Health
State of Health
Whooping Cough Vaccine Effectives Fades — and Fast
Lately, Californians have been focused on a significant measles outbreak that just ended, but in in the last five years, state health officials have declared an epidemic of whooping cough (also known as pertussis) twice — in 2010 and in 2014, when 11,000 people were sickened and ...Read More
KQED Science
Governor Brown’s New Climate Offensive in Five Jerryesque Quotes
In promoting his new greenhouse gas reduction targets, the governor invokes World War II, climate-change deniers in Washington, and the recycled toilet water in our future.
State of Health
Forget Public Health: The Politics of the California Vaccination Debate
(Craig Miller/KQED)Over on the KQED News Politics and Government Desk, John Myers hosts a terrific podcast on California politics. The most recent edition (published last Friday) took a hard look at the political debate in California over SB 277, a bill ...Read More
State of Health
Is Pollution From Asia Making the Central Valley’s Bad Air Even Worse?
Advocates say the San Joaquin Valley Air District should focus on sources it can control, like farming machinery. (David McNew/Getty Images)By Alice Daniel California's Central Valley grapples with some of the dirtiest air in the nation. The culprits range from its vast agriculture industry to trucks on Highway 99. But one ...Read More
State of Health
Breastfeeding May Reduce Risk of Breast Cancer Recurrence, Death
(Ozgur Poyrazoglu via Flickr) In a small study, women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer were 30 percent less likely to see a return of the disease if they had a history of breast-feeding. While previous research has found a small protective effect of breast-feeding and breast ...Read More
State of Health
California Vaccine Bill Approved in Key Hearing
(Craig Miller/KQED) A controversial bill that would require vaccination for nearly all California children to attend school — both public and private — cleared the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday. The bill “still has a long way to go.” The committee voted 7-2 on the bill, co-authored by Sens. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) ...Read More
State of Health
Mammogram in Your 40s Still a Personal Decision, Task Force Says
The task force pointed out that the net benefits in younger women were small and said women should weigh the pros and cons of screening before making a decision.
State of Health
Forget Public Health: The Politics of the California Vaccination Debate
(Craig Miller/KQED) Over on the KQED News Politics and Government Desk, John Myers hosts a terrific podcast on California politics. The most recent edition (published last Friday) took a hard look at the political debate in California over SB 277, a bill ...Read More
State of Health
Disneyland Measles Outbreak to be Declared Over
The outbreak sickened 134 Californians. (Marsaili McGrath/Getty Images) By Alicia Chang, AP The state's measles outbreak that began at Disneyland and reignited debate about vaccinations is nearing an end. The outbreak will be declared over in California on Friday if no new cases pop up, according to the California Department of Public Health. Disease ...Read More
State of Health
Vaccine Exemption Bill Stalls in Sacramento; Vote Next Week
(Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) A bill that would eliminate the vaccine personal belief exemption stalled before the Senate Education Committee Wednesday in Sacramento. Lawmakers were deeply concerned that the bill would bar too many children from school. The bill's co-author, Sen. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) asked the committee to delay a vote until ...Read More
State of Health
The Hidden Cost of Mammograms: More Testing and Overtreatment
Instead of having mammograms according to age, some doctors think screening should be based on a woman's overall risk for breast cancer. (Getty Images) By Patti Neighmond, NPR There's no question mammograms can save lives by detecting breast cancer early. But they can also result in unnecessary testing and ...Read More
KQED Science
Ancestry Uses a Drop of Saliva to Find Your Relatives From Centuries Ago
This week Ancestry.com released a product that it claims can provide glimpses into the lives of your distant descendants.
State of Health
Is Pollution From Asia Making the Central Valley’s Bad Air Even Worse?
Advocates say the San Joaquin Valley Air District should focus on sources it can control, like farming machinery. (David McNew/Getty Images) By Alice Daniel California's Central Valley grapples with some of the dirtiest air in the nation. The culprits range from its vast agriculture industry to trucks on Highway 99. But one ...Read More
KQED Science
Researchers at SLAC Study Promising Alternative to Morphine
Researchers are now studying a new kind of pain reliever with less side effects than morphine, using the Linac Coherent Light Source at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.
State of Health
Frontline ‘Vaccine War’ Live Chat; Wednesday 3/25, Noon PT
Today Frontline hosts a live chat about its film The Vaccine War with KQED's Lisa Aliferis moderating.
State of Health
Why Insulin Is So Expensive in the U.S.
For many decades, the only insulin available to people with diabetes came from the pancreases of cattle or pigs. Insulin from animals is still available outside the U.S. — and cheaper than a recombinant DNA version.
KQED Science
Digital Health Explodes in Austin: A Visit to Chiron Health
During the SXSW tech conference in Austin, Texas, this past week, we stopped by the office of Chiron Health, a local company that is helping bring virtual doctor visits to patients.
KQED Science
A CRISPR Solution to “Bubble Boy” Disease?
Researchers are racing to see what kinds of diseases might be cured through a hot new gene-editing technique. But if CRISPR lives up to the hype, who — other than patients — will profit?
State of Health
Will the HIV-Prevention Pill Protect Teens or Encourage Risky Behavior?
(Justin Sullivan: Getty Images) By Rafael Johns, Youth Radio via NPR Leon Richardson is 18 years old and tall, charismatic and thoughtful about his sexual health. He understands that as a young, gay black man, he is in the demographic with the highest rate of HIV infections in ...Read More
State of Health
Industry Reaction to ‘Sugar Papers’ Mirrors Tobacco in 1990s
(Getty Images) The sugar industry worked to steer federal health research a report released Monday revealed. As State of Health reported, newly-uncovered industry documents dating to the1960s showed that the sugar industry influenced the National Institute of Dental Research, part of the National Institutes of Health, ...Read More
