National Health - The Rapid City Post

FILE - In this undated photo provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Vinay Prasad smiles for a portrait. (U.S. FDA via AP)

Trump administration’s embattled FDA vaccine chief is leaving for the second time

March 6, 2026

The Food and Drug Administration’s controversial vaccine chief, Dr. Vinay Prasad, is once again leaving the agency. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary announced the departure to staff in an email late Friday. It’s the second time he has abruptly departed the agency following controversial decisions involving the review of vaccinations and specialty drugs for rare diseases. Makary said Prasad would return to his academic job at the University of California, San Francisco. Prasad’s time on the job has been marked by a string of reversals in the FDA’s review of vaccines and specialty drugs.

FILE - Dr. Tracy Beth Hoeg, with the FDA, listens during a meeting of the Advisory Committee in Immunization Practices at the CDC, June 25, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)

Top FDA drug official is trying to hire a friend who’s seeking a bold new warning on antidepressants

March 4, 2026

The Food and Drug Administration is reviewing a request for new warnings on antidepressant drugs, and that’s presenting an unusual conflict of interest at the agency. The researcher asking for the warning is a close friend of the FDA’s top drug official. The Associated Press has learned that Dr. Tracy Beth Hoeg is overseeing the FDA’s review of the petition by Dr. Adam Urato while also seeking to hire Urato at the agency. Under normal FDA standards, Hoeg would step aside from any work on the petition. But instead she’s told FDA workers that they need to speed up their review of Urato’s request.

New sleeping sickness pill gets nod, paving the way for use in Africa

February 27, 2026

European drug regulators are endorsing a new and simpler treatment for sleeping sickness, in what could be a giant boost to efforts to eliminate the disease. A European Medicines Agency committee gave its nod to acoziborole, made by Sanofi, on Friday. The decision is a crucial step in making it available in Congo, the country with the most sleeping sickness cases. It also paves the way for its use in other African countries.

FILE - The Food and Drug Administration seal is seen at the Hubert Humphrey Building Auditorium in Washington, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

FDA to offer bonus payments to staffers who complete speedy drug reviews

February 26, 2026

The head of the Food and Drug Administration plans to start offering bonus payments to agency drug reviewers who complete their work ahead of the schedule. The pilot program was announced internally to staff on Thursday by FDA Commissioner Marty Makary. It’s the latest in a flurry of changes and initiatives at the agency intended to speed up drug reviews. Makary said the first of the bonus payments would be delivered around August. For decades the FDA has had timelines and metrics for completing drug reviews. But the agency has never paid staffers directly for meeting or exceeding those goals.

Jennifer Loving, CEO of Destination: Home, poses for a portrait outside of her office and housing units, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Laure Andrillon)

TED’s Audacious Project raised $1B from donors in 2 days to fund big nonprofit initiatives

February 24, 2026

A collaborative of funders called The Audacious Project raised $1 billion over two days to fund large projects proposed by more than a dozen nonprofits. The initiative, which is housed at TED, announced the grantees on Tuesday. Thirty-five major donor families contributed to funding the projects, which span multiple years and take on major challenges. As part of the application process, the nonprofits record something like a TED Talk that introduces themselves and their project. Grantees include the San Jose-based nonprofit Destination: Home, which will use the funds to expand a homelessness prevention initiative to other cities.

FILE - President Donald Trump listens as Dr. Marty Makary, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, file)

FDA proposes new system for approving customized drugs and therapies for rare diseases

February 23, 2026

The Food and Drug Administration is proposing a system for approving customized drugs and medical treatments for patients with rare or hard-to-treat diseases. The pathway laid out Monday is aimed to approving one-of-a-kind therapies, including those using emerging gene-editing technology. It’s a shift long sought by patients, advocates and researchers focused on rare diseases, which often do not fit within the pharmaceutical industry’s business model. For many rare diseases, drug companies have had little financial incentive to develop new treatments. The FDA proposal, if finalized, would codify a path for drugmakers and researchers to study and commercialize treatments without conducting large, expensive clinical trials.

Dr. Marty Makary, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration speaks at an event on addiction recovery in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Washington, as Attorney General Pam Bondi and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum listen. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)

FDA will drop two-study requirement for new drug approvals, aiming to speed access

February 18, 2026

The Food and Drug Administration plans to drop its longtime standard of requiring two rigorous studies for new drug approvals. The change announced Wednesday is the latest move by Trump administration officials vowing to speed up the availability of medical products. Since the 1960s, the FDA has generally required that new drugs be shown safe and effective in two trials. The standard helped ensure that results from the a single study didn’t occur by accident or a statistical fluke. But FDA leaders say drug development and research have become far more precise and predictable in recent decades, increasing the reliability of results. The officials predict a boom in drug development as a result of the change.

Ronan Murphy hugs his mother, Andrea, while looking at the snow falling outside their home in Ayer, Mass., on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Shelby Lum)

As some people push to make profound autism its own diagnosis, this family is raising twins with it

February 15, 2026

As the definition of autism has widened, there’s a growing push to separate profound autism into its own diagnosis. People with this condition, such as 9-year-old twins from Massachusetts, need lifelong care. Proponents of separating out this condition seek to ensure that people like them get the support and services they need. But some in the autism community worry this would reduce attention on the broader spectrum and the individual needs of everyone on it. The debate is gaining prominence as the Trump administration focuses on autism, awarding money for research projects while promoting unproven and debunked claims about what causes it.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz listens as President Donald Trump speaks about TrumpRx in the South Court Auditorium in the Old Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

‘Take the vaccine, please,’ a top US health official says in an appeal as measles cases rise

February 8, 2026

A leading U.S. health official is urging people to get inoculated against the measles at a time of outbreaks across several states. The appeal is from Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator. And it comes as the United States is at risk of losing its measles elimination status and as Oz’s boss, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has raised suspicion about the safety and importance of vaccines. Oz was interviewed Sunday on CNN and he said, “Take the vaccine, please. We have a solution for our problem.”

Inside the toxic legacy of America’s multibillion-dollar carpet empire

February 5, 2026

A new investigation shows how chemicals used for decades to make carpets stain resistant have contaminated swaths of the South. As carpet executives in northwest Georgia grappled with the health and environmental risks of PFAS, known widely as forever chemicals, they coordinated privately with the local public water utility, effectively shielding their companies from oversight. Carpet makers kept using PFAS even after scientists linked it to human health threats, including certain cancers. Major carpet companies point out their chemical suppliers hid the risks for years, and say they’ve complied with all regulations and have stopped using PFAS.

FILE - A monitor shows an artery during a catheterization lab heart procedure in Burlington, Vt., Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot, File)

Experimental cholesterol-lowering pill may offer new option for millions

February 4, 2026

A new kind of pill sharply reduced cholesterol in people at high risk of heart attacks despite taking statins. It’s still experimental but new research published Wednesday suggests Merck’s pill could eventually offer an easier-to-use option for millions. Statins are the mainstay cholesterol-lowering treatment but many need additional drugs, too. Merck is expected to seek approval to sell the new pill, called enlicitide, this year. It blocks cholesterol in a way that today can be done only with injected medicines.

FILE - In this March 9, 2007 file photo, a guinea worm is extracted by a health worker from a child's foot at a containment center in Savelugu, Ghana. (AP Photo/Olivier Asselin, File)

World creeps closer to eradicating human Guinea worm cases, with just 10 last year: Carter Center

January 30, 2026

The Carter Center says there were only 10 reported cases of Guinea worm infections confined to three countries in 2025. The new record low comes barely a year after the death of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who said often that he hoped to outlive the last Guinea worm infection in people. When the Carter Center set out to eradicate Guinea worm infections in the mid-1980s, the parasite still afflicted millions of people in developing countries. If successful, Guinea worm would join smallpox as only the second human disease to be eradicated. In 2025, four human cases were reported in Chad, four in Ethiopia and two in South Sudan. Animal infections still number in the hundreds.

Takeaways from the AP’s report on turmoil surrounding the FDA’s new fast-track drug program

January 16, 2026

Questions remain among top Food and Drug Administration officials over who has the appropriate legal authority to sign off on drugs cleared under a new plan to slash FDA drug review times. The initiative by FDA Commissioner Marty Makary promises ultra-fast reviews for drugs that align with “U.S. national priorities.” It’s at the center of Makary’s stated goal to “cut red tape” and “challenge assumptions” at the agency tasked with assuring the safety of food, medicines, medical devices and other consumer goods. But FDA staffers tell The Associated Press the push for faster approvals is contributing to a climate of anxiety, fear and confusion within the agency’s drug center.

FILE - Jonathan Dumke, a senior forensic chemist with the Drug Enforcement Administration, holds vials of fentanyl pills at a DEA research laboratory on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in Northern Virginia. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, file)

US overdose deaths fell through most of 2025, federal data reveals

January 14, 2026

U.S. overdose deaths fell through the most of last year, suggesting a lasting improvement in an epidemic that had been worsening for decades. Overdose deaths have been falling for more than two years now in the most extended drop in decades, the new data indicates. However, the decline also shows signs of leveling off a bit. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted the data Wednesday. It shows that an estimated 73,000 people died from overdoses in the 12-month period that ended August 2025, down about 21% from the previous 12-month period. Experts are cautiously optimistic the trend will last.

Mattel adds an autistic Barbie to doll line devoted to showcasing diversity and inclusion

January 11, 2026

An autistic Barbie is joining Mattel’s line of fashion dolls that’s intended to celebrate diversity. The toymaker says it developed the new Barbie in partnership with a nonprofit organization that advocates for the rights and better media representation of autistic people. A staff member with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network who worked on the prototype says creating the Barbie was a challenge because autism encompasses a broad range of behaviors and varies widely in degree. The doll that goes on sale on Monday has eyes shifted slightly to the side to avoid direct eye contact. It also has articulated elbows and wrists to acknowledge the gestures some autistic people use to process sensory information.

FILE - Pharmacy manager Aylen Amestoy administers a patient with a seasonal flu vaccine at a CVS Pharmacy in Miami, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)

Some flu measures decline, but it’s not clear this severe season has peaked

January 9, 2026

U.S. flu infections are showing signs of a slight decline, but health officials say it’s not clear that this severe flu season has peaked. New government data posted Friday covered flu activity through last week. It showed declines in medical office visits due to flu-like illness and in the number of states reporting high flu activity. But flu deaths and hospitalizations rose. By some measures this season is already surpassing the flu epidemic of last winter. That was one of the harshest in recent history. And experts believe there’s more suffering ahead.

FILE - In this Feb. 7, 2018 file photo, a nurse prepares a flu shot at the Salvation Army in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)

Flu season surged in the US over the holiday and already rivals last winter’s harsh epidemic

January 5, 2026

U.S. flu infections are still surging, and health officials are calling it a severe season that is likely to get worse. New government data posted Monday shows that by some measures this season is already surpassing the flu epidemic of last winter. That was one of the harshest seasons in recent history. Forty-five states were reporting high or very high flu activity during the week of Christmas. That’s up from 30 states the week before. A new version of the flu virus — known as the subclade K variant — is accounting for many of the cases.

Dorothy Waterhouse, program director for the syringe exchange program at the Clark County Health Department, opens a cabinet containing supplies used for the program Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2025, in Jeffersonville, Ind. (AP Photo/Obed Lamy)

Addiction-stricken community struggles to keep a syringe program going after Trump’s order

December 22, 2025

Decades of research show syringe programs are extremely effective at preventing infectious disease among intravenous drug users and referring them to treatment. But a July executed order from President Donald Trump’ says federal substance abuse grants can’t pay for supplies it says “only facilitate illegal drug use,” such as cookers and tourniquets. Needles already couldn’t be purchased with federal money. In some places, the order is galvanizing support for syringe exchanges. In others, like Indiana, it’s fueling opposition that threatens their existence. But health workers in one Indiana community are doing what they can to keep their program going.

FILE - A Waymo car drives up a hill in San Francisco, Sept. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

San Francisco woman gives birth in a Waymo self-driving taxi

December 10, 2025

Waymo’s self-driving taxis have been in the spotlight for both negative and positive reasons. This week, the automated ride-hailing taxis went viral after a San Francisco woman gave birth inside a Waymo taxi while on her way to the hospital. A Waymo spokesperson on Wednesday confirmed the unusual delivery. It said the company’s rider support team detected unusual activity inside the vehicle and alerted 911. The taxi arrived safely at the hospital before emergency services. Waymo’s popularity is growing despite heightened scrutiny following an illegal U-turn and the death of a San Francisco cat. The company, owned by Alphabet, says it is proud to serve riders of all ages.

Eric Dane’s emotional memoir, including his life with ALS, to be published in 2026

December 8, 2025

Eric Dane, known for his roles in “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Euphoria,” has announced a memoir titled “Book of Days.” The book, set to be published in 2026 by Maria Shriver’s The Open Field, will explore key moments in Dane’s life. These include his first day on “Grey’s Anatomy,” the births of his daughters and his ALS diagnosis. In a statement released Monday, Dane expressed his desire to capture meaningful moments and help others find meaning in their own lives. ALS is a progressive disease that affects nerve cells, often leading to death within three to five years.

FILE - Dr. Martin Kulldorff speaks during a meeting of the Advisory Committee in Immunization Practices at the CDC, June 25, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)

Chairman of vaccine committee leaves for new HHS job

December 1, 2025

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has replaced the head of his controversial vaccine advisory committee. Federal officials announced Monday that Martin Kulldorff is leaving the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for a leadership role within the Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Kirk Milhoan, who has blamed vaccines for causing cardiovascular disease, will become the new chair. Kennedy had previously fired the entire 17-member panel and replaced it with a group that includes several anti-vaccine voices. The committee is scheduled to meet later this week.

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while in flight on Air Force One from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., to Joint Base Andrews, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Trump says he’ll release MRI results; he doesn’t know what part of his body was scanned

November 30, 2025

President Donald Trump says he’ll release the results of his MRI test that he received in October. During an exchange with reporters as he traveled back to Washington from Florida on Sunday, he said: “If you want to have it released, I’ll release it.” He said the results of the MRI were “perfect.” The White House has so far declined to detail why he had an MRI during his physical last month, or on what part of his body. Trump added Sunday that he has “no idea” on what part of his body he got the MRI.

FILE - Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., participates in a debate, June 2, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)

Fetterman says he’s back home after a fall put the Pennsylvania senator in the hospital

November 16, 2025

John Fetterman says he’s back home with his family in Pennsylvania after being hospitalized. The senator’s office said he had a ventricular fibrillation flare-up that caused him to feel light-headed and fall during an early morning walk Thursday. The Democratic lawmaker posted a picture Saturday on X that showed the aftereffects to his nose and forehead, saying “20 stitches later and a full recovery, I’m back home.” Fetterman also says he was grateful for the medical team that treated him.

Washington resident is infected with a different type of bird flu

November 14, 2025

Health officials in Washington state report a resident has contracted bird flu, marking the first U.S. human case since February. The person, an older adult with underlying health conditions, remains hospitalized. Officials confirm the infection is from the H5N5 strain, a first in humans. Experts, including Richard Webby from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, say H5N5 poses no greater threat than the H5N1 strain. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states there’s no increased risk to public health. The patient, from Grays Harbor County, likely contracted the virus from domestic or wild birds. The investigation is ongoing.

2 new malaria treatments announced as drug resistance grows

November 12, 2025

Researchers are reporting two promising approaches to counteract malaria’s growing drug resistance. Switzerland-based Novartis has released results for a new experimental drug called GanLum. Tested in 12 African countries, it shows a cure rate of over 97% and seems to block the spread of malaria. It is more than a year away from availability. Meanwhile, another study in West Africa found that a single dose of four widely available malaria drugs proved effective. These findings were presented Wednesday at a conference in Toronto. The new treatments could complement existing efforts like mosquito nets and vaccines.

FILE - This 1966 microscope photo provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacilli, the organism responsible for causing the disease tuberculosis. (Elizabeth S. Mingioli/CDC via AP, File)

Global tuberculosis diagnoses rise to a record, but deaths fall, WHO reports

November 12, 2025

The number of people diagnosed with tuberculosis worldwide rose again last year, eclipsing 2023’s record total. About 8.3 million people across the globe were reported as newly diagnosed with TB in 2024. The World Health Organization notes that not all infections are diagnosed and that the new numbers represent 78% of the estimated number of actual new cases. Globally, the number of deaths caused by TB fell in 2024. Tuberculosis cases in the U.S. continued to rise last year, reaching the highest level in more than a dozen years. The vast majority of U.S. TB cases are diagnosed in people born in other countries.

A southern rockhopper penguin at the New England Aquarium in Boston, on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Much like a nursing home, penguins at a Boston aquarium can age with dignity

November 3, 2025

Lambert, a critically endangered African penguin, has moved to a special geriatric island at the New England Aquarium in Boston. The island was created for Lambert and six other older penguins to ensure they age safely while staying with their friends. The idea started as a joke, but became a reality after staff noticed the penguins’ physical limitations. The island features flatter terrain and a carpeted path to help the penguins navigate. The older birds receive more frequent checkups and treatments for ailments like arthritis and glaucoma. The aquarium aims to provide a comfortable environment for these long-lived penguins.

FILE - Vials of the Jynneos vaccine for monkeypox are taken from a cooler at a vaccinations site, Aug. 29, 2022, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Jeenah Moon, File)

California mpox cases raise concerns. But health officials say the risk remains low

October 16, 2025

Investigators suspect that two Californians diagnosed with mpox may be the first U.S. cases resulting from the local spread of a different version of the virus. The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services this week confirmed the case through testing at a state lab. Los Angeles County officials on Thursday said they too had such a case. These are not the first U.S. cases of what is known as clade I mpox. Six U.S. cases were reported previously. But the earlier cases were international travelers who were believed to have been infected abroad. Health officials stress that the risk to the public remains low.

Dr. Marty Makary, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, speaks in the Oval Office of the White House during an event with President Donald Trump, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

FDA unveils drugs to receive expedited review in support of ‘national priorities’

October 16, 2025

The Food and Drug Administration is announcing the first round of drugs that will receive drastically expedited reviews at the agency. It’s part of an effort by the Trump administration to prioritize medicines that are seen as supporting U.S. national interests. The nine drugs announced by the agency include a potential treatment for people undergoing infertility treatments. President Donald Trump has pledged to lower costs for those treatments since his days on the campaign trail. Until now, the fastest FDA reviews took at least six months. That’s for groundbreaking drugs to treat life-threatening diseases. Under the new initiative, the FDA is aiming to review the designated drugs in one or two months.

Celia Monreal and her husband Jorge, respond to a question during an interview at their home Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, in Tyler, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

As the shutdown drags on, these people will lose if health care subsidies expire

October 16, 2025

Millions of Americans with Affordable Care Act marketplace health insurance will face higher costs next year if Congress doesn’t extend enhanced premium tax credits that have made the plans more affordable. That prospect is forcing Americans to make difficult decisions about their health care and what they can afford. Among the enrollees is Celia Monreal, a 47-year-old mother of five in Tyler, Texas, whose husband has cartilage loss in his knees. The couple won’t be able to afford their health insurance plan next year if the subsidies expire. The tax credits are at the heart of the federal government shutdown, which has entered a third week with no end in sight.

New York health officials confirm state’s first locally acquired case of chikungunya virus

October 15, 2025

New York health officials have confirmed the state’s first locally acquired case of chikungunya virus and the first such case in the country in six years. The state Department of Health said Tuesday that the mosquito-borne virus, which has been spreading in China and elsewhere, was identified in a person living in Nassau County on Long Island. The county’s health department said the unnamed individual began experiencing symptoms in August after traveling outside of the region but not out of the country. Health officials say it’s not clear how the individual contracted the virus, but that they were likely bit by an infected mosquito.

FILE - A marijuana plant is seen at a medical marijuana dispensary in Egg Harbor Township, N.J., March 22, 2019. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

A drug made from marijuana reduced back pain in a large study

September 29, 2025

A medication made from marijuana successfully reduced back pain in a new study. The results from a German drugmaker published Monday are the latest evidence that cannabis can be used to treat common forms of pain. The company plans to apply for approval in the European Union and eventually in the U.S. In the study of 800 patients, those receiving a liquid formulation of cannabis reported less pain, better sleep and improved physical function. Cannabis remains illegal under U.S. federal law, although most states have legalized the drug for either medical or recreational use. Many patients in state-sponsored medical marijuana programs report using the drug for pain, though quality research is limited.

FILE - This 1971 microscope photo provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteria, which causes the sexually-transmitted disease gonorrhea. (CDC via AP, File)

Sexually transmitted disease cases fall, but not syphilis in newborns

September 24, 2025

New government data shows another decline in sexually transmitted disease rates for U.S. adults, but also a continued rise in syphilis in newborns. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday posted the provisional data for 2024. It shows a third consecutive year of decline in gonorrhea cases. It also shows a second consecutive year of fewer adult cases of chlamydia and the most infectious forms of syphilis. But health officials have not yet been able to turn around the rise in congenital syphilis cases, in which infected moms pass the disease on to their babies. Those cases were up by less than 2% from 2023. But health experts say no cases should be happening.

Boxes of Tylenol pain reliever on shelves in a pharmacy

Tylenol and Autism. What does the research say?

September 23, 2025

Rapid City, SD – Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has become one of the most discussed and studied conditions of the

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attends a memorial for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

What we know about autism’s causes

September 22, 2025

A White House announcement about autism is expected Monday afternoon. President Donald Trump claimed over the weekend that “I think we found an answer” to the developmental disorder. But brain experts say they already know there is no single cause. They say the rhetoric appears to ignore decades of science into the genetic and environmental factors that can play a role. Autism rates are rising, but that’s largely about an expanded definition, more awareness and more screening.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., appears before the Senate Finance Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Photos from a fiery 3-hour Senate hearing with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

September 4, 2025

WASHINGTON By MARK SCHIEFELBEINAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced pointed bipartisan questioning during

Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, left, and Dr. Debra Houry is greeted by friends as workers and supporters rally for departing scientific leaders at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outside the CDC headquarters, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Ben Gray)

Photos show workers rally for senior CDC officials forced off Atlanta headquarters

August 28, 2025

ATLANTA BEN GRAYAssociated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Three senior officials were escorted off the CDC’s Atlanta campus as the White

Braxton Kimura eats at Vitality Bowl on Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Terry Chea)

California bill would require restaurants to disclose food allergens on menus

August 22, 2025

California could become the first U.S. state to require restaurants to disclose common food allergens in each menu item under legislation being considered by state lawmakers. Backers say the measure would protect the growing number of Americans who are severely allergic to foods such as peanuts, eggs and milk. But the restaurant industry says the law would add new burdens and costs on restaurants that are already struggling with tariffs, rising food prices, labor shortages and skittish consumers.

FILE - This 1978 electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows Legionella pneumophila bacteria which are responsible for causing the pneumonic disease Legionnaires' disease. (Francis Chandler/CDC via AP, File)

Death toll from Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in New York City rises to 6 and infections hit 111

August 21, 2025

New York City officials have discovered a sixth death linked to a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Central Harlem, where more than 100 people have been diagnosed with the ailment. Health Department officials said Thursday that the person died earlier this month outside of the city and their death was recently discovered. Officials say 111 people have been diagnosed with the disease and seven people are hospitalized. The bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease had been discovered in 12 cooling towers on 10 buildings, including a city-run hospital and sexual health clinic. Remediation efforts have since been completed on all of the cooling towers.

FILE - A sign outside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention campus in Atlanta is seen as a meeting of the Advisory Committee in Immunization Practices takes place on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)

AMA and other medical associations are kicked out of CDC vaccine workgroups

August 4, 2025

U.S. health officials have told more than a half-dozen of the nation’s top medical organizations that they will no longer help establish vaccination recommendations. The government told the organizations on Thursday via email that their experts are being disinvited from the workgroups that have been the backbone of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. The organizations include the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Several of the organizations issued a statement asking the administration to reconsider, saying it was irresponsible to remove them from the process.

Secretary of Health & Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks alongside U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, during a ceremony announcing that major U.S. ice cream makers will phase out artificial colors by the end of 2027, at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Monday, July 14, 2025 in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Ousted vaccine panel members say rigorous science is being abandoned

July 30, 2025

Seventeen experts ousted from a U.S. vaccine committee are expressing little faith in what the panel has become. U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, accusing them of being too aligned with manufacturers. He replaced them with a smaller group that includes several vaccine skeptics. In a commentary published Wednesday, the ousted members criticize Kennedy and the new panel for abandoning rigorous scientific review. They propose alternative ways to maintain sound vaccine recommendations, such as involving professional organizations.

Sarepta will resume gene therapy shipments after FDA review of recent patient death

July 28, 2025

Shares of drugmaker Sarepta Therapeutics surged in afterhours trading Monday after the company said it would resume shipping its gene therapy. The company’s stock has been under pressure for weeks after a series of patient deaths prompted federal regulators to request a pause on the drug’s use. Elevidys is the first gene therapy approved in the U.S. for Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy, the fatal muscle-wasting disease that affects boys. The Food and Drug Administration said late Monday it recommended resuming shipments for some patients after reviewing the situation. The review included the conclusion that the recent death of an 8-year-old boy was unrelated to the company’s therapy.

8 children taken to hospitals after seizure-like symptoms at Harvard Square church concert

July 23, 2025

Officials say eight children at a church near Harvard University where a French youth choir was holding a concert suffered seizure-like symptoms and were taken to hospitals. The Cambridge Fire Department responded Tuesday evening at St. Paul’s Parish in Harvard Square. Emergency crews were called after one child showed symptoms, which quickly spread to others. All eight were taken to hospitals. Officials confirm the symptoms were non-life-threatening. A hazmat team inspected the church and found no hazardous conditions. The church said a French youth choir performing a mix of sacred and secular music was scheduled to perform.

FILE - Surgical instruments are arranged during an organ procurement surgery June 15, 2023, in Tennessee. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)

US organ donation system faces scrutiny and changes after reports of disturbing near-misses

July 22, 2025

The U.S. is developing new safeguards for the organ transplant system after a government investigation found a Kentucky group continued preparations for donation by some patients who showed signs of life. A House subcommittee Tuesday asked how to repair trust in the transplant network for potential organ donors and families, some of whom have opted out of donor registries after these cases were publicized. One initiative underway is to develop new national policies making clear that anyone – family, hospital staff or organ donation staff – can call for a pause in donation preparations any time there are concerns about the patient’s eligibility.

FILE - The Food and Drug Administration seal is seen at the Hubert Humphrey Building Auditorium in Washington, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

FDA names former pharmaceutical company executive to oversee US drug program

July 21, 2025

The Food and Drug Administration named a longtime pharmaceutical executive to run the agency’s drug program. Dr. George Tidmarsh is the founder and former CEO of several drugmakers. He was named Monday to run the FDA’s center for drugs, which employees nearly 6,000 staffers. His appointment comes a month after the center’s acting director announced her retirement. As the agency’s top drug regulator, Tidmarsh would be tasked with following through on a number of commitments by the Trump administration. That includes reviewing the 25-year-old approval of the abortion pill mifepristone.

FILE - A brain-scanning MRI machine is seen in Pittsburgh, Nov. 26, 2014. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)

Man pulled into MRI machine after he walked into an exam room wearing a chain necklace

July 18, 2025

A man was pulled into an MRI machine in New York after he walked into the room wearing a large chain necklace. The 61-year-old man had entered an MRI room while a scan was underway Wednesday afternoon at Nassau Open MRI. The strong magnetic force drew him into the machine by his metallic necklace, according to the Nassau County Police Department. Police said the incident “resulted in a medical episode” that left the man hospitalized in critical condition. Authorities did not release his name. A person who answered the phone at Nassau Open MRI declined to comment.

Researchers try new ways of preserving more hearts for transplants

July 16, 2025

Two university hospitals are pioneering new ways to expand access to the lifesaving heart transplants for adults and babies. They aim to overcome some barriers to retrieving hearts donated after circulatory death, when the heart stops beating after withdrawal of life support. Surgeons at Duke and Vanderbilt universities say they’ve separately devised some simpler approaches. In the New England Journal of Medicine, they describe small but early successes, transplanting an infant at Duke and three men at Vanderbilt. These are the kinds of transplantable hearts that too often aren’t retrieved depending on how would-be organ donors die.

FILE - A sign warning of bubonic plague is displayed at a parking lot near the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge in Commerce City, Colo., Aug. 10, 2019. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

Northern Arizona resident dies from plague

July 11, 2025

A northern Arizona resident has died from pneumonic plague. Health officials say it’s the first recorded death in the area from pneumonic plague since 2007. Plague is rare in humans with about seven cases reported annually in the U.S., mostly in western states. It’s typically spread by infected fleas or contact with bodily fluids of sick animals. Pneumonic plague infects the lungs and is the deadliest and most contagious form. Plague killed millions of people in 14th century Europe but can easily be treated with antibiotics.

Joe Giordano, surgeon who helped save President Reagan’s life after assassination attempt, has died

July 3, 2025

Dr. Joseph Giordano, a surgeon who played a central role in saving President Ronald Reagan’s life after an assassination attempt in 1981, has died. He was 84. Giordano was in charge of George Washington University Hospital’s trauma teams that treated Reagan when he arrived suffering from a serious gunshot wound to the chest. Over the course of several dramatic hours, doctors stabilized Reagan, retrieved a bullet an inch from his heart and stanched massive internal bleeding.

FDA requires updated warning about rare heart risk with COVID shots

June 25, 2025

U.S. health officials have expanded warnings about a rare heart side effect associated with the two leading COVID-19 vaccines. The Food and Drug Administration announced the update Wednesday, providing more detail about the problem and the number of people who may be affected. Pfizer and Moderna have added the information to their labels and pamphlets for patients. Myocarditis, a type of heart inflammation that is usually mild, emerged as a rare effect with the first COVID-19 shots, mainly in boys and young men. Earlier vaccine labeling advised doctors about the issue. The new warning covers a larger group.

FILE - Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner Marty Makary speaks during a news conference at the Hubert Humphrey Building Auditorium in Washington, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, file)

FDA to offer faster drug reviews to companies promoting ‘national priorities’

June 17, 2025

The Food and Drug Administration says it will begin offering faster reviews to new medicines that align with Trump administration priorities for Americans’ health. The new program announced Tuesday aims to review select drugs in just one to two months. It was announced by FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, who has promised “faster cures” since arriving at the agency in April. Makary says the FDA will begin offering special vouchers to drugmakers who are “aligned with U.S. national priorities.” The FDA already has a variety of programs designed to speed up drug reviews, but they all have fairly strict medical criteria.

FILE - Robert Kennedy Jr., center, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the Health and Human Services Department, walks between meetings with senators on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

Dismissed members of CDC vaccine committee call Kennedy’s actions ‘destabilizing’

June 16, 2025

The 17 experts recently dismissed from a government vaccine advisory panel say Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is making “destabilizing decisions” that could lead to more preventable disease spread. Kennedy last week announced he would “retire” the influential panel that guides U.S. vaccine policy the panel. Two days later, he named eight new people to it. The former panelists all signed onto a commentary published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Kennedy, a leading voice in the anti-vaccine movement before becoming the U.S. government’s top health official, has accused the committee of being too closely aligned with vaccine manufacturers and of rubber-stamping vaccines.

FILE - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration campus in Silver Spring, Md., is photographed, Oct. 14, 2015. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

Second patient death reported with gene therapy for muscular dystrophy

June 16, 2025

Shares of Sarepta Therapeutics have plunged again after the drugmaker reported a second death in connection with its gene therapy for muscular dystrophy. The biotech drugmaker said Sunday it was pausing shipments of the drug for patients who are no longer able to walk. The one-time treatment is the first gene therapy approved in the U.S. for the rare muscle-wasting condition. The company has faced scrutiny since its accelerated approval in 2023. Sarepta says it will pause a study of the therapy and assemble an expert panel to recommend new safety protocols for taking the drug.

From frustration to joy: What I learned about getting a hearing aid

June 4, 2025

It might start when you realize you can’t hear the doorbell, or certain ringtones. Conversation sounds garbled. For Katherine Roth, those signs sent her to a doctor where she discovered she needed a hearing aid. She worried about how to find one, and whether it would be clunky and too expensive. Everyone’s experience is different. But Roth found that hearing aids now can be tiny, easy to use, nearly invisible or even a glitzy accessory. They can also be affordable. Experts say hearing is crucial to cognitive health. You might find an audiologist through your doctor or with the American Academy of Audiologists.

President Donald Trump speaks at U.S. Steel Corporation's Mon Valley Works-Irvin plant, Friday, May 30, 2025, in West Mifflin, Pa. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Trump administration revokes guidance requiring hospitals to provide emergency abortions

June 3, 2025

The Trump administration has announced that it is revoking guidance to the nation’s hospitals that directed them to provide emergency abortions to women when they are necessary to stabilize their medical condition. That guidance was issued to hospitals in 2022, weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court upended national abortion rights in the U.S. It was an effort by the Biden administration to preserve abortion access for extreme cases in which women were experiencing medical emergencies and needed an abortion to prevent organ loss or severe hemorrhaging, among other serious complications. An Associated Press inquiry last year found that, even with that guidance, dozens of pregnant women were being turned away from emergency rooms, including some who needed emergency abortions.

FILE - Health department staff members enter the Andrews County Health Department measles clinic carrying doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in Andrews, Texas. (AP Photo/Annie Rice, File)

All international travelers should get measles vaccinations, CDC says

June 2, 2025

U.S. health officials have changed their advice to international travelers about measles, saying Americans should be vaccinated against the disease no matter where they travel in the world. U.S. residents are recommended to get measles-mumps-rubella shots, anyway. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention previously emphasized the importance of vaccination for travelers going to countries with outbreaks. Last week, the CDC updated its guidance to call for vaccinations for travelers going to any other country at all. One expert says the agency is acknowledging that travel itself can lead to measles exposures.

FILE - A sign is seen outside of Seminole Hospital District offering measles testing, Feb. 21, 2025, in Seminole, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

Amid measles outbreak, Texas is poised to make vaccine exemptions for kids easier

May 27, 2025

Texas has been the center of the nation’s largest measles outbreak in decades. It has sickened more than 700 people in the state and killed two unvaccinated children. Yet even as the outbreak winds down, the state’s Republican-controlled Legislature is poised to make it significantly easier for parents to get the exemption forms needed to enroll their children in school without standard vaccinations for diseases such as measles, polio and hepatitis A and B. A vote by the Senate as early as Sunday could send it to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott

National Health.