Health Headlines
US drug overdose deaths fell by nearly 27% last year, reaching lowest levels since 2019: CDC
Manusapon Kasosod/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Drug overdose deaths dropped in the United States last year to the lowest levels seen in five years, according to a new federal report published Wednesday morning.The provisional report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics found nationwide drug overdose deaths fell from 110,037 in 2023 to 80,391 in 2024.This represents a decline of 26.9% and the lowest figure of annual drug overdose deaths since 2019, according to the report.This is the second year in a row that drug overdose deaths have dropped after year-over-year increases were seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, and researchers say they're cautiously optimistic about the declines."We should have a guarded enthusiasm here because what ... Read More
RFK Jr. says people should not take medical advice from him, defends HHS cuts during congressional hearings
Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., one of the nation's most publicly recognized vaccine skeptics, took a softened approach on vaccines when he answered questions before a House committee Wednesday morning, saying, "I don't think people should be taking medical advice from me."Kennedy, who also testified before a Senate committee the same day, defended the massive cuts to the department's workforce and laid out his priorities for the Trump administration's proposed budget.Kennedy's congressional committee appearances marked the first time he testified before Congress since his confirmation hearings in late January, and forced Kennedy to confront statements he made that critics said were evidence of promises broken.Kennedy says his 'opinions about ... Read More
HHS reverses NIOSH firings that stripped coal miners’ health protections
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images(MORGANTOWN, WV) -- The Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday reversed the firings of more than 100 federal employees with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the federal institute that helps protect coal miners from black lung, according to Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito.Roughly 200 employees of the NIOSH office in Morgantown, West Virginia, were put on administrative leave in April and informed they would be formally fired in June. Some were temporarily brought back roughly two weeks ago, but until Tuesday they were told they would still be terminated next month.In a letter sent Tuesday, a copy of which was obtained by ABC News, HHS said, "You previously received ... Read More
Extreme heat could make pregnancy riskier for millions of women: Report
Oscar Wong via Getty Images(WEST PALM BEACH, FL) -- As human-induced climate change continues warming the planet, pregnancy risks are increasing, according to a new analysis by Climate Central.Climate Central, a nonprofit science and communications organization, analyzed daily temperature data from 2020 to 2024 in 940 cities across 247 counties and territories. Researchers looked for "extreme heat days," which are defined by temperatures that go beyond what's normal in the area 95% of the time.The high temperatures are associated with an increased risk of preterm birth and threats to maternal health; therefore, Climate Central has coined the phrase "pregnancy heat-risk days."Over the last four years, nearly one-third of the countries that Climate Central surveyed experienced at least one additional month ... Read More
RFK Jr. to testify before House, Senate committees amid layoffs, overhaul at HHS
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is set to testify before two congressional committees on Wednesday to discuss, among many topics, the Trump administration's proposed budget and its impact on HHS.Kennedy will appear before the House Appropriations Committee Wednesday morning and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee in the afternoon.Last month, the HELP Committee called Kennedy to testify on the restructuring of the department.In April, HHS began laying off about 10,000 workers and consolidating 28 institutes and centers into 15 new divisions.Including the roughly 10,000 people who have left over the last few months through early retirement or deferred resignation programs, the overall staff at HHS is expected to fall ... Read More
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. submerges in creek with high bacteria levels, including E. coli
Michael M. Santiago/Getty ImagesHealth and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shared photos of himself submerged in Washington, D.C.'s Rock Creek with his grandchildren, despite longstanding warnings that high bacterial levels make the Potomac River tributary unsafe."Mother's Day hike in Dumbarton Oaks Park with Amaryllis, Bobby, Kick, and Jackson, and a swim with my grandchildren, Bobcat and Cassius in Rock Creek," RFK Jr. wrote alongside four photos from the outing posted to X on Sunday.The photos show the 71-year-old member of President Donald Trump's administration both sitting in the water and completely submerging in the shallow creek.Mother’s Day hike in Dumbarton Oaks Park with Amaryllis, Bobby, Kick, and Jackson, and a swim with my grandchildren, Bobcat and Cassius in ... Read More
Who is Dr. Casey Means? A look at Trump’s pick for US surgeon general
( Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)(WASHINGTON) -- Earlier this week, President Donald Trump announced he will be nominating Dr. Casey Means for U.S. surgeon general, replacing his former pick, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, after questions emerged about her credentials.Means has been prominent in the "Make America Healthy Again" movement championed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.In a post on social media, Trump said Means would work closely with Kennedy "to ensure a successful implementation of our Agenda in order to reverse the Chronic Disease Epidemic, and ensure Great Health, in the future, for ALL Americans."Means describes herself online as a "former surgeon turned metabolic health evangelist" who is "striving to create a happier and healthier world and ... Read More
FDA approves, expands 3 natural color additives after RFK Jr.’s plan to remove artificial food dyes
Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved on Friday additional color additives from natural sources in line with the Department of Health and Human Services' goal to eliminate artificial food dyes.The agency approved two dyes and expanded approval of a third, meaning it can now be used in a wider range of food products."Today we take a major step to Make America Healthy Again," HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement. "For too long, our food system has relied on synthetic, petroleum-based dyes that offer no nutritional value and pose unnecessary health risks. We're removing these dyes and approving safe, natural alternatives -- to protect families and support healthier choices."The approved additives include Galdieria ... Read More
US surpasses 1,000 measles cases for 1st time in 5 years: CDC
Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- The U.S. has surpassed 1,000 measles cases for the first time in five years, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published Friday.A total of 1,001 cases have been confirmed in 30 states including Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.The last time the U.S. recorded more than 1,000 cases occurred in 2019, when there were 1,274 confirmed infections over the course of a year, CDC data shows.The CDC says 13% of measles patients in the U.S. this year have been hospitalized, the ... Read More
Why it feels like allergy season is getting longer, more severe
Angelika Warmuth/picture alliance via Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Temperatures are beginning to warm up, indicating the arrival of spring -- and of allergy season for millions of Americans.Research shows that allergy seasons may be hitting people harder by starting earlier, lasting longer and creating more pollen.Growing seasons -- the time of year that conditions allow plants to grow -- start earlier and last longer than they did 30 years ago, according to a report from the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America.Additionally, pollen concentrations have increased up to 21% across North America over the last three decades, data from the USA National Phenology Network shows.Allergists told ABC News a mix of climate change and more carbon emissions has led to ... Read More
Milwaukee struggles through growing lead crisis — with federal help nowhere to be found
Kat Cisar and her six-year-old twins, who attend a Milwaukee school that was found to have hazardous lead in the building. (ABC News)(MILWAUKEE) -- Kat Cisar, a mother of 6-year-old twins, found out in late February that her kids were potentially being exposed to harmful lead paint and dust at their Milwaukee school. By May, their school was on a growing list of eight others across the city, found to have degrading, chipping interiors that were putting children at risk.Several schools have had to temporarily close for remediation efforts, including the one Cisar's kids attend."We put a lot of faith in our institutions, in our schools, and it's just so disheartening when those systems fail," Cisar said.Milwaukee's lead crisis began ... Read More
Bird flu is continuing to spread in animals across the US. Here’s what you need to know
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Bird flu is continuing to spread in animals across the United States more than a year after the first human case was detected.Since then, at least 70 people have fallen ill and at least one death was recorded in Louisiana, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The number of confirmed cases in humans has held steady for almost two months, but hundreds of dairy cows continue to be infected and raw milk samples in several states have tested positive for bird flu, according to federal health officials.There is currently no evidence the virus is spreading between people, and the CDC has said the risk to the general public is low. However, some experts told ... Read More
RFK Jr. calls for ‘new’ vaccines to undergo placebo-controlled trials
(ER Productions Limited/Getty Images)(WASHINGTON) -- Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will require new vaccines to undergo placebo testing, marking what a department spokesperson called "a radical departure from past practices."The policy change would force vaccines, in order to be approved for human use, to undergo studies in which half of individuals in a study receive a placebo – typically a saline shot – to compare results against the vaccine.Placebo-controlled trials are already used to test new drugs or vaccines for safety and efficacy, but some experts consider it unethical to conduct such trials when a vaccine or treatment is already considered safe and efficacious. For example, they say, giving half of the kids in a trial ... Read More
Measles cases surpass 900 in US as infections confirmed in 29 states, CDC data shows
Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Measles cases in the U.S. have surpassed 900 as outbreaks continue to spread across the county, according to new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data published Friday.A total of 935 cases have been confirmed in 29 states including Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.At least six states including Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio and Texas are reporting outbreaks, meaning three or more related cases.The CDC says 13% of measles patients in the U.S. this year have been hospitalized, the majority of whom are under age 19.Among the ... Read More
Case of tuberculosis confirmed at Florida high school: Officials
Sorrasak Jar Tinyo/Getty Images(FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.) -- A case of active tuberculosis has been confirmed at a Florida high school, according to state health officials.The Florida Department of Health in Broward County (DOH-Broward) identified the infected individual, who was recently on campus at Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale, John J. Sullivan, chief of communications and legislative affairs for Broward County Public Schools (BCPS), told ABC News in a statement."In collaboration with DOH-Broward, Broward County Public Schools has identified and notified individuals who may have been in close contact. With parental consent, DOH-Broward will be on-site to provide testing. Impacted students and staff have been directly contacted," the statement read.Additionally, the school principal sent a letter to the community on ... Read More
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