To earn the vote he needed to become the nation's top health official, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made a special promise to a U.S. senator: He would not change the nation's current vaccination schedule. But on Tuesday, speaking for the first time to thousands of U.S. Health and Human Services agency employees, he vowed to investigate the childhood vaccine schedule that prevents measles, polio and other dangerous diseases. "Nothing is going to be off limits," Kennedy said, adding that pesticides, food additives, microplastics, antidepressants and the electromagnetic waves emitted by cellphones and microwaves also would be studied.
Apple opened a massive new health study that will track data from hundreds of thousands of iPhone owners who volunteer to participate. The goal is to uncover previously unseen connections between the human body and all manner of medical conditions.
Chemistry researchers at Case Western Reserve University have identified specific markers that could pave the way for new blood tests to detect diseases
Bird flu is here to stay. The H5N1 avian influenza is proliferating among U.S. cows and there are now two strains circulating among mammals and birds. Though there are only 68 confirmed cases in people—largely dairy workers—public-health officials think bird flu is likely more widespread. Last week, a CDC report documented three asymptomatic cases in veterinarians who took care of cattle they didn't know had H5N1.
The Trump administration slashed funding for Affordable Care Act navigators, which help people sign up for ObamaCare coverage on the law's exchanges, by 90%. CMS announced health insurance navigators will receive just $10 million per year over the next four years. Navigators received $98 million in 2024.
A federal judge on Monday questioned the authority of billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency but was skeptical of a request to block DOGE from accessing sensitive data and firing employees at half a dozen federal agencies. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan held a hearing on a request from 14 states for a temporary restraining order seeking to curtail Musk's power in President Donald Trump's quest to downsize the federal government. Chutkan said she would rule within 24 hours.