Fruit-Flavored E-cigarettes for Adults OK'd By FDA
The FDA authorized its first fruit-flavored e-cigarettes for adult smokers, marking a significant shift in federal vaping policy amid declining youth vaping rates, which are now at a 10-year low. The newly authorized products include mango and blueberry flavors and incorporate smartphone-based age verification and Bluetooth access controls intended to reduce youth access.
FDA officials emphas…
Americans Aren't Sleeping Enough
A May 2026 CDC data brief reports that 30.5% of U.S. adults surveyed in 2024 are sleeping fewer than the recommended seven hours per night, a figure largely unchanged since 2020. Sleep insufficiency is clinically associated with cardiometabolic conditions including diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.
Approximately 15% of adults report difficulty falling asleep and 18% struggle to s…
CDC Data Show Weekly ER Visits for Tick Bites Higher than Usual
CDC's Tick Bite Data Tracker shows weekly emergency department visits for tick bites are currently above historical norms in most U.S. regions, with rates in all areas except the South Central U.S. at their highest for this time of year since 2017.
CDC is urging preventive measures ahead of Lyme Disease Awareness Month in May, citing risks of Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and al…
CDC Reports Emergence of Extensively Drug-Resistant Shigella
CDC analysis published in MMWR reports a marked rise in extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Shigella infections in the United States. Among 16,788 isolates collected from 2011–2023, 3% were XDR, increasing from 0% in 2011–2015 to 8.5% in 2023.
Most cases occurred in adult men, with limited travel history, suggesting domestic transmission. XDR strains are resistant to five key antibiotics, and no FDA-approved oral treatments are available.
CDC highlights the need for strengthened surveillance, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and rapid reporting, along with targeted prevention strategi…
Fertility Rate Drops to New Record Low: CDC
The CDC reports that the U.S. general fertility rate declined 1% in 2025 to 53.1 births per 1,000 females ages 15–44, marking another record low and a continued long-term downward trend since 2007.
Teen birth rates fell sharply, including a 7% decline among ages 15–19. The total fertility rate remains below replacement level, and increasing proportions of adults report delaying or forgoing parenthood.
Census data show rising childlessness among women ages 25–29. Public health analysts note that financial pressures, including housing and childcare costs, are frequently cited barriers sha…