US Officially Doubles Last Year’s Measles Numbers
The U.S. has confirmed 4,588 measles cases in 2026, more than double the 2,289 reported in all of 2025, according to an Oct. 23 update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Cases span 47 jurisdictions and include 42 new outbreaks. Pennsylvania accounts for 1,338 cases, nearly 30% of the national total. Overall, 96% of cases occurred among people who were unvaccinated or h…
Shopping for an ACA Plan This Year? Here’s What You Need To Know
A new analysis of the 2027 Affordable Care Act (ACA) open enrollment period, beginning Nov. 1 in most states, highlights rising costs and new enrollment barriers that could affect coverage access.
Premiums are projected to increase 15%, following a 26% average increase last year, while the expiration of enhanced federal subsidies has already contributed to declining enrollment. New federal ru…
Advocates Fight for Expanded Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines
Lung cancer screening advocates are calling for expanded U.S. guidelines to include nonsmokers with risk factors such as family history and environmental exposures.
In a new NPR report experts highlighted that lung cancer kills approximately 125,000 Americans annually, and roughly half of those diagnosed are ineligible for screening under current guidelines, which focus on smoking history…
MAHA Food Safety Concerns Resonate Beyond Movement Supporters
A new national survey analysis published by the Annenberg Public Policy Center finds that while 26% of U.S. adults identify as supporters of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, substantially more share its concerns about food additives and highly processed foods.
Across two 2026 surveys, 73% of respondents favored six food-related MAHA policies, including regulating chemical addit…
Now Live: The Public Health AI & Tech Exchange (PHATE): Advancing Public Health Through Shared Solutions
Big Cities Health Coalition (BCHC) has launched the Public Health AI & Tech Exchange, a searchable catalog of AI, data, and technology tools built by local health departments.
Each use case covers what was built, what it took, and what other departments can reuse, so proven solutions can spread from city to city. Developed with BCHC's Data Modernization Workgroup and designed by Chris Col…
Customizable Social Media Graphics Help Public Health Organizations Connect Voting and Community Health
The Public Health Communications Collaborative released customizable “Get Out The Vote” social media graphics to help public health organizations connect civic participation with community health ahead of the midterm elections.
The resources include English- and Spanish-language graphics, editable Canva templates, and suggested social media captions addressing voter registration, early voting…
Study Links Childhood Antibiotic Use to Higher Odds of IBS by Age 24
A new Swedish study presented at the United European Gastroenterology conference on found that children and adolescents who received antibiotics had 1.5-times-higher odds of developing irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) by age 24 than those who had not.
The analysis of 2,853 participants found that 10% developed IBS, with odds increasing alongside the number of antibiotic prescriptions, reaching…