Public Health : Shots - Health News When the neighborhood, town or nation is the patient, we're on the case. Find out about health in the community and around the globe. We round up the latest on prevention, disease outbreaks and the world's response to health crises.
Shots - Health News

Shots

Health News From NPR

Public Health

Many dog owners are worried about reports of a mysterious respiratory illness affecting dogs. THEPALMER/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
THEPALMER/Getty Images

Veterinarians say fears about 'mystery' dog illness may be overblown. Here's why

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1216209026/1216340324" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Participants walk in support and in memory of those lost, during American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Out of the Darkness Chicagoland Walk at Montrose Harbor on October 21, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. Barry Brecheisen/Getty Images for American Foundation for Suicide Prevention hide caption

toggle caption
Barry Brecheisen/Getty Images for American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

School districts across the country will be able to order free COVID-19 tests from the federal government starting in early December. Patrick Sison/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Patrick Sison/AP

Free COVID tests headed to nation's schools

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1215787045/1215931224" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Life expectancy in the U.S. is up in 2022, but it's still lower than before the pandemic. emholk/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
emholk/Getty Images

U.S. life expectancy starts to recover after sharp pandemic decline

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1215746931/1215765542" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

When the Center for Reproductive Rights first announced the lawsuit against Texas in March, there were five patient plaintiffs. Now there are 20. Sarah McCammon/NPR hide caption

toggle caption
Sarah McCammon/NPR

Texas abortion case heard before state's highest court, as more women join lawsuit

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1215463289/1215512764" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Former first lady Rosalynn Carter attends a rally at the U.S. Capitol in March 2008 when she helped get the mental health parity law enacted. Carter died on Nov. 19 at age 96. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

First lady Rosalynn Carter's legacy on mental health boils down to one word: Hope

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1214875774/1215057974" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Healthy dogs romp in Brooklyn's Prospect Park in early October, after a storm caused severe flooding. Around the country a mysterious respiratory illness is making some dogs sick. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Could a 'funky' pathogen be sickening dogs? Scientists search for clues

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1214951367/1215031506" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Ashley Close, staff attorney at Children's Law Center, right, checks in with Dr. Ankita Khandai, center, and Dr. Candice Dawes, left, at Children's National's Anacostia clinic in Washington, D.C. Close works with doctors to help them fight for healthy living conditions for patients. Medical-legal partnerships like this are spreading nationwide. Eric Lee for NPR hide caption

toggle caption
Eric Lee for NPR

When landlords won't fix asthma triggers like mold, doctors call in the lawyers

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1213555737/1214129262" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

The science is clear that teens can benefit from later school start times, but in Nashville and other communities, it's politically difficult to make the change. PeopleImages/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
PeopleImages/Getty Images

Science says teens need more sleep. So why is it so hard to start school later?

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1211610533/1215332360" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

A #RestoreRoe rally outside Michigan's capitol in Lansing in Sept. 2022. Voters overwhelmingly approved enshrining abortion rights in the state constitution later that year. JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images

Disease intervention specialists, like Deneshun Graves with the Houston Health Department, work to reach pregnant women at high risk of syphilis to get them testing and treatment to protect their babies. Michael Wyke/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Michael Wyke/AP

Syphilis among newborns continues to rise. Pregnant moms need treatment, CDC says

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1211172725/1211333651" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

"There's a lot of memories here, some good, some bad," said Danny Smith, reflecting on his years working at the now-defunct Solid Energy mine in Pike County, Ky. Smith, 51, suffers from an advanced and incurable stage of black lung disease. Rich-Joseph Facun for NPR hide caption

toggle caption
Rich-Joseph Facun for NPR

As coal miners suffer and die from severe black lung, a proposed fix may fall short

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1210051981/1214045818" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

A patient gets a low-dose CT scan to screen for lung cancer. The American Cancer Society on Wednesday recommended expanding who should have this annual screening test. PASCAL POCHARD-CASABIANCA/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
PASCAL POCHARD-CASABIANCA/AFP via Getty Images

The increase in food insecurity in 2022 reverses a decade-long decline in the number of U.S. households experiencing hunger. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Millions of American families struggle to get food on the table, report finds

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1208760054/1208869419" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Flu and COVID-19 vaccinations are now available across the U.S., including at this CVS pharmacy in Palatine, Illinois. Nam Y. Huh/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Nam Y. Huh/AP

A seasonal viral stew is brewing with flu, RSV, COVID and more

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1207700280/1207701547" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

States and counties nationwide are using opioid settlement funds for law enforcement efforts, including buying new squad cars. This draws criticism that the funds should be invested in treatment instead. Douglas Sacha/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Douglas Sacha/Getty Images

Law enforcement eyes opioid settlement cash for squad cars and body scanners

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1206326239/1207650498" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

A pediatric dosage of the new Moderna COVID vaccine, after a long-awaited shipment finally arrived at the office of Southern Orange County Pediatric Associates. The date the vaccine arrived, Oct. 11, is marked on the box. Eric Ball hide caption

toggle caption
Eric Ball

As winter nears, some parents are still searching for the new pediatric COVID shot

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1206592842/1207243808" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Rabies shots are mandatory in most of the U.S. but some dog owners are hesitant about giving their pets the vaccine. fotografixx/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
fotografixx/Getty Images

Vaccine hesitancy affects dog-owners, too, with many questioning the rabies shot

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1205016558/1205245194" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Alexis Perkins, 25, tried to get a prescription for PrEP during a recent visit to her OB-GYN in Atlanta, but her doctor did not feel confident prescribing it. Sam Whitehead/KFF Health News hide caption

toggle caption
Sam Whitehead/KFF Health News

PrEP prevents HIV infections, but it's not reaching Black women

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1203069515/1203173471" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript