ABC Health

CDC vaccine advisory committee votes to remove universal recommendation for hepatitis B shot at birth

Saturday, December 6 by ABC News

(ATLANTA) -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's vaccine advisory committee voted 8-3 on Friday to remove the universal recommendation for the hepatitis B vaccine at birth.The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to make vaccine recommendations based on the mother's testing... Read More.

1 in 4 Affordable Care Act enrollees would ‘very likely’ forego health insurance if premiums double: Poll

Thursday, December 4 by ABC News

(NEW YORK) -- One in four Americans covered by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are considering going without health insurance if their monthly premiums double next year, a new KFF poll published Thursday finds.Open enrollment for the ACA began last month, and many Americans... Read More.

CDC vaccine advisory committee meets to discuss hepatitis B shot, childhood immunization schedule

Thursday, December 4 by ABC News

(NEW YORK) -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's vaccine advisory committee is set to meet Thursday and Friday to discuss the childhood vaccine schedule, adjuvants and contaminants, and the hepatitis B vaccine.It marks the third meeting this year of the Advisory Committee... Read More.

Kids who have smartphones by age 12 have higher risk of depression, obesity: Study

Tuesday, December 2 by ABC News

(NEW YORK) -- Children who have smartphones by age 12 are at higher risk of lack of sleep, obesity and depression, according to a new study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics.What's more, researchers found that the earlier a child received a smartphone, the... Read More.

US cases of norovirus on the rise with double the rate of positive tests since August

Tuesday, November 25 by ABC News

(WASHINGTON) -- Cases of norovirus are rising across the United States, doubling over the last few months, according to updated data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Nearly 14% of tests came back positive for norovirus during the most recent week... Read More.

Is the US at risk of losing its measles elimination status?

Saturday, November 22 by ABC News

(NEW YORK) -- As measles continues to spread across the United States, questions have emerged about whether the country will retain its measles elimination status.The U.S. is currently experiencing the highest number of measles cases reported in more than three decades, in large part... Read More.

Federal judges weigh reviving court cases linking Tylenol to autism

Friday, November 21 by ABC News

(NEW YORK) -- A federal appeals court is deciding whether to revive more than 500 lawsuits filed by parents who claimed their children's autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was caused by prenatal exposure to Tylenol.The lawsuits were dismissed in December 2023 by... Read More.

HHS finalizes report on gender-affirming care for youth, medical groups push back

Thursday, November 20 by ABC News

(NEW YORK) -- The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a final version of its report on pediatric gender-affirming care on Wednesday, claiming it found "medical dangers posed to children," which is receiving pushback from medical groups.The report alleged that gender-affirming care... Read More.

Global rise in ultra-processed foods is major public health threat, experts say

Wednesday, November 19 by ABC News

(NEW YORK) -- The global rise of ultra-processed foods in diets worldwide poses a major public health threat, according to experts who published a series of papers in medical journal The Lancet.The authors cite studies that show ultra-processed diets are linked to chronic health... Read More.

SNAP is back, but millions of Americans could lose benefits due to new restrictions

Tuesday, November 18 by ABC News

(WASHINGTON) -- Just as SNAP benefits were reinstated for millions of Americans following the reopening of the federal government, many are now set to permanently lose them.Nearly 42 million Americans, including low-income families and vulnerable households, rely on SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance... Read More.