Many jobs have come with increased stress levels during the coronavirus pandemic, from ICU staff to Walmart greeters. Now officials who’ve been keeping tabs on FDA commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn are wondering whether he can weather the strain of defending science while working for the Trump administration. Hahn has been squeezed between expressing his professional […]
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
‘Nightmare bacteria’ swarming the country, CDC reports
Last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified more than 200 cases of bacteria that could resist nearly all antibiotics, the agency reported today. The CDC said that these “nightmare bacteria” are resistant to all or most antibiotics and are making their way through the country. In one assessment, a lab discovered that […]
The company behind Narcan looks toward a treatment for fentanyl overdoses
Despite growing attention from lawmakers and doctors, the opioid crisis is not slowing up in the U.S. A new report published last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that emergency room visits for opioid overdoses jumped 30% in 45 states from 2016 to 2017. The problem has morphed over the years […]
With weeks left in flu season, the FDA is already working on next year’s vaccine
There are still weeks left in this year’s flu season, according to the FDA, but the agency is already planning on how to better protect the nation’s public health next year. An initial report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that this year’s flu vaccine sported a 36% efficacy rate. Although that’s […]
CDC group tackles access to birth control for women in Puerto Rico
Between May 2016 and August last year, a group organized by the CDC provided services to more than 21,000 women in Puerto Rico in an attempt to boost access to contraception, lower the rate of unintended pregnancy and lessen the number of Zika-related birth defects on the island. Last week, The Lancet Public Health examined the […]
CDC: Overdose-related deaths in 2016 surpassed death count from peak of AIDS crisis
More than 63,000 people died from a drug overdose last year – that’s more than the number of deaths caused by AIDS in 1995, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Between 2015 and 2016, the number of people who died from a drug overdose involving illicitly-manufactured fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, more […]
How the CDC’s recommendation against the nasal spray flu vaccine affected vaccine rates
Flu vaccine rates in kids dropped slightly during last year’s influenza season, according to a study from the Penn State College of Medicine, and it may be partly due to a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention against the nasal spray vaccine, FluMist. When the nasal spray vaccine was first approved in […]
CDC campaign uses testimonials to fight prescription opioid epidemic
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today launched a campaign featuring real-life stories of people recovering from opioid-use disorder and people whose loved ones have died due to a prescription opioid overdose. The campaign was designed to boost awareness among Americans about the risks linked with prescription opioids. 91 people die everyday in the U.S. […]
Report: Pipeline of Alzheimer’s drugs ‘due for big victories’ in next 5 years
There are twenty-seven Alzheimer’s drugs in late-stage clinical trials and eight candidates in Phase II programs that could launch in the next 5 years, according to an analysis presented this week at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference. “The Alzheimer’s disease pipeline, marred by decades of failures and underinvestment, is due for big victories,” UsAgainstAlzheimer’s co-founder […]
CDC gives $12m to states to fight opioid epidemic
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said today that it plans to award more than $12 million this week to 23 states and the District of Columbia to support their efforts in tackling the opioid overdose epidemic. The funding comes from the fiscal year 2017 omnibus appropriations bill that became law in May. States […]
