MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota is continuing to urge shots that protect children against 17 infectious diseases, despite a federal recommendation last week that cut the number to 11.

It’s rare for state health officials to break with federal vaccine guidance, but Thursday’s decision aligned Minnesota with professional medical organizations such ...Read more

Lenia Watson-Burton, a 37-year-old U.S. Navy administrator, expected that cosmetic surgery would get rid of stubborn fat quickly and easily — just as the web advertising promised.

Instead, she died three days after a liposuction-like procedure called AirSculpt at the San Diego office of Elite Body Sculpture, a cosmetic surgery chain with more...Read more

Dr. Heather Skanes opened Alabama’s first freestanding birth center in 2022 in her hometown of Birmingham. Skanes, an OB-GYN, wanted to improve access to maternal health care in a state that’s long had one of the nation’s highest rates of maternal and infant mortality.

Those rates are especially high among Black women and infants. Skanes�...Read more

In 2013, before the Affordable Care Act helped millions get health insurance, California’s Placer County provided limited health care to some 3,400 uninsured residents who couldn’t afford to see a doctor.

For several years, that number has been zero in the predominantly white, largely rural county stretching from Sacramento’s eastern ...Read more

One commercial farm in Queen Anne’s County remains under quarantine for bird flu, Maryland officials said Wednesday; however, the rest of the state has no such restrictions.

Avian influenza, or bird flu, is a highly contagious airborne respiratory virus that affects poultry — including chickens, ducks and turkeys — as well as some wild ...Read more

With multiple measles cases reported in North Carolina, rising flu deaths and shifting federal recommendations, state health officials stressed the importance of vaccination and urged people to contact their health care providers with questions.

“In North Carolina, we are seeing an increase in measles cases, an uptick in respiratory illnesses...Read more

WASHINGTON — Swing-district Republicans defied party leaders to join Democrats in advancing legislation to revive expired Obamacare subsidies for three years, an indication of the political risks facing the GOP majority in the U.S. House heading into this year’s midterm elections.

Nine House Republicans joined Democrats on a procedural ...Read more

WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of Senate deal-makers labored toward an agreement Wednesday on reviving expired health care tax credits but are still managing sticking points as the House prepares to vote on a largely symbolic measure backed by Democrats to extend the subsidies for three years.

In a procedural step, the House voted 221-205...Read more

Colorado measles vaccination rates are falling behind other states, leading to a lower herd immunity among children.

A recent data analysis by The Washington Post found that Colorado has an 88% herd immunity status regarding the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine between 2023 and 2024 — well below the 95% threshold set by doctors across the ...Read more

The federal government has drastically scaled back the number of recommended childhood immunizations, sidelining six routine vaccines that have safeguarded millions from serious diseases, long-term disability, and death.

Just three of the six immunizations the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it will no longer routinely recommend...Read more

True to its appearance, the artichoke has a bit of a prickly lore.

The folklore

The Ancient Greeks credit Zeus with the creation of the artichoke. As punishment for the deception of his mortal seductress-turned-goddess, he transformed her into the artichoke plant, with spiky petals guarding her resilient heart. The artichoke dates back to the ...Read more

If you need a quick pick-me-up during the day, a power nap can be just the thing to help restore mental clarity and fight off fatigue. Power naps can help boost productivity and improve your overall well-being, especially when you take them at the right time and for the right duration.

What is a power nap?

A power nap lasts anywhere from 10 to...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I’ve taken up running again and decided to enter a half-marathon. I know I have to push myself to get ready for the race, but I don’t want to overdo it. What should I watch out for as I train?

ANSWER: We’re surrounded by warning signs — on the roads, at work, and on packaging and equipment. Your body sends warning ...Read more

Boston reported two children have died related to the flu this season Tuesday, the first pediatric flu-associated deaths in the city since 2013, bringing total related deaths Massachusetts children up to four.

“We’ve noted a dramatic increase in flu cases in Boston, particularly among children, and we are very concerned about the severity ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — In the years before Rob and Michele Reiner were killed, Los Angeles police made at least two visits to their home in Brentwood.

On Feb. 25, 2019, officers conducted a welfare check after someone called 911 at 9:51 p.m. According to LAPD records reviewed by the Los Angeles Times, officers arrived at the address at 10:12 p.m., ...Read more

DENVER — Children’s Hospital Colorado and Denver Health have suspended gender-affirming hormonal treatments for minors again, though transgender youth can still get care in Colorado from providers that don’t rely on federal funds.

Mardi Moore, CEO of Rocky Mountain Equality, said youth can still seek care from other providers, though ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA -- Sweeping changes to the United States’ childhood vaccine schedule announced Monday by federal officials will decrease the number of recommended childhood immunizations from 17 to 11.

Outraged pediatricians and infectious disease experts say the move will increase cases of preventable illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths. ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Christina Gallo and Daniel Zehnder came to McPherson Square in the Kensington neighborhood looking for a fix, as they did almost every day.

But on this day in late April, an SUV pulled up. A woman bounded out with an offer that sounded like a miracle: an all-expenses-paid trip for free treatment at a luxury rehab center in ...Read more

A Texas boy’s second dose of the MMRV vaccine cost over $1,400. A Pennsylvania woman’s long-acting birth control cost more than $14,000.

Treatment for a Florida Medicaid enrollee’s heart attack cost nearly $78,000 — about as much as surgery for an uninsured Montana woman’s broken arm.

In 2025, these patients were among the hundreds ...Read more