Study projects hepatitis B vaccine delay could increase infections, deathsVideo
The Trump administration’s recommendation against universal hepatitis B vaccination for babies on the day they’re born could lead to hundreds of infections and dozens of deaths, according to a study published Monday in JAMA Pediatrics. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine panel said in December babies born to...
New FDA analysis says infant formula supply is safe after testing for potential contaminants
A new analysis of chemicals in U.S. infant formula found reassuringly low levels of heavy metals, pesticides and other potential contaminants, federal health officials said Wednesday. The review was conducted as part of the Food and Drug Administration’s Operation Stork Speed project — billed as the “largest and most rigorous”...
Push for raw milk intensifies across the US, despite illness outbreaks and scientists’ warnings
Backers of raw milk are pushing to make the potentially dangerous product more widely available and easier to obtain, even as a new outbreak — one of at least five in the past year — sickens U.S. children. More than three dozen bills supporting raw milk have been introduced in...
Most sunscreens harm corals. Here’s what you can do
Every time you go for a swim, some of your sunscreen gets left behind. An estimated 25% of applied sunscreen washes off during recreational water activities, releasing some 5,000 tons annually in reef areas alone, according to a study in Environmental Health Perspectives. That’s equivalent to the weight of about...
Nebraska is becoming the 1st state to implement a Medicaid work requirement signed by Trump
OMAHA, Neb. — Nebraska on Friday will become the first state to enforce work, volunteer or education requirements for new Medicaid applicants, eight months before the federally mandated requirements kick in. Advocates worry that the state is launching so rapidly that key details remain unresolved and some people who are...
North Huntingdon therapy collective aims to improve mental health counselors’ working conditions amid rising demands
Jeannette therapist Sarah Ludwig is on a mission to improve mental health counselors’ working environment. Ludwig, 36, has worked for various private therapy practices in her 12 years as a mental health counselor specializing in sexual violence cases. Though she finds the field rewarding, counselors often are burdened with high...
CDC reports surge in antibiotic-resistant stomach bug
A common stomach bug is becoming harder to treat, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, adding to the growing list of infections that can withstand several lines of antibiotics. A CDC report released this month found “extensively drug-resistant” bacteria caused about 9% of shigellosis cases in 2023, up...
Tick season seems to be off to a fast start, and some experts worry about future illnesses
NEW YORK — Tick season seems to be off to a fast start, with an unusually high number of bites already reported across the country. Some U.S. doctors are worried about the potential for a bad year for tick-borne diseases. “If you have a lot of exposures, there will probably...
FDA plans ultra-fast review of 3 psychedelic drugs following Trump directive
WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration said Friday it will offer ultra-fast review to three psychedelic drugs being developed to treat mental health conditions, including depression, the latest step by the Trump administration toward possible approval of the experimental treatments. President Donald Trump signed an executive order last weekend...
How conspiracy theories about missing or dead scientists went from online forums to the White House
Speculation about links among a handful U.S. scientists who have died or disappeared in recent years was largely confined to niche online communities less than two months ago. As of Friday, the number had grown to at least 12 and was at the epicenter of U.S. government, with both the...
Drugmaker to seek FDA approval of Ozempic pill for diabetic kids
Novo Nordisk said Thursday it will seek federal approval to expand the use of its Ozempic and Rybelsus pills to kids and teenagers with Type 2 diabetes. The Danish drugmaker expects to file its request with the Food and Drug Administration in the second half of this year. The agency’s...
Trump reclassifies state-licensed medical marijuana as a less-dangerous drug in a historic shift
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s acting attorney general on Thursday signed an order reclassifying state-licensed medical marijuana as a less-dangerous drug, a major policy shift long sought by advocates who said cannabis should never have been treated like heroin by the federal government. The order signed by Todd Blanche does...
U.S. health officials nix publication of a study on covid vaccine effectiveness
NEW YORK — U.S. health officials stopped the publication of a study on whether the covid-19 vaccine was keeping adults from becoming sick enough to have to go to the hospital. A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spokesman on Wednesday confirmed the decision to halt publication, citing a...
U.K. passes bill that will eventually ban cigarette purchases
LONDON — Opponents of smoking got a breath of fresh air as Parliament passed a bill that will put cigarettes out of reach for future generations. “The end of smoking, and the devastating harm it causes, is no longer uncertain — it’s inevitable,” Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of Action on...
Exploring barefoot trails on 2 continents as a way to connect with nature this Earth Day
GUTACH, Germany — At the edge of a trail in Germany’s picturesque Black Forest region, waterlogged steps sink into ankle-deep water and mud, requiring careful footing. An ocean away, a sandy trail in the ponderosa forests of northern Arizona demands treading just as deliberately when walkers reach a line of...
Senate hearings with RFK Jr. put Bill Cassidy’s competing loyalties to Trump and science on display
A Republican senator juggling three roles — lawmaker, doctor and political candidate seeking reelection — walked a fine line on Wednesday as he questioned Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist who has moved to dramatically roll back the nation’s childhood vaccine recommendations. Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy,...
Flu vaccine no longer mandated for U.S. troops, Pete Hegseth maintains
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Tuesday that the U.S. military will no longer require all American troops to get the flu vaccine, citing “medical autonomy” and religious freedom. “The notion that a flu vaccine must be mandatory for every service member, everywhere, in every circumstance at all times...
Mark Cuban weighs in on Kamala Harris, health care, before Pittsburgh visit
Billionaire and Mt. Lebanon native Mark Cuban didn’t have to think twice Tuesday when asked if he’d support another presidential run by former Vice President Kamala Harris. “No,” he replied to a Politico reporter during the online news outlet’s annual health care summit in Washington, D.C. Moments earlier, he shut...
What to know about psychedelic retreats, a booming business with few safety guardrails
WASHINGTON — Surging interest in the purported benefits of psychedelic drugs has given rise to books, documentaries and conferences dedicated to the mind-altering substances. Now add one more business to the list: psychedelic retreats. Hundreds of outfits across the world are offering multiday trips where attendees pay for drug-assisted experiences...
Pennsylvania court overturns limits on Medicaid coverage for abortions
A Pennsylvania court on Monday said that the state’s constitution guarantees a right to abortion while striking down a decades-long law banning the use of state Medicaid funds to cover abortion costs. The ruling by a divided seven-judge panel of the appellate-level Commonwealth Court is a major victory for Planned...
Trump signs order to speed review of psychedelics, including the controversial drug ibogaine
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Saturday directed his administration to speed up reviews of certain psychedelic drugs, including ibogaine, which recently has been embraced by combat veterans and conservative lawmakers despite having serious safety risks. Ibogaine and other psychedelics remain banned under the federal government’s most restrictive category for...
Trump’s dyslexia barbs stir anguish and anger, perpetuating a myth about the learning disability
WASHINGTON — Lauryn Muller was scrolling on social media when she saw a clip of President Donald Trump belittling California Gov. Gavin Newsom for having dyslexia. It stirred a well of emotion for the 18-year-old Muller, bringing back memories of her own struggles learning to read and the times she...
Allegheny County Area Agency on Aging cuts back as budget falls short
Allegheny County’s Area Agency on Aging is facing a projected shortfall of more than $5 million in its roughly $50 million budget — a gap officials say will mean longer wait times, new service limits and reduced access for older adults seeking help. On Friday, officials said the agency, part...
$1.3B UPMC Presbyterian Hospital tower construction enters home stretch
Sunlight streams in from almost every angle of UPMC’s new glass-paneled hospital tower in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood. Each of the 636 patient rooms has floor-to-ceiling windows, incorporating research showing the therapeutic effects of a connection with nature. The respite areas for workers to collect their thoughts during tough days follow...
Trump nominates Erica Schwartz, former deputy surgeon general, to serve as CDC director
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday nominated Erica Schwartz, a former deputy surgeon general, to be the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In a social media post, Trump described Schwartz as “incredibly talented” and said, “She is a STAR!” The Atlanta-based CDC, which is...
