision.

The research team found that among Black transplant candidates who received waiting time adjustments, the typical credit was 1.7 years, according to findings published in JAMA Internal Medicine. This represents significant time considering kidney transplant waits typically range from three to five years, though some regions experience much longer delays.

Following the policy implementation, Black patients experienced an immediate boost in transplant rates by 5.3 transplants per 1,000 listings before stabilizing. The overall kidney transplant rate grew throughout the research period, while transplant rates for non-Black patients showed no significant changes under the updated policy, with white patients maintaining the highest rates, researchers found.

“The results suggest that improving transplant care for Black individuals did not harm individuals of other races,” wrote Dr. L. Ebony Boulware of Wake Forest University School of Medicine, who was not part of the research team, in a related commentary advocating for similar measures to address damage from other incorrectly race-based medical assessments.

“Hopefully this policy helps move the needle toward equity,” stated Dr. Rohan Khazanchi of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Boston Medical Center, the study’s lead researcher, during an interview.

Receiving wait-time credits did not result in instant transplants — 7,484 patients obtained new kidneys during the research timeframe.

The discriminatory kidney assessment relied on measuring how rapidly creatinine, a waste product, gets eliminated from the bloodstream. In 1999, the calculation formula was altered to modify Black patients’ results compared to other groups, drawing from limited studies involving small numbers of Black participants and an outdated incorrect theory regarding creatinine level differences.

This biased testing worsened existing inequalities that already put Black Americans at higher risk for needing kidney replacement while reducing their chances of receiving one. They face over three times the likelihood of kidney failure compared to white individuals and represent approximately 30% of kidney transplant candidates.

Khazanchi expressed surprise that fewer than one in three Black transplant candidates received waiting time adjustments.

This could stem from some patients not being diagnosed with kidney disease until organ failure occurred, a critical situation medical professionals term “crashing onto dialysis.” However, Khazanchi suggested another explanation might be that certain transplant facilities had better resources than others to search through historical medical files — laboratory results conducted years earlier and potentially at different healthcare systems across the country — to identify all eligible individuals.

Although the mandated review to modify wait times occurred in 2023, Black patients recently added to transplant lists should inquire about potential eligibility, he recommended.

Two major pharmaceutical companies will be partnering with the Trump administration’s prescription drug platform, according to a Friday report from Fox Business.

GSK and Amgen have agreed to include their medications on TrumpRX, the prescription drug platform created by President Donald Trump’s administration. The move represents a significant expansion of the government’s prescription drug initiative.

The announcement comes as the administration continues efforts to address prescription drug costs and accessibility for American consumers.

WASHINGTON — Federal environmental regulators announced Friday their intention to roll back air quality restrictions on ethylene oxide, a cancer-causing substance essential for cleaning medical devices, overturning stricter cancer risk protections established during the previous administration.

The Environmental Protection Agency expressed concerns that existing regulations “actively threaten” companies’ capacity to properly sterilize medical equipment and “jeopardize one of America’s only options for a secure domestic supply chain of essential medical equipment.”

While ethylene oxide serves an essential function in sanitizing life-saving medical instruments such as pacemakers and syringes, prolonged contact with the substance can lead to leukemia and additional cancer types in workers at medical sterilization plants and residents in surrounding areas.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin stated the recommended changes demonstrate the agency’s dedication to safeguarding public health while preserving a reliable domestic medical supply network.

“The Trump EPA is committed to ensuring life-saving medical devices remain available for the critical care of America’s children, elderly and all patients without unnecessary exposure to communities,” he said in a statement.

This announcement represents another action by the EPA under President Donald Trump to ease pollution regulations and reduce industry expenses. During February, the agency loosened mercury restrictions for coal-fired power plants and eliminated a scientific determination that formed the foundation for U.S. greenhouse gas regulation and climate change efforts.

A regulation completed in 2024 aimed to cut ethylene oxide releases by approximately 90% by focusing on nearly 90 commercial sterilization operations nationwide. The previous administration’s policy also mandated companies monitor airborne levels of the antimicrobial substance and verify their pollution control systems operate correctly.

The American Lung Association praised the 2024 regulation as a significant measure to shield public health from cancer risks associated with ethylene oxide releases. Individuals residing close to commercial sterilization operations face higher lifetime cancer risks, according to the organization.

Environmental justice supporters highlighted that numerous ethylene oxide facilities operate in minority neighborhoods where Black and Brown residents have faced exposure to the carcinogenic substance.

Ethylene oxide, or EtO, is a gas that sterilizes approximately half of all medical devices and helps ensure safety for certain spices and food items. The chemical cleans various items from catheters to syringes, pacemakers and plastic surgical garments. Short-term contact poses minimal risk, but long-term inhalation increases breast cancer and lymphoma chances, according to EPA findings.

Federal regulators initially designated ethylene oxide as a human carcinogen in 2016.

In 2022, the EPA outlined dangers for people living near medical sterilization plants. In Laredo, Texas, residents and activists worked to address contamination from a sterilization operation managed by Missouri-based Midwest Sterilization Corp. This facility was among 23 sterilizers nationwide that the EPA determined created risks for nearby communities.

Sterigenics, a leading sterilization company, closed a medical sterilization plant in a Chicago suburb following monitoring that detected emission increases in surrounding neighborhoods. The company later resolved multiple legal cases.

Scott Whitaker, president and CEO of the Advanced Medical Technology Association, emphasized that medical sterilizers deliver essential services and many devices cannot undergo sterilization through alternative methods.

“We appreciate the EPA’s efforts in listening to and understanding the importance of supplying safe, sterile medical technology without interruption while protecting employees and communities near sterilization facilities,” he said in an email.

WASHINGTON – Federal environmental regulators are moving to relax restrictions on a cancer-causing chemical widely used to sterilize medical equipment, citing concerns that stricter rules could disrupt the supply of critical healthcare devices.

The Environmental Protection Agency announced Friday its intention to modify regulations governing ethylene oxide, a toxic gas essential for cleaning roughly half of all medical devices manufactured in the United States annually. The agency argues that tighter restrictions implemented during the Biden presidency in 2024 could interfere with manufacturers’ sterilization processes.

According to the EPA, the revised approach would maintain compliance with existing federal law while reducing regulatory burdens on companies that sterilize products ranging from heart stents to wound care supplies. The changes would also protect medical device supply chains and reduce industry costs.

Healthcare professionals, industry representatives, and Food and Drug Administration officials had raised objections to the more restrictive 2024 regulations. Those rules mandated additional risk assessments and required companies to install new monitoring equipment, ventilation systems, and containment structures.

Under the new proposal, medical device manufacturers would have options when dealing with facilities that emit more than 10 tons of ethylene oxide annually. Companies could choose between implementing new monitoring technology or making alternative modifications to ventilation systems in sterilization areas.

The EPA defended the changes in an official statement, saying: “These changes better reflect the complexity of facilities and give them the flexibility to work to use safe and effective equipment to sterilize medical tools and devices without compromising clean air for all Americans.”

The agency estimates the regulatory adjustments would generate approximately $43 million in annual savings across the industry.

Ethylene oxide, commonly abbreviated as EtO, appears as an invisible gas that effectively sterilizes equipment but releases harmful pollutants into the atmosphere. Medical research has established connections between prolonged exposure to the chemical and various cancers, particularly affecting individuals residing near manufacturing facilities that produce or utilize the substance.

The regulatory proposal will undergo public scrutiny through a hearing scheduled within approximately two weeks. Citizens and stakeholders will have 45 days to submit comments before federal officials finalize their decision.

As this year’s influenza season begins to fade, federal health authorities report disappointing news about vaccine performance, with effectiveness rates among the poorest seen in more than ten years.

Health officials point to a new variant that became the dominant strain during early winter months, which poorly matched the available vaccine formulation, resulting in a severe early wave of flu cases nationwide.

Data released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows continued decreases in medical visits for flu-related symptoms through the previous week. The count of states experiencing high influenza activity fell to 16, with many located in a corridor extending from Colorado through Virginia.

“The winter respiratory virus season is slowly coming to a close, and we’re all very grateful for that,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University vaccine expert.

According to CDC findings released this week, this season’s immunizations provided approximately 25% to 30% protection against flu severe enough to require medical attention at doctors’ offices, clinics, or hospitals for adults. Vaccinated children showed roughly 40% reduced likelihood of needing medical treatment at healthcare facilities.

Health authorities typically consider flu vaccines successful when they achieve 40% to 60% effectiveness. Based on previous CDC studies, this season recorded among the lowest protection rates witnessed over the past twenty years.

Influenza cases spiked dramatically in late December, hitting certain regions particularly hard. New York City health departments characterized it as the most severe season experienced in two decades.

While relatively modest flu vaccination coverage contributed to the problem, specialists primarily attributed the situation to the emerging flu variant responsible for most infections.

This new variant falls under the A H3N2 category of influenza virus. The specific version, known as subclade K, appeared to transmit more readily, though it didn’t necessarily produce more serious symptoms.

This season’s available vaccine targeted a different H3N2 version, and the rapid spread of the new variant likely explains the reduced vaccine effectiveness, according to Schaffner.

CDC researchers calculate at least 27 million cases, 350,000 hospital admissions, and 22,000 deaths from influenza during this season so far. Comparable figures from the previous year showed at least 40 million illnesses, 520,000 hospitalizations, but similar death totals.

At least 101 children have died this season. Among those with known vaccination records, approximately 85% had not received complete flu immunization.

While flu vaccines may not prevent all illness, they can reduce severity and prevent deaths, making vaccination still valuable, Schaffner emphasized.

CDC information indicates adult vaccination rates increased slightly this season to 46.5%, following last year’s particularly harsh season that established a record for pediatric deaths this century.

Roughly 48% of American children received flu vaccination by late last month. This matches last year’s rate but represents a decline from the 52% vaccinated at the same time in 2024, CDC data shows.

Beginning in 2010, federal authorities recommended yearly flu shots for Americans six months and older. However, in January, the Trump administration discontinued universal flu shot recommendations for all children, stating decisions should rest with parents and family physicians.

Meanwhile, preparations for next winter’s flu season have already begun. Last month, the World Health Organization issued recommendations for virus strains to target in vaccines for the 2026-27 northern hemisphere flu season. The organization specified that vaccines should address subclade K. This week, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel supported the WHO guidance.

The University of Oregon has announced plans to provide medication abortion pills directly to students when the fall semester begins. This decision makes the institution the second university in Oregon to offer such services on campus, following Portland State University which already provides these medications to students.

The initiative reflects a growing trend among major universities across multiple states, with some institutions even installing vending machines to distribute the medications. According to current statistics, the majority of abortions performed in the United States now utilize medication rather than surgical procedures.

Federal health officials have broadened the approval for a respiratory syncytial virus vaccine to include younger adults who face higher risks from the infection, the pharmaceutical company GSK announced Friday.

The Food and Drug Administration has now authorized the company’s RSV vaccine, called Arexvy, for adults between ages 18 and 49 who have increased vulnerability to severe lower respiratory tract illness from the virus.

Previously, the vaccine had received approval only for Americans 60 and older, along with at-risk individuals between 50 and 59 years of age.

RSV represents a widespread respiratory infection that triggers seasonal illness similar to influenza and stands as a major contributor to pneumonia and fatalities among babies and elderly individuals.

According to GSK, approximately 21 million American adults under 50 possess at least one condition that elevates their risk for serious RSV complications.

The pharmaceutical company will now face competition in the younger adult market from rival vaccines, including Moderna’s mRESVIA and Pfizer’s Abrysvo products.

European health authorities also moved toward broader approval in December, when a European Medicines Agency committee endorsed Arexvy for all adults over 18, setting the stage for expanded availability across Europe.

WASHINGTON — Federal health regulators on Tuesday granted approval for a generic medication targeting an extremely rare neurological condition, while simultaneously rejecting earlier White House assertions that the treatment could benefit large numbers of autism patients.

The Food and Drug Administration authorized leucovorin for children and adults diagnosed with a genetic disorder that prevents folate — a crucial B vitamin — from reaching the brain. Agency experts estimate this exceptionally uncommon condition affects less than one person per million Americans.

This decision represents a dramatic departure from claims made during a White House press event in September, where President Donald Trump and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary announced the medication was being evaluated to help autism patients, particularly those with vitamin deficiencies affecting brain function.

“It might be 20, 40, 50% of kids with autism,” Makary stated during that September announcement.

The White House presentation came after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pledged to identify autism’s underlying causes by September.

However, top FDA officials informed reporters Monday that their evaluation was refined to concentrate on the most compelling scientific evidence, which only validated the drug’s effectiveness for patients with the specific genetic mutation affecting brain folate levels.

The FDA officials also noted that one research study supporting the medication’s autism applications was withdrawn earlier this year.

Leucovorin functions as a folate derivative, which plays a vital role in healthy pregnancies and is advised for women planning conception and during pregnancy. The existing FDA authorization permits leucovorin’s use in minimizing chemotherapy side effects and treating a rare blood condition.

Individuals with the condition addressed by Tuesday’s approval suffer from movement difficulties, seizures, and other neurological complications that may mirror autism symptoms.

Nevertheless, medical professional organizations maintain significant uncertainty about whether the drug benefits autism patients.

The American Academy of Pediatrics does not endorse regular leucovorin treatment for children with autism, even those diagnosed with cerebral folate deficiency. While some clinical trials involving this patient subset “suggest potential benefit,” the organization notes these findings stem from limited research studies.

Outstanding questions regarding the medication haven’t prevented American physicians from prescribing it.

Research published in The Lancet last week revealed that leucovorin prescriptions for children between ages 5 and 17 increased 71% above typical levels during the three months following Trump’s late September announcement. Additionally, families with autistic children have encountered difficulties obtaining filled prescriptions recently.

FDA officials informed reporters the agency is permitting foreign pharmaceutical companies to import the drug to address supply shortages. GSK, the medication’s original producer, has no plans to resume manufacturing its version.

Trump administration officials initially chose to evaluate the drug after consulting with an Arizona neurologist who prescribes it for autism patients and operates an online educational platform promoting this experimental treatment approach.

The underlying theory suggests certain autism patients possess specific antibodies that prevent folate from entering brain tissue. However, the Autism Science Foundation and other organizations highlight that non-autistic family members of people with the disorder frequently carry identical antibodies, indicating they likely don’t contribute to the condition.

Although autism has no singular cause, most researchers agree scientific evidence points to genetic and environmental influences as contributing factors.

The grocery retailer Lidl US has pulled a popular chocolate candy from its stores nationwide after discovering the product contains hazelnuts that weren’t listed on the packaging.

The company announced a voluntary recall for all packages of Favorina Chocolate Ladybugs – German-Style Nougat sold in 3.52-ounce boxes with the UPC code 20304492. The recall affects every production batch of this particular candy.

According to the recall notice, customers with hazelnut allergies could face severe or potentially fatal reactions if they eat this chocolate product. The missing allergen information on the label creates a serious health hazard for people who rely on ingredient lists to avoid dangerous foods.

Shoppers who purchased this candy should not consume it and can return the product to any Lidl location for a full refund. Anyone with questions about the recall can contact Lidl customer service for more information.

Each year, thousands of Americans lose their lives while waiting for life-saving organ transplants. Now, two economists are proposing a controversial solution they believe could dramatically increase organ availability and save lives.

The researchers argue that providing financial compensation to the families of organ donors could address the severe shortage that continues to plague the nation’s healthcare system. Their economic analysis suggests that monetary incentives would encourage more families to consent to organ donation during their most difficult moments.

The proposal comes as waiting lists for organ transplants continue to grow, with patients often waiting months or years for a compatible donor. The economists believe their approach could transform the current system and provide hope for those facing life-threatening conditions.

This discussion highlights the ongoing challenge of balancing ethical considerations with practical solutions to save lives in the medical field.

Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical announced Thursday that their investigational gene therapy demonstrated promising results in a late-stage clinical trial for patients suffering from a rare inherited liver condition.

The experimental treatment, known as DTX301, showed an 18% improvement in controlling ammonia levels after 36 weeks of treatment in patients diagnosed with ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency, also called OTC deficiency, when compared to those receiving a placebo.

OTC deficiency occurs when patients lack a crucial liver enzyme responsible for eliminating ammonia from the body. Without this enzyme, dangerous levels of ammonia accumulate in the bloodstream, potentially causing mental confusion, seizures, and even coma in severe cases.

According to the pharmaceutical company, patients generally responded well to the gene therapy treatment. The most frequently reported adverse effects involved liver complications, which medical teams successfully managed using steroid medications.

Pharmaceutical manufacturer Eli Lilly has discovered a dangerous chemical contamination in unauthorized copies of its weight-loss medication, prompting the company to issue safety warnings and demand a nationwide product recall.

In a public statement released Thursday from Washington, Lilly revealed that compounded medications combining vitamin B12 with tirzepatide – the active component in both Zepbound weight-loss treatment and Mounjaro diabetes medication – contain a harmful impurity created during manufacturing.

This announcement represents Lilly’s most recent effort to combat drug compounding facilities that the pharmaceutical company claims are producing illegal versions of its medications.

The company has initiated legal action against compounding operations, wellness facilities, and various businesses selling products that allegedly contain tirzepatide.

Compounding companies have defended their operations, claiming legal protection under specific federal regulations that permit customized drug preparation when patients need medical modifications, such as vitamin additions or dosage variations unavailable in brand-name products.

Laboratory analysis conducted by Lilly on products acquired from compounding pharmacies, medical spas, and telehealth providers revealed “significant levels of an impurity that results from a chemical reaction between tirzepatide and B12,” according to the company’s official statement and research documentation provided to Reuters.

The contamination appeared in every sample examined during Lilly’s investigation, affecting all ten products tested.

“Nothing is known about its short- or long-term effects in humans, the potential impact on the drug’s interaction with the GLP-1 and GIP receptors, toxicity, immune reactions, or how it is absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and eliminated,” the company warned in its published letter.

David Hyman, Lilly’s chief medical officer, emphasized the regulatory concerns, stating: “FDA (the U.S. Food and Drug Administration) warns that compounded products can be risky for patients because they are not reviewed for safety, effectiveness, or quality. Adding a reactive substance like vitamin B12 without clinical testing or FDA review introduces additional unknown risks.”

Lilly has informed the Food and Drug Administration about these discoveries and requested immediate recall action for all products containing both substances.

Federal regulators previously sent warning notices to 30 telehealth companies in September for making false or deceptive statements about compounded weight-loss drug alternatives.

The FDA also issued threats against “illegal copycat drugs” following telehealth provider Hims & Hers Health’s February announcement that it would begin distributing a compounded version of Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy medication.

Hims subsequently abandoned its compounded pill plans and revealed this week that it will instead offer authentic Wegovy and Ozempic products through its platform.

A Washington DC community program is preparing senior volunteers to offer their time and attention to individuals seeking someone who will simply listen without charge.

The initiative, known as Friendship Bench DC, draws its inspiration from the original Friendship Bench program that began in Zimbabwe. The local version focuses on teaching mature volunteers the skills needed to provide compassionate listening services to community members who need emotional support through conversation.

The program emphasizes creating meaningful human connections by pairing trained older adults with people who are looking for someone to talk through their concerns or experiences in a supportive environment.

A comprehensive new study released Thursday reveals that approximately one-third of Americans have been forced to reduce spending on essential items like food and utilities in order to afford medical care, as healthcare expenses continue climbing alongside the general cost of living.

The extensive research, conducted by the West Health-Gallup Center between June and August 2025, surveyed nearly 20,000 adults across all 50 states and Washington D.C. The findings show that 33% of participants had to make at least one financial sacrifice in their daily spending to cover healthcare expenses.

The impact proves most severe for Americans without health insurance coverage, where 62% reported making financial compromises for medical care. Among uninsured respondents, 32% had to take out loans while 24% extended the use of current medications longer than recommended.

Even those with insurance coverage aren’t immune to these financial pressures, as nearly 30% of insured Americans have also made spending sacrifices, according to the survey results.

The situation has worsened in 2026 as most Americans with private insurance face increased premiums and higher out-of-pocket expenses, particularly affecting millions enrolled in government-subsidized Affordable Care Act plans where additional COVID-era financial assistance has ended.

Timothy Lash, president of West Health Policy Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to healthcare and aging issues, expressed concern about the broader implications. “We’re actually finding that people are reporting higher incidences of metabolic disease or depression and anxiety. We’re not getting healthier as a society, we’re actually getting sicker, and the healthcare cost is going up on top of it,” Lash stated.

A separate study involving 5,660 American adults, conducted primarily through Gallup’s research panel from October through December of last year, examined how medical expenses are affecting major life decisions. The research found that Americans have postponed significant life events or changes over the past four years specifically because of healthcare costs, including purchasing homes or taking vacations.

The second survey, also released Thursday, found that nearly 9% of participants delayed their retirement plans due to medical expenses, while double that percentage reported putting off career changes for the same reason.

Biotechnology company Regenxbio announced Wednesday that preliminary findings from their clinical trial demonstrate ongoing enhancement of muscle function in patients receiving their investigational gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

The company reported that the early-to-mid stage research revealed their experimental treatment maintained a favorable safety record while continuing to show positive effects on muscle performance in study participants diagnosed with the genetic disorder.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a progressive muscle-wasting disease that primarily affects boys and typically leads to significant disability and shortened lifespan.

American tap water typically meets safety standards and maintains high quality, though taste and delivery can differ between locations and buildings.

This variability has driven significant growth in the water filtration industry, with products ranging from basic pitcher systems to expensive reverse osmosis units costing thousands. However, environmental specialists indicate that most American homes don’t require comprehensive water treatment systems. The key challenge lies in determining whether filtration is actually necessary for your situation.

Through the Safe Drinking Water Act, the EPA establishes health requirements for over 90 contaminants found in public water supplies, covering both chemical substances and microorganisms. Water companies use disinfectants such as chlorine to eliminate dangerous bacteria before distribution to residences. The majority of public water systems comply with these regulations, making tap water safe for most Americans.

Gregory Pierce, who directs the Human Right to Water Solutions Lab at UCLA, explained his perspective: “Unless you’re experiencing health impacts, you’ve got a notice from your water system or there’s a credible media story saying your water is unsafe, you shouldn’t feel the need to get a filter. You’re still welcome to because it might make your water taste a little bit better, but it shouldn’t be considered necessary to have a water filter in 90-plus percent of the United States.”

Understanding how to evaluate local water conditions, determining when water analysis is worthwhile, and selecting appropriate filtration that addresses specific issues without overspending are important considerations.

Begin by reviewing your water company’s yearly Consumer Confidence Report, which outlines discovered contaminants and compliance with federal requirements. These documents are usually found on municipal or utility websites, though you can also reach out to your provider for additional information. Water companies typically maintain responsibility only until water reaches private property lines, so quality can differ between buildings.

These reports may provide sufficient confidence for many consumers. However, some individuals seek additional assurance, particularly in aging structures.

Jess Goddard, who serves as chief science officer at environmental testing company SimpleLab, recommends: “You should probably test your water to identify if you have a risk that you need to treat.”

Private wells operate under different maintenance and safety requirements since they fall outside Safe Drinking Water Act regulations, making homeowners responsible for monitoring. The EPA provides resources specifically for private well owners.

Testing packages can range from several hundred dollars upward, depending on the contaminants being screened.

The testing process typically involves ordering a kit, collecting water samples according to provided instructions, and mailing them to certified laboratories. Labs examine samples for specific contaminants including PFAS chemicals, microplastics, metals, and disinfection byproducts before issuing reports.

When testing identifies serious problems, Pierce suggests contacting your water utility or state environmental agency for assistance. High contaminant levels may require solutions beyond household filtration, such as temporary bottled water use or infrastructure improvements like pipe replacement.

If issues don’t warrant such extreme measures, filtration systems may provide benefits.

Consumers should identify their filtration objectives and understand different filter capabilities. The EPA notes that many household uses like toilet flushing and laundry don’t require treatment, so cooking and drinking water are primary considerations.

Most filters receive certifications from nonprofit organizations NSF and the American National Standards Institute. Standard NSF/ANSI certifications include 42 for taste or odor issues, 53 for health-related effects, and 401 for emerging contaminants. An NSF database enables searches by product name or targeted compounds.

Sydney Evans, a science analyst who directed a water filter testing initiative at the Environmental Working Group, noted: “Not every filter is good for everything. And even if there’s a filter out there that does absolutely everything, maybe you don’t need it.”

Many families choose filters not for safety reasons, but to address taste or smell issues, “which really do impact people’s enjoyment or sense of confidence in their drinking water,” according to Goddard.

For these situations, basic carbon filters, including many standard pitcher models, can prove effective. Activated carbon removes chlorine and compounds created when chlorine interacts with natural organic materials in water.

These compounds are normal in treated water, explained Samantha Bear, a senior research analyst at SimpleLab. Even when levels remain below federal thresholds, she and her team filter their tap water not because it’s dangerous, but to minimize long-term exposure.

Even residents in areas without significant PFAS contamination may worry about these substances. PFAS stands for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. The EPA states that filters can lower PFAS concentrations but encourages people to contact local water providers first when concerns arise.

Lead represents another contaminant that often exceeds filtration system capabilities. Since the EPA maintains that no lead level is safe, people may choose filters even where alternative water sources or pipe replacement aren’t recommended.

Pitcher systems, refrigerator filters, and faucet-mounted units process water at point of use locations where you drink or cook. Under-sink systems and reverse osmosis units also treat water at taps but may need professional installation.

Whole-house systems process water at entry points, filtering water before distribution throughout homes. These systems typically cost more and often require professional installation. They’re generally used for issues affecting all household water like hardness, elevated iron levels, or certain volatile compounds, rather than contaminants originating in plumbing.

Besides filtration systems, some homes use water softeners to reduce mineral presence that can accumulate and harm plumbing, though these systems don’t eliminate most other contaminants. Distillation systems, which boil water and condense steam to remove minerals and some contaminants, are less common in residential settings.

Most households don’t require whole-house or distillation systems unless addressing specific, documented problems, experts indicated.

Proper maintenance and filter replacement also matters, since cartridges can lose effectiveness or permit bacterial growth without following manufacturer replacement schedules.

“Otherwise they may do more harm than good,” warned Pierce, the UCLA researcher.

AMSTERDAM — Megan Worthy fondly remembers her childhood days performing with a choir in Canberra, Australia.

Today, at 58 years old, Worthy faces a devastating battle as an uncommon type of early-onset dementia gradually deteriorates her eyesight and other cognitive abilities. Yet when she joins her daughter Bronte in a special musical program at Amsterdam’s renowned Concertgebouw concert hall, those cherished memories of her youth come flooding back.

“It’s pretty brutal,” Worthy said of her rare neurological condition. “I’m starting to lose everything, you know, and this is really rewarding and seeing all these people, yeah, it did make me have a lot of memories.”

Worthy participates in what organizers call a “singing circle” — a therapeutic program led by opera performer Maartje de Lint at the prestigious venue. The sessions welcome elderly individuals with what de Lint describes as “vulnerable brains,” including those battling various forms of dementia and Parkinson’s disease.

Dementia affects millions worldwide, causing gradual deterioration of memory, thinking abilities, language skills and other mental functions. The condition can alter personality traits, emotional regulation and even how people perceive their surroundings. While Alzheimer’s disease remains the most familiar type, numerous other forms exist with distinct symptoms and causes. Vascular dementia, for instance, develops when small strokes reduce blood circulation to brain tissue.

Participants in the Amsterdam program, who each contribute 20 euros ($23.50) per session, gather with their caregivers in a circular seating arrangement beneath 14 sparkling crystal chandeliers in the venue’s elaborate Mirror Hall.

“We always say, music is like vitamins,” said Selien Kneppers, 78, who once managed a Dutch boogie woogie and blues band and now regularly attends the singing circle.

De Lint moves dynamically throughout the center of the group, frequently kneeling beside participants and extending her hands to create personal connections. She and fellow performers from her organization travel extensively across the Netherlands and Europe conducting similar musical workshops.

According to de Lint, singing serves as a method for maintaining brain function while strengthening bonds between family members and their affected loved ones.

“So we give people perspective,” she says before one of her singing sessions in Amsterdam. “It’s like actually a training for the brain, for the body, to get more resilient and understand the perspective that you still have.”

The 60-minute sessions create profound emotional responses among participants and caregivers alike. Volunteers frequently distribute tissues as tears flow freely. During one touching moment, a man gently caressed the cheek of the woman beside him while the group performed classics including Elvis Presley’s “Love Me Tender,” Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon” and “Amazing Grace.”

Neurobiologist Brankele Frank, who operates independently from de Lint’s initiative, supports the idea that singing provides meaningful benefits for individuals with dementia, Alzheimer’s and other brain degenerative conditions.

Music “speaks to brain areas that haven’t really been degenerated yet,” she told The Associated Press. “So, for example, their verbal skills often are compromised, but music speaks to parts of the brain that don’t necessarily need verbal skills. And so it taps into their emotion, their sense of self, their identity.”

Researchers continue investigating music’s therapeutic potential for people suffering from dementia, brain trauma, Parkinson’s disease and stroke. Musical experiences activate numerous brain regions simultaneously, reinforcing neural pathways that control language, memory, emotions and physical movement.

Bronte Henfling, Megan’s daughter, expressed appreciation for bringing her mother to an uplifting environment that wasn’t focused on medical discussions about her posterior cortical atrophy diagnosis.

“Just hearing everyone come together and sing … it reminds us that we’re all human and there’s a humanity out there which is really pleasing and nice to be a part of,” she said.

WASHINGTON — Federal health officials are raising ethics concerns about the Food and Drug Administration’s chief drug regulator, Dr. Tracy Beth Hoeg, who is attempting to bring on board a personal associate pushing for controversial new pregnancy warnings on antidepressants, according to an Associated Press investigation.

The associate, Dr. Adam Urato, specializes in maternal-fetal medicine and has submitted a formal request asking the FDA to place a prominent boxed warning on SSRI antidepressants. His proposal claims these widely-prescribed depression medications may cause pregnancy losses and brain development issues in unborn children that could result in autism and other conditions.

Sources with knowledge of internal FDA operations tell the AP that this labeling change has become Hoeg’s primary focus. She maintains regular communication with Urato and is actively pursuing his employment at the agency, according to these individuals who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the matter.

FDA personnel consider Hoeg’s personal connection to Urato a significant ethical violation that would typically require her to step away from any decisions involving his proposal. However, she continues to personally expedite the agency’s evaluation of her associate’s request, sources indicate.

Medical professionals outside the agency express skepticism about the proposal, noting it depends on questionable evidence from animal testing and limited human studies. They worry that additional FDA warnings might prompt expectant mothers to abandon necessary treatment, creating dangerous health consequences from unmanaged depression.

“A black box warning is a big red flag with both practitioners and patients,” said Dr. Jennifer Payne, a University of Virginia reproductive psychiatrist. “What’s missing in this petition is an understanding of the risks of maternal mental illness during pregnancy, not just to the woman, but to the pregnancy and ultimately the infant.”

SSRI medications encompass many of the most commonly prescribed depression treatments, including brand names like Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft, along with their generic versions.

Federal data shows more than 15% of American women — approximately 26 million individuals — use depression medication. Current medical guidelines indicate these drugs are typically safe for pregnant women and should only be stopped following thorough discussion with healthcare providers.

During an autumn presentation to senior FDA drug administrators, Hoeg discussed the SSRI proposal as her own work. Staff members who examined her presentation materials discovered they had been prepared by Urato, according to sources who spoke with the AP. This incident was initially disclosed by Stat News.

In a Wednesday email response, Urato described Hoeg as “an excellent scientist” and confirmed their multi-year professional relationship.

“I am friendly with her, as I am with many colleagues, but we do not have a longstanding personal friendship that would in any way prevent her from reviewing the citizen petition,” Urato stated.

A representative from the Department of Health and Human Services, the FDA’s parent agency, indicated the administration would provide a direct response to Urato regarding his proposal.

This past January, Urato received an appointment to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory committee, which Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has restructured to include multiple vaccine-skeptical members.

The antidepressant matter represents another divisive issue undertaken by Hoeg, a sports medicine doctor without prior government or administrative background.

Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, Hoeg gained recognition for opposing mask requirements, vaccination mandates, and similar public health policies. She collaborated on research with medical dissidents who later joined the current administration, including FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and the agency’s vaccine director, Dr. Vinay Prasad. All three have become prominent advocates for Kennedy’s agenda.

Prior to the pandemic, Hoeg had authored only a small number of medical publications, including research on health challenges facing ultramarathon athletes.

The Danish-American physician and distance runner played a key role in the Republican administration’s recent elimination of several childhood vaccine recommendations. This represents a policy shift she has long advocated to align American practices more closely with Denmark’s approach.

Similar to many vaccine critics, including Kennedy, Hoeg has expressed doubts about antidepressants, challenging both their safety profile and therapeutic value. Last July, she organized an FDA expert panel on SSRIs featuring Urato and nine additional medication critics.

“Never before in human history have we chemically altered developing babies like this, especially the developing fetal brain, and this is happening without any real public warning,” Urato stated during that gathering.

During a subsequent podcast appearance, Hoeg repeated many of Urato’s arguments.

“I think women should be informed about the potential risks so that they have time to come off SSRIs if they want to when they’re trying to get pregnant,” Hoeg explained to the Mom Wars podcast hosts.

FDA leadership generally refrains from public commentary on pending reviews to avoid suggesting decisions are based on personal viewpoints rather than scientific evidence.

Nevertheless, Hoeg has taken direct control of the SSRI evaluation, instructing FDA personnel that their proposed nine-month review schedule required shortening, according to informed sources.

Processing a citizen petition requires comprehensive examination of scientific documentation, legal considerations, and multiple procedural steps to ensure the agency’s ultimate determination can withstand court challenges.

“Apart from it serving FDA’s public health mission, there’s always going to be some concern about legal risk if the agency doesn’t take sufficient time to consider all the relevant data and arguments,” explained Patti Zettler, a former FDA legal counsel now teaching at Ohio State University’s law school.

Hoeg assumed leadership of the FDA’s drug division in December, taking charge during extraordinary organizational turmoil involving layoffs, voluntary departures, and management transitions. She represents the sixth individual to oversee the 5,000-employee center within the past year.

Staff members received no direct communication from Hoeg until a town hall meeting last month, where she expressed safety concerns about both SSRIs and injectable RSV medications for children — a drug category the FDA is reassessing at her direction. RSV is a respiratory infection that hospitalizes thousands of American children annually.

Antidepressant safety has faced scrutiny for decades, resulting in multiple label modifications including a black box warning about suicide risk in young people.

Current labeling for pregnant women identifies several confirmed safety concerns, including increased bleeding risks following delivery.

Physicians treating women with depression report they routinely discuss these risks with patients, weighing potential medication dangers against the serious consequences of depression relapse: self-injury, substance abuse, and other behaviors that harm both mothers and developing babies.

Researchers who have examined Urato’s SSRI petition indicate many studies claiming links to conditions like autism fail to account for other significant health variables. For instance, women with depression experience higher rates of smoking, diabetes, and family mental health histories that can all elevate developmental disorder risks.

“So how do we say that these outcomes are a result of the SSRI when all of these other factors are at play?” questioned Dr. Amritha Bhat, a University of Washington perinatal psychiatrist.

Bhat and fellow researchers endorse additional SSRI research and recognize potential medication drawbacks.

“But in the meantime we need to provide options to people that are struggling with these symptoms during pregnancy,” she emphasized. “We cannot just ask them to white knuckle their way through it.”

Federal health investigators known as “disease detectives” will deploy to South Carolina next week to assist with the nation’s most significant measles outbreak in more than three decades, state health officials announced Wednesday.

Three specialized officers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Epidemic Intelligence Service will focus on examining information gathered during the prolonged health crisis, according to Dr. Linda Bell, who serves as South Carolina’s state epidemiologist.

The deployment comes after a dozen public health specialists from the nonprofit CDC Foundation arrived in South Carolina last week to provide additional support. The CDC Foundation operates as an independent organization established by Congress to assist the CDC’s mission.

Dr. Bell explained that while CDC Foundation personnel have been handling “day to day work that supports those disease containment efforts,” the incoming federal officers will concentrate on processing the extensive amount of data accumulated over nearly 22 weeks since the outbreak began.

State health department officials noted last week that the CDC’s typical practice of providing short-term deployments lasting only a few weeks does not adequately address the ongoing operational needs required for sustained outbreak response efforts.

The Food and Drug Administration will see a leadership change next month as its chief operations officer prepares to retire from federal service.

Barclay Butler, who serves as the FDA’s deputy commissioner for operations and chief operating officer, will be stepping away from his position after holding these roles for approximately one year, according to an internal agency communication obtained by Reuters.

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary informed staff members that Melanie Keller, currently serving as Butler’s deputy, will assume his responsibilities beginning April 6. Keller brings three decades of professional experience working within the Department of Health and Human Services to her new role.

During the transition period, Butler will remain with the agency in a consulting capacity, holding the designation of COO Emeritus, before his official departure in the coming months.

A biotechnology company saw its stock value plummet more than 25% in after-hours trading Wednesday following news that federal health officials have temporarily suspended its clinical trial for a rare muscle disorder treatment.

The Food and Drug Administration imposed a partial clinical hold on PepGen’s mid-stage testing of PGN-EDODM1, an experimental therapy designed to treat myotonic dystrophy type 1. This inherited condition gradually weakens muscles and causes them to contract involuntarily, creating difficulties with movement and everyday tasks.

According to PepGen, the FDA’s decision stems from questions about laboratory and animal research data the company had previously provided to regulators.

However, the agency has not identified any safety issues related to patient information collected during earlier human testing phases.

Company officials stated they are collaborating with the FDA to resolve the regulatory concerns and plan to provide additional data, including recently revealed results from prior studies.

Despite the American suspension, PepGen has received authorization to launch the trial in South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.

The study is already underway in the United Kingdom and Canada, where patients are receiving the 10 mg/kg dosage after an independent safety monitoring committee recommended proceeding with higher dose levels.

The clinical hold affected no American participants since patient enrollment had not yet begun in the United States.

PepGen reported having $148.5 million in cash and investments at the end of December 2025, providing sufficient funding for company operations through mid-2027.

Diabetes medications including Ozempic and Mounjaro may offer unexpected benefits in combating addiction, according to groundbreaking research published March 4 involving U.S. military veterans.

Scientists discovered that GLP-1 medications used to treat diabetes demonstrated protective effects against multiple addictive substances, ranging from alcohol and nicotine to cocaine and opioids. This broad impact surprised researchers who typically see treatments targeting specific substances.

“That breadth was quite a surprise,” stated Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly from the VA Saint Louis Health Care System in Missouri, the study’s lead researcher published in The BMJ. “In addiction medicine, there’s not a single drug that works across all these substances.”

Researchers analyzed Veterans Affairs medical records, examining patients with type 2 diabetes who received either GLP-1 medications (including Eli Lilly’s Trulicity and Mounjaro, plus Novo Nordisk’s Victoza and Ozempic) or alternative diabetes drugs called SGLT-2 inhibitors (such as Jardiance and Farxiga). Most participants used standard diabetes doses rather than higher obesity-treatment formulations.

Among 124,001 veterans without prior substance abuse history taking GLP-1 drugs, researchers found 14% reduced likelihood of developing addiction disorders over three years compared to 400,816 similar patients using SGLT-2 medications.

The protective effects varied by substance: alcohol use disorders decreased by 18%, cannabis problems by 14%, cocaine use by 20%, nicotine addiction by 26%, and opioid abuse by 25%.

For 81,617 veterans already struggling with addiction, GLP-1 medications produced even more dramatic results. Emergency room visits related to substance abuse dropped 31% over three years, hospital stays decreased 26%, addiction-related deaths fell 50%, overdoses declined 39%, and suicidal thoughts or attempts reduced by 25%.

Traditional addiction treatment follows substance-specific approaches, Al-Aly explained. Doctors typically prescribe “the antidote for substance A, such as a nicotine patch for tobacco, or naltrexone for alcohol,” he said.

“But here, you have this drug that is working across all addictive substances,” Al-Aly continued. “That’s telling us that there is likely a common biologic pathway that is driving all of these addictions that is indeed druggable or treatable by GLP-1.”

The medications likely target brain receptors located in the mesolimbic system, which controls motivation and reward responses. Al-Aly believes GLP-1 drugs work to “put the lid on cravings” by reducing brain signals that drive people toward excessive consumption of food or drugs.

Important questions remain unanswered, including whether benefits continue after years of treatment or if the brain eventually adapts and reduces the medications’ effectiveness.

“We’re very interested in fleshing this out and trying to understand this concept a little bit more,” Al-Aly noted.

The Veterans Affairs system plans to conduct a comprehensive clinical trial testing semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy) specifically for veterans battling alcohol addiction.

Fares Qeadan from Loyola University in Chicago, writing in an accompanying editorial, advised against waiting for a single “magic bullet” solution.

“These results suggest that when GLP-1 receptor agonists are clinically indicated for cardiometabolic reasons, potential benefits for substance related outcomes may be an added consideration in shared decision making,” Qeadan wrote.

Popular diabetes medications that have transformed obesity treatment could offer new hope in battling substance abuse disorders, according to groundbreaking research involving more than 600,000 patients.

A comprehensive study released Wednesday in a medical journal examined electronic health records from U.S. Veterans Affairs patients diagnosed with diabetes. Researchers discovered that individuals receiving treatments like Ozempic and Mounjaro showed significantly lower rates of developing dependencies on alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, opioids and other substances compared to patients using alternative diabetes medications.

Among patients already struggling with addiction, these GLP-1 medications correlated with reduced hospitalization rates, fewer overdoses and lower death rates, the research revealed.

While the findings suggest these weight-loss drugs could address the fundamental brain mechanisms behind cravings affecting over 48 million Americans with substance abuse problems, the study stops short of proving causation.

“They’re actually working against the root cause of all these different addictions,” explained Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, who led the research and serves as chief researcher at the VA St. Louis Health Care System.

Earlier research had indicated that GLP-1 medications, scientifically known as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, might combat addiction by influencing brain reward systems. However, those investigations were typically smaller in scope and focused on single substances.

This expanded analysis, among the most comprehensive conducted to date, saw Al-Aly and his research team examine electronic medical records spanning three years from more than 600,000 Veterans Affairs diabetes patients. They contrasted outcomes between patients prescribed GLP-1 drugs and those receiving alternative blood sugar-lowering treatments.

Researchers organized participants into seven separate studies examining addiction development risks across various substances including alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, nicotine and opioids. An additional study evaluated specific health risks among individuals with pre-existing addictions using different medication types.

The investigation revealed that patients beginning GLP-1 treatment faced reduced addiction development risks across multiple substances. When compared to alternative medications, GLP-1 users showed decreased addiction risks of 18% for alcohol, 14% for cannabis, 20% for both cocaine and nicotine, and 25% for opioids.

For patients already battling substance abuse disorders, initiating GLP-1 treatment correlated with 31% fewer emergency room visits, 26% fewer hospitalizations, 25% reduced suicidal ideation or attempts, 39% fewer overdoses, and 50% lower mortality rates.

The study calculated that GLP-1 drug usage likely prevented approximately seven substance abuse cases and 12 serious harm incidents per 1,000 users across the three-year period, Al-Aly reported.

The research has notable limitations: it occurred within the VA healthcare system, serving a demographic that’s predominantly older, white and male, though Al-Aly noted consistent results among more than 35,000 female participants. The data also exclusively covers diabetes patients rather than the broader population.

Researchers couldn’t control for certain variables like economic status or personal lifestyle decisions that might influence outcomes. The analysis compared GLP-1 effects against other medications rather than no treatment at all.

As an observational investigation, the study demonstrates correlation between GLP-1 usage and reduced substance abuse risks and consequences, rather than proving the medications directly caused these improvements.

Dr. Lorenzo Leggio, a National Institute on Drug Abuse clinical director not involved in the research, called the discoveries remarkable.

“Even though we don’t fully understand the mechanism, somehow the GLP-1 system is tackling addiction biology and the foundational system that underlies all these disorders,” Leggio stated.

Clinical trials for diabetes and weight management have demonstrated that GLP-1 drugs influence gut and brain hormones controlling appetite and satiety, reducing what researchers call “food noise” or persistent food thoughts. Similarly, this study suggests the medications might diminish “alcohol or drug noise,” according to Leggio.

Dr. Anna Lembke, a Stanford University addiction medicine expert, expressed enthusiasm about mounting evidence that GLP-1s could prevent substance abuse disorders.

“We haven’t really had a new tool in our toolbox from a pharmacotherapy perspective to treat addiction in a long time,” Lembke observed, noting that some addiction specialists already prescribe GLP-1s off-label when conventional treatments prove ineffective.

However, she warned that GLP-1 medications don’t produce uniform results across all users and carry risks requiring careful consideration against potential advantages.

Al-Aly emphasized that these findings alone don’t warrant prescribing GLP-1 drugs for preventing or treating substance abuse disorders. Such evidence would require randomized controlled clinical trials directly comparing drug usage against placebo treatments. Several such studies are currently underway, Leggio confirmed.

The ultimate objective involves discovering innovative approaches to treating addictions, which represent major contributors to illness and death globally.

“The consequence in terms of chronic disease of these addictive drugs is actually gigantic in our society,” Leggio concluded.

WASHINGTON – Federal health officials announced Saturday that a key autism advisory committee has called off its planned March gathering without offering specifics about the postponement.

The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, which provides guidance to the health secretary regarding federal autism research funding and helps coordinate government autism initiatives, had been set to convene on March 19.

Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, confirmed the cancellation but declined to elaborate. “The IACC will not meet later this month,” Nixon stated. “Further information will be shared as available.”

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. restructured the committee in January. Kennedy has a history of promoting anti-vaccine positions and has claimed that vaccines are linked to autism development.

Over one-third of the newly appointed committee members have advocated for the scientifically disproven connection between vaccines and autism spectrum disorders. Several new appointees have expressed intentions to direct federal funding toward exploring autism causes and related medical conditions that often occur alongside autism.

In response to the Kennedy-led changes, twelve autism advocates, researchers, and previous committee participants established the Independent Autism Coordination Committee last week. This alternative group plans to develop its own research strategy as an alternative to the government-appointed panel.

Imagine the workplace culture of the 1960s, where employees regularly consumed multiple cocktails during business lunches. Although such extreme drinking practices have largely disappeared, many professional environments still revolve around alcohol consumption through happy hours, company celebrations, and client entertainment at upscale establishments.

For individuals recovering from alcohol dependency, discussing their sobriety with supervisors and coworkers can feel overwhelming. Many worry about potential judgment or career limitations in industries where social drinking remains deeply embedded in professional networking.

Recovery specialists and professionals who maintain sobriety while advancing their careers emphasize that these concerns are understandable but shouldn’t prevent necessary conversations or actions that support successful recovery.

“If you’re sober and in recovery, nothing’s worth risking putting your sobriety at risk,” said Lisa Smith, a former lawyer who struggled with drug and alcohol addiction as she worked at a prestigious law firm in New York.

Smith emphasizes the importance of establishing workplace boundaries without over-explaining personal decisions.

“We say in recovery a lot that ‘No’ is a complete sentence,” Smith said.

The workplace atmosphere has evolved significantly since Smith began her career. Today’s younger professionals have embraced mocktails and alcohol-free alternatives, helping to normalize abstinence while bringing greater awareness of mental health and addiction issues to their workplaces.

Smith discovered that declining alcoholic drinks generated far less attention from colleagues than she had anticipated. She also noticed more non-drinking coworkers than she had previously recognized, whether due to religious beliefs or personal preferences.

Those who pressured her to drink were typically heavy drinkers themselves who “were looking for a comrade to drink with, to sort of make them feel better about their own drinking,” she said.

During her early recovery period, Smith avoided events she knew would be challenging or departed early, but she made sure to follow up with people she wanted to connect with over coffee the next day.

Smith currently operates her own consulting business, where she shares her journey with organizations and legal practices, helping them develop more supportive environments for employees in recovery.

“We hear from younger lawyers who understand that it is not healthy and don’t like the way they feel on alcohol, just don’t choose to drink for any reason,” she said.

The entertainment sector also promotes widespread drinking culture, according to Ermanno DiFebo, a Los Angeles production designer who battled alcohol addiction for years before achieving sobriety.

DiFebo described how alcohol was promoted with the message that “if you are good, you can handle it. If you cannot handle it, you are weak,” DiFebo said. “The treatment facilities are for people that are weak.”

Initially, he created various explanations for avoiding alcohol, such as claiming medical appointments or early morning commitments. In comfortable settings, he would simply explain, “I partied too much and now I’m not partying anymore.”

DiFebo now suggests viewing alcohol addiction similarly to food allergies – just as someone allergic to gluten would avoid it completely.

“Alcohol makes you sick and manifests itself in compulsion to continue beyond reasoning,” he said.

Creating recovery-supportive workplace cultures also benefits employers, according to Heidi Wallace, vice president of recovery services at the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California.

“Individuals in that recovery process that are working a program, they’re actually the most productive workforce,” Wallace said. “They’ve done so much work to get to this place, and their program actually has been sitting in a space of gratitude and a place of being of service.”

Research indicates that people actively participating in recovery programs maintain better attendance and volunteer more readily for additional responsibilities, Wallace noted.

Companies can support this by providing spaces for virtual recovery meetings during work hours or hosting on-site meetings, Wallace suggested.

DiFebo remembered participating in recovery meetings on movie sets at Warner Brothers and Universal Studios.

“I realized that there were a lot of people in recovery around all the drinkers. I just didn’t see them before,” he said.

Smith works to demonstrate that companies can organize enjoyable team-building activities without centering them around alcohol.

“There was always this assumption people made that when planning events that alcohol equals fun, right?” Smith said.

Hiking excursions and wellness activities have gained popularity alongside expanded non-alcoholic beverage selections. Even wine-tasting events can accommodate non-alcoholic alternatives, Smith noted.

Simple changes like ensuring mocktails are readily available on serving trays rather than requiring separate bar orders can make events more inclusive.

“It shouldn’t be incumbent upon the person who chooses not to drink on any given night to make themselves feel comfortable in that setting,” Smith said.

THIKA, Kenya — Mary Mwangi once believed a cancer diagnosis meant certain death. She never imagined that learning to knit during her recovery would transform the lives of countless breast cancer survivors across Kenya.

Today, Mwangi crafts knitted breast prostheses for women who have undergone mastectomies but cannot access the reconstructive procedures commonly available in wealthier nations.

These budget-friendly alternatives provide hope in a country where breast cancer tops the list of cancers affecting women. Kenya sees approximately 6,000 new breast cancer cases each year, while 40% of its citizens struggle with poverty.

Mwangi’s journey started in 2017 with simple hats and scarves before she encountered another woman creating knitted breast forms.

Operating from her shared tailoring space in Thika, near Nairobi, Mwangi teaches her craft to fellow survivors through a group she calls the New Dawn Cancer Warriors. While some members earn income from their work, others find emotional healing through the creative process.

“Knitting takes you through a process of healing. Once you are not thinking about your disease, you are positive and that positive mind helps you, because healing starts from your mind,” she said.

High school science teacher Nancy Waithera credits meeting Mwangi before her operation with easing her recovery. She purchased a prosthesis and began envisioning her post-surgery life.

Her cancer diagnosis made “everything turned dark,” especially following her husband’s recent death, which deepened her despair.

However, connecting with Mwangi renewed her optimism, and she eagerly awaited her surgical site’s healing so she could wear her knitted prosthesis.

Describing her first day wearing it to church, she shared: “I felt like Nancy had come back. My ego was restored. My dignity was restored.”

Cancer treatment costs create enormous challenges in developing nations like Kenya. Government health officials report that over half of breast cancer patients receive their diagnosis only after reaching advanced disease stages, prompting efforts to improve early screening programs.

At $10 per prosthesis, Mwangi’s creations cost one-sixth the price of Kenya’s silicone alternatives. Her team produces and sells these items to organizations that distribute them to survivors who cannot afford to purchase them directly. Over the past three years, they have completed more than 600 pieces.

The yarn-based prostheses contain pillow-type fiber filling that women describe as comfortable against their skin.

Housewife and mother Hannah Mugo expressed gratitude for upgrading from stuffing her bra with clothing, which created an uneven appearance, to wearing a fiber-filled knitted prosthesis that restored her self-assurance.

“I used to stay indoors because I didn’t want people to label me as the ‘woman with one breast’,” Mugo said. After meeting Mwangi, she learned the knitting technique for personal use and commercial purposes.

Medical professionals emphasize that hobbies and peer support networks are essential for cancer patient recovery. Fellow survivor and knitter Eglah Wambui, who works alongside Mwangi, remembered a woman from her treatment period who took her own life due to depression, according to medical staff.

“Knitting is therapeutic and helps take away my thoughts,” said the mother of two.

Dr. Daniel Ojuka, a surgeon who has observed donated prostheses at Kenyatta National Hospital’s cancer center, believes that post-surgical planning and community support make recovery “significantly easier.”

Ojuka explained that mastectomy represents the most affordable treatment choice for Kenyan breast cancer patients, while breast reconstruction surgery remains financially impossible for most. The national health insurance program does not cover reconstructive procedures.

Despite surgeons preparing patients for post-operative chest changes, the emotional impact remains profound, he noted. He has witnessed patients crying upon awakening from surgery.

Mwangi no longer views cancer as a fatal diagnosis. She remains committed to teaching more women the prosthesis-making technique while maintaining their hope.

“There is life after cancer, and cancer is not a death sentence, because I’m a living testimony,” she said.

Officials in South Africa are taking steps to bring manufacturing of a groundbreaking HIV prevention medication to their own shores, working with global health organizations to identify capable local pharmaceutical companies.

The South African government has partnered with Unitaid and the United States Pharmacopoeia to find domestic manufacturers who can safely and affordably produce lenacapavir, Gilead Sciences’ twice-yearly injection that many experts believe could be a game-changer in ending the decades-long HIV pandemic.

Last year, the American pharmaceutical giant Gilead awarded six manufacturing licenses to generic drug producers in India, Egypt and Pakistan, allowing them to supply the medication to 120 developing nations, including South Africa. However, critics pointed out that no South African companies were selected for these agreements.

A seventh license for a South African manufacturer could dramatically improve access to the drug in a region where it’s desperately needed. The medication has the potential to significantly reduce new HIV infections and help end the pandemic that has persisted for 44 years.

Gilead has expressed willingness to consider additional manufacturing partnerships in Sub-Saharan Africa. “Gilead will review the proposals and assess whether required quality standards can be met before any voluntary license is granted,” the company stated in an email response.

The African continent continues to bear the heaviest burden of HIV infections worldwide. South Africa leads all nations with 8 million people living with HIV – approximately one in every five adults. The country already has pharmaceutical companies like Aspen Pharmacare that manufacture HIV treatments and sterile injectable medications.

Paul Mashatile, who chairs the South African National AIDS Council and serves as deputy president, emphasized that domestic production would benefit the entire African region.

Kenyan President William Ruto, who leads African Union efforts on local health commodity manufacturing, stressed the importance of regional self-reliance. “Africa can no longer rely on medicines produced elsewhere for diseases that affect us most,” Ruto said.

Historically, developing countries have waited years to access HIV medications that were readily available in wealthier nations. While lenacapavir is currently available in some African countries through programs supported by The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the U.S. government, demand is expected to exceed supply until generic manufacturers begin production.

The existing licensing agreements have also faced criticism for excluding middle-income nations like Brazil. A South African manufacturer could potentially help expand access to these countries as well, according to Unitaid officials.

Robert Matiru, Unitaid’s program director, described the potential South African partnership as a chance to broaden access further, though he emphasized that securing a license for a South African company remains the primary objective.

Expectant mothers significantly reduced their use of Tylenol following President Donald Trump’s public warning connecting the pain medication to autism, according to new research published in the medical journal Lancet.

The study examined emergency room prescription data from September when Trump advised pregnant women to stay away from Tylenol, which contains acetaminophen and is manufactured by Kenvue. Administration health officials supported Trump’s statement by referencing studies suggesting prenatal acetaminophen exposure may contribute to neurodevelopmental conditions.

Research led by Harvard professor Dr. Jeremy Faust showed the decline in Tylenol prescribing gradually returned to normal levels after several weeks, likely due to counterarguments from medical organizations challenging the President’s position.

The same investigation revealed a significant surge in leucovorin prescriptions, a folinic acid compound that Trump promoted as an autism treatment for children during his September 22 press conference.

Federal drug authorities indicated they would authorize the medication following an FDA evaluation of patient information.

The research team analyzed Tylenol prescription rates for pregnant patients visiting emergency departments during the three months preceding and following Trump’s September announcement.

Prescription rates declined by 10% overall, while orders specifically for pregnant women between ages 15-44 decreased by 16% during the initial phase of the three-month observation period. The most dramatic weekly reduction of 20% occurred in the study’s third week.

“This means that thousands of women did not have their pain or fever treated in ERs, likely because they were needlessly afraid,” said study author Jeremy Faust, an emergency physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

“We think that’s unfortunate because, among the options for pain control and fever reduction, Tylenol is the safest option,” said Faust.

The analysis found no meaningful statistical changes in prescription patterns among non-pregnant women.

During the three-month period following the Presidential advisory, researchers examined electronic medical records covering approximately 90,000 emergency department visits by pregnant women, roughly 853,000 emergency visits by non-pregnant women, and 8.6 million outpatient appointments involving children.

The investigation discovered that outpatient leucovorin prescriptions for children ages 5-17 increased by 71% during the same timeframe. Initial prescriptions jumped 93% at the study’s beginning, with the largest spike occurring in week two when prescription rates more than doubled.

Although prescriptions decreased from their highest point, they remained significantly elevated by the study’s conclusion.

“In a time in which public trust in health, medicine, and science is under attack, it’s regrettable that so many families will have been misled into thinking that this medication could somehow miraculously change the lives of children with autism,” Faust added.

When contacted about the research findings on Friday, Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, responded by referencing his social media post defending the administration’s Tylenol messaging as part of their “commitment to telling the truth about public health.”

WASHINGTON — Dr. Vinay Prasad, the Food and Drug Administration’s controversial vaccine director, is stepping down from his position for the second time in less than twelve months, following ongoing disputes over his handling of vaccine and specialty drug approvals.

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary informed agency employees about Prasad’s departure in an email sent Friday evening, noting that he will leave his post at the end of April to resume his academic career at the University of California, San Francisco.

This latest exit comes after a series of contentious situations surrounding the FDA’s evaluation process for vaccines, gene treatments, and biotechnology medications, where pharmaceutical companies have expressed frustration with the agency’s policy reversals and demands for additional clinical studies on previously approved treatments.

Last July, Prasad was temporarily removed from his position after clashing with biotechnology industry leaders, patient advocacy organizations, and conservative supporters of President Donald Trump. However, he returned to his role within two weeks with support from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Commissioner Makary.

Since joining the FDA in May of last year, Prasad, who previously worked in academia and criticized the agency’s drug evaluation standards, has pursued what appears to be conflicting regulatory approaches. While he has collaborated with Makary on initiatives designed to streamline and accelerate the FDA’s drug approval process for pharmaceutical companies, he has simultaneously implemented additional safety warnings and research requirements for certain biotechnology products and vaccines, especially COVID-19 immunizations that have drawn criticism from Kennedy, who opposed vaccines before joining the Trump administration.

Health officials in South Carolina confirmed Friday that the state’s historic measles outbreak has reached 991 cases, marking an increase of just one case since Tuesday’s report. The slow growth suggests the nation’s most significant measles outbreak in decades may be losing momentum.

The outbreak, which started in October, has primarily affected the northwestern region of South Carolina, including areas around Greenville and Spartanburg. Current data shows 52 individuals remain under quarantine due to virus exposure, while three others are in isolation.

Vaccination efforts have intensified dramatically in response to the crisis. February saw a 70 percent jump in measles vaccinations statewide compared to the same period last year. Spartanburg County experienced an even more dramatic response, with vaccination rates climbing 139 percent last month compared to February 2025.

Federal assistance continues to pour into the state. Three specialists from the CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service, known as “disease detectives,” are scheduled to arrive next week to help examine outbreak data. This follows the recent deployment of twelve public health professionals funded by the CDC Foundation who are already working to help contain the spread.

Analysis of the infected population reveals concerning vaccination gaps. Of the 991 cases, 925 individuals had not received measles vaccination, while 19 were partially vaccinated. Twenty-six cases occurred in fully vaccinated people, and vaccination status remains unknown for 21 patients.

According to the most recent CDC figures from March 5, the United States has recorded 1,281 confirmed measles cases in 2026, with South Carolina’s outbreak representing a significant portion of the national total.

PARIS – French authorities have concluded that a baby’s death was not connected to recalled Nestle infant formula the child had been given, according to officials in Bordeaux on Friday.

The investigation was launched after concerns arose about cereulide, a harmful toxin capable of causing severe nausea and vomiting. This toxin was found in components supplied by a Chinese vendor to multiple baby formula manufacturers, prompting safety recalls across dozens of nations and sparking widespread parental anxiety.

“Based on the current state of the investigation, the infant’s death does not appear to be linked to the formula used for feeding,” the prosecutor said in a statement.

Laboratory testing conducted on both the powdered formula and prepared milk from Nestle that the baby had consumed in the days before death revealed no presence of cereulide, according to the official statement.

This Sunday, clocks across most of the United States will jump ahead one hour as daylight saving time begins. While losing an hour of sleep might seem like a minor inconvenience, medical experts warn the effects extend far beyond feeling groggy Monday morning.

The shift to earlier sunrises and extended evening daylight disrupts your internal body clock, potentially triggering sleep problems that can persist for weeks. Medical research has documented increases in heart attacks and strokes immediately following the March time adjustment.

However, there are strategies to minimize the transition’s impact, such as seeking morning sunlight exposure to help recalibrate your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle.

At 2 a.m. Sunday, most Americans will lose an hour as daylight saving time officially starts. The change reverses on November 1 when clocks move backward an hour.

Several areas don’t participate in the time shift, including Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, which maintain standard time throughout the year. Many nations worldwide also practice daylight saving time, though their start and end dates vary.

While some individuals attempt to prepare by retiring slightly earlier for several nights beforehand, the adjustment proves particularly challenging for the one-third of American adults who already fall short of the recommended seven hours of nightly rest.

Your brain contains a master timekeeper that responds to light and darkness exposure. This internal rhythm operates on approximately a 24-hour schedule, controlling when you feel sleepy versus alert. These patterns shift with age, explaining why young children who wake early often become teenagers who struggle to get up.

Sunlight exposure in the morning resets this internal clock. As evening approaches, your body increases production of melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleepiness. Extended daylight from the time change interferes with this melatonin release, throwing the entire system off balance.

Insufficient sleep connects to cardiovascular disease, mental decline, weight gain, and many other health issues. Your circadian rhythm influences more than just sleep, affecting heart rate, blood pressure, stress hormone levels, and how your body processes food.

Research examining U.S. traffic deaths shows a temporary spike in fatal accidents during the initial days after the spring time change. Morning crashes showed the highest increase, which scientists linked to sleep loss.

Cardiovascular risks also rise during this period. The American Heart Association references studies indicating more heart attacks occur on the Monday following daylight saving time’s start, with stroke rates climbing for the following two days.

Medical professionals already recognize that heart attacks, particularly severe cases, happen more frequently on Mondays and during morning hours when blood clotting increases.

Scientists haven’t determined exactly why the time change amplifies the Monday pattern, but the sudden disruption to circadian rhythms may worsen risk factors like elevated blood pressure in vulnerable individuals.

Sleep specialists recommend getting outside for morning sunlight during daylight saving time’s first week to help reset your internal clock. Adjusting daily activities like meal times and exercise schedules earlier can also signal your body to begin adapting.

Avoiding afternoon naps and caffeine, along with limiting evening screen time from phones and electronic devices, makes the transition to an earlier bedtime less difficult.

Annual discussions about eliminating time changes continue. President Donald Trump has pledged to end daylight saving time during his second term. Congressional legislation called the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent, has repeatedly failed to advance despite bipartisan support.

Medical organizations favor a different approach. Both the American Medical Association and American Academy of Sleep Medicine support ending time changes but recommend adopting standard time year-round, arguing it better matches natural sunlight patterns and human biological needs for consistent sleep.

DANBURY, Conn. (AP) — Emergency calls at the Danbury Fire Department used to trigger immediate, high-volume alarms and tones that would startle firefighters before they rushed out to potentially high-stress situations.

Captain Kevin Lunnie described the previous system as “overwhelming.” He observed significant spikes in his heart rate when those alerts sounded, which poses serious concerns in a field where cardiac issues represent the primary cause of line-of-duty fatalities.

However, the city has adopted a more gentle method. Their new system, which became operational in September, features alarms that begin quietly and slowly build in volume, accompanied by a computerized voice that calmly delivers essential information about the emergency response needed.

“It’s much easier on your nervous system,” Lunnie stated.

This southwestern Connecticut city of approximately 87,000 residents has implemented the updated alert technology across its five fire stations, becoming part of thousands of departments globally working to decrease stress levels and enhance response efficiency.

During a recent weekday demonstration at Danbury’s primary fire station, an incoming call triggered the alert with one gentle tone. “Truck 1,” announced the automated female voice. “Respond to sick person,” it continued, providing the patient’s location.

Throughout the station, soft red lighting pulsed while screens showed the emergency type and address. A countdown timer started at two minutes, with crews aiming to depart before reaching zero.

The approach proves both more peaceful and clearer compared to the previous method, which started with maximum-volume single tones followed by chaotic longer ones that shifted between high and low frequencies. Emergency dispatchers would announce calls through station speakers, which firefighters described as filled with static and difficult to comprehend.

“Most people found it very jarring,” Lunnie commented about the old system, which would shock firefighters awake at any hour.

The updated equipment connects directly to the computer-aided dispatch system. When dispatchers receive emergency calls and enter initial details, it can notify stations and units more rapidly than department personnel, while simultaneously transmitting call information to firefighters’ mobile devices and smartwatches.

According to Danbury Assistant Fire Chief William Lounsbury, this results in faster response times.

Danbury utilized approximately $500,000 from 2021 American Rescue Plan Act funds to purchase the new Phoenix G2 system, manufactured by US Digital Designs, a Honeywell subsidiary. Honeywell reports that nearly 6,000 firehouses across the United States use this same system.

Various other companies produce comparable alerting technologies installed in numerous stations throughout the country.

Supporters of the gentler method reference a decade-old research study showing that alert systems using immediately loud sounds raised firefighter heart rates by a median of seven beats per minute, versus five beats per minute with systems that gradually increased volume.

While the difference appeared relatively minor, researchers determined it was statistically meaningful.

“When the alarm was used in a ramp-up fashion — so a gradual buildup on the alarm — the heart rate was lower to the alarm, so it put less stress on their body,” explained Dr. Jay MacNeal, associate emergency medical services director for Wisconsin’s Beloit Fire Department and one of the study’s co-authors.

More than 40 Beloit firefighters participated in the research, which appeared in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene in 2016 by investigators from Mercyhealth’s Emergency Medicine Department in Janesville, Wisconsin, and Yale University in Connecticut.

The National Fire Protection Association reports that among 51 on-duty firefighter deaths in the United States during 2024, 20 resulted from sudden cardiac death, making it the top cause of these fatalities.

In the previous year, the NFPA established new standards for fire station alerts requiring alarms and tones that begin at lower volumes, plus calm, computerized voices, recognizing the importance of stress reduction.

The International Association of Fire Fighters, representing more than 360,000 firefighters and paramedics across the United States and Canada, endorses progressive-volume alert systems. However, the organization seeks specific standards governing their design.

Sean DeCrane, the IAFF’s assistant to the general president for health and safety, noted that research on optimal methods for alerting firefighters to emergency calls remains insufficient, and each currently available system differs.

“We would like to see an industry standard that really starts to define the decibel levels, the intervals, the integration of turning on the lights, what that progression should be, and we believe the standard should be based on research,” DeCrane stated.

Chinese health authorities have granted approval for Pfizer’s weight loss injection Xianweiying, allowing the pharmaceutical giant to market the drug for long-term obesity treatment in adults across the country. The U.S. company announced the regulatory clearance through its WeChat social media account on Friday.

The newly approved medication joins a growing roster of GLP-1 receptor agonist treatments available in China’s expanding weight management sector. Competing products from companies including Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, and Innovent Biologics are already being sold in the Chinese market.

Sciwind Biosciences, the Hangzhou-based company that granted Pfizer licensing rights for mainland China in February, celebrated the development on their corporate website, stating: “This marks a breakthrough in field of weight management.”

Market data from investment firm Jefferies reveals strong sales performance for existing weight loss drugs on major Chinese e-commerce platforms. Novo’s Wegovy generated 260 million yuan ($38 million) in sales through Alibaba’s Tmall marketplace and JD.com during 2025, while Innovent’s competing product Xinermei achieved even higher revenue of 416 million yuan ($61 million).

Pfizer secured commercialization rights for Xianweiying, scientifically known as ecnoglutide, through its February licensing agreement with Sciwind. The partnership represents what Sciwind previously described as “an important first step to advance Pfizer’s global strategy in the metabolic field in China.”

Beyond weight management, Chinese regulators have also authorized ecnoglutide as a treatment option for patients with Type II diabetes.

Pfizer representatives have not yet provided details regarding pricing strategies or specific launch timing for the Chinese market.

Pharmaceutical giant Roche announced Thursday that its experimental weight loss medication achieved remarkable results in a recent clinical trial, with participants shedding nearly 11% of their body weight.

The drug, known as petrelintide, was tested on 493 patients over a 42-week period. Results showed participants experienced weight reduction of up to 10.7%, significantly surpassing the minimal 1.7% weight loss observed in those receiving placebo treatments.

The Swiss pharmaceutical company obtained rights to develop petrelintide through a partnership agreement with Zealand Pharma, a Danish biotechnology firm, established in the previous year. This licensing arrangement provides Roche with joint development authority over the amylin-based weight management treatment.

New research reveals that former President Donald Trump’s unfounded statements linking Tylenol to autism significantly changed how doctors prescribed medications nationwide last year.

During a White House briefing, Trump advised expectant mothers to avoid Tylenol, claiming without scientific backing that the common pain reliever causes autism. He simultaneously promoted leucovorin, an older generic medication, as an autism remedy.

Following those remarks, a study published Thursday in The Lancet shows dramatic shifts in prescribing practices occurred over nearly three months. Emergency department orders for Tylenol among pregnant women ages 15-44 fell 10% below expected levels. Meanwhile, leucovorin prescriptions for children between 5-17 years old jumped 71% higher than anticipated from late September through early December.

Medical organizations had immediately condemned the president’s statements, emphasizing that Tylenol remains safe during pregnancy and that leucovorin should not be widely prescribed for autism treatment.

“It just shows that in our country right now, health care has been politicized in a way that political messages are driving and impacting care — and not always for good,” said Dr. Susan Sirota, a pediatrician in Highland Park, Illinois, who wasn’t involved with the research.

The researchers analyzed prescription data changes against projected trends to determine what would have happened without the White House announcement. They found no comparable shifts in similar medications, indicating the changes directly resulted from Trump’s briefing.

Study co-author Dr. Michael Barnett from Brown University School of Public Health noted how unusual it was for a political leader’s unconventional press conference to influence both patient choices and medical prescribing habits.

In previous administrations, “there are lots of layers of approval and expert consensus” before officials make big announcements about medical topics, said Barnett.

The study had some limitations, including that it didn’t track all Tylenol usage since most people purchase the over-the-counter medication outside hospital settings.

Expectant mothers typically use Tylenol for pain relief or fever reduction. The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine warns that untreated fevers during pregnancy, especially in early stages, can increase risks for miscarriage, premature delivery and other complications. While some research has suggested possible links between prenatal Tylenol use and autism, many studies have found no such connection.

Leucovorin, derived from folic acid, is primarily used to counteract toxic effects from certain cancer treatments and address a rare blood condition. The American Academy of Pediatrics has noted studies examining its use for cerebral folate deficiency and certain autistic children.

However, the pediatrics organization does not recommend routine leucovorin treatment for autistic children. While early, limited studies have explored its potential benefits “in carefully selected cases,” the evidence remains insufficient. Additionally, the European Journal of Pediatrics retracted a study on leucovorin as autism treatment in late January.

After the federal announcement, Dr. Sirota said families in her practice inquired about obtaining leucovorin for their autistic children. She provided education about the limited evidence and potential side effects, which can include irritability, nausea, vomiting and skin conditions like dermatitis, and chose not to prescribe it.

Sirota expressed frustration with dealing with consequences from such government statements on autism.

“It feels like a pattern with our government, right? They keep building on these houses of cards that just fall down,” she said. “This politicizing of medicine just in general, and moving away from science, has been so challenging.”

CVS Health announced Thursday its collaboration with Google Cloud, a division of Alphabet, to develop an artificial intelligence-driven healthcare platform that will integrate information from multiple sources to assist customers with real-time health management.

The new system, called Health100, will serve as a comprehensive healthcare engagement platform available to all customers, no matter which pharmacy or insurance company they currently use. CVS plans to debut Health100 in 2026, with additional information expected to be shared at Google’s yearly health conference, The Check Up, later this month.

According to Tony Ambrozie, CVS’s chief digital, technology and information officer, who spoke during a media briefing, the platform will incorporate autonomous AI technology that requires little human oversight to function as a round-the-clock personal healthcare companion for users.

“It will connect benefit managers, pharmacies, providers, and digital health systems into a single consumer-centric platform,” Ambrozie explained.

The system promises to deliver quicker healthcare options while helping users find ways to minimize their personal medical expenses. Users will interact with the mobile application through AI-powered visual and voice features.

Google Cloud will provide the technological foundation for Health100 using its business-grade platform and artificial intelligence tools, including Gemini models, Cloud Healthcare API, and BigQuery systems.

Patient information security will be maintained through Google Cloud’s infrastructure and protected data storage systems, which comply with federal privacy regulations and work alongside CVS Health’s existing security and privacy measures.

This partnership follows Google Cloud’s previous collaboration with Humana, where they created a system to provide personalized responses to members’ healthcare benefit inquiries.

The rapidly evolving Middle East crisis presents a complex challenge for parents trying to help their children understand events they encounter through social media, adult conversations, or direct experience. Mental health professionals warn that even indirect exposure to warfare can significantly impact children’s thoughts, emotions, and behavior patterns.

Child development specialists strongly advocate for open communication about these difficult topics.

“Adults often believe that avoiding discussion of challenging subjects makes them disappear, but children’s reality works differently,” explained Rebecca Smith, who leads global child protection efforts at Save the Children, an international humanitarian organization. “When we sidestep or ignore conflict discussions, children can feel isolated, abandoned, and frightened. Having transparent, honest dialogue with young people becomes crucial for helping them understand current events.”

Mental health professionals offer specific recommendations for approaching these sensitive conversations with children.

Specialists suggest beginning by discovering what children already understand about situations in Ukraine, Gaza, Iran, Israel, Sudan, and other affected regions before addressing emotions like fear, sadness, anger, or worry.

Many children remain unaware that tensions have intensified between the United States and Israel versus Iran and its allied groups. Meanwhile, other young people may possess more knowledge than parents suspect while hiding their emotional responses. Children currently in or visiting Middle Eastern conflict zones have witnessed missile strikes illuminating the night sky and may personally know victims or displaced families.

“Children now watching missiles streak across their skies face a completely new and frightening reality,” Smith noted. “These events shatter a child and family’s fundamental sense of security. Previously stable and safe environments suddenly become unpredictable.”

Helping children navigate their emotions requires trusted adults to prioritize their own mental health first, according to specialists. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network advises that adults sharing their own emotions with children creates opportunities to communicate personal values and beliefs about treating others with respect. The crucial element involves avoiding assumptions about children’s thoughts or feelings.

When children resist conversation or need more time, specialists recommend patience while reassuring them of continued support and availability.

“We must honor a child’s right to decline communication, their choice to remain silent or withhold information. They experience their own emotions and mental states that they may prefer to keep private,” stated child psychologist Nataliia Sosnovenko, speaking in Ukrainian. Sosnovenko collaborates with Voices of Children, a Ukrainian organization providing psychological assistance and recording children’s wartime experiences during the ongoing conflict with Russia.

Children who choose to share their observations, emotions, or questions deserve validation of their feelings and honest, age-appropriate responses about current events, experts emphasize.

The American Psychological Association suggests providing children with fundamental, developmentally suitable information about warfare and conflict while addressing disturbing images, headlines, or conversations they’ve encountered without unnecessary anxiety-provoking details. However, parents understand their children’s needs better than anyone, specialists acknowledge.

Families with relatives in conflict regions may require additional time discussing loved ones’ safety and managing uncertainty’s challenges. Families living within these areas should establish separation contingency plans. Save the Children experts recommend keeping plans straightforward and practicing them calmly.

Young children can grasp the concept of countries fighting, but those living elsewhere may struggle distinguishing between screen images and nearby events. For American children, Iranian conflicts may appear closer than reality when frequently viewing television or social media coverage, requiring extra safety reassurance.

Older children typically comprehend warfare and its aftermath, leading to increased concern and questioning, notes the American Psychological Association. Adults might consider emphasizing controllable factors and empowering children through humanitarian support, staying informed, and combating misinformation.

UNICEF, the United Nations children’s humanitarian agency, acknowledges that having incomplete answers remains acceptable.

In Lebanon, families have taken shelter in a brick school facility since Saturday. Nora Ingdal, Save the Children’s Lebanon Country Director, reports children asking numerous questions about conflict origins and normalcy’s return.

“One daughter clung to her mother, looking up and asking, ‘Mom, why are they fighting? Why are they attacking us?’ The mother looked at me without answers. Then she asked, ‘When are we going home?’ Again, the mom looked at me,” Ingdal recounted. “I told her, ‘It’s acceptable to admit uncertainty, you cannot promise anything, but I’m here supporting you.’”

While international organizations believe children should understand global events, experts maintain adults must protect youngsters and minimize unnecessary exposure.

Parents should monitor children’s news consumption levels. Younger children require less exposure, according to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network.

Some organizations recommend completely eliminating news or restricting adult conversations about distressing events within children’s hearing range. Others suggest using these moments to teach children about journalism’s importance, locating accurate information, and identifying false or misleading content.

Save the Children encourages caregivers to demonstrate responsible digital habits, discourage sharing harmful or graphic material, and remind children to consider twice before distributing potentially inaccurate or emotionally disturbing content.

Caregivers supporting children in conflict zones must remember that some young people have never experienced peacetime and cannot disconnect from surrounding events, Sosnovenko emphasized. Professional assistance may enhance conversations and education in these situations.

“War has changed the types of people seeking our services,” she explained. “As psychological awareness improves among the population, people recognize therapy’s importance. Currently, most people and children need psychological assistance.”

Fresh research from the Pew Research Center reveals alarming statistics about teenage social media habits, showing that roughly 70% of young people between the ages of 13 and 17 are active on TikTok. Even more concerning, approximately 20% of American teenagers report using the platform continuously throughout their day.

Child safety experts are sounding the alarm about these usage patterns, raising serious concerns about TikTok’s content moderation practices. These advocates claim the platform fails to adequately prevent content that inappropriately sexualizes young users and potentially exposes them to predators and trafficking risks.

The growing concerns have prompted multiple state governments to launch formal investigations into TikTok’s practices and the potential dangers the platform may pose to minors.

A federal advisory group responsible for determining which preventive health services insurance companies must provide at no cost has delayed its March gathering, marking the third meeting in a row to be called off.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, consisting of 16 medical experts who typically convene three times annually, has not assembled since March of last year. Their November session was scrapped due to a federal government shutdown, while the July meeting was suddenly called off by the Department of Health and Human Services.

“The first USPSTF meeting of this year has been postponed and will be rescheduled in the coming months,” HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said in an email on Tuesday.

Worries have mounted over the past year that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could eliminate the advisory group entirely as he works to overhaul federal oversight of vaccines, food safety, and medical treatments.

Kennedy demonstrated his willingness to make dramatic changes last June when he dismissed all 17 experts from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a vaccine advisory board, and replaced them with just seven personally selected members, including individuals known for questioning vaccine safety.

For four decades, the USPSTF has determined which medical screenings and treatments—ranging from regular breast cancer checks to HIV prevention medications—must be offered without charge under most insurance policies.

While the task force operates as an independent volunteer organization, it depends on administrative support from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality within HHS.

Task force members serve four-year appointments that are staggered to ensure continuity, with some positions rotating annually. Two new members started their terms in January 2025.

A Supreme Court decision in June 2025 regarding insurance coverage for HIV prevention treatments confirmed that the Health Secretary holds authority over this preventive care advisory group.

Conservative critics have accused the USPSTF of having a liberal bias in its recommendations.

In early July, 104 healthcare organizations—including the American Medical Association and American Academy of Pediatrics—sent a joint letter to Congressional health committees asking lawmakers “to protect the integrity” of the task force.

Deaths among mothers during pregnancy and childbirth declined nationwide in 2024, according to new federal health data released Wednesday, with early indicators pointing to a potential continuation of this downward trend in 2025.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention documented 649 maternal deaths in 2024 throughout pregnancy and the immediate postpartum period. This represents a decrease from the 669 fatalities recorded in 2023 and continues a declining pattern from 2022 and 2021, when maternal mortality reached its highest point in over five decades.

Early data from 2025 indicates this encouraging pattern may be persisting, according to Eugene Declercq, a Boston University researcher who analyzes federal health statistics.

However, Declercq cautioned that preliminary figures can shift when finalized, as delayed death certificates arrive or initial reports get excluded during review processes. The 2024 numbers experienced similar adjustments, initially appearing higher than 2023 figures in provisional reports.

“All you could reasonably say is that the provisional 2025 data look promising,” Declercq said in an email.

Federal health officials track fatalities occurring during pregnancy, delivery, and the 42-day period following birth when deaths stem from pregnancy-related complications. Primary causes include severe hemorrhaging, blood clots, and infections, though Wednesday’s report did not break down specific causes for the 2024 deaths.

Maternal mortality surged during the coronavirus pandemic as COVID-19 posed particular risks to expectant mothers, while overwhelmed healthcare providers may have dismissed pregnant patients’ concerns.

The decline of COVID-19 represents the primary factor behind falling death rates since 2021, Declercq explained. Enhanced medical care initiatives may also be contributing to the improvements.

The CDC analysis found the 2024 maternal mortality rate stood at approximately 18 deaths per 100,000 live births, which did not represent a statistically significant improvement from the previous year.

“The declines are welcome, but they are small and only bring us back to where we were six years ago” before the COVID-19 surge, Declercq said, adding there is a need for more attention to the problem.

Among developed nations, the United States maintains one of the highest maternal death rates. Previous studies have documented significant racial disparities, with Black women experiencing mortality rates far exceeding those of white women.

The latest CDC findings showed Black women’s maternal death rate in 2024 exceeded white and Hispanic rates by more than three times. Additionally, women aged 40 and above faced mortality rates more than triple those of younger mothers.

NEW YORK — New York’s top legal official is directing a major Manhattan medical center to restart transgender healthcare services for young patients after the facility discontinued the program following federal funding concerns.

Attorney General Letitia James sent correspondence to NYU Langone stating the medical center’s choice to close its Transgender Youth Health Program breaks state anti-discrimination regulations by “jeopardizing access to medically necessary healthcare for some of the most vulnerable New Yorkers.”

James’s office warned of “further action” should the medical facility fail to immediately restart hormone treatments, puberty blockers and additional care for transgender minors.

NYU Langone representatives chose not to respond to the correspondence.

The major hospital network revealed last month it would discontinue specific gender-affirming treatments for patients younger than 19 due to the “current regulatory environment” and the recent exit of a medical director.

“We are committed to helping patients in our care manage this change,” the hospital stated previously.

This decision followed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announcing plans to eliminate federal Medicaid and Medicare payments to hospitals offering gender-affirming care to children, as part of broader regulatory measures affecting transgender individuals.

However, these proposals did not formally alter federal statutes and did not affect a “medical institutions’ existing duties and obligations under New York law,” stated the February 25 correspondence signed by health care bureau chief Darsana Srinivasan.

“The sudden discontinuation of medically necessary transgender healthcare can have severe, negative health outcomes,” Srinivasan wrote. “Accordingly, the Attorney General is extremely concerned by your institution’s decision to cease the provision of care to this vulnerable, minority population.”

The correspondence establishes March 11 as the deadline for NYU Langone to show compliance.

Attorney general representatives refused to specify what measures would follow if the hospital maintains its current policy.

Multiple hospitals nationwide have already suspended transgender youth treatments after President Donald Trump issued an executive order threatening to eliminate research and education funding from hospitals permitting the “chemical and surgical mutilation of children.”

This action and its accompanying language faced widespread criticism from transgender advocacy organizations and leading medical associations.

“This sets a very dangerous precedent for all areas of health care, if the government can cherry-pick one area of medicine to use to withhold necessary funding from entire groups of people,” said Dr. Scott Leibowitz, a psychiatrist and board member for the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.

Federal health officials issued warning letters Tuesday to 30 telehealth companies accused of making deceptive claims about compounded weight-loss medications.

The Food and Drug Administration says these companies marketed compounded GLP-1 medications on their websites in ways that could confuse consumers into believing the products were identical to FDA-approved weight-loss treatments like Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Ozempic, as well as Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro.

According to the agency, several companies falsely claimed their compounded medications were equivalent to approved GLP-1 treatments. Some firms also concealed the actual source of their products by using their own brand names, creating the false impression they were the original manufacturers.

“We are paying close attention to misleading claims being made by telehealth and pharma companies across all media platforms — and taking swift action,” stated FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, who described this as part of “a new era of enforcement.”

These warning letters represent the second wave of enforcement actions against telehealth companies since federal regulators began cracking down on deceptive direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical marketing in September, the FDA reported.

An Arizona-based compounding pharmacy that worked with telehealth giant Hims & Hers Health is preparing to bring back its controversial weight-loss medication after removing it from the market due to federal regulatory concerns, according to a Tuesday report from Endpoints News.

Strive Pharmacy officials indicated they intend to restart distribution of their compounded weight-loss pill, but this time through different healthcare providers rather than Hims. Company management told Endpoints News they haven’t established a specific timeframe yet and want to “wait to see how everything settles out before we reintroduce it.”

The controversy began last month when Hims unveiled plans to sell a compounded oral version of the weight-loss drug semaglutide for $49 per dose. This pill was essentially a copycat version of pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill, which had just hit the market weeks earlier.

The bold strategy quickly drew fierce opposition from both Novo Nordisk and federal regulators. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration responded by forwarding the matter to the Department of Justice and warning that it might limit access to the raw ingredients that compounding pharmacies use to create their own versions of brand-name medications.

The pharmaceutical industry felt the impact on Tuesday, with Novo Nordisk’s stock price falling nearly 2% in Denmark trading, while competitor Eli Lilly dropped 1.7% following the news report.

Neither Strive Pharmacy nor Novo Nordisk provided immediate responses when contacted for comment by Reuters.

A major pharmaceutical company based in South Africa is positioning itself to enter the Canadian market with a generic alternative to the widely-used diabetes medication Ozempic, with regulatory approval potentially coming as early as late spring.

Stephen Saad, chief executive of Aspen Pharmacare, announced Tuesday that his company’s unbranded equivalent of Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster diabetes treatment could receive Canadian registration within the next few months.

“We’re getting feedback from the regulators. From what we can see, we could have a registration in late Q2 or Q3 of this calendar year, so some time between May and September,” Saad explained during an interview.

The South African pharmaceutical giant is positioning itself to become among the earliest companies to offer generic alternatives to Ozempic in the Canadian marketplace. This opportunity arose after Novo Nordisk’s exclusive patent protection for semaglutide, the active compound in diabetes treatment, lapsed in January.

The development could potentially provide Canadian patients with more affordable access to this diabetes medication that has gained significant popularity in recent years.

A Japanese pharmaceutical company announced Tuesday it is shutting down all clinical trials for a promising skin condition medication following safety concerns that emerged during recent reviews.

Kyowa Kirin made the decision to halt development of rocatinlimab, an experimental treatment that was undergoing testing for severe eczema, prurigo nodularis, and moderate-to-severe asthma. These conditions typically cause patients to experience dry, irritated, and inflamed skin.

Company officials determined that continuing the trials posed too great a risk to patient safety after conducting a comprehensive safety analysis of their global testing program.

The safety evaluation, completed over recent weeks, revealed troubling patterns of cancerous tumors that appeared connected to viral or immune system complications. Investigators discovered two additional cases of Kaposi’s sarcoma – a rare form of skin cancer – bringing the total to three confirmed or suspected cases among trial participants.

The experimental medication works by blocking OX40, a specific protein involved in inflammatory responses and immune system reactions throughout the body.

“This is deeply disappointing news, as we had hoped to bring a safe and effective treatment to patients,” stated Abdul Mullick, who serves as chief operating officer for Kyowa Kirin.

The pharmaceutical company had previously ended its partnership with Amgen for developing and marketing this treatment earlier in 2024.

Kyowa Kirin is now working to inform medical researchers conducting the trials and government regulatory agencies about the termination. The company plans to release additional information once they complete their comprehensive data analysis.

Moving forward, Kyowa Kirin will maintain control over all aspects of the rocatinlimab program, including any required regulatory submissions and potential future development plans.

Pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly is getting ready to introduce a new oral weight loss medication in the United States, with plans to potentially launch as early as the second quarter of 2024, pending final regulatory approval.

Lucas Montarce, the company’s Chief Financial Officer, announced Monday that Eli Lilly is moving forward with preparations to bring orforglipron to market once the Food and Drug Administration gives its approval.

Speaking at the TD Cowen healthcare conference, Montarce expressed optimism about the timeline, stating: “On track in the US, expect to see potentially that product coming into the market as early as Q2.”

The announcement comes as demand continues to grow for effective obesity treatments across the country.

A critical international review that could strip the United States of its measles elimination designation has been pushed back from April to November, according to a New York Times report citing a Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson.

The Pan American Health Organization had originally scheduled the expert panel meeting for April to evaluate whether continuing measles outbreaks warrant removing America’s elimination status.

Nations earn elimination status when they successfully prevent continuous measles transmission for at least 12 months.

However, U.S. health authorities requested the postponement to allow additional time for analyzing measles surveillance information, according to the report. The Department of Health and Human Services has not yet responded to requests for comment.

The Pan American Health Organization confirmed the delay in a statement, saying: “At this time, PAHO can confirm that the assessment to review the United States’ measles elimination status has been rescheduled to November 2026, during the Commission’s regular annual meeting.”

The postponement comes as health officials continue monitoring measles cases across the country to determine if transmission patterns threaten the nation’s elimination status.

Recent headlines about international conflicts and other troubling events have left many people feeling overwhelmed as they wake up to news alerts, social media feeds, and dinner table discussions dominated by distressing stories.

Mental health professionals emphasize that experiencing stress and anxiety from current events – or feeling like the world has suddenly become chaotic – represents a completely normal human response, though finding healthy ways to manage these feelings remains crucial for psychological well-being.

“Fear, sadness, confusion… these are very normal reactions to very extreme circumstances,” explained Michael S. Ziffra, a Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine professor and psychiatrist, in comments to The Associated Press. “People shouldn’t feel guilty, or they shouldn’t feel like it’s wrong to feel anxiety. It’s a very normal human response. The key is to know how to manage it.”

Ziffra reports that beginning in 2020 – when the COVID-19 pandemic, social upheaval, and natural disasters dominated headlines – he has “absolutely, without question” observed more patients discussing heightened anxiety triggered by current events.

His patients describe various responses: some need to vent their feelings, others discuss compulsive social media browsing, while many express emotions of powerlessness and frustration.

Mental health experts stress that these reactions are completely expected and natural. Sometimes these feelings can even lead to constructive outcomes – motivating people to engage in advocacy work, participate in social or political groups, or reach out to elected officials.

Many individuals respond by seeking additional information about unfolding events. However, like most aspects of life, maintaining balance proves essential.

“The problem is, for a lot of people, they just kind of wallow in it. They ruminate and obsess and just sort of stew in it,” Ziffra noted.

Today’s digital environment places virtually unlimited information just one click away – or even closer, with social media algorithms automatically delivering content and phone notifications interrupting daily routines. People now have constant access to round-the-clock news coverage, while smartphone cameras can instantly capture and spread disaster footage and images within moments.

Dana Rose Garfin, a psychologist and professor at University of California, Los Angeles, has spent years examining “cascading collective traumas” and studying how continuous media coverage of COVID increased public anxiety. She observes that modern news consumption patterns differ dramatically from past habits.

Rather than reading a daily newspaper or watching evening news once per day, people today experience “much more exposure” to current events.

This increased exposure leads to distress as people learn about disasters and breaking news developments.

“In terms of any kind of crisis, people turn to the media for information. And that’s a very logical, rational and helpful reaction,” Garfin explained.

“But, what we’ve seen in our research is there’s this sort of reciprocal effect. An event happens, people learn about it, they turn to the media to learn more about it, and they’re really distressed,” she continued, describing how this creates a difficult cycle to escape. “It sort of activates these processes where then they’re both more distressed and want to know more about this event because they’re distressed.”

While experts acknowledge people’s natural desire to stay informed about current events, they offer guidance for consuming news responsibly without becoming overwhelmed or emotionally drained. Their primary recommendation involves reducing or eliminating social media use and compulsive “doomscrolling.”

“I don’t immerse myself in social media, and that’s a very conscious decision on my part to protect my own mental, and physical, health,” stated Roxane Cohen Silver, a University of California, Irvine psychologist who collaborated on research with Garfin. She expressed particular concern about disturbing images and videos that spread rapidly on social media platforms, potentially causing distress and lasting anxiety through repeated viewing.

“I think that one can stay informed without immersing oneself in graphic images,” she emphasized.

Garfin recommends discovering more “enjoyable” methods for staying informed, such as reading thoughtful news articles, listening to podcasts, or watching news programs. “That’s different than this kind of letting the algorithm suck you in for eternity in a mindless fashion.”

Experts also encourage people to use timers when browsing their phones. Both iPhone and Android systems offer built-in features to help monitor and limit screen time.

Ziffra advises selecting unbiased news sources. “Try to avoid things where it’s very partisan and where there’s going to be a lot of inflammatory content, because that’s going to likely exacerbate your anxiety and make you feel anxious, angry, scared.”

Even when concerning news events occur thousands of miles away and don’t directly affect someone reading about them, they can still trigger significant stress and anxiety. For this reason, medical professionals encourage people to develop alternative coping strategies.

“People have a lot of inherent knowledge of what helps them… and things that they find comfort in, which is different for everybody,” Garfin observed.

Mental health professionals recommend various approaches for redirecting attention, including breathing techniques, walking, pursuing hobbies, socializing with friends, consulting therapists, engaging in creative activities, and practicing self-care.

“Things that are going to get your mind off of all of the obsessing and worrying and really putting your thoughts on something more positive,” Ziffra suggested.

Schools looking to add whole milk back to their cafeteria offerings will need to navigate several logistical hurdles, according to a nutrition education specialist.

Brianna Henton, who serves as director of youth engagement and outreach for the United Dairy Industry of Michigan, explained that educational institutions already have permission to include whole milk in their meal programs. However, she noted that federal guidelines from the USDA are still being developed to provide clearer direction.

“Schools do have the option to put this on their menu today, (but) the USDA still needs to come up with” additional guidance, Henton stated.

The transition faces practical challenges including increased expenses and refrigeration capacity issues that could delay widespread adoption across school districts nationwide.

Federal health officials announced Monday they are giving pharmaceutical companies extra time to enroll in a groundbreaking program designed to bring down prescription drug costs for Americans receiving Medicaid benefits.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has moved the application deadline from March 31 to April 30, 2026, for drug manufacturers interested in participating in the new payment structure.

The initiative aims to reduce medication expenses within the Medicaid system, which serves low-income individuals and families, bringing those costs in line with what other developed countries pay for prescription drugs.

The interim head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emphasized Monday that vaccination remains the strongest defense against measles as the nation grapples with rising case numbers.

Acting Director Jay Bhattacharya stressed the importance of the MMR vaccination in a video message shared on social media platform X. “There is no cure for measles, which is why prevention is so critical,” Bhattacharya stated. “The MMR vaccine remains the most reliable and effective way to prevent it.”

The health official announced that the CDC is deploying additional resources to assist prevention and response initiatives nationwide, while maintaining regular communication with state and local health departments.

“We stand ready to provide CDC technical staff, laboratory support, vaccines and therapeutics upon request,” he explained in the video message.

According to the most recent CDC statistics, health officials documented 1,136 confirmed measles infections across the United States through February 26, 2026.

Bhattacharya assumed the interim CDC leadership role in February while simultaneously serving as director of the National Institutes of Health.

DOVER (TV Delmarva) — As millions of Americans increasingly rely on artificial intelligence for guidance, technology companies are now launching specialized chatbots designed to address medical and health concerns.

This past January, OpenAI unveiled ChatGPT Health, a specialized version of its popular chatbot that can review medical records, fitness app data, and information from wearable devices to respond to health-related inquiries. The service currently has a waiting list for access. Meanwhile, Anthropic, another AI developer, provides comparable capabilities through its Claude chatbot for select users.

Both technology firms emphasize that their artificial intelligence systems, called large language models, are not meant to replace medical professionals and should never be used for diagnosing illnesses. The companies position these tools as aids for interpreting complex medical test results, preparing patients for medical appointments, or identifying significant health patterns within medical records and app data.

Medical professionals and researchers who have tested ChatGPT Health and similar technologies view them as potentially beneficial compared to current alternatives.

While AI systems aren’t flawless and may occasionally provide inaccurate information, they typically deliver more tailored and relevant responses than what patients might discover through internet searches.

“The alternative often is nothing, or the patient winging it,” explained Dr. Robert Wachter, a medical technology specialist at University of California, San Francisco. “And so I think that if you use these tools responsibly, I think you can get useful information.”

A key benefit of these newer chatbots is their ability to provide responses based on individual medical histories, including medication lists, patient age, and physician notes.

Wachter and other experts suggest that even without uploading medical records to AI systems, users should provide comprehensive details to receive better responses.

However, Wachter and colleagues emphasize certain situations require immediate medical care rather than chatbot consultation. Warning signs like difficulty breathing, chest discomfort, or severe headaches may indicate medical emergencies.

Even for non-urgent health concerns, both patients and physicians should maintain “a degree of healthy skepticism” when using AI programs, according to Dr. Lloyd Minor from Stanford University.

“If you’re talking about a major medical decision, or even a smaller decision about your health, you should never be relying just on what you’re getting out of a large language model,” stated Minor, who serves as dean of Stanford’s medical school.

While AI chatbots offer advantages when users share personal medical details, it’s crucial to recognize that information provided to AI companies lacks protection under federal privacy regulations that typically safeguard sensitive medical data.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, imposes penalties including fines and imprisonment for healthcare providers, hospitals, insurance companies, or medical services that inappropriately share medical records. However, this legislation doesn’t cover chatbot developers.

“When someone is uploading their medical chart into a large language model, that is very different than handing it to a new doctor,” Minor noted. “Consumers need to understand that they’re completely different privacy standards.”

OpenAI and Anthropic both claim they maintain health information separately from other data types and apply enhanced privacy safeguards. Neither company uses health data for training their AI models. Users must actively choose to share information and can withdraw access whenever they wish.

Despite growing enthusiasm for AI technology, independent research on these systems remains limited. Initial studies indicate programs like ChatGPT can perform well on advanced medical examinations but frequently struggle during real-world interactions.

A recent Oxford University study involving 1,300 participants discovered that individuals using AI chatbots to investigate hypothetical medical conditions didn’t make superior decisions compared to those using web searches or personal judgment.

When presented with detailed written medical scenarios, AI chatbots accurately identified underlying conditions 95% of the time.

“That was not the problem,” said lead researcher Adam Mahdi from the Oxford Internet Institute. “The place where things fell apart was during the interaction with the real participants.”

Mahdi’s research team identified multiple communication issues. Users frequently failed to provide chatbots with essential information needed to properly identify health problems. Additionally, AI systems often delivered mixed responses containing both accurate and inaccurate information, leaving users unable to differentiate between reliable and unreliable advice.

The 2024 study didn’t evaluate the most recent chatbot versions, including newer options like ChatGPT Health.

Wachter believes improving chatbots’ ability to ask follow-up questions and gather crucial details from users represents an important area for development.

“I think that’s when this will get really good, when the tools become a little bit more doctor-ish in the way they go back and forth” with patients, Wachter explained.

Currently, one method to increase confidence in AI-generated information involves consulting multiple chatbots, similar to seeking second medical opinions.

“I will sometimes put information into ChatGPT and information into Gemini,” Wachter said, referring to Google’s AI platform. “And when they both agree, I feel a little bit more secure that that’s the right answer.”

A pharmaceutical company announced positive results Monday for an investigational oral medication designed to treat a specific form of blood pressure condition.

United Therapeutics reported that their experimental drug successfully achieved all primary and secondary endpoints in advanced-stage clinical testing. The oral treatment is being developed as a potential therapy for patients suffering from a particular type of blood pressure disorder.

The announcement on Monday highlighted the completion of late-phase study objectives for the investigational medication, marking a significant milestone in the drug’s development process.

Federal regulators announced Monday they plan to prohibit Elevance Health from accepting new enrollees in its Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans due to ongoing compliance failures.

According to a company filing, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services informed the health insurance company of the pending sanctions, which are set to begin March 31, 2026, unless the identified problems are resolved to the agency’s satisfaction.

The announcement caused Elevance shares to drop 3% during premarket trading Monday.

Federal officials stated the proposed penalties stem from Elevance’s failure to meet specific Medicare Advantage risk adjustment data submission standards.

According to the February 27 notice, Elevance has not properly submitted data corrections for diagnosis codes lacking adequate medical record support through the government’s mandatory electronic systems since November 13, 2018.

Rather than using the required digital submission process, Elevance has consistently delivered this information using encrypted USB flash drives, a delivery method federal regulators have clearly prohibited.

Officials noted that Elevance maintained this rejected practice as recently as October 10, 2025.

In response, the health insurance company stated it updated its submission procedures in April 2023 and emphasized that the planned suspension will not affect current members already enrolled in the prescription drug coverage plans designed for seniors.

TUCSON, Ariz. — With an oxygen tank strapped to her back due to COPD, Marcia OBara guides a group of bird enthusiasts along flat pathways, each person moving at their own comfortable speed. The atmosphere is relaxed and supportive, free from the competitive spirit often found in traditional birding groups.

OBara leads “Birding for Every BODY,” one of several monthly excursions organized by the Tucson Bird Alliance in partnership with Pima County, Arizona. The program represents a nationwide effort to make bird watching and nature experiences available to individuals with physical and other challenges.

“It’s an opportunity for people to get out and see birds without pressure, no matter how long it takes or how many birds we see,” explained OBara, a former nurse who has coordinated these inclusive outings for three years. She noted that people with disabilities frequently struggle to participate in conventional birding trips, particularly when competitive enthusiasts focus on spotting as many species as possible.

OBara carefully plans each accessible expedition, confirming that pathways are easy to navigate and restroom facilities can accommodate wheelchairs and mobility scooters. She verifies the availability of water fountains, shaded areas, and seating options. During walks, OBara monitors the group’s progress and adjusts the tempo accordingly.

“I used to work in rehab, so I usually know what people need,” OBara said.

Although the excursions welcome participants using wheelchairs and scooters, individuals with such equipment seldom join the walks, possibly due to concerns about keeping pace, OBara observed.

“But we’d encourage them to come,” OBara said.

During one February outing at a Tucson-area park, OBara highlighted a phainopepla, a slim bird with a distinctive crest resting on a mesquite branch, feeding on the bright red mistletoe berries. Nearby, mallards and other waterfowl splashed in ponds and foraged on the ground.

“It’s nice to just be outside and not think of anything else,” commented Rhea Guertin, a retired visitor from Rhode Island who winters in Tucson for four months annually. She relied on a walking stick for balance.

“I’m just slow,” she explained.

Evelyn Spitzer, a former teacher from the Tucson area, also used a walking aid due to a heart condition and recent surgical recovery.

The organized movement to include people with disabilities in birding dates back to at least 2018, when former Texas educator Virginia Rose established the nonprofit organization Birdability. Rose has been wheelchair-bound since sustaining a spinal injury at 14 years old.

“Our vision is that birding be truly for everybody and every BODY, regardless of disability,” stated Cat Fribley, Birdability’s executive director. She explained that participants face various challenges including mobility restrictions, vision impairment, chronic conditions, intellectual or developmental differences, mental health issues, neurodivergence, hearing loss, and other medical concerns.

Fribley, who uses a mobility scooter due to multiple disabilities, can travel five to six miles on accessible trails in her Iowa City, Iowa neighborhood while bird watching.

“In the winter, I bird on my back deck with my coffee,” she said.

Accessible birding takes many forms, including observation from vehicles, canoes on waterways, or simply through home windows, according to advocates.

Birdability has collaborated with the National Audubon Society to create a crowd-sourced database of accessible birding sites across the country and provides guidance to able-bodied birders on creating more welcoming environments.

The organization’s website features numerous resources and adaptive equipment, including camera mounts for car windows and applications that help blind individuals identify and record bird songs.

Occupational therapist Freya McGregor suggests binocular harnesses that distribute weight across the back and chest, reducing strain on shoulders and neck compared to traditional neck straps.

McGregor, who lives with a permanent knee injury, operates Access Birding, which educates nature organizations like state parks and local Audubon groups about trail accessibility.

Birding “really brings you joy,” said Jerry Berrier, a 73-year-old Massachusetts bird enthusiast who has been blind since birth. “There is happiness from being out in nature.”

Berrier discovered his passion as a college student when he learned to recognize numerous bird vocalizations to fulfill a biology course requirement. He later instructed blind and deaf-blind individuals on using computers and mobile devices at the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts.

He records bird sounds for his website, www.birdblind.org, helping blind bird lovers document and share their experiences. Last year, he started the “Any Bird, Any Body” podcast with friend Gary Haritz.

Berrier also helped coordinate the first national bird-counting event for blind participants in the United States. The event attracted several hundred people last year, who documented bird calls they heard during a 24-hour period. This year’s event expands internationally on May 3-4.

“We encourage people to reach out to local organizations to help blind people with the bird-a-thon, he said. “A disability can be very isolating.”

The recent British Academy Film and Television Arts Awards ceremony has sparked difficult conversations among Black individuals living with Tourette syndrome after an attendee’s vocal tic produced a racial slur during a presentation by two Black actors from “Sinners.”

Chloe Winston, a 24-year-old who experiences coprolalia – the same type of verbal tic as BAFTA nominee and Tourette advocate John Davidson who shouted the offensive word – described her conflicted emotions about the situation. “It’s been pretty difficult because I feel like there’s such a clash between both sides,” Winston explained. “A tic is not intentional, but it still causes harm. And I think that does require accountability.”

The outburst occurred precisely when Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were announcing the evening’s opening award, creating a controversy that dominated Sunday’s ceremony coverage. Initial reactions included outrage that the performers and other Black guests were exposed to the slur, followed by frustration from disability advocates over misunderstanding about Tourette syndrome. The BBC faced particularly harsh criticism for broadcasting the uncensored slur during their delayed coverage two hours later, unlike most major award shows that use brief delays to prevent such incidents.

Both BAFTA and BBC issued apologies that many deemed inadequate, with the BBC announcing plans to remove the segment from their iPlayer streaming platform.

The controversy has motivated Black individuals with Tourette syndrome, including politicians and social media influencers, to share their perspectives. They emphasize that compassion for those with the condition doesn’t diminish the hurt experienced by the Black community, while calling for recognition of the damage caused. Some express concern that misconceptions about Tourette syndrome might worsen racial profiling or bias against Black people with the disorder.

Advocacy organizations are now leveraging this moment to expand support networks for Black individuals who feel marginalized by their Tourette syndrome diagnosis.

According to the Tourette Association of America, Tourette syndrome represents a neurodevelopmental condition marked by unexpected, uncontrollable movements and sounds known as tics. These manifestations can be physical or vocal, ranging from barely noticeable to severely debilitating.

Dr. Jeremiah Scharf, a tic disorder expert at Massachusetts General Hospital, explained the neurological basis: “We know that there’s this sort of sensory and motor loop happening. And again, similarly in the vocalizations, they typically start with things like coughing, sniffing, or other just non-specific sounds.”

Symptoms typically emerge during elementary years and reach their peak intensity between ages 10 and 14, Scharf noted. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates approximately 1.4 million Americans live with Tourette syndrome or related persistent tic disorders.

Coprolalia involves “the involuntary utterance of obscene and socially unacceptable words and phrases,” affecting an estimated 10-15% of those with Tourette syndrome, according to the association. The organization warns against judging individuals based on their tic content.

These verbal eruptions – usually profanity and offensive language – stem from biological factors that stress can intensify, including sleep deprivation or emotional distress, Scharf explained. The tics resist control and occur involuntarily, comparable to sneezing.

“Unfortunately, for this subset of people, it is incredibly disabling because they don’t want to say those things. It’s very distressing to them,” Scharf said, speaking generally rather than about the specific BAFTA situation. “They feel significant remorse about it.”

Managing severe tic disorders involves various approaches from medications to behavioral interventions. Teaching the brain to manage tics “takes an enormous amount of practice in terms of recognizing when the tics are coming,” Scharf noted, though no universal treatment exists.

Jhónelle Bean, a Black American Sign Language interpreter with Tourette syndrome, addressed the polarized BAFTA discussion through TikTok, where her video about the situation’s complexity has attracted over 3 million viewers.

“Two things can be true at the same time,” Bean stated. “Just because he ticced that does not mean it was intentional. But then also that still caused hurt or harm for people that heard it, which again is why I’m mad at the BAFTAs and the BBC for keeping it in the broadcast in the first place because they had the power to take it out.”

Bean also highlighted discriminatory “ableism” responses suggesting Davidson “should have been locked away, he should’ve had a muzzle, things like that.” However, she disagreed with social media users telling those offended by the slur to simply “get over it.”

New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who is Black and has Tourette syndrome, described the physical and mental difficulty of suppressing tics. As someone who also experiences coprolalia, Williams acknowledged Davidson’s attempt to leave the situation, though noted “maybe he could have moved a little sooner.”

“For me, it was all about making sure we’re practicing care. And I don’t think that happened for the two actors that were there or the Black folks who were there or people who didn’t want to hear the word,” Williams said.

Reice Griffin, a 20-year-old Tourette Association of America rising leader and ambassador, described constant anxiety for Black individuals with Tourette syndrome or tic disorders. She has encountered people who witness her tics and assume drug use or aggressive behavior, with police interactions creating additional stress.

“Law enforcement is not well equipped to deal with Tourette syndrome, but also historically, as a Black person, you never really want to be around law enforcement,” Griffin observed.

The association, which provides “I Have TS” identification cards, actively works to increase support for people of color.

Griffin recently participated in a virtual support group for Black young adults and speaks at schools and community events to build confidence.

“I thought that because I had Tourette syndrome that, like, public speaking was out the window,” Griffin reflected. “If I could help another young Black girl with Tourette syndrome not feel as alone or help people get diagnosed — that’s the dream.”

Williams agrees that Black individuals with Tourette syndrome lack adequate support and tries to help by sharing his experiences, leading to direct contact from New Yorkers.

“Sometimes in the street or an event people will bring their family member up which is always a pretty emotional space for me because when I see the kid, I know what they’re going through,” Williams said.

Social media platforms are flooded with influencers promoting electrolyte supplements and sharing homemade recipes, but medical professionals warn that many health claims surrounding these popular drinks should be viewed with skepticism.

These electrically charged minerals help control chemical processes throughout the body, according to Julia Zumpano, a registered dietitian with the Cleveland Clinic. When it comes to staying hydrated, they maintain proper fluid distribution between cells.

Our bodies primarily lose electrolytes through perspiration, especially sodium chloride found in regular table salt. Consuming excessive amounts of plain water during heavy sweating can further reduce salt levels, creating an imbalance. These specialized beverages and powders aim to restore hydration while replenishing lost minerals, typically including potassium and magnesium along with various sugar forms.

For most healthy individuals, the kidneys effectively maintain proper electrolyte balance naturally. Any excess amounts are eliminated through urination, explains Hunter Huston, a kidney specialist at Vanderbilt University who also advises a British company developing electrolyte programs for endurance athletes.

“Taking an electrolyte-enriched drink, just for health purposes, probably isn’t doing much,” he said.

Despite the surge in “rapid hydration” and “advanced hydration” products, the question remains: who truly needs them?

The story begins in 1965 at the University of Florida when assistant football coach Dwayne Douglas approached Robert Cade, the university’s first kidney researcher, with a puzzling observation about players not urinating after games.

“That question changed our lives,” Cade said.

The answer was straightforward: players couldn’t urinate because they were losing massive amounts of fluid through sweat. Cade’s team discovered that a single player could shed up to 18 pounds during one game. Beyond water loss, they were also depleting sodium and chloride while losing both plasma and blood volume, which weakened their performance and endurance.

Cade created a salty mixture to restore the water and minerals players were losing. He added sugar to help the digestive system absorb sodium more effectively. His initial attempt made him sick, but adding lemon juice improved the taste slightly. Though still unpalatable, the team’s enhanced performance became undeniable, particularly during second halves when opposing players began struggling in Florida’s oppressive heat and humidity.

Cade, who passed away in 2007, never anticipated that Gatorade would become a consumer staple.

Although electrolyte supplements seem ubiquitous today, not everyone requires them.

Huston suggests that plain water suffices for workouts under two hours. Most healthy people can handle losing approximately 2% of their body weight through sweat before experiencing noticeable effects including increased thirst, exhaustion, and muscle cramps.

Individual differences matter, however. Some people perspire more heavily or have particularly salty sweat.

Extreme athletes participating in ultramarathons often seek professional testing to measure their sweat output and receive customized nutrition strategies.

“Most folks that are exercising, that are, say, doing a marathon, are gonna be way past that two hours, and it does then make sense to be thinking about, ‘What’s going to be my fluid and electrolyte replacement plan?’” Huston said.

Darren Rovell has tracked sports drinks’ evolution from specialized products to mainstream beverages. The author of “First in Thirst: How Gatorade Turned the Science of Sweat Into a Cultural Phenomenon” and former Bodyarmor investor recalls receiving Gatorade as a high school runner with explanations that its poor taste indicated its effectiveness.

The formula became increasingly sweet during the 1990s. Following PepsiCo’s 2001 acquisition, Gatorade appeared everywhere, including pizza restaurants, raising questions about whether it had simply become another soft drink variety.

Rovell believes electrolyte companies promote the notion that their products either transform consumers into athletes or enhance existing athletic performance.

“It all starts in the aspiration of being better, but you know we do have to check ourselves,” he said.

Today’s supplements contain vastly different electrolyte concentrations, notes Patrick Burns, an emergency medicine physician at Stanford Health Care who occasionally competes in ultramarathons. With sodium levels varying by five times between brands, consumers shouldn’t assume all products are equivalent.

Burns also cautioned against excessive potassium supplementation due to potential health risks.

He observed that many brands now offer sugar-free options, despite glucose being essential for rapid sodium absorption.

“They’re not internally consistent, at all, with what they’re trying to sell you,” he said. “For optimal absorption, you need some sugar in with your salt.”

“Electrolytes can help, especially with heavy sweating or exercise, but for most people, they’re not something you need every single day, and you definitely don’t need large amounts of it,” the Cleveland Clinic’s Zumpano said.

For healthy individuals who aren’t sweating intensely, these beverages likely won’t cause harm but won’t provide benefits either.

“You’re getting extra sugar, and there’s no reason (for) rapid absorption of sodium because you’re not sodium depleted,” said Mark Segal, a kidney specialist at the University of Florida College of Medicine. Most people obtain sufficient salt and potassium from their regular diet, he explained.

Regarding homemade electrolyte powders, experts say it’s possible but requires proper knowledge. They recommend avoiding recipes from social media influencers.

“How do you know how much you need?” Zumpano asked. “There’s a large margin of error there. I’d probably just avoid it.”

European drug authorities have given their approval to a revolutionary treatment for sleeping sickness that could dramatically accelerate efforts to wipe out the deadly disease across Africa.

The European Medicines Agency committee approved acoziborole, developed by pharmaceutical company Sanofi, on Friday. This approval represents a vital milestone toward making the medication accessible in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where sleeping sickness cases are most prevalent, and eventually throughout other African nations.

Advocates for the treatment explain that just three tablets taken simultaneously in a single dose offer a much simpler and more accessible option compared to existing treatment protocols, which often force patients to make difficult journeys to medical facilities.

“This disease is on the brink of elimination” and the new drug could accelerate progress toward finishing the job, said Dr. Junior Matangila of the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, an international organization focused on new treatments.

Should sleeping sickness be successfully eliminated, Sanofi representatives point out it would mark the first instance of an infectious disease being eradicated without using a vaccine.

However, Monica Mugnier, who studies sleeping sickness at Johns Hopkins University, believes while the medication represents a significant treatment advancement, it remains unclear how transformative its approval will ultimately prove. Uncertainties still exist regarding where the disease-causing parasite may be hiding, she noted.

“This isn’t solved yet,” she said.

The disease spreads through tsetse fly bites, insects found exclusively in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa. These flies transmit a parasite to humans through their bites.

Initial symptoms may resemble flu-like illness, but conditions deteriorate as parasites multiply and spread throughout the body, eventually reaching the nervous system. The characteristic symptom that gives the disease its name involves disrupted sleep patterns where patients stay awake during nighttime hours but feel drowsy throughout the day. Without treatment, patients may fall into comas and die.

Scientists have struggled to create a vaccine against this microscopic, worm-like parasite due to its remarkable ability to change its protein exterior, making it extremely challenging to develop lasting immune protection, Mugnier explained.

Fighting the parasite has depended on strategies to eliminate the flies and medications to treat infected individuals. Progress has been challenging, as many affected people live in isolated regions far from medical centers.

“It’s a disease of poverty,” said Matangila, who is based in Congo.

Cases of sleeping sickness increased significantly during the 1970s and 1990s when political and economic turmoil plagued sub-Saharan Africa. The situation was worsened by available medications that were both toxic and caused severe pain.

Medical treatments began improving in the early 2000s, contributing significantly to a sharp decrease in reported infections. By 2009, cases fell below 10,000 for the first time in fifty years. In 2024, fewer than 600 cases of the most prevalent form of sleeping sickness were reported, though the actual number of infected but undiagnosed individuals remains unknown.

The World Health Organization has established an objective to halt transmission of this form of sleeping sickness by 2030.

Existing treatments can span ten days and demand challenging travel from remote villages to hospitals. Many patients have required spinal procedures to help physicians determine infection stages and appropriate medications.

This is where acoziborole makes its impact. A small but critical study involving approximately 200 patients in Congo and Guinea showed that over 95% of treated patients were considered cured after 18 months.

Sanofi representatives used this research to seek approval for the medication to treat the most common type of human sleeping sickness. The drug can treat patients 12 years and older for both early and advanced infections, eliminating the need for spinal procedures.

Sanofi has committed to donating doses to the World Health Organization, ensuring patients receive the medication at no cost.

A pharmaceutical company has received federal approval for a groundbreaking treatment targeting children who suffer from a rare genetic condition that results in dwarfism.

On Friday, the Food and Drug Administration granted authorization to Ascendis Pharma for their innovative once-weekly therapy, according to company officials. The treatment is specifically designed to help children diagnosed with the uncommon genetic disorder.

The newly approved medication represents a significant development in treating this rare condition that affects children’s growth and development.

HARRISBURG, Pa. — During an October club soccer practice, Sofia Tepichin was defending against an approaching opponent when she redirected the ball and jumped over the player’s extended leg. Landing awkwardly, she heard a distinct “pop” sound.

She collapsed immediately as sharp pain pierced her left knee, knowing instinctively the severity of her situation. The moment was, as she described it, “heartbreaking.”

“And I knew personally that I tore my ACL,” Tepichin said.

Tepichin became another statistic in the alarming trend of female high school athletes suffering anterior cruciate ligament tears, a serious knee injury that experts say the athletic community must address more aggressively.

While decades of prevention research exists, parents, scientists and athletic trainers argue that teams, coaching staff and sports organizations fall short in protecting young female athletes and informing families about risks.

High-profile ACL injuries among athletes like Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn frequently make headlines, and many people dismiss these injuries as unfortunate accidents or inevitable consequences of competitive athletics.

However, teenage female athletes experience these injuries at dramatically higher rates than male peers — some research indicates up to eight times more frequently — and more often than adult athletes, typically during non-contact situations in sports requiring rapid directional changes, according to researchers.

Experts in biomechanics, athletic training and physical therapy point to pre-practice warmup routines and muscle-building programs — including FIFA 11+ or PEP protocols — that can significantly lower the risk of an injury causing severe physical and psychological damage to young competitors.

Unfortunately, most coaching staff lack proper education or professional guidance, and high school female athletes compete with substantially fewer resources compared to professional and college programs. Consequently, injury-prevention protocols are seldom integrated into regular coaching practices and training sessions.

“The real crime in this is that the data has been out there for 25 years,” said Holly Silvers-Granelli, a physical therapist and biomechanics researcher who advises athletes, professional teams and major sports leagues on injury prevention. “People are clamoring for answers, and the answers are largely there.”

While ACL injury trends remain somewhat unclear, the National ACL Injury Coalition — established by the Aspen Institute and New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery — reported that analysis of high school athletic trainer data revealed nearly 26% growth in average annual ACL injury rates among high school athletes between 2007 and 2022.

Female athletes experienced rate increases exceeding 32%, while male rates rose 14.5%, according to the coalition’s findings.

Following injury, high school athletes and families frequently navigate recovery independently. ACL injuries often necessitate surgical intervention and year-long rehabilitation involving physical therapy and strength conditioning, costs that insurance may not completely cover.

The healing process disrupts athletes’ daily routines and self-identity: they lose team fellowship and watch from sidelines, creating emotional challenges that can match the physical trauma, parents report.

Numerous high school athletes who sustain ACL tears never regain their previous performance level, with some never returning to their sport, according to the National ACL Injury Coalition. Additionally, once injured, they face increased risk of subsequent ACL injuries and long-term issues including degenerative joint disease, researchers note.

The coalition advocates treating ACL injuries with the same seriousness as brain injuries, following professional and youth sports’ efforts to enhance training, regulations and equipment standards for concussion prevention and identification.

Sophia Gerardi, a Pennsylvania Apollo Ridge High School sophomore who suffered an ACL tear during a December basketball game, learned from doctors that she must permanently wear a knee brace during sports participation. Following January surgery, she’ll miss volleyball season and hopes to return for next winter’s basketball.

Similar to many girls with ACL tears, she doesn’t remember receiving any ACL injury-prevention education.

Coach surveys reveal many lack knowledge about risk-reduction programs, proper training to implement them, or encouragement to learn these methods, according to Vince Minjares, who directs the Aspen Institute’s ACL injury prevention initiative. Some coaches inform Minjares that such programs consume excessive time.

He remains optimistic about changing attitudes.

This spring, the American Youth Soccer Organization — a major national youth soccer entity — will launch new age-appropriate neuromuscular training programs designed to prevent ACL injuries through specialized warm-ups.

Coaching staff will receive exercise routines in manageable segments with video demonstrations. The objective involves establishing beneficial habits before preteens enter more physical and competitive levels.

“My biggest shock was that this didn’t already exist,” said Scott Snyder, AYSO’s senior director of programs and education. “Everyone I talk to says, ‘Yeah, that makes perfect sense,’ but nobody’s done it yet.”

Last year, biomechanical researchers at Scottish Rite for Children hospital in metropolitan Dallas started offering high school teams resources typically available only at professional and collegiate levels.

They developed pre-season injury-prevention training specifically designed for female athletes to enhance strength and movement quality. Each athlete receives a complimentary motion-capture 3D assessment at the eight-week program’s beginning to identify strength, movement or balance deficiencies. A concluding assessment determines whether the program decreased injury risk.

Future programs might incorporate nutrition and sleep components, said Sophia Ulman, who leads the hospital’s Movement Science Laboratory.

“My team and I got tired of studying ‘why, why, why’ when there’s so many different possibilities to answer that question. And we wanted to move into the ‘what is the solution,’” said Ulman. She noted that other U.S. biomechanics laboratories are attempting similar community outreach.

Plano East High School in Texas participated in the program, where players — including Tepichin — had experienced multiple ACL tears in recent years.

Cristy Cooley, Plano East’s coach, emphasized that receiving direct instruction from trained professionals in proper exercises and movement techniques creates significant impact.

“It’s one thing talking about it,” Cooley said. “But it’s a totally different thing to show us.”

Like other parents, Tiffany Jacob discovered crucial information about ACL injury prevention that she wishes she had known before her daughter — East Plano sophomore Aliya Jacob — tore her ACL last February. For example, the surgeon informed them that three weekly strength training sessions are essential for soccer players.

“Something’s got to change,” Tiffany Jacob said. “Coaches, clubs, something. They have to do something to prevent this because it’s just such a horrible injury.”

Aliya — who knows at least seven other female soccer players with ACL tears, her mother noted — has returned to playing for East Plano. She endured twice-weekly physical therapy, rehabilitation isolation and, her mother said, “figuring out who you are when you’re not playing soccer.”

Tepichin, now a high school senior, remembers her surgeon advising her to spend a few days processing her sadness and frustration — then commit fully to recovery.

She’ll miss her final year of high school and club soccer. Her next field time may be at Saint Vincent College in Pennsylvania, where she’s committed to the NCAA Division III program.

Tepichin has consulted a sports psychologist, received support from others who underwent the surgery — her sister, father and friend — and established new routines after previously maintaining constant activity with two soccer teams and employment.

“There’s not a day that I go that I’m not working out or doing something,” she said, “or getting better for my health and my recovery.”

Health officials in Spain’s Catalonia region have notified the World Health Organization about what they suspect is human-to-human transmission of swine flu, according to a regional health authority representative who spoke with Reuters on Friday.

The suspected transmission involves the A(H1N1)v strain of the swine flu virus, the spokesperson confirmed from Barcelona.

In his Indianapolis living room, JaKobi Burton gently holds his newborn daughter, his affection clear in every tender touch.

However, this new father’s dedication began well before his baby’s arrival. Burton participated in every doctor’s visit and completed training through Dads to Doulas, an initiative from Dear Fathers that prepares Black expectant fathers to offer comprehensive support – physically, emotionally and spiritually – throughout pregnancy and beyond.

Both Burton and his wife, Crystal Wilmot-Burton, recognized their pregnancy carried significant dangers, not only due to their age – both in their 40s – but also their race. Government statistics reveal Black women face nearly 3.5 times higher risk of death during childbirth compared to white women.

Medical experts and community leaders believe that equipping Black expectant fathers with enhanced involvement skills – through federally supported initiatives and community organization resources – could help reduce these alarming statistics. Program coordinators report a notable change in how some Black men now openly share their pregnancy anxieties and concerns.

“I want you to know that I was involved and that I was looking out for you from the very beginning and I’m always going to be your biggest protector,” Burton tells his one-month-old daughter. “That’s what I did from the beginning of this experience, trying to learn as much as I could.”

Unequal healthcare access, medical disparities and discriminatory treatment contribute to varying death rates among women of different ethnicities, reports the National Center for Health Statistics. Recent viral phone recordings – including one from Indiana – document medical personnel dismissing Black women’s concerns during labor.

Black women’s maternal death rates far exceed those of other ethnic groups. In 2023, they experienced 50.3 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to CDC data. White women had 14.5 deaths, while Hispanic and Asian women faced 12.4 and 10.7 deaths respectively.

The National Healthy Start Association, established in 1998 to improve infant and maternal survival rates, employs “fatherhood practitioners” across its 116 locations. These specialists, working alongside case managers, provide men with resources including online seminars, text messaging support and culinary instruction.

Kenneth Scarborough, NHSA’s fatherhood and men’s health consultant for a decade, observes growing inclusion of male partners in efforts to protect pregnant women’s health.

“There’s more research that is being done to be able to change those narratives, without a shadow of a doubt,” Scarborough said. “The challenge with that is still getting these institutions to understand the value of making sure that Dad is there and he is at the table.”

Medical professionals continue to marginalize Black fathers, “on the fringes of the conversation” while society frequently portrays them as “scary and rough,” explained Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, founder and director of the Center of Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice at Tufts University.

She reports numerous stories of fathers being overlooked during medical consultations, despite father participation being “directly correlated with better outcomes.”

Black patients often receive advice to find physicians who share their background, which Wilmot-Burton pursued.

“I thought maybe she would be more caring, be more willing to listen to my issues, which she was,” she said.

However, Black physicians represent a small fraction of OB-GYNs nationally. Among approximately 43,700 practicing OB-GYNs, only 7.5% are Black women, based on 2023 American Medical Association and Association of American Medical Colleges statistics. Black men comprise an even smaller portion at 2.3%.

Deborah Frazier, National Healthy Start’s CEO, emphasizes that medical institutions must abandon negative attitudes toward father participation. Black and Hispanic fathers continue facing assumptions of abandonment.

“We have data and interviews with fathers, and those fathers have told us that they wanted to be there with their partners, and they wanted be present for their births,” Frazier said.

Charles Johnson IV established 4Kira4Moms in 2017 following his wife Kira’s death from bleeding during cesarean surgery at Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai hospital. Johnson filed suit against the facility in 2022, claiming she died due to institutional racism.

Fathers must learn to balance firmness with diplomacy while maintaining a “force in the room,” according to the organization’s executive director Gabrielle Albert.

“What if you happen to be 6-foot-5 and 200-something pounds? If you speak up, what’s gonna happen?” Albert said. “Let’s role play conversations. How do you push back against the doctor?”

Last August – two months before Wilmot-Burton’s delivery – Burton joined eleven other expectant fathers practicing with infant dolls at a Dads to Doulas session. Instructor Kyra Betts Patton informed them that research indicates engaged fathers-to-be can reduce premature birth risks.

“The largest timeframe for maternal mortality, you’re looking at 43 to 100 days after you’ve had a baby. No one’s there but the partner,” Patton said.

Burton credits the training with giving him confidence to speak up during the pregnancy, bringing question lists from class to each medical visit.

“I pushed hard prior to the delivery to make sure that our birth plan was followed, even though it wasn’t completely. But she (Phoenix) still turned out great and was delivered successfully,” said Burton. He also completed courses with the Indiana Breastfeeding Coalition.

Wilmot-Burton praises her husband for attending these programs while managing work and graduate studies. His support proved essential, particularly during times of illness or anxiety.

“I would encourage other Black women to make sure their partners are on board to attend some classes or read books,” she said, “and definitely go to as many appointments as they can.”

Major American food manufacturers and grocery chains are announcing sweeping changes to remove synthetic coloring agents and artificial sweeteners from their products, driven by the “Make America Healthy Again” movement and shifting consumer demands.

Target joined the growing list of companies making these commitments on Friday, announcing it will exclusively stock breakfast cereals manufactured without certified synthetic colors starting by the end of May 2026.

The nationwide trend follows statements from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and federal health officials who announced last April their goal to eliminate certain ingredients, including artificial food coloring, due to potential connections to health issues such as ADHD, obesity and diabetes – though many researchers say more studies are needed in this area.

Kennedy has also spoken out against high sugar intake in typical American diets.

Mars will launch products free of artificial colors across their gum, fruit candy and chocolate lines in 2026, affecting popular brands like Extra, Skittles, Starburst and M&M’s.

Hershey has committed to removing synthetic dyes from their snack products by the close of 2027.

J.M. Smucker announced plans to eliminate synthetic food coloring from all consumer products by late 2027, while also working to stop distributing products containing synthetic dyes to elementary and secondary schools during the 2026-2027 academic year.

Conagra Brands will strip synthetic dyes from their frozen food lineup and stop using artificial colors in school meal products by the end of 2027, with school changes taking effect by 2026-27.

Nestle USA aims to completely remove synthetic food coloring from their American food and drink offerings by mid-2026. The company reports that more than 90% of their current product lines are already free of artificial dyes.

General Mills, which makes Cheerios, will eliminate artificial colors from their complete American retail operation and remove synthetic dyes from all cereals and school foods by summer 2026, with full completion by late 2027.

Kraft Heinz will stop introducing new products containing artificial colors in America and work to remove synthetic dyes from current products by 2027’s end.

Walmart-owned Sam’s Club plans to remove more than 40 ingredients, including artificial colors and aspartame, from their Member’s Mark private label products by the end of 2025.

Tyson Foods will reformulate products containing petroleum-derived synthetic dyes by May 2025’s end, and eliminate high fructose corn syrup, sucralose, BHA/BHT and titanium dioxide from branded American products by late 2025.

WK Kellogg will remove FD&C colors from affected products by 2027’s conclusion and stop launching new products with these colors starting January 2026, while reformulating school cereals to exclude synthetic dyes.

PepsiCo will eliminate artificial colors from school food offerings beginning this upcoming academic year, with full portfolio transition to natural colors planned within the next few years. The beverage giant also indicated it will use regular sugar in products like Pepsi if customers prefer it.

Coca-Cola plans to offer a cane sugar-sweetened version of Coke in the United States.

Kellanova is on schedule to remove synthetic colors from school foods during the 2026/27 school year and from retail products by December 31, 2027.

Campbell’s Company will eliminate all FD&C colors from their food and beverage lineup during the second half of fiscal year 2026.

Walmart will remove all synthetic dyes and over 30 additional ingredients including preservatives, artificial sweeteners and fat substitutes from their American private brand foods by January 2027.

A groundbreaking study reveals why men typically bounce back from injuries faster than women, and it all comes down to biology.

Scientists at Michigan State University have discovered that male immune systems are naturally better at stopping pain signals, which may explain why chronic pain affects women more frequently than men.

The research team, led by Geoffroy Laumet, found that specific immune cells called monocytes create a protein known as interleukin-10 that essentially switches off pain messages from nerves. This process is fueled by male hormones like testosterone.

“The difference in pain between men and women has a biological basis. It’s not in your head, and you’re not soft. It’s in your immune system,” Laumet explained.

During experiments with injured laboratory mice, researchers observed that males had significantly more of these pain-blocking immune cells compared to females. The male mice also recovered from injury-related pain much quicker.

The findings were confirmed in human subjects as well. Among 245 people healing from various injuries, men experienced faster pain relief and showed elevated levels of the beneficial monocytes and interleukin-10 protein.

To test the hormone connection, scientists gave testosterone supplements to female mice that had their ovaries surgically removed. These mice showed increased interleukin-10 levels and quicker pain recovery. Conversely, when male mice had their testosterone-producing organs removed, their pain relief slowed dramatically.

The study, published in Science Immunology, suggests that women’s slower pain recovery puts them at higher risk for developing long-term chronic pain conditions.

Researchers say this discovery changes the focus “from how pain starts to why pain persists” and opens doors for developing new treatment approaches.

“This opens new avenues for non-opioid therapies aimed at preventing chronic pain before it’s established,” Laumet noted.

The next phase of research will explore how medical treatments could target this biological pathway to boost interleukin-10 production in patients.

In related medical news, an experimental cancer drug called rezatapopt showed promising results in early trials for treating aggressive tumors with specific genetic mutations. The drug, developed by PMV Pharmaceuticals, targets the Y220C mutation in the p53 gene and helped restore the gene’s ability to suppress tumor growth.

Among 77 patients with advanced cancers that weren’t responding to standard treatments, researchers saw tumors shrink or disappear in 20% of patients with the targeted mutation, with even better results at higher doses.

“Historically, targeted therapy for TP53 mutations has not been available,” the research team wrote in The New England Journal of Medicine.

A larger clinical trial is now underway testing the most effective dose of 2,000 milligrams daily in patients with ovarian, lung, breast, and other solid tumors.

Meanwhile, separate research reveals that state laws restricting abortion access are creating shortages of obstetricians and gynecologists. Data from 2010 to 2021 shows that Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers laws have reduced the number of OB/GYNs by more than two per 100,000 women of childbearing age.

The shortage hasn’t been offset by increases in midwives, nurse practitioners, or physician assistants specializing in women’s health, according to findings published in Health Economics.

“These findings reveal that abortion restrictions can have much broader effects on maternal healthcare access, raising important considerations for policymakers and healthcare systems nationwide,” said study leader Quan Qi from the University at Albany.

Health experts are stressing the importance of careful food label examination as Alpha-Gal Syndrome cases continue to climb. The condition triggers red meat allergies that can be hidden under various product descriptions on packaging.

Eden Stewart, who works as an educator with the University of Missouri Extension, emphasizes that shoppers must stay alert when checking ingredient lists. The syndrome’s associated red meat sensitivity can appear under multiple different terms on food labels, making thorough inspection crucial for consumer safety.

To address the growing number of Alpha-Gal syndrome diagnoses, the University of Missouri Extension has developed multiple educational materials to help guide affected individuals through safe food shopping practices.

The estate of Henrietta Lacks has reached a settlement agreement with pharmaceutical company Novartis over the unauthorized use of her cells, which were harvested without consent in 1951 and later became fundamental to major medical breakthroughs.

The settlement terms remain confidential after being completed in Maryland federal court this month.

Both the Lacks family and the Switzerland-based pharmaceutical company issued a joint statement saying they are “pleased they were able to find a way to resolve this matter filed by Henrietta Lacks’ Estate outside of court” while declining to provide additional details.

This marks the second legal resolution for the estate, which has filed multiple lawsuits against biomedical corporations for profiting from what they describe as a discriminatory healthcare system that exploited African American patients like Lacks. The agreement concludes the legal battle between one of the world’s major pharmaceutical manufacturers and the family of a woman who succumbed to cervical cancer at 31 years old and was laid to rest in an unmarked burial site.

The 2024 legal action demanded Novartis pay “the full amount of its net profits obtained by commercializing the HeLa cell line,” referring to what the lawsuit characterized as “stolen cells.”

Medical professionals at Johns Hopkins Hospital extracted Lacks’ cervical tissue in 1951 without her awareness, and these cells from her cancerous tumor became the first human cells capable of indefinite growth and division in laboratory conditions. The HeLa cell line revolutionized modern medicine, facilitating numerous scientific breakthroughs and medical developments, from genetic research to COVID-19 vaccine creation, yet the Lacks family received no financial benefit despite the immeasurable contributions to scientific progress.

Johns Hopkins maintains it never commercialized or earned money from the cell lines, though numerous corporations have secured patents for their applications.

Last year, the Lacks estate secured a confidential settlement with biotechnology firm Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. Family attorneys argued that company continued profiting from the cells long after the HeLa cell line’s origins became widely recognized, unfairly benefiting from Lacks’ biological material.

Additional legal cases filed by the estate remain ongoing. Shortly after resolving the Thermo Fisher Scientific matter, estate lawyers initiated litigation against Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical in Baltimore federal court. Legal proceedings against both Ultragenyx and pharmaceutical company Viatris continue.

Family attorneys have suggested more lawsuits may be forthcoming.

Lacks grew up as an impoverished tobacco farmer in southern Virginia before marrying and relocating with her spouse to Turner Station, a predominantly Black neighborhood near Baltimore. The couple was raising five children when physicians found a cervical tumor and preserved a portion of her cancer cells obtained during a medical procedure.

Unlike typical cell samples that quickly deteriorated after removal from the human body, her cells continued living and multiplying in laboratory settings. Scientists named them the first immortalized human cell line because researchers could grow them continuously, allowing scientists worldwide to conduct identical experiments using the same cellular material.

The extraordinary scientific implications and the effects on the Lacks family, several of whom suffered from ongoing health conditions without medical coverage, were chronicled in Rebecca Skloot’s bestselling 2010 book “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.” The story was later adapted into an HBO film featuring Oprah Winfrey as her daughter.

DETROIT — When Joelle Haley’s labor began on Christmas Day, she delivered her son Kieran just two days later at only 24 weeks into her pregnancy. As her premature newborn lay in the dimly lit room at Detroit’s hospital, both mother and baby needed something extra for comfort. That something turned out to be vibrant, soft octopi that Haley would craft from yarn.

At the Children’s Hospital of Michigan Neonatal Intensive Care Unit within DMC Hutzel Women’s Hospital, these adorable donated octopi serve a dual purpose for premature infants — they provide comfort while keeping tiny fingers occupied so babies don’t pull on critical medical tubing and equipment.

“Leaving my son at the hospital was incredibly difficult, even though I trusted the staff completely, because I worried ‘what happens if he becomes distressed and has nothing to soothe him at that moment?’” Haley explained Thursday. “Knowing he has something close by that can comfort him makes me feel better, which allows me to care for myself too.”

These octopi follow the Japanese craft tradition known as Amigurumi, which involves creating small stuffed creatures from yarn, and they’re made in an array of bright colors.

After hearing a nurse mention that such items would benefit the NICU, Haley decided to put her crocheting skills to work. The 30-year-old, who has been crocheting since elementary school, has personally created approximately 20 of these creatures and has enlisted help through social media platforms.

“When I last tallied them up, we had received 175 donations, with more still coming in. Contributors sent them from across Michigan,” she noted while bringing a fresh batch to the hospital, where staff placed them in infant bassinets.

Many babies in the unit need respiratory assistance, explained Dr. Jorge Lua, who serves as medical director for the Children’s Hospital of Michigan Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at DMC Hutzel Women’s Hospital.

“Keeping those tubes secure is crucial. Infants sometimes grasp them and inadvertently remove them,” Dr. Lua stated. “When a breathing tube gets displaced, the infant experiences respiratory distress. They cannot breathe properly. Their oxygen levels drop. This can extend the time needed to get them stable again.”

Haley frequently observed her baby boy pulling at the tubes that connected him to NICU machines.

“Knowing I could assist other babies gives me a sense of comfort,” Haley shared. “Watching my son with his octopus reassures me that he’ll feel secure and comforted during my absence. I hope it provides that same peace of mind to other families.”

According to Haley, each octopus requires roughly 30 minutes to complete.

“My mother introduced me to crocheting as a way to manage anxiety,” she said about the craft. “The rhythmic movements give me something to concentrate on and help me feel more relaxed.”

WASHINGTON — Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary has announced plans to implement a new pilot program providing financial bonuses to agency staff members who finish drug evaluations before their deadlines.

During a Thursday staff meeting, Makary outlined the initiative that would begin distributing quarterly bonus payments to eligible employees starting around August. The Associated Press obtained presentation materials and audio from the meeting.

“My job as your commissioner is to be your advocate and to fight for you,” Makary stated to FDA personnel, noting that securing approval for the payment system required “some wrangling.”

“If you don’t like it, we can get rid of it, but usually everybody loves money,” Makary added.

The new system creates several concerns, particularly regarding how payments will be allocated among the large teams that typically work together on drug evaluations. Workers not directly involved in drug reviews, including facility inspectors, won’t qualify for these payments. The program also raises ethical questions about whether reviewers might feel pressured to accelerate processes crucial for verifying medication safety and efficacy.

For decades, the FDA has collected fees from pharmaceutical companies to fund additional personnel for expedited reviews of new prescription medications and vaccines. While the agency operates under industry agreements with specific timelines and performance measures for completing reviews, it has never previously provided direct financial incentives to workers for meeting or surpassing these targets.

According to presentation materials shown to FDA staff, the bonus system is designed “to recognize and reward staff who find ways to be more efficient delivering high-quality work activities that ultimately benefit patients.”

Senior agency officials explained during the meeting that payments would be calculated using “weighted time savings” accomplished by employees and their teams, combined with assessments of “work quality and work complexity.”

“This program values speed, but never at the expense of quality,” according to one presentation slide.

This announcement comes during a period when the agency is experiencing significant staffing losses in its drug review divisions due to retirements and departures following broader workforce reductions and buyout offers across other agency departments. FDA records indicate that the drug and biologics centers responsible for overseeing prescription drugs, vaccines, and biotechnology products have lost approximately 20% of their workforce since President Donald Trump assumed office one year ago.

Furthermore, some agency reviewers are unable to participate in certain projects because they are currently interviewing for positions within the pharmaceutical industry.

The initiative could also harm public trust in the FDA, which has frequently faced criticism for being too closely connected to the drug companies it regulates.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who supervises the agency, has characterized FDA staff as “a sock puppet” of industry since taking his position as the nation’s leading health official last February.

Approximately 70% of the FDA’s drug program funding comes from user fees paid by pharmaceutical companies submitting products for review. This arrangement has enabled the agency to employ thousands of additional scientists and reduce review timeframes by more than half compared to pre-funding levels.

Since joining the agency last April, Makary has introduced several initiatives aimed at accelerating FDA reviews, including providing one-month drug evaluations for new medications serving “national interests.” Within just the past two weeks, Makary announced the FDA would eliminate its long-standing requirement for two clinical trials in drug reviews and establish a new approval pathway for treatments that can only be tested in limited patient populations.

These announcements promoting accelerated, simplified approvals occur as the agency faces scrutiny regarding its recent management of vaccines, gene therapies, and other specialized treatments.

The FDA’s chief scientist and vaccine director, Dr. Vinay Prasad, has personally overturned staff decisions by rejecting multiple experimental therapies and biotech drugs, citing requirements for additional research and more conclusive evidence.

Earlier this month, Prasad declined to accept Moderna’s application for a new mRNA influenza vaccine, stating its clinical trial was inadequate. However, less than a week later, the agency changed its position, agreeing to review the vaccine after Moderna committed to conducting an additional study involving older patients.

A significant transformation in organ donation practices is reshaping how lifesaving transplants happen across the United States, according to new research published Thursday.

Medical professionals are seeing a dramatic rise in organ donations from patients whose hearts have stopped beating, rather than from those declared brain dead – a change that has fundamentally altered the transplant landscape in just over two decades.

Known as donation after circulatory death (DCD), this approach represented nearly half of all deceased organ donors nationwide in 2023, a remarkable increase from just 2% in 2000, researchers from NYU Langone Health discovered.

Advanced medical technology has enabled doctors to overcome previous obstacles in preserving organs as the heart ceases function, driving this surge during a time when the nation desperately seeks solutions to address organ shortages. Currently, more than 100,000 Americans remain on transplant waiting lists, with thousands dying while waiting for organs. Last year saw approximately 49,000 transplant procedures completed.

However, the NYU study revealed significant regional disparities in circulatory death donations, indicating that improved education for hospitals and communities could potentially expand access to these critical procedures even further.

The research, featured in JAMA medical journal, emerges amid concerning incidents where potential donors displayed signs of life, creating uncertainty about transplant protocols.

Federal authorities and certified organ procurement organizations are now developing enhanced safety measures, with these new research findings potentially influencing future policy decisions.

“Donation after circulatory death is complex and we need to make sure we are doing it well,” explained Dr. Babak Orandi, a transplant surgeon at NYU and study co-author. “If we stop doing it or severely restrict it, there would be pretty significant repercussions for patients.”

Traditional organ donation typically involves brain death declarations, where medical testing confirms complete loss of brain activity. In these cases, patients remain on ventilators to preserve organs until surgical removal.

Circulatory death donation becomes possible when patients suffer injuries incompatible with survival but retain some brain function, and families decide to discontinue life support. Death occurs as the heart gradually ceases beating. Medical guidelines require a mandatory five-minute waiting period after heart stoppage to ensure it won’t resume before doctors can declare death.

Legal requirements strictly prohibit donation and transplant teams from participating in life support decisions, and they cannot be present when support is withdrawn. Organ recovery only begins after official death declaration. If death doesn’t occur within approximately two hours, organs become unusable and recovery attempts are abandoned.

The NYU research team examined information from the national Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network and 55 regional organ procurement organizations.

In 2023, circulatory death donations comprised more than half of all donors at 24 organ procurement agencies, though this varied dramatically across regions, with some organizations reporting as low as 11%.

Hospital capabilities influence these numbers significantly, according to the Association for Organ Procurement Organizations. While life support withdrawal decisions are routine, smaller or rural medical facilities may lack familiarity with the additional procedures required for donation.

Technology adoption also plays a crucial role. Organ quality can deteriorate as hearts stop, temporarily cutting off oxygen supply. Following death declaration, a technique called normothermic regional perfusion enables surgeons to briefly restore blood circulation to chest and abdominal organs – while avoiding the brain – during the delicate removal process.

This innovation has expanded the use of organs from older, more medically complex donors after cardiac death, though temporarily restoring circulation after death has sparked ethical debates.

The Health Resources and Services Administration is developing new national policies to strengthen safeguards for this donation type. One proposed change would allow anyone involved with potential donors who questions whether conditions are appropriate for life support withdrawal to request a pause in preparations.

Additional proposals would mandate that organ procurement organizations document proper neurological examinations by hospitals caring for potential donors and provide comprehensive education to families about required procedures.

The Association of Organ Procurement Organizations has established similar guidelines, with some organizations already implementing hospital checklists.

The association also recommends conducting life support withdrawal in intensive care units rather than operating rooms to reduce public confusion about death timing and when organ teams become involved, stated association president Jeff Trageser.

“Donation after circulatory death requires a lot of buy-in from the community, including the local hospitals, to make this happen,” Orandi noted. “A couple of cases out of many, many cases has led to a loss of trust.”

Federal health regulators announced Thursday they have granted full approval to a Boehringer Ingelberg medication targeting patients battling advanced lung cancer who have already undergone previous treatments.

The Food and Drug Administration’s decision represents just the second drug to receive clearance through the agency’s Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher pilot program, a special pathway designed to expedite certain treatments.

The approval provides a new treatment option for patients facing this challenging form of cancer who have exhausted other therapeutic approaches.

Federal health regulators are preparing to launch a financial incentive program designed to accelerate the drug approval process, according to a Bloomberg News report published Thursday.

The Food and Drug Administration will implement a quarterly bonus system for scientific reviewers who finish drug evaluations ahead of their deadlines while maintaining high standards, sources familiar with the initiative told Bloomberg.

Scientists participating in the program could earn bonuses valued at several thousand dollars each quarter for expedited, quality work, the report indicated. Agency officials are expected to unveil the program during an internal FDA meeting scheduled for today.

When contacted by Reuters, the Department of Health and Human Services, which supervises the FDA, had not yet provided a response regarding the bonus program.

Bloomberg’s reporting also revealed that the agency is actively recruiting more than 1,000 additional scientists as part of a comprehensive strategy to speed up drug evaluation timelines.

The bonus system is set to launch on April 1 and will cover reviewers working within the FDA’s two primary divisions responsible for evaluating pharmaceuticals and vaccines. The first bonus payments are anticipated to be distributed around August, according to the report.

Federal health authorities announced Thursday that a dangerous botulism outbreak connected to ByHeart infant formula has officially concluded, with no additional cases documented since mid-December, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The outbreak affected a total of 48 infants beginning in 2023. Health officials noted this number represents a slight decrease from earlier reports after three children received different diagnoses unrelated to botulism.

Every affected infant required hospital care, though authorities report no fatalities occurred during the outbreak.

Health officials remain uncertain about the specific details of how, when, or where the organic whole-milk powder formula became infected with bacteria capable of causing severe illness, paralysis, and potentially death in infants under one year old.

The majority of cases emerged after August, when California’s Infant Botulism Treatment and Prevention program noticed a concerning increase in illness reports among babies who had consumed ByHeart products.

The New York-based company initially pulled two specific batches from shelves in early November, then broadened the recall to include all their products within days. Federal authorities later stated they couldn’t eliminate the possibility of contamination in products manufactured since the company began operations in March 2022. Retailers across the country removed the formula, which had been marketed as offering “next-to-breast milk benefits.”

Food and Drug Administration investigators have not yet determined the underlying cause of the contamination.

The agency released a statement explaining they had found 17 different bacterial strains in samples taken from patients, sealed formula containers, and raw ingredients. These samples “add to the available evidence needed to investigate the root cause of this outbreak,” though they don’t provide a conclusive answer, according to the agency.

FDA officials previously suggested that powdered whole milk used in ByHeart formula production might have been a contamination source.

Food safety specialists describe botulism cases from infant formula as extremely uncommon, calling the ByHeart situation unprecedented in both scale and reach.

The illness develops when infants consume botulism spores that grow in their digestive system and create a harmful toxin targeting the nervous system. While death rates previously reached 90%, current treatment methods have reduced fatalities to under 1%.

The sole available treatment involves an intravenous medication called BabyBIG, created from blood plasma donated by adults who received botulism immunization. California’s specialized program serves as the only global supplier of this treatment.

ByHeart held approximately 1% of the American infant formula market and previously distributed roughly 200,000 containers monthly. Parents whose children became ill reported selecting the $42-per-can formula based on its promoted health advantages.

NEW YORK — Healthcare workers at a major New York hospital system have resumed their duties this Thursday, following the conclusion of a lengthy labor dispute that lasted more than six weeks.

Over 4,000 nursing staff members at NewYork-Presbyterian facilities walked off the job on January 12th as part of a broader labor action that also impacted two additional major private hospital networks in New York City — Montefiore and Mount Sinai.

While nursing staff at Montefiore and Mount Sinai concluded their work stoppage on February 11th after reaching agreements with the New York State Nurses Association, NewYork-Presbyterian nurses turned down that initial proposal and continued their protest. They finally voted to accept a new three-year agreement this past Saturday, bringing their 41-day work stoppage to an end.

The final agreement includes enhanced staffing protocols, wage increases exceeding 12% spread across three years, and protections regarding artificial intelligence implementation, the union reported.

According to union representatives, approximately 15,000 nursing professionals across the three hospital systems initially participated in the work stoppage. The action affected select facilities within each network but did not impact any city-operated medical centers.

Throughout the labor dispute, all three hospital systems — Montefiore, Mount Sinai, and NewYork-Presbyterian — hired thousands of temporary nursing staff, relocated certain patients to other facilities, and postponed some medical procedures. Hospital administrators maintained they continued providing quality patient care, including complicated surgical operations. However, some patients and family members reported delays in basic care tasks.

The nursing staff cited overwhelming patient loads and alleged attempts by hospital management to reduce healthcare benefits as primary concerns. Hospital leadership disputed these assertions and characterized the union’s contract demands as unreasonable.

This wasn’t the first recent labor action at these facilities — nurses at certain Mount Sinai and Montefiore locations also conducted a brief three-day strike in 2023.