Read today’s Kaiser Health News
In other news:
RFK Jr. suggests some vaccines are risky or ineffective, downplays measles threat: In an interview with CBS News that aired Wednesday, the nation’s top health official said that “people should get the measles vaccine,” a more direct assertion than has been typical from Kennedy, who has a long history of questioning vaccine safety.
At the same time, however, he appeared to minimize the threat of a growing outbreak centered in Texas and New Mexico and sent mixed signals about vaccines, saying many vaccines “aren’t safety tested.” He went on to argue they’re not tested against placebo groups or only over short periods of time. Public health officials across independent bodies have repeatedly approved vaccines based on their safety and efficacy evidence, including placebo-controlled trials and long-term studies.
Government shuts CDC office focused on alcohol-related harms and prevention: A small office that produced data on alcohol-related deaths and harms, and worked on policies to reduce them, has been shuttered by the Trump administration. Those involved with the work say it was the only group in the federal government focused on preventing excessive drinking and the many problems associated with it, including chronic diseases.
At least 11 states directly relied on the Alcohol Program in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for funding, data assistance and other guidanc
About hospitals and healthcare systems
The 24 hospitals fined for price transparency violations, by state FYI
About pharma
41% of drug shortages span more than 2 years: More than one-third (41%) of active drug shortages began in 2022 or earlier, according to a new report from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.
The report tracks national drug shortage trends from January 2001 through March 2025. So far this year, the ASHP has reported 26 new drug shortages. Since an all-time high of 323 active drug shortages in early 2024, the number of active shortages is now 270.
About the public’s health
Routine medical appointments and cancer screenings head in the wrong direction: The Prevent Cancer Foundation’s 2025 Early Detection Survey…revealed just 51% of U.S. adults 21 years of age and older say they have had a routine medical appointment or routine cancer screening in the last year.1 This is a 10-percentage point drop from the 2024 survey.