Health News

(WASHINGTON) -- Lawyers for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Susan Monarez said Wednesday evening that she would not leave her post as a top public health official, despite attempts by White House officials and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to oust her for "protecting the public" over "a political agenda.""When CDC Director Susan Monarez refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated […]

(NEW YORK) -- As the federal government shutdown enters its third week, some Americans are worried about the future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies.The subsidies, or premium tax credits, help lower or eliminate the out-of-pocket cost of monthly premiums for those who purchase insurance through the health insurance marketplace.They were enhanced during the COVID-19 pandemic and are currently set to expire at the end of 2025.Democrats have been […]

(NEW YORK) -- Health officials in Los Angeles County said on Friday they are investigating a possible local spread of a more severe strain of mpox.Two cases of the strain were identified among Los Angeles County residents with no recent travel history.It comes after the first U.S. case of the more severe strain of mpox without known travel was identified in a patient from Long Beach, California, bringing the total […]

(NEW YORK) -- The first U.S. case of a more severe strain of mpox without any recent travel history has been identified in California.Health officials said this week that the case was confirmed in a Long Beach resident. The patient required hospitalization and is now isolating and recovering at home.No other identifying details were provided about the patient, including name, age or sex.While this is the seventh case of the […]

(NASSUA COUNTY, N.Y.) -- The New York State Department of Health has confirmed a case of locally acquired chikungunya on Long Island, marking the first case of the virus reported to be locally acquired in New York and the first locally acquired case to be reported in the United States since 2019.Laboratory testing at the department’s Wadsworth Center confirmed the case in Nassau County on Long Island, according to health […]

(NEW YORK) -- The United States death rate decreased by 3.8% in 2024 as COVID fell out of the top 10 leading causes of death for the first time in four years, new provisional federal data shows.The overall rate declined from 750.5 per 100,000 people in 2023 to 722 per 100,000, according to the report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).This marks […]

(WASHINGTON) -- As the federal government shutdown enters its tenth day, one major health care issue has continued to be a sticking point: insurance subsidies.The Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, or premium tax credits, help lower or eliminate the out-of-pocket cost of monthly premiums for those who purchase insurance through the health insurance marketplace.Eligibility for the subsidies can include factors such as household income and geographic location.The subsidies were part […]

(FLORIDA) -- A top Florida pediatrician warned Thursday that the state's plan to eliminate all vaccine mandates could lead to outbreaks of preventable diseases and put vulnerable populations at risk.Dr. Lisa Gwynn, a former president of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Florida chapter, told ABC News that removing vaccine requirements for public school children could endanger not just students, but also "newborn infants, elderly populations, and people with compromised immune systems, including […]

(NEW YORK) -- People who use their smartphones while sitting on the toilet face are at higher risk for painful, itchy hemorrhoids, according to new research published in the journal PLOS One.Researchers investigated the bathroom habits of 125 adults undergoing screening colonoscopies at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. About two-thirds of participants reported scrolling through their smartphones while sitting on the toilet.Those who were glued to their phone […]