A federal judge's decision to strike down the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's mask mandate for travelers is only the latest in a series of challenges that seek to rein in the agency.
As the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines unfolds in the U.S., numerous questions around distribution, supply, hesitancy and efficacy persist. Experts from Harvard and the CDC tackle these questions.
Scientists are trying to figure out how often people without symptoms can transmit the novel coronavirus. If it happens a lot, that could complicate the response to the outbreak.
Sepsis, or blood poisoning, arises when the body overreacts to an infection. An analysis finds that it may be involved in 20% of deaths worldwide, twice the proportion previously estimated.
Black scientists more often seek grants for community health studies, but molecular-level research proposals win more funding. More diversity throughout the process could help close the gap, says NIH.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says people at high risk of being infected with HIV should be offered a daily pill containing antiretroviral medications. The drug's cost remains a hurdle.
While there's been progress in lowering the death rate from prescription opioids in Oklahoma, the number of opioid prescriptions written in the state outpaces the national average.
Families learn to be skeptical about vaccines in communities where incomplete vaccination is the norm. A researcher into the phenomenon found that people are ready to listen, if they're heard, too.
The Trump administration has a plan to end the spread of HIV in the U.S. in 10 years. HIV/AIDS advocates say it's feasible but that the administration's actions on health run counter to the goal.
The president's State of the Union address laid out a series of goals, including lowering prescription prices, pursuing an end to the HIV epidemic and increasing research for childhood cancers.
U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams issued a forceful advisory about vaping by U.S. teenagers, saying electronic cigarette use among young people has reached levels that require urgent action.
What's on people's minds in rural America? A new poll shows that the addiction crisis and economic issues have people worried. But many retain an upbeat outlook about the future of their communities.
PrEP is shorthand for a pill that prevents HIV infection, if taken daily. As Washington, D.C. aims to cut new infections in half by 2020, it hopes to quadruple the number of residents on the medicine.
The fungus Candida auris has infected hospitalized patients with weakened immune systems or other serious conditions. Four of the seven patients died, but it's unclear if the fungus was the cause.
Since a federal parity law was enacted in 2008, health insurers and employers have made progress toward improving coverage for mental health and substance abuse. But enforcement has been lax.
Although a CDC study released today found that 80 percent of cases develop outside the hospital or at a nursing home, many people still don't know about this lethal medical condition.
The warm, wet summer months in Puerto Rico are the perfect breeding time for the mosquitoes that carry Zika virus. As the mosquitoes multiply there, so do the human cases of infection.
For some obstetricians and gynecologists, Zika virus is transforming how they practice medicine. Talks with pregnant patients now include testing for the virus and the risks of long-term effects.
Back in 1983, Congress authorized a public health emergency fund. But the pot of money was never very substantial and it hasn't been replenished. The fund now stands at $57,000.
A year after Baltimore erupted in violence over the death of Freddie Gray, Dr. Leana Wen, the city's health commissioner, talks about progress and setbacks in dealing with issues the unrest exposed.
Andrea Towson, who has used heroin off and on for 30 years, is eager to get treatment. "I just want to wake up and eat breakfast and be normal, no matter what that might be," she says.
There's a fine line between telling people about an emerging public health threat, such as Zika virus, and scaring them out of their wits. Once alarm spreads, it can be hard to make the facts known.
The courts serve as an alternative for people with mental health issues when legal charges are filed. The courts steer people to help through community services rather than jail.
