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Letting bird flu run its course could spark wider pandemic

In a Policy Forum, Erin Sorrell and colleagues – a coalition of virologists, veterinarians, and health security experts – argue that the recent proposal to permit the uncontrolled spread of highly pathogenic avian influence (HPAI) among U.S. poultry to identify birds that survive infection is dangerous and unethical.

4 Jul 2025

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Trump’s bill reaches the finish line

Early Thursday afternoon, the House approved a budget reconciliation bill that not only would make permanent many of President Donald Trump's 2017 tax cuts, but also impose deep cuts to Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, and, indirectly, Medicare.

3 Jul 2025

Canada faces growing threat from communicable diseases and misinformation

Canada must address the growing crisis of communicable diseases that has occurred in tandem with a rise in misinformation that threatens our health systems, argue authors in an editorial in CMAJ.

3 Jul 2025

Survey: Many adults unaware of key facts that can help prevent SIDS

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the unexpected, unexplained, sudden death of a child younger than one year old.

3 Jul 2025

Blood viral load predicts severity of mpox symptoms

In August 2024, the World Health Organization declared a second "Public Health Emergency of International Concern" for mpox.

3 Jul 2025

Confusion persists over breast cancer screening guidelines

Mammograms can find cancer early before symptoms appear. Regular screening decreases the risk of dying from breast cancer.

3 Jul 2025

Researchers link genetic ancestry to severity of dengue fever

For the first time, the extreme variability in dengue fever has been linked to a biological mechanism, potentially opening doors to new treatments and vaccines for the most common mosquito-borne disease worldwide.

30 Jun 2025

Shingles and RSV vaccines with AS01 adjuvant reduce dementia risk

Researchers found that older adults who received AS01-adjuvanted shingles or RSV vaccines had a significantly lower risk of developing dementia within 18 months compared to flu vaccine recipients. The protective effect is likely linked to the AS01 adjuvant itself, highlighting new avenues for dementia prevention.

30 Jun 2025

A Texas boy needed protection from measles. The vaccine cost $1,400.

In the early days of the West Texas measles outbreak, Thang Nguyen eyed the rising number of cases and worried. His 4-year-old son was at risk because he had received only the first of the vaccine's two doses.

30 Jun 2025

Kennedy’s vaccine advisers sow doubts as scientists protest US pivot on shots

As fired and retired scientists rallied outside in the Atlanta heat, an advisory panel that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. handpicked to replace experts he'd fired earlier met inside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's headquarters to plan a more skeptical vaccine future.

27 Jun 2025

New technology brings antibiotic resistance surveillance to the field

Antibiotics are one of the greatest triumphs in the history of medical science - but these lifesaving tools have a dark side.

26 Jun 2025

Smartwatches could help stop pandemics before they start

Smartwatch features that measure heart rates, oxygen levels, fitness levels and sleep quality have been marketed as valuable tools for people who are eager to monitor their health.

23 Jun 2025

Many older people embrace vaccines. Research is proving them right.

Kim Beckham, an insurance agent in Victoria, Texas, had seen friends suffer so badly from shingles that she wanted to receive the first approved shingles vaccine as soon as it became available, even if she had to pay for it out-of-pocket.

23 Jun 2025

Monitoring airborne fungal spores predicts flu and COVID-19 surges

Monitoring fungal spores in the outdoor air can predict surges in flu and COVID-19 infections, especially during the fall, according to a new study.

20 Jun 2025

New dual-adjuvant vaccine strategy offers hope in the fight against HIV

In the quest to develop an effective HIV vaccine, scientists from Scripps Research have made a significant leap forward. They found that a two-part delivery strategy can train the immune system to produce a stronger response to HIV, offering new hope in the fight against one of the world's most elusive viruses.

19 Jun 2025

Disrupted biological rhythms in teens can produce unexpected brain effects

A new McGill University-led study suggests that disrupting the body's internal clock during adolescence can alter how the brain responds to an in-utero risk factor linked to certain brain disorders.

17 Jun 2025

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': RFK Jr. upends vaccine policy, after promising he wouldn’t

After explicitly promising senators during his confirmation hearing that he would not interfere in scientific policy over which Americans should receive which vaccines, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. this week fired every member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the group of experts who help the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention make those evidence-based judgments.

12 Jun 2025