US health care is rife with high costs and deep inequities, and that’s no accident – a public health historian explains how the system was shaped to serve profit and politicians
Research shows that decades of policy choices shaped today’s fragmented health care system – which is precisely why reform is so difficult.
June 6, 2025 • ~11 min
RFK Jr. says annual COVID-19 shots no longer advised for healthy children and pregnant women – a public health expert explains the new guidance
Public health experts and professional health care associations have expressed concern that the guidance goes against research on the vaccine’s benefits in pregnancy.
May 29, 2025 • ~10 min
From furry friends to fish, turning up the heat helps animals fight germs − how Mother Nature’s cure offers humans a lesson on fever
Fever isn’t necessarily a bad thing − it’s actually a useful response to infections.
May 23, 2025 • ~7 min
WHO is finalizing a new treaty that prepares for the next pandemic − but the US isn’t signing
The US withdrew from treaty negotiations on President Trump’s first day in office.
May 22, 2025 • ~7 min
FDA will approve COVID-19 vaccine only for older adults and high-risk groups – a public health expert explains the new rules
The FDA’s new framework for COVID-19 vaccines breaks from established procedure for how the government establishes vaccine guidelines.
May 21, 2025 • ~10 min
FDA limits access to COVID-19 vaccine to older adults and other high-risk groups – a public health expert explains the new rules
The FDA’s new framework for COVID-19 vaccines breaks from established procedure for how the government establishes vaccine guidelines.
May 21, 2025 • ~10 min
Touch can comfort and heal, but also harm − a psychologist explains why gestures don’t always land as intended
The most comforting touch communicates care for the person receiving it – not just the intentions of the person offering it.
May 16, 2025 • ~8 min
Whooping cough is making a comeback, but the vaccine provides powerful protection
Rates of the bacterial infection have gone up by 500% since last year, with babies and young children most at risk.
April 29, 2025 • ~10 min
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