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Latest Health Headlines

August 21

Georgia man may have tried to enter CDC campus two days before he attacked agency

An internal CDC email reveals that the Georgia man who shot at CDC buildings on Aug. 8 likely tried to enter the campus two days earlier
August 21
CORRECTS THAT OFFICER WAS KILLED, NOT WOUNDED - A memorial is seen in the aftermath of a shooting near the CDC where DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose was killed while responding, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
August 21

Federal officials to take over inspections when troubled Boar's Head plant reopens

Federal inspectors will assume direct oversight of a Boar's Head deli meat plant when it reopens after an deadly listeria outbreak
August 21
FILE - A sign marks the entrance of the Boar's Head processing plant in Jarratt, Va., on Thursday Aug. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)
August 21

California resident tests positive for plague

A resident in South Lake Tahoe, California, has tested positive for plague, according to local health officials. The person is believed to have been bitten by an infected flea while camping.
August 21
A resident in South Lake Tahoe, California, has tested positive for plague, according to local health officials. The person is believed to have been bitten by an infected flea while camping.
August 20

China races to build world's largest solar farm to meet emissions targets

Chinese officials have showcased what they claim will be the world's largest solar farm on the Tibetan plateau
August 20
Tibetan sheep graze at a solar farm in Hainan prefecture of western China's Qinghai province on Tuesday, July 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
August 20

750 HHS staff send letter to RFK Jr. asking him to stop spreading misinformation

It comes in the wake of a deadly shooting at CDC headquarters in Atlanta.
August 20
Bullet holes are seen in windows at the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) Global Headquarters following a shooting that left two dead, on August 9, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.
August 20

OB-GYNs fled Idaho after its abortion ban. Medicaid cuts could worsen access to care.

Medicaid cuts may restrict maternal and reproductive care, some advocates say.
August 20
August 20

California resident tests positive for plague

The disease can be cured with antibiotics.
August 20
A resident in South Lake Tahoe, Calif., has tested positive for plague, according to local health officials.
August 20

Americans spend less time reading for fun and more time on screens, study finds

Reading for pleasure in the U.S. fell 40% over two decades, the study found.
August 20
Stock photo of a woman reading a book.
August 20

How to protect yourself from Vibrio vulnificus, the bacteria found in some coastal waters

States are warning beachgoers about a summertime surge in infections from a frightening, flesh-eating bacteria found in coastal waters
August 20
This photo provided by Karrianne Stewart shows her husband, Bernie Stewart, in a coma at a hospital in Pensacola, Fla., shortly after the start of an August 2019 Vibrio infection. (Karrianne Stewart via AP)
August 19

New malaria drug for babies offers hope to health workers in Uganda

Swiss medical regulators have approved a new malaria treatment for infants, offering hope to many in Africa
August 19
Pregnant women in labor wait for delivery at Wakiso Health Centre IV in Kampala, Uganda, Tuesday, July 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Patrick Onen)
August 19

Infants, toddlers should be vaccinated against COVID, AAP says, at odds with RFK Jr.

The American Academy of Pediatrics said on Tuesday that children ages 6 months to 23 months should receive a COVID-19 vaccine, in contrast with federal health officials.
August 19
VIDEO: Infants, toddlers should be vaccinated against COVID, AAP says, at odds with RFK Jr.
August 19

Infants, toddlers should be vaccinated against COVID, AAP says, at odds with RFK Jr.

In May, RFK Jr. said the CDC would not recommend COVID shots for healthy kids.
August 19
A young child receives a Moderna Covid-19/6 months to 5 years vaccination in Needham, Massachusetts, June 21, 2022.
August 19

US pediatricians' new COVID-19 shot recommendations differ from CDC advice

For the first time in 30 years, the American Academy of Pediatrics is substantially diverging from U.S. government vaccine recommendations
August 19
FILE - A pharmacist holds a Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine shot on Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)
August 18

Beshear bans drug in Kentucky that's being targeted by attorneys general across the nation

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has taken emergency action to ban the sale of a synthetic drug known as “designer Xanax” in his state
August 18
FILE - Gov. Andy Beshear addresses the media at the London Corbin Airport in London, Ky., May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley, File)
August 18

Measles outbreak that sickened more than 700 declared over in Texas

The outbreak led to the deaths of two school-aged children.
August 18
In this Feb. 27, 2025, file photo, signs point the way to measles testing in the parking lot of the Seminole Hospital District across from Wigwam Stadium, in Seminole, Texas.
August 18

National suicide hotline for LGBTQ+ youth went defunct. States are scrambling to help

In ending the program, SAMHSA said it would no longer "silo" services.
August 18
Sign for the 988 Lifeline mental health emergency hotline, Walnut Creek, California, December 20, 2024.
August 18

Draft of new 'MAHA' report suggests RFK Jr. won't target pesticides

A Department Health and Human Services spokesperson declined to verify the authenticity of the document, which was obtained by ABC News.
August 18
A Department Health and Human Services spokesperson declined to verify the authenticity of the document, which was obtained by ABC News.
August 17

What draft of new 'MAHA' report says about pesticides

The draft’s language would constitute a win for the agriculture industry.
August 17
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. speaks during a press conference at HHS headquarters in Washington, July 29, 2025.
August 16

What to know about melanoma

Dr. Ellen Marmur, a board certified dermatologist, joins ABC News Live to discuss the dangers of melanoma and how people can best protect their skin.
August 16
VIDEO: What to know about melanoma
August 16

Weekend health roundup

ABC News medical contributor Dr. Alok Patel discusses the first ever at-home nasal flu vaccine, autism diagnosis rates and a new study that says dogs and owners mirror each others illnesses.
August 16
VIDEO: Weekend health roundup
August 15

Three years after his death, cricketer Shane Warne's legacy lives on with heart health checks

Cricketer Shane Warne’s legacy lives on more than three years after the death of the great spin bowler from a heart attack at the age of 52
August 15
FILE - Australia's bowler Shane Warne, left, reacts on the fifth and final day of the second Test cricket match against South Africa at Kingsmead in Durban, South Africa, Tuesday, March 28, 2006. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File)
August 15

Failure of talks for plastic treaty turn focus back to reduce, reuse, recycle. How's that going?

Global talks to slash plastic production and the toxic chemicals used to produce plastic products fell apart in Geneva this week
August 15
Delegates reacts during a plenary session of Second Part of the Fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-5.2), at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (Martial Trezzini/Keystone via AP)
August 15

What to know about congenital syphilis

Cases of congenital syphilis have been rising nationwide in recent years, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
August 15
Cases of congenital syphilis have been rising nationwide in recent years, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
August 14

4th person dies after a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak sickens dozens in New York

A fourth person has died in connection with a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in New York City
August 14
FILE - This 1978 electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows Legionella pneumophila bacteria which are responsible for causing the pneumonic disease Legionnaires' disease. (Francis Chandler/CDC via AP, File)
August 14

3 infants died in New York of congenital syphilis. Here's what you need to know

Congenital syphilis has a seen a dramatic rise since 2019, CDC data shows.
August 14
August 14
FILE - A pharmacist holds a Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine shot on Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)
August 14

As Canada wildfires choke US with smoke, Republicans demand action. But not on climate change

Republican lawmakers are blaming Canada for not preventing and containing wildfires, whose smoke has fouled the air in several states this year
August 14
FILE - A helicopter flies by the Wesley Ridge wildfire near Cameron Lake where an out-of-control fire continues to burn near Coombs, British Columbia, Aug. 3, 2025. (Chad Hipolito/The Canadian Press via AP)
August 14

Clinics hope to get blocked Medicaid funds restored as they sue Trump admin over cuts

A network of clinics that provides health care in Maine is expected to ask a judge to restore its Medicaid funding while it fights a Trump administration effort to keep federal money from going to abortion providers
August 14
FILE - Vanessa Shields-Haas, a nurse practitioner, walks from the lobby toward the examination rooms at the Maine Family Planning healthcare facility, July 15, 2025, in Thomaston, Maine. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
August 13

New Mexico governor declares state of emergency

The governor of New Mexico has declared a state of emergency in response to violent crime and drug trafficking across a swath of northern New Mexico, including two Native American pueblo communities
August 13
August 13

How one study says moving to a walkable city could improve your health

Researchers tracked 5,500 Americans as they moved between 1,600 U.S. cities.
August 13
August 13

Autism diagnoses occurring earlier for boys, girls often wait years, analysis finds

ABC News medical contributor Dr. Alok Patel breaks down the data from a new analysis of medical records conducted by Epic Research.
August 13
VIDEO: Autism diagnoses occurring earlier for boys, girls often wait years, analysis finds
August 13

How Trump team views on mRNA vaccines changed

The top public health officials during President Donald Trump's first term praised mRNA vaccines. In the second term, officials seem to be retreating from them.
August 13
The top public health officials during President Donald Trump's first term praised mRNA vaccines. In the second term, officials seem to be retreating from them.
August 13

High level of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections in Gaza, analysis finds

Two-thirds of samples assessed were found to be multidrug-resistant.
August 13
A young Palestinian, who was injured by gunfire while waiting for aid trucks entering the northern Gaza Strip through the Zikim crossing, is unloaded off an ambulance after arriving for medical care at the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, July 27, 2025.
August 12

Autism diagnoses occurring earlier for boys, girls often wait years, analysis finds

For boys, the median age dropped from age 7 to age 5,
August 12
Stock photo of a child playing with blocks.
August 12

Georgia Bureau of Investigation: CDC 'shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound'

Georgia Bureau of Investigation: CDC 'shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound'
August 12
August 12

How the Trump administration spoke about mRNA shots in 1st term versus 2nd term

Health officials during the first term said mRNA shots are safe and effective.
August 12
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. speaks alongside Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary during a press conference at HHS headquarters in Washington, July 29, 2025.
August 11

Facing fibroids: The silent struggle

ABC News' Linsey Davis opens up about her yearslong battle with uterine fibroids, and sits down with Tamar Braxton, Cynthia Bailey and Dr. Soyini Hawkins for a powerful conversation.
August 11
VIDEO: Facing fibroids: The silent struggle
August 11

Uterine fibroids in Black women: ABC News' Linsey Davis speaks out

After years of battling fibroids, Linsey Davis will undergo a hysterectomy. She sits down with Tamar Braxton, Cynthia Bailey and Dr. Soyini Hawkins for a powerful conversation on uterine fibroids.
August 11
VIDEO: Uterine fibroids in Black women: ABC News' Linsey Davis speaks out
August 10

How to protect against melanoma

Dr. Jessica Shepherd, chief medical officer for Hers, joins ABC News Live to discuss today's top health headlines.
August 10
VIDEO: How to protect against melanoma
August 10

Social media’s impact on your mental health

Vaibhav Diwadkar, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences, joins ABC News to discuss social media addiction.
August 10
VIDEO: Social media’s impact on your mental health
August 09

Nailing nutrition and routine as kids head back to school

Marie-Pierre St. Onge, a professor of nutritional medicine at Columbia University, shares tips and tricks to boost nutrition and encourage healthy habits as kids head back to school.
August 09
VIDEO: Nailing nutrition and routine as kids head back to school
August 08

This week’s top medical headlines

The new alarming CDC report on “ultra-processed” foods, developments in vaccine funding, excessive screen time risks and more.
August 08
VIDEO: This week’s top medical headlines
August 08

Daily oral GLP-1 pill could be just as effective as weekly shots: Drugmaker

Drugmaker Eli Lilly says its oral, daily GLP-1 pill may offer similar weight loss results as weekly GLP-1 shots.
August 08
Drugmaker Eli Lilly says its oral, daily GLP-1 pill may offer similar weight loss results as weekly GLP-1 shots.