Latest U.S. Department of Health and Human Services News

CDC drops quarantine, distancing recommendations for COVID
NEW YORK (AP) — The nation's top public health agency relaxed its COVID-19 guidelines Thursday, dropping the recommendation that Americans quarantine themselves if they come into close contact with an infected person. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also said people...

FDA: Take 3 home tests if exposed to COVID to boost accuracy
WASHINGTON (AP) — If you were exposed to COVID-19, take three home tests instead of two to make sure you’re not infected, according to new U.S. recommendations released Thursday. Previously, the Food and Drug Administration had advised taking two rapid antigen tests over two or...

US will stretch monkeypox vaccine supply with smaller doses
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health officials on Tuesday authorized a plan to stretch the nation’s limited supply of monkeypox vaccine by giving people just one-fifth the usual dose, citing research suggesting that the reduced amount is about as effective. The so-called dose-sparing...

US declares public health emergency over monkeypox outbreak
WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government declared a public health emergency Thursday to bolster the response to the monkeypoxoutbreak that has infected more than 7,100 Americans. The announcement will free up money and other resources to fight the virus, which may cause fever, body...

San Francisco sues feds over forced nursing home closure
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco officials said Thursday they have filed a lawsuit against the federal government over its decision to cut funding to a nursing home run by the city and the tight deadline it set to move all patients out of the facility that state and federal officials deemed was...

EXPLAINER: Does health care law protect emergency abortion?
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has filed its first legal challenge to a state abortion ban since the end of Roe v. Wade, arguing Idaho’s restrictive abortion law leaves doctors facing criminal penalties for providing abortion-related medical care to women in life-threatening medical...

Number of uninsured Americans drops to record low
Washington (AP) — The number of people living in America without health insurance coverage hit an all-time low of 8 percent this year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday. “Every American has the right to the peace of mind that comes with access to...

US rules out summer COVID boosters to focus on fall campaign
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. regulators said Friday they are no longer considering authorizing a second COVID-19 booster shot for all adults under 50 this summer, focusing instead on revamped vaccines for the fall that will target the newest viral subvariants. Pfizer and Moderna expect...
NC woman pleads guilty to selling unapproved COVID-19 remedy
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A North Carolina woman has pleaded guilty to charges that she sold unapproved drugs on her website that claimed to be remedies and treatments for COVID-19, the U.S. Department of Justice said. U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young said in a news release that Diana...

Altria's $13B investment in Juul e-cigarettes vaporizes
WASHINGTON (AP) — Cigarette maker Altria's $13 billion investment in the troubled vaping company Juul has gone up in smoke — now worth less than 5% of its original value as U.S. regulators move to ban its e-cigarettes. Altria slashed the value of its Juul investment by more than...
