Remember Zika? Yes, It Is Still A Problem
July 3, 2019
Morning Briefing
Even though the media coverage of the disease almost completely dropped off, it doesn’t mean Zika vanished entirely. “The next outbreak is not a matter of if, but when,” said Dr. Ernesto T.A. Marques, a public health researcher at The Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Rio de Janeiro. In other public health news: the idea of “real-world” evidence, acupuncture, stories from veterans, weight loss, Ebola, and more.
The Feds’ Termination Of A Tiny Contract Inflames Bitter Fight Over Fetal Tissue
By Emmarie Huetteman
October 8, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Just weeks before midterm elections, a move by federal health officials spotlights a contentious issue: the use of human fetal tissue in research. Here’s what you need to know to understand the debate.
CDC Used To Be One Of World’s Preeminent Disease-Fighting Bodies, But Agency Gutted Under Trump
April 16, 2020
Morning Briefing
The CDC played a major role in eradicating smallpox, as well as the near-elimination of polio. Globally, it won acclaim for helping fight AIDS, Ebola and Zika. Now, under President Donald Trump, experts say its a non-entity in the battle against the coronavirus. In other news from the Trump administration: Vice President Mike Pence put to the test; HHS Secretary Alex Azar snubbed by White House; health experts getting pushed to side in briefings; and more.
‘Closely Associated With People:’ Species Of Mosquitoes That Can Transmit Zika Is Spreading Out In Parts Of California, Health Official Warns
September 23, 2019
Morning Briefing
California health officials are monitoring aggressive and invasive Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. In New Hampshire, officials warn about the spread of the mosquitoes carrying the Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus. Public health news is on weedkillers, sickle cell disease, pancreatic cancer, food safety, cesarean deliveries, and a smoking ban at VA facilities, as well.
On Paper, More Americans Can Opt To Choose Aid-In-Dying Than Ever. But Reality Looks A Lot Different.
July 9, 2019
Morning Briefing
There are still many obstacles that face those who want to access medication to end their lives on their own terms, even after legislation is passed guaranteeing them that right. In other public health news: primary care doctors, Zika, noise in hospitals, cancer research, accessibility apps, and more.
A esta madre hispana no le dijeron que tenía zika
By JoNel Aleccia
June 21, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Los resultados estuvieron listos en diciembre, pero Andrea Pardo no fue notificada hasta abril, cuando ya tenía 37 semanas de embarazo, de que había estado infectada con el virus del zika.
Trump Administration Restricts Fetal Tissue Research, Securing Another Victory For Anti-Abortion Activists
June 6, 2019
Morning Briefing
The Trump administration took steps to sharply curtail fetal tissue research by blocking scientists from using federal funds to conduct research that relies on material collected from elective abortions. HHS will also cancel an existing HIV research contract with the University of California, San Francisco. Officials say that the decision came from the president. Scientists are dismayed by the announcement and worried that the restrictions will curtail major breakthroughs on diseases such as HIV, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, Zika and more.
A Clinic Mix-Up Leaves Pregnant Woman In Dark About Zika Risk
By JoNel Aleccia
June 21, 2017
KFF Health News Original
A Washington state woman didn’t find out for months that she was likely infected with the virus that can cause serious birth defects. Clinic officials say they’ll do better.
Zika en América: la saga de una mamá hispana
By JoNel Aleccia
Photos by Heidi de Marco
June 13, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Lo primero que hizo María Ríos cuando nació su beba es chequear el tamaño de su cabeza. Fue entonces cuando supo que sus miedos se habían hecho realidad: la niña había nacido con microcefalia, una consecuencia del zika.
Zika In America: One Mother’s Saga
By JoNel Aleccia
Photos by Heidi de Marco
June 13, 2017
KFF Health News Original
So far, 72 affected babies have been born in the continental U.S. One young mother, infected in Mexico last year, and her infant face an uncertain future in rural Washington.
A New Zika Threat Hovers As Summer’s Mosquitoes Get Bzzzzy
By Shefali Luthra and Carmen Heredia Rodriguez
May 30, 2017
KFF Health News Original
The Zika virus, which made its appearance in the U.S. last summer, is still not well understood, and federal and state officials are not sure what to expect this year.
Adolescents Treated With Some ADHD Drugs Like Adderall May Be At Higher Risk Of Having Psychotic Event
March 21, 2019
Morning Briefing
The risk is “low enough that you can’t say, ‘just don’t prescribe Adderall,’” said Dr. Lauren Moran, the study’s lead author. “But from a public health perspective, there’s so many millions of people being prescribed these medications that it actually leads to thousands of people at increased risk of psychosis.” In other public health news: Zika, sugary drinks, depression and more.
Federal Money For State-Level Zika Tracking, Prevention May End This Summer
By Ana B. Ibarra
May 2, 2017
KFF Health News Original
California has reported more than 500 travel-related Zika infections, and five babies have been born in the state with birth defects related to the mosquito-borne disease.
As Public Concern Over Zika Eases In U.S., Efforts To Find Tests, Treatments For Dangerous Virus Stall
October 17, 2018
Morning Briefing
The inability to provide quick, inexpensive tests to diagnose the virus is hindering efforts in Angola to track the disease that can cause severe disabilities in babies, health experts say. In other news on Zika, mothers in Brazil give around-the-clock care for their disabled children.
Scaling Back On Foods, Drinks With Added Sugars Can Reduce Fatty Liver In Millions Of Overweight Children
January 23, 2019
Morning Briefing
Added sugars, typically high in fructose, aren’t discouraged in current health guidelines and can lead to obesity. Other public health news looks at liver disease causes, definitions of toxic masculinity, new insights into MS, a report on black lung disease, benefits of insta-workouts, educating future doctors about LBGTQ issues, protection from Zika and more.
For Therapeutic Clowns, Silliness Is Serious Business
December 13, 2018
Morning Briefing
A quest to find out if therapeutic clowns were really helping disabled children who could not respond to their antics leads to an exploration of those kids’ silent worlds. In other public health news: gene-editing, eczema and suicide, Zika, dirty air, tampons, salmonella, diabetes, and more.
Hurricane’s Health Toll: A Texas Doctor Taps Lessons From Katrina
By Shefali Luthra
September 6, 2017
KFF Health News Original
After weathering the catastrophe in New Orleans 12 years ago, Dr. Ruth Berggren moved to Texas, where she again finds herself in the center of a hurricane crisis. In a Q&A, she draws parallels between the harrowing events and pinpoints risks in Harvey’s aftermath.
First Look At How Zika Babies Are Faring As They Grow Up Is Sobering In Breadth Of Health Problems
August 8, 2018
Morning Briefing
About one out of every seven babies who were exposed to Zika in the womb have health complications, with some of the problems emerging well after birth. “We are still early in the Zika story, and we still have lot to learn about how these children will grow and develop,” said Margaret Honein, director of the CDC’s Division of Congenital and Developmental Disorders.
Sperm Counts Have Been Dropping For Decades — And Companies Are Seizing Opportunity To Ease Men’s Concerns
July 26, 2018
Morning Briefing
Where there’s a potential health crisis, there comes a way to make money from it. Companies are popping up with at-home sperm tests, sperm health scores and sperm cryobanking services. In other public health news: Zika’s destructive power, physician-assisted suicide, brain injuries in soldiers, eating disorders, and more.
‘We Never Give Up’: When Illnesses Are Mystifying, Researchers In The Undiagnosed Disease Network Look For Answers
January 8, 2019
Morning Briefing
Doctors in 12 clinical centers pull out all the stops to try to find a diagnosis and treatment for thousands of patients looking for miracles. Public health news also focuses on a mosquito-borne virus worse than Zika; the Dunning-Kruger effect; the poor’s smoking rates; race and Alzheimer’s disease; stroke risk; the birth of a podcast; the future of newborn DNA testing; what it’s like to have nut-allergies; the upside of breakups; and good news about braces.