Health Advice
/Health
FDA panelists questioned antidepressants in pregnancy. But doctors call them a lifeline.
If you are pregnant or a new mother who is struggling with depression or anxiety, you can call or text the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline, 24/7: 833-TLC-MAMA (833-852-6262). Postpartum Support International can help connect you with a local mental health provider at 800-944-4773 or psidirectory.com.
____
Before giving birth to her ...Read more
Why Washington state is building 'stepdown' mental health facilities
SEATTLE — Four people sat at a table, coloring with crayons and singing along as rock music played from a TV behind them. First Lynyrd Skynyrd, then The Eagles.
The calm, soothing repetition of coloring and the upbeat music was meant to help them practice mindfulness, one of the therapy activities for residents at the Lacey-based mental ...Read more
Legionnaires' disease warnings appear at Orange federal courthouse
Signs posted around the George C. Young Federal Annex Courthouse in downtown Orlando warn court staff and visitors to be wary of the water because of the presence of the bacterium which causes Legionnaires’ disease — the latest incident in Orange County, which has the state’s highest tally of confirmed cases of the potentially deadly ...Read more
Health officials confirm mpox in Anchorage adult who traveled out of state
State health officials this week confirmed a case of mpox in an adult Anchorage resident with a history of recent out-of-state travel.
The Alaska Section of Epidemiology said no additional cases or evidence of local community transmission were identified as of Monday, according to a public health alert.
The patient, who is isolating and ...Read more
Second bird flu case confirmed on Queen Anne's County farm
Maryland officials confirmed a second positive test for bird flu at a commercial poultry operation in Queen Anne’s County last week, the 10th detection in the state this year, as public health experts warn the virus continues to pose a serious threat to animals — but remains a low risk for most people.
State health and agriculture officials...Read more
As health care premiums soar, Calif. Democrats are eager to blame Republicans
California’s endangered House Republicans have spent December trying to show how they understand, and are trying to ease, the pain constituents feel as they confront skyrocketing health care costs.
But those Republicans are feeling political pain, as the enhanced federal premium subsidies for tens of thousands of Californians end next week.
...Read more
Is it too late to get your COVID or flu shot? We asked a doctor at UK HealthCare
Health experts typically advise getting your COVID-19 and flu vaccine by the end of October. However, if you’ve missed that window, you can still get them well into the respiratory virus season and see a benefit.
Flu activity, particularly flu A, is on the rise across the U.S. this month, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for...Read more
Commentary: US needs immigrants to sustain the health care workforce
As Americans gather for holiday celebrations, many will quietly give thanks for the health care workers who keep their families and friends well: the ICU nurse who stabilized a grandparent, the doctor who adjusted a tricky prescription, the home health aide who ensures an aging relative can bathe and eat safely.
Will most of us notice how many ...Read more
Ask the Pediatrician: Medication safety tips for families
Each year, about 50,000 children under age 5 end up in emergency departments for poisoning after swallowing medicine unintentionally.
Medications are meant to improve and save lives. But when a medicine gets into the wrong hands and is taken by a child or teen, the results can be deadly. That’s why all prescription drugs, over-the-counter ...Read more
The Minnesota mom who ignited RFK's vaccine concerns and today's MAHA movement
MINNEAPOLIS — The coastal sun was shining on Sarah Bridges, she recalled, when she decided to stage a one-person protest on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s porch in Hyannis Port.
The Minnesota mom would sit there — after showing up unannounced in 2005 with an 18-inch stack of documents — until the famed environmental attorney agreed to read the...Read more
Flu season could get a lot worse in the coming weeks, experts say
NORFOLK, Va. — This flu season has been relatively mild so far but medical experts expect it to intensify in the coming weeks due to a new strain that emerged after the current vaccine’s production — though that inoculation remains the best form of protection.
Data out of the United Kingdom indicates the new strain has resulted in the ...Read more
One big beautiful bill act complicates state health care affordability efforts
As Congress debates whether to extend the temporary federal subsidies that have helped millions of Americans buy health coverage, a crucial underlying reality is sometimes overlooked: Those subsidies are merely a band-aid covering the often unaffordable cost of health care.
California, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and five other states have set ...Read more
Will measles outbreak spread to Georgia? With holiday travel, it could
ATLANTA — One of the biggest measles outbreaks of the past two decades is taking place less than 200 miles from Atlanta.
More than 130 people in South Carolina have contracted the infection in recent months — almost all of them children who were unvaccinated. Public health officials in the state said travel over the Thanksgiving holiday ...Read more
1 in 500 Alaskan deaths during pandemic was from COVID-19, state reports
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Over a roughly three-year period beginning in March 2020, 1,564 Alaskans died from COVID-19.
That's according to a new report from the Alaska Department of Health, which provides a detailed review of data on how the state fared dealing with the coronavirus between March 2020 and the end of the the federal public health ...Read more
Research shows proton beam therapy improves cancer survival, lowers side effects
Proton beam radiation therapy performed 10% better at stopping cancer of the throat compared to traditional X-ray radiation, a new study shows, with 15% fewer side effects.
“With this study, it is my personal belief that proton beam therapy is a new standard-of-care treatment for patients with oropharyngeal cancer,” said Dr. Jason Molitoris...Read more
As Congress' year ends, Rep. Kevin Kiley cites 'failure of leadership on both sides' on health care
WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Kevin Kiley sharply criticized Republican and Democratic House leaders Friday as Congress ended its 2025 session.
The California Republican was stymied in his effort to move a plan that would have continued enhanced health care subsidies for Affordable Care Act marketplace consumers beyond the December 31 expiration ...Read more
Inside the FDA's vaccine uproar
Six days after a senior FDA official sent a sweeping internal email claiming that COVID vaccines had caused the deaths of “at least 10 children,” 12 former FDA commissioners released an extraordinary warning in the Dec. 3 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
They wrote that the claims and policy changes in the memo from Vinay ...Read more
Cut vaccine mandates? SC lawmakers take cue from Trump administration in 2026
COLUMBIA, S.C. — As South Carolina faces climbing measles cases, a lawmaker wants to ban all vaccine mandates for children under two-years-old.
The bill is one of several proposed policies for 2026 that reflect the priorities of President Donald Trump and his administration.
Some vaccines, including measles, are mandatory for children ...Read more
New Trump administration proposals could further reduce gender-affirming care for minors in Illinois
CHICAGO — In a move that could further reduce gender-affirming care for minors in Illinois, the federal government is proposing rules that would strip Medicare and Medicaid funding from hospitals that provide such services.
The administration of President Donald Trump has been threatening since early this year to block federal funding for ...Read more
GOP won't allow vote on Obamacare premium relief as credits near end. Now what?
WASHINGTON — With no hope of preventing Obamacare health insurance premium costs from soaring in two weeks, Democrats and a few Republicans turned to ways to stop the increases when Congress returns in January.
But getting any such action next month, or as long as Republicans control Congress, appears difficult.
The Republican-led House ...Read more
Popular Stories
- Don’t get caught by the Medicare tax torpedo: A retirement expert’s tips to steer clear
- Is it too late to get your COVID or flu shot? We asked a doctor at UK HealthCare
- Why Washington state is building 'stepdown' mental health facilities
- Health officials confirm mpox in Anchorage adult who traveled out of state
- Second bird flu case confirmed on Queen Anne's County farm








