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Latest Health Headlines

March 20

200 years after the creation of braille, blind people in Mali say it has allowed them to fit in

Two hundred years have passed since the invention of braille, the tactile writing system that has transformed the lives of many blind and partially sighted people
March 20
A Braille alphabet on display in Bamako, Mali, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Moustapha Diallo)
March 19

Do you need another measles vaccine dose? Experts reveal who is protected

Experts say most vaccinated adults don't need another dose.
March 19
Boxes and vials of the Measles, Mumps, Rubella Virus Vaccine at a vaccine clinic put on by Lubbock Public Health Department, March 1, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas.
March 19

Jury convicts alleged ringleader of massive pandemic food fraud scheme on all counts

A jury has found the alleged ringleader of a massive pandemic fraud case in Minnesota guilty on all counts for her role in a scheme that federal prosecutors say stole $250 million from a program meant to feed children in need
March 19
Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa Kirkpatrick, center, speaks during a press conference at the Minneapolis federal courthouse, Wednesday, March 19, 2025, in Minneapolis, after a jury found the alleged ringleader of a massive pandemic fraud case in Minnesota guilty on all counts for her role in a scheme that federal prosecutors say stole $250 million from a program meant to feed children in need. (Kerem Yücel/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)
March 19

Dispute between parents, Ohio school district over gender pronouns goes before judges

The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati is hearing arguments in a lawsuit pitting a suburban Ohio school district’s policy on preferred pronouns against the free speech rights of classmates who believe there are only two genders
March 19
FILE - Protesters advocating for transgender rights and healthcare stand outside of the Ohio Statehouse on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Patrick Orsagos, File)
March 19

Purdue Pharma submits opioid lawsuit settlement plan, including up to $7 billion cash from Sacklers

Members of the Sackler family who own the OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma would hand over the company and up to $7 billion in cash in the latest plan to settle thousands of lawsuits over the toll of opioids
March 19
March 18

Appeals court blocks Ohio's ban on gender-affirming care for minors

A three-judge panel has ruled that Ohio’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors is unconstitutional and ordered it permanently blocked by a trial court
March 18
FILE - A sign reads, "Keep religion out of our government," at the Central Ohio March for Queer and Trans Youth, March 31, 2023, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Patrick Orsagos, File)
March 18

US births rose last year, but experts don't see it as a trend

U.S. births rose slightly last year, but experts don’t see it as evidence of reversing a long-term decline
March 18
FILE - A pregnant woman stands for a portrait in Dallas, Thursday, May 18, 2023. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)
March 18

Texas measles outbreak grows, nears US 2024 total

The majority of cases are among children and teens 17 and under, the state said.
March 18
A member of the medical staff administers a dose of the measles vaccine to a child at a health center in Lubbock, Texas, on Feb. 27, 2025.
March 18

Report highlights how communities hardest hit by climate change can build resilient water systems

A new report identifies ways to create resilient water and wastewater systems in communities hardest hit by climate change
March 18
FILE - Low water levels at Wahweap Bay at Lake Powell along the Upper Colorado River Basin are pictured, June 9, 2021, at the Utah and Arizona border at Wahweap, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)
March 18

Arizona Supreme Court taps AI avatars to make the judicial system more publicly accessible

Arizona highest court has created a pair of AI-generated avatars to deliver news of all rulings issued by the justices
March 18
The Arizona Judicial Council discusses the Arizona Supreme Court's new use of AI-generated avatars that are used to relay information to the public on Thursday, March 13, 2025., in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Sejal Govindarao)
March 17

Texas community comes together to find new solutions to end infant mortality

ABC News’ Mireya Villarreal reports on infant mortality rates in Ft. Worth, Texas, where local leaders are coming together with new solutions to create a template for communities across the country.
March 17
VIDEO: Texas community comes together to find new solutions to end infant mortality
March 17

HHS appears to delete Surgeon General gun violence advisory webpage

The HHS said it is complying with an executive order from President Trump.
March 17
Dr. Vivek H. Murthy speaks onstage at The Archewell Foundation's "Parents' Summit: Mental Wellness in a Digital Age" at Hudson Yards, Oct. 10, 2023, in New York.
March 17

FDA staff return to crowded offices, broken equipment and missing chairs

Thousands of Food and Drug Administration employees are returning to the office to find overflowing parking lots, cramped workspaces and missing equipment
March 17
FILE - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration building behind FDA logos at a bus stop on the agency's campus in Silver Spring, Md, Thursday, Aug. 2, 2018. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
March 17

Eat grass-fed beef, help the planet? Research says not so simple

A new study out Monday finds that even in the most optimistic scenarios, grass-fed beef is no less carbon-intensive than industrial beef
March 17
FILE - Cattle graze on a ranch in Lufkin, Texas, April 18, 2023. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)
March 17

Gender-affirming care may lower depression risk, study finds

The study acknowledges other factors may also play a part.
March 17
A person walks past a Transgender flag during The TransFest 2023 in the Queens, New York, July 29, 2023.
March 15

Measles cases grow as RFK Jr. makes controversial claims about treatment

Plus, why the FDA has recalled certain skincare products and a new report that children should avoid slushies.
March 15
VIDEO: Measles cases grow as RFK Jr. makes controversial claims about treatment
March 15

5 years after WHO declared COVID pandemic, front-line health care workers reflect

Health care workers recall how they were learning new information every day.
March 15
A patient is taken from an ambulance to the emergency room of a hospital in the Navajo Nation town of Tuba City during the 57-hour curfew, imposed to try to stop the spread of the Covid-19 virus through the Navajo Nation, in Arizona, May 24, 2020.
March 14

Texas measles outbreak hits 259; just 2 cases among fully vaccinated

Health officials said they expect more cases to be confirmed in the future.
March 14
Signs point the way to measles testing in the parking lot of the Seminole Hospital District across from Wigwam Stadium, on Feb. 27, 2025, in Seminole, Texas.
March 14

Former CDC director argues for stronger guidance on infant measles vaccine dose

Dr. Rochelle Walensky called for wider guidance in a new opinion paper.
March 14
A vial of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is on display at the Lubbock Health Department, on Feb. 26, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas.
March 14

Debunking RFK Jr.'s measles claims

RFK Jr. has claimed measles can be treated with vitamin A and that severe infection is linked to poor diet. But many experts who spoke with ABC News disagreed.
March 14
Debunking RFK Jr.'s measles claims
March 14

RFK Jr. has made several claims about measles. Here's what the science says

Measles cases are rising in the U.S. as outbreaks grow in Texas and New Mexico.
March 14
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies before a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, January 30, 2025.
March 14

Dr. Mehmet Oz heads to the Senate with pitch to oversee America's health insurance programs

Dr. Mehmet Oz, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, will testify before the Senate Finance Committee on Friday morning
March 14
Dr. Mehmet Oz, President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, testifies at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, March 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
March 13

Expert advice to improve your sleep

Behavioral sleep medicine specialist Jade Wu discusses some potentially surprising ways we can improve our sleep.
March 13
VIDEO: Expert advice to improve your sleep
March 13

Europe saw highest number of measles cases last year in more than 25 years, WHO says

There were an estimated 127,350 measles cases in the Europe region last year.
March 13
The logo of the WHO is seen on panel in front of the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) on January 23, 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland.
March 13

US aid cuts are hurting Africa's ability to respond to disease outbreaks, health chief says

Aid cuts by the United States are hurting Africa’s capacity to respond to disease outbreaks, the head of the continent's public health agency said ahead of a meeting with regional health ministers to discuss other financing options
March 13
Mpox scars are seen on the hands of Bintu Biringingwa, at the Miti Murhesa hospital, some 25kms from Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Janvier Barhahiga)
March 13

'We will just die in silence': US aid cuts hit Ethiopia's fragile Tigray region

Aid agencies distributing U.S. food aid in Ethiopia's war-affected Tigray region say they have had to stop feeding millions of people because of the Trump administration's restrictions on foreign aid
March 13
A sign reading 'USAID' stands at the entrance of the Sebacare internally displaced persons (IDPs) camp, on the outskirts of Mekele, Tigray region, Ethiopia, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Alexander Mamo)
March 12

Alzheimer's Association pairs up with New Mexico in US pilot program to raise awareness

New Mexico has paired up with the Alzheimer’s Association in a pilot U.S. initiative aimed at raising awareness about a disease that affects several million people in the country
March 12
A billboard flashes a message as part of a new statewide Alzheimer's awareness campaign that includes digital advertisements around in Albuquerque, N.M., Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan)
March 12

CDC nominee Dave Weldon is likely to be pressed on his vaccine views at Senate hearing

President Trump's nominee to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is getting ready to appear before Congress
March 12
FILE - Former Congressman Dr. David Weldon speaks in The Villages, Fla., on May 31, 2012. (AP Photo/Brendan Farrington, File)
March 12

What are ultraprocessed foods? Are they bad for you?

The Trump Administration's quest to “Make America Health Again” is targeting ultraprocessed foods
March 12
FILE - A woman looks at products in the aisle of a store as her daughter naps in the shopping cart in Waco, Texas, on Dec. 14, 2010. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)
March 11

By The Numbers: What the COVID pandemic has brought over 5 years

A look at the numbers since Covid was announced as a global pandemic five years ago today, and how low vaccination rates still fuel serious infections and illnesses.
March 11
VIDEO: By The Numbers: What the COVID pandemic has brought over 5 years
March 11

Authorities confirm a meningitis outbreak in the northwest has killed 26 people

Nigerian authorities confirm a meningitis outbreak in the northwest has killed 26 people since January
March 11
March 11

5 years ago, the WHO declared COVID a pandemic

It's been five years since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic.
March 11
VIDEO: 5 years ago, the WHO declared COVID a pandemic
March 11

223 measles cases confirmed in Texas as outbreak grows

The Texas Department of State Health Services published new data on Tuesday.
March 11
Ethan Turner holds his 14 month old son, Niko, while he gets the MMR vaccine from Raynard Covarrubio at a vaccine clinic put on by Lubbock Public Health Department on March 1, 2025 in Lubbock, Texas.
March 11

COVID 5 years later: Here are the questions that remains unanswered

The World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak to be a pandemic on March 11, 2020.
March 11
The World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak to be a pandemic on March 11, 2020.
March 11

COVID by the numbers: 5 years after WHO declared the disease a global pandemic

About 1.22 million people have died of COVID in the U.S., CDC data shows.
March 11
People visit the 'In America: Remember' public art installation near the Washington Monument on the National Mall, Sept. 20, 2021 in Washington, DC.
March 11

What we still don't know about COVID 5 years after the WHO declared a pandemic

Questions remain over where COVID came from and how long it spread undetected.
March 11
Health care workers administer a COVID-19 test to patients at a drive-in center at ProHealth Care, Mar. 18, 2020 in Jericho, New York.
March 11

Majority of the world's population breathes dirty air, report says

Most of the world has dirty air, with just 17% of global cities meeting WHO air pollution guidelines, a report Tuesday found
March 11
FILE - A man jogs in the early morning smog in New Delhi, Nov. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup, File)
March 10

Utah will be the first state to ban fluoride in drinking water

Utah's governor intends to sign legislation making the state the first to ban fluoride in public water systems
March 10
FILE - A student drinks from a water fountain at an elementary school in California, Sept. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)
March 10

Court upholds murder conviction in Fitbit murder case despite missteps by prosecutor

The Connecticut Supreme Court has upheld the murder conviction of a man found guilty of killing his wife in 2015, in a case that drew widespread attention because of evidence from the victim's Fitbit exercise activity tracker
March 10
FILE — Richard Dabate, of Ellington, appears at his pre-trial hearing at Rockville Superior Court, May 26, 2017, in Vernon, Conn. (Brad Horrigan/Hartford Courant via AP, Pool, File)
March 10

CDC to study vaccines and autism, despite several studies already finding no link

Vaccine expert Dr. Paul Offit criticizes the decision as something coming from a “science resistant” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
March 10
VIDEO: CDC to study vaccines and autism, despite several studies already finding no link
March 10

Supreme Court to take up bans on conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ kids, in Colorado case

The Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether state and local governments can enforce laws banning conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ children, in a Colorado case
March 10
FILE - The Supreme Court in Washington, June 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
March 09

Some synthetic braiding hair contains harmful chemicals, study says

According to a study by Consumer Reports, there are multiple chemicals found in some synthetic braiding hair, and heating the hair may release what are known as volatile organic compounds.
March 09
VIDEO: Some synthetic braiding hair contains harmful chemicals, study finds
March 09

Oura smart ring flags concerning health data

Nikki Gooding seeks out medical treatment after her Oura smart ring flagged concerning health information.
March 09
Oura smart ring flags concerning health data
March 08

Should we still be 'springing' forward?

Dr. Sudha Tallavajhula, the medical director of the TIRR Memorial Hermann neurological sleep medicine center, discusses the impact that daylight saving time has on our health.
March 08
VIDEO: Should we still be 'springing' forward?