Latest Kaiser Health News Stories
California Lawmakers Send Contested Vaccine Bill To Governor. Will He Sign It?
The state Senate on Wednesday sent a measure to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom that would tighten the rules for children’s medical exemptions from vaccines. Newsom, who said in June that he would sign the measure after amendments had been made at his request, now wants more changes.
As Measles Outbreak Fades, N.Y. Sets In Motion New Rules On School Vaccinations
New York, where nearly 900 people contracted measles this year, has enacted contentious requirements for immunizations.
A Brush With A Notorious Cat, My Rabies Education And The Big Bill That Followed
An encounter with a cat led to rabies shots and provided yet another illustration of how confusing, contrary and expensive the American health care system is.
Hepatitis A Races Across The Country
In the wake of the opioid crisis, the highly communicable hepatitis A virus is spreading in more than half the states and making its way into the general public. Underfunded health officials are valiantly trying to fight it with vaccines.
Federal Experts’ Advice On HPV Vaccine Could Leave Adults Confused
A federal advisory panel says people between ages 27 and 45 may benefit from the vaccine to fight the human papillomavirus. But some public health advocates worry that the advice doesn’t provide doctors and patients clear guidance about who in this large age group are good candidates for the vaccine.
The Real-Life Conversion Of A Former Anti-Vaxxer
Kelley Watson Snyder, a mother who for years opposed mandatory childhood vaccinations and joined with like-minded parents who espoused similar views, today runs a pro-vaccination Facebook page. What changed?
KHN Investigation On Opioid Prescribers Pains Some Readers And Tweeters
Kaiser Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
State Broadens Investigation Of Doctors For Issuing Questionable Vaccination Exemptions
The Medical Board of California is investigating at least four doctors for issuing questionable vaccine exemptions for numerous children. The investigations come amid the nation’s worst measles outbreak in more than a quarter-century.
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health care policy stories each week, so you don’t have to.
Vaccine Drama On Display In California’s Capitol
Hundreds of protesters descended on the state Capitol on Thursday, warning against government tyranny and corporate greed. Their target: not taxes, not high-tech surveillance, but a bill that would determine which kids must get their routine shots.
California Vaccine Bill Amended To Appease Governor
In the wake of concerns from Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Medical Board of California, a state senator on Tuesday unveiled significant amendments to his bill to tighten vaccine requirements. A hearing on the measure is likely to draw hundreds of people to the state Capitol on Thursday.
A Proposal To Make It Harder For Kids To Skip Vaccines Gives Powerful Voices Pause
California lawmakers are debating whether to tighten the rules on childhood vaccinations and give the ultimate say to state public health officials. But questions are emerging from unexpected quarters: the state medical board and Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
How Measles Detectives Work To Contain An Outbreak
Across the nation, public health departments are redirecting scarce resources to try to control the spread of measles. Their success relies on shoe-leather detective work that is one of the great untold costs of the measles resurgence.
Exemptions Surge As Parents And Doctors Do ‘Hail Mary’ Around Vaccine Laws
In California, medical exemptions to skip childhood vaccinations are on the rise. The trend underlines how hard it is to get parents to comply with vaccination laws meant to protect public safety when a small but adamant population of families and physicians seems determined to resist.
How Easy Are Vaccine Exemptions? Take A Look At The Oregon Model
About 95% of parents in Oregon who skip vaccines opt to use the state’s online education tool to print their own exemption certificates.
Must-Reads Of The Week (Some Flying Below The Radar)
Executive editor Damon Darlin takes a spin as host of “The Friday Breeze,” whirling through a week of health care news so you don’t have to.
Does It Make Sense To Delay Children’s Vaccines?
The renewed squabble over vaccinations obscures a large group of parents who aren’t anti-vaxxers but spread out their children’s vaccines at a more gradual pace than doctors recommend. Pediatricians warn that could leave small children vulnerable to disease.
Why Measles Hits So Hard Within N.Y. Orthodox Jewish Community
More than 275 people — mostly in Orthodox Jewish communities — have been infected since the disease began spreading in October. That’s about half of the confirmed cases in 11 states that were reported nationwide by the federal officials since January 2018.
A Parent-To-Parent Campaign To Get Vaccine Rates Up
Kim Nelson started the group South Carolina Parents for Vaccines after learning that religious exemptions from vaccine requirements were way up in her community.
Vaccine Storage Too Often Fails To Meet Standards
Federal officials regulate the handling of vaccines that are provided through the Vaccines for Children program, which offers the medicines generally for children whose families could not afford them. But there is no federal oversight of how these drugs are stored among other health care providers.
