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Latest Health Headlines

October 21

Kaiser mental health workers strike in Southern California over staffing, workloads

More than 2,400 Kaiser Permanente psychologists, therapists, social workers and other mental health workers in Southern California have begun an open-ended strike over increased workloads and staffing shortages
October 21
October 21

Mexican schools have 6 months to ban junk food sales or face heavy fines

Mexican officials say schools have six months to implement a government-sponsored ban on junk food or face heavy fines
October 21
FILE - A street vendor sells sweet snacks in Mexico City, July 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo, File)
October 21

White House says health insurance needs to fully cover condoms, other birth control

People with private health insurance would be able to pick up over-the-counter methods like condoms, the “morning after” pill and birth control pills for free under a new rule the White House proposed on Monday
October 21
FILE - A one-month dosage of hormonal birth control pills is displayed in Sacramento, Calif., Aug. 26, 2016. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)
October 21

Polio is rising in Pakistan ahead of a new vaccination campaign

Polio cases are rising ahead of a new vaccination campaign in Pakistan, where violence targeting health workers and the police protecting them has hampered years of efforts toward making the country polio-free
October 21
FILE -A police officer stands guard as a health worker, right, administers a polio vaccine to a child in a neighborhood of Peshawar, Pakistan, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Muhammad Sajjad, File)
October 20

Rwanda says no community transmission of Marburg virus, with zero new infections in recent days

Rwanda’s health minister said Sunday that an outbreak of the Marburg virus is not spreading in the country, citing the absence of new infections or deaths in the past six days
October 20
October 20

In New York, a constitutional amendment provides election fodder for the left and the right

Democrats pushed to get a constitutional amendment on New York’s ballot this November because they believed it could energize liberals eager to protect abortion rights
October 20
FILE - Krissy Shields, of New York City, talks with her daughters after creating the shape of a uterus out of flowers by the steps of the Supreme Court, April 21, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
October 19

CVS workers strike at 7 Southern California stores for better pay and health care

Workers at seven CVS pharmacies in Southern California have gone on strike for better pay and health care and to protest what they say is bad-faith contract bargaining by the company
October 19
Workers on strike picket in front of a CVS pharmacy on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jaimie Ding)
October 19

Hundreds of frozen waffle products recalled due to possible listeria contamination

Hundreds of frozen waffle products sold in leading retailers including Walmart and Target are being recalled
October 19
October 19

Rates of childhood obesity have nearly doubled in past 2 decades: CDC

Dr. Patel delivers the health roundup, discussing COVID's impact on cancer and diabetes and also severe obesity in kids and teens.
October 19
VIDEO: Rates of childhood obesity have nearly doubled in past 2 decades: CDC
October 19

With brain injuries a growing problem, the US military tests how to protect troops from blasts

Brain injuries are a growing problem for the U.S. military
October 19
A U.S. special forces soldier sets off an explosive charge during a breaching drill, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, at Fort Liberty in Fayetteville, N.C. Special Operations Command is developing ways to better protect warfighters and evaluate their health risks, particularly during training. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
October 19

Some NC nursing homes still without water, 3 weeks after Hurricane Helene

"We’ve been unable to shower or wash hands,” one resident said.
October 19
Three of Ascent’s Asheville facilities still do not have access to running water. Potable water is being plumbed into the building.
October 18

Judge tells Florida's top doctor not to threaten TV stations over abortion-rights ads

A judge has ordered Florida's surgeon general from making further threats against TV stations over an abortion-rights ad they've been running
October 18
FILE - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis holds up a 15-week abortion ban law after signing it on April 14, 2022, in Kissimmee, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)
October 18

ALS took a young mother's voice away. AI helped her regain it

April Kerner was diagnosed with ALS in 2022 and soon lost her voice completely. Now, using an AI tool that sounds like her original voice, she can communicate again.
October 18
April Kerner was diagnosed with ALS in 2022 and soon lost her voice completely. Now, using an AI tool that sounds like her original voice, she can communicate again.
October 17

Tennessee judges say doctors can't be disciplined for providing emergency abortions

A three-judge panel has ruled that Tennessee cannot discipline doctors who provide emergency abortions to protect the life of the mother while a lawsuit challenging the state’s sweeping abortion ban continues
October 17
FILE - An. Abortion rights demonstrator holds a sign during a rally on May 14, 2022, in Chattanooga, Tenn. (AP Photo/Ben Margot, File)
October 17

15-year-old Kansas football player's death is blamed on heat

Outdoor conditioning while a heat advisory was in effect during the humid summer left 15-year-old football player Ovet Gomez Regalado pale and asking for water
October 17
October 17

Teen smoking and other tobacco use drop to lowest level in 25 years, CDC reports

Teen smoking hit an all-time low in the U.S. this year
October 17
FILE - Cigarettes are arranged for a photograph in New York on Dec. 17, 2019. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison, File)
October 17

CDC reports teen smoking and other tobacco use dropped to lowest level in 25 years

CDC reports teen smoking and other tobacco use dropped to lowest level in 25 years
October 17
October 17

Whooping cough is at a decade-high level in US

U.S. health officials say whooping cough is at its highest level in a decade for this time of year
October 17
This 2016 illustration provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention depicts Bordetella pertussis bacteria, which causes whooping cough, based on electron microscope imagery. (Meredith Newlove/CDC via AP)
October 17

Coast Guard veteran walks across America to raise awareness for mental health

Robert Luna, a retired Coast Guard chief petty officer trekked across the U.S. to help raise awareness for veteran mental health issues.
October 17
VIDEO:
October 17

Committee reviewing euthanasia in Canada finds some deaths driven by homelessness fears, isolation

An expert committee reviewing euthanasia deaths in Canada’s most populous province has identified several cases where patients asked to be killed in part for social reasons such as isolation and fears of homelessness
October 17
The Toronto skyline is seen from Wards Island in Toronto on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Angie Wang)
October 17

Tobacco product use among teens hits 25-year low

The decline in tobacco product use is largely driven by the drop in e-cigarette use, according to new federal data published Thursday.
October 17
The decline in tobacco product use is largely driven by the drop in e-cigarette use, according to new federal data published Thursday.
October 17

Tobacco product use among middle, high school students hits 25-year low: CDC

The decline is largely driven by the drop in e-cigarette use, the report said.
October 17
In this undated stock photo, a teenager smokes a vape with classmates at school.
October 17

ALS took a young mother's voice away. AI helped her regain it

April Kerner uses an AI tool that sounds similar to her original voice.
October 17
April Kerner, from Frederick, Md., was diagnosed with ALS in December 2022. Pictured with her husband, Bill (second from right) and her children (L-R): Ava, Jax and Ryker.
October 17

Africa's mpox deaths surpass 1,000 as health officials urge international support

Africa's top public health agency says the number of mpox-related deaths in the continent has surpassed 1,000 and warned of the continuing threat of cross-border contamination and a lack of rapid test kits
October 17
A man receives a vaccination against mpox, at the General hospital, in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)
October 17

Adult day centers offer multicultural hubs for older people of color

Adult day centers are the most racially diverse long-term care setting in the U.S. They also serve the least amount of people of all long-term care settings, in part because of the cost and limited insurance coverage options
October 17
Haitian Theomene Valentine, 84, waits for lunch at Sunshine Adult Day Center in Bergenfield, N.J., Monday, Aug. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Kena Betancur)
October 17

After hurricane, with no running water, residents organize to meet a basic need

It takes water to flush a toilet yet tens of thousands of North Carolinians have been without it since Hurricane Helene ripped through the state three weeks ago
October 17
Volunteer, Anthony Rubino digs a ditch for pipes to connect water from a community well that will more easily provide the neighborhood with water, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, in Asheville, N.C. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)
October 17

Trump is consistently inconsistent on abortion and reproductive rights

Donald Trump has been shifting his stances on abortion and reproductive rights
October 17
FILE - Reproductive rights advocate Kat Duesterhaus holds up a sign as U.S. President Joe Biden and his Republican rival, former President Donald Trump speak about abortion access, as the the first general election debate of the 2024 season is projected on a outdoor screen at the Nite Owl drive-in theater, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)
October 17

Weight loss drugs like Ozempic may help reduce overdose risks: Study

The large study analyzed the health records of 1.3 million people.
October 17
Boxes of Ozempic, a semaglutide injection drug used for treating type 2 diabetes made by Novo Nordisk, is seen at a Rock Canyon Pharmacy in Provo, Utah, March 29, 2023.
October 17

Uphill battles that put abortion rights on ballots are unlikely to end even if the measures pass

Voters in nine states are deciding next month whether to add the right to abortion to their constitutions
October 17
FILE - Rabbis and supporters from around the country gather for a rally, one day after the midterm elections, to show their support for protecting abortion rights Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022, in Clayton, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)
October 16

Inside ADHD: The struggle to find care

ABC News’ Diane Macedo explores how people with ADHD are having trouble finding care, including booking doctor’s appointments, getting a diagnosis and finding medication in short supply.
October 16
Inside ADHD: The struggle to find care
October 16

New Mexico governor rescinds emergency health order that suspended gun rights in playgrounds

New Mexico’s governor is ending an emergency public health order that suspended the right to carry guns at public parks and playgrounds in the state's largest metro area
October 16
October 16

Judge dismisses lawsuit over old abortion rights ruling in Mississippi

A Mississippi judge has dismissed a lawsuit that challenged a potential conflict between a 2022 state law that bans most abortions and a 1998 state Supreme Court ruling that said abortion is guaranteed in the Mississippi Constitution
October 16
FILE - Hinds County Chancery Judge Crystal Wise Martin listens to arguments during a hearing in Jackson, Miss., Aug. 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
October 16

Mother with ALS uses AI to get her voice back

After losing her voice, April Kerner turned to ElevenLabs, an AI audio research and deployment company that focuses on creating human-like text-to-speech programs.
October 16
After losing her voice, April Kerner turned to ElevenLabs, an AI audio research and deployment company that focuses on creating human-like text-to-speech programs.
October 16

Kidney transplants are safe between people with HIV, new US study shows

A new study found people with HIV can safely receive donated kidneys from deceased donors with the virus
October 16
In this photo provided by Johns Hopkins Medicine, Dr. Dorry Segev, right, performs the first U.S. transplant of a kidney from a deceased donor who had HIV into a recipient living with HIV, in Baltimore, in March 2016. (Johns Hopkins Medicine via AP)
October 16

3 states renew their effort to reduce access to the abortion drug mifepristone

Three states are asking a judge to let them try a new approach with a lawsuit to force the federal government to reduce access to the abortion pill mifepristone
October 16
FILE - A patient prepares to take the first of two combination pills, mifepristone, for a medication abortion during a visit to a clinic in Kansas City, Kan., on, Oct. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
October 16

Listeria recall grows to 12M pounds of meat, poultry; some sent to US schools

A nationwide recall of meat and poultry products potentially contaminated with listeria bacteria has expanded to nearly 12 million pounds
October 16
FILE - The logo of the United States Department of Agriculture is seen, Aug. 10, 2007, at the US Embassy in Berlin. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn, File)
October 16

Abortion rights group sues after Florida orders TV stations to stop airing ad

A group campaigning for a Florida abortion-rights measure is suing state officials over their order to TV stations to stop airing one ad
October 16
FILE - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis holds up a 15-week abortion ban law after signing it on April 14, 2022, in Kissimmee, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)
October 16

Serena Williams says she had a benign cyst removed from her neck and 'all is OK'

Serena Williams says she had a benign branchial cyst “the size of a small grapefruit” removed from her neck and “all is OK.”
October 16
FILE - Serena Williams emcee's the ESPY awards on Thursday, July 11, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
October 16

New UK bill aims to legalize assisted dying for people who are terminally ill

A new bill aiming to legalize assisted dying in Britain was introduced in Parliament on Wednesday, marking the first time in nearly a decade that lawmakers will debate allowing doctors to help end people’s lives after previous court challenges to chang...
October 16
A small demonstration by people advocating assisted dying hold a protest outside the Hoses of Parliament as a bill to legalise assisted dying is to be put before lawmakers in London, England, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
October 16

Texas man facing execution in shaken baby syndrome case awaits clemency ruling

The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles has denied a request for clemency for a man who this week could be the first person in the U.S. executed for a murder conviction tied to the diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome
October 16
Casandra Rivera, left, Anna Vasquez, second from left, and Elizabeth Ramirez, center, of the "San Antonio 4" group, hold boxes with petitions being delivered in the Texas State capitol for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott seeking the pardoning of Robert Roberson's execution, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024 in Austin, Texas. Roberson, 57, is scheduled to receive a lethal injection on Oct. 17, for the 2002 killing of his 2-year-old daughter, Nikki Curtis, in the East Texas city of Palestine. Roberson has long proclaimed his innocence. (AP Photo/Nadia Lathan)
October 16

California health care workers get a pay bump under a new minimum wage law

Some of the lowest-paid health care workers in California are getting a pay bump under a state law
October 16
FILE - Retirees Ron Martin, left, and Willie Mae Hampton, right, join other supporters of the Service Employees International Union at a rally against proposed budget cuts to state provided social safety net programs, in Sacramento, Calif., Tuesday, June 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)
October 16

Takeaways from AP's report on euthanasia, doctors and ethics in Canada

Canada has arguably the world’s most permissive system of euthanasia
October 16
The Canadian flag is blown by wind on Centre Island in Toronto on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Angie Wang)
October 16

Years of war in Congo have created a dire mental health crisis. But little support is available

Years of conflict in eastern Congo have created a dire mental health crisis
October 16
Nelly Shukuru, 51, and others receive counseling in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)
October 16

Private forums show Canadian doctors struggle with euthanizing vulnerable patients

A homeless man refusing long-term care, a woman with severe obesity, grieving widows
October 16
The Toronto skyline is seen from Wards Island in Toronto on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Angie Wang)
October 15

Missouri abortion-rights campaign fundraising total at $22M one month before election

A campaign to enshrine abortion rights in the Missouri Constitution has raised close to $22 million
October 15
FILE - Missouri residents and pro-choice advocates react to a speaker during Missourians for Constitutionals Freedom kick-off petition drive, Feb. 6, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga, File)
October 15

What we know about Trump, Harris medical records after VP releases doctor's report

The White House released Harris' medical history over the weekend.
October 15
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally at Erie Insurance Arena, in Erie, Pa., Oct. 14, 2024.
October 15
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign event, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 in Walker, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
October 15

Protesters demand Kellogg remove artificial colors from Froot Loops and other cereals

Dozens of people have rallied outside the Michigan headquarters of WK Kellogg Co. to demand that the company remove artificial dyes from their cereals in the U.S. The maker of Froot Loops and Apple Jacks announced nearly a decade ago that it would remo...
October 15
FILE - Boxes of Kellogg's Fruit Loops cereal are displayed in a Target store in Pittsburgh, Nov. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
October 15

Puerto Rico police investigate 8 deaths and about two dozen suspected fentanyl overdoses in one town

At least eight people have died in a town on Puerto Rico’s north coast in recent days after authorities say around two dozen suffered from suspected overdoses linked to drugs likely contaminated with fentanyl
October 15
October 15

Michigan is paying $13M after shooter drill terrified psychiatric hospital for kids

A judge has approved a $13 million settlement in a lawsuit over an unannounced active shooter drill at a Michigan psychiatric hospital for children
October 15