Health News
4/1/2026

Making sense of the showdown at the CDC



Chagas disease, a deadly infection caused by ‘kissing bugs,’ may have taken root in the U.S., researchers say



Confused by the new COVID vaccine guidelines? Here's what you need to know.



Poll: Only 15% of Americans agree with the unproven claim that Tylenol causes autism



Trump promotes unproven theory about Tylenol and autism. What does the science say?



What you should know if there's no sexual attraction for your partner, according to a therapist


Why would a person pick a potential life partner without feeling the spark of sexual attraction? And can these relationships survive and thrive? Can sexual attraction be cultivated later? Therapist Ian Kerner shares what he's learned in his practice.

The benefits of 'body doubling' when you have ADHD, according to experts


'Body doubling' is a strategy people with ADHD can use to accomplish more than they would alone. Here's how to do it.

If you think you can't focus for long, you're right


Your attention span has shrunk by nearly two minutes in the past 20 years, driven in part by technology's hold over your work and home life, experts say. Here's how to stay focused so you can get things done.

What a medication abortion is like, according to a doctor


An expert in medication abortion describes how mifepristone and misoprostol work and what to expect after using these medications known as the "abortion pill."

How to cool down without AC


No air conditioning? Here are 14 methods for cooling your body and buffering your house from the outside heat.

The best coupons at CVS Pharmacy



The planet is getting hotter fast. This is what happens to your body in extreme heat


Human-caused climate change has already made heat waves around the world more frequent and intense.

8 activewear brands you should add to your workout wardrobe


The increasing popularity of stylish, trendy athletic wear has made über-comfortable clothing something that's not just for the gym. It's infiltrated all corners of culture, from high fashion runways to the offices of Silicon Valley executives — and really, it's appropriate for any occasion when you just want to be comfortable.

Why we have nightmares and how to stop them


We leave behind our fears of monsters under the bed as we say goodbye to our childhoods, but one can follow us into adulthood and loom over our heads.

Your guide to finding the right Theragun massage gun for you



This bat fossil could fill in a piece of the evolutionary puzzle


Two 52 million-year-old bat skeletons discovered in an ancient lake bed in Wyoming are the oldest bat fossils ever found — and they reveal a new species.

How long you can use vintage Tupperware


Since Tupperware, the iconic kitchen brand that's been a household name for decades, signaled recently that it might be going out of business, you might be wondering how long your stash of its food storage containers is safe to use — especially if it's vintage.

Paper airplane breaks a world distance record


It's a bird... It's a plane... It's a paper airplane!

Desperate for heart surgery for their baby, a family feels the effects of pediatric hospital shortages


Even before their daughter was born in June, Aaron and Helen Chavez knew she would need heart surgery. Doctors expected her to have an operation around 6 months of age.

Fuzzy first photo of a black hole gets a sharp makeover


The first photo ever taken of a black hole looks a little sharper now.

Experimental therapy gantenerumab fails to slow or improve Alzheimer's memory loss in clinical trials


An experimental treatment, gantenerumab, failed to help people at high risk of memory loss from Alzheimer's or those who were in the early phases of the disease, the manufacturer said Monday.

US gets D+ grade for rising preterm birth rates, new report finds


The rate of premature birth in the United States is climbing, according to the infant and maternal health nonprofit March of Dimes.

Covid-19 boosters could keep thousands of kids out of hospitals, but uptake remains low


Higher Covid-19 vaccination rates among US children could prevent thousands of pediatric hospitalizations and millions of missed school days, according to an analysis published Tuesday by the Commonwealth Fund and the Yale School of Public Health.

RSV hospitalization rate for seniors is 10 times higher than usual for this point in the season


The respiratory virus season has started early in kids this year and flooded children's hospitals in many parts of the country -- especially with respiratory syncytial virus, known as RSV.

Is a morning cup of hot water better than cold?


A GP looks at the social media trend of drinking hot water in the morning.

File on 4 Investigates


Is the UK's heart and lung transplant service still world beating?

Inside Health


James visits Hackney, which has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country.

'I froze my eggs because I was born without a womb'


Betty Mukherjee talks to Naga Munchetty about living with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome.

'You feel forgotten' - the reality for boxers after the fights stop


Retired boxer Stephen Smith shares how boxers can struggle to "fill the void" after hanging up their gloves.

Inside Health


James Gallagher is joined by experts to answer key questions on the meningitis outbreak.

Inside Health


James Gallagher examines the outbreak of bacterial meningitis in Kent.

Doctors' union agrees to resume talks with Streeting


But the health secretary says he will not negotiate on pay, adding that the union has lost goodwill with their five-day walkout.

The doctor strike has ended - what comes next?


With doctors returning to work after five-day walkout, is there an opportunity for talks to re-start?

Inside Health


James Gallagher finds out how a hot flush feels - and delves into a new treatment.

Why are resident doctors striking and how much are they paid?


Resident doctors in England are striking between 17 and 22 December, the 14th walkout since 2023.

Union and government to restart talks on ending doctor dispute


BMA says there is window of opportunity in coming weeks to reach a settlement after 12 strikes.

PM gives BMA 48 hours to call-off strike or lose 1,000 training posts


Starmer sets deadline for doctors' union to call off six-day walkout due to begin after Easter.

Patients harmed as Covid pandemic brought NHS close to collapse, inquiry finds


Third report into the pandemic says patients and staff were failed as health service only just coped.

'I'm still haunted that he died alone': The last voices of the Covid inquiry


Bereaved families have the final say as the Covid inquiry completes three years of public hearings.

Covid inquiry chair defends £200m cost and four-year process on final day


Baroness Heather Hallett said completing the hearings in under four years was an achievement but critics have questioned its cost.

What is the UK Covid inquiry and how does it work?


The third report from the inquiry into the government's handling of the pandemic says the NHS was close to collapse.

Stay at home advice questioned and rules too tough - key findings from Covid report


An NHS close to collapse, patients failed and NHS staff put at risk - what you need to know.

Sculpting jaws, giving scores: Inside the world of looksmaxxing


Growing numbers of young men are going to great lengths to achieve what they see as the perfect face.

Charity hopes new HQ can bring people together


Health Connections is to renovate six floors of its new base as spaces for people to come together.

Pupil art sessions 'bring joy' to hospice


The Hospice in the Weald in Pembury runs the sessions for people with life-limiting conditions.

Jersey's wellbeing score is below UK and France


Jersey's wellbeing score is below UK and France in survey of data from 41 countries.

'You feel forgotten' - the reality for boxers after the fights stop


Retired boxer Stephen Smith shares how boxers can struggle to "fill the void" after hanging up their gloves.

I spent five months in a mother and baby mental health unit - here's what I want mums to know


Sofii Lewis was diagnosed with postpartum psychosis tendencies and OCD after giving birth.

Woman with 'agonising' condition to 'give back'


The Worcester woman says she wants endometriosis patients to be "met with a little extra comfort".

'I shampooed with raw egg to try and get pregnant'


Tired of health misinformation on social media, Barbora Gray is fighting back by sharing facts.

'Women's health must be taken more seriously'


Dr Liz O'Riordan says it is important women seek help from professionals not "Google and Chat GPT".

Sleep, exercise, hydrate - do we really need to stick to recommended daily doses?


As a study casts doubt on the daily steps maxim, we take a look at some other health benchmarks we’re often told to strive for.

'I froze my eggs because I was born without a womb'


Betty Mukherjee talks to Naga Munchetty about living with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome.

What is chickenpox and who can get an NHS vaccine?


The standard NHS childhood vaccination programme will include chickenpox from 2 January 2026.

The teenage caffeine pouch trend troubling US experts


Some social media influencers are pushing products to young gym-goers and students, health experts warn.

Prostate cancer screening: What you need to know


Everything you need to know about the decision on who should be screened for prostate cancer.

Could weight-loss jabs be behind rising gallbladder removals?


Last year, there was a 15% annual increase in the operations and surgeons want more research.

How to check whether you have bowel cancer


What are the main symptoms and causes of bowel cancer, and how can you reduce your risk of getting it?

Why are fewer people donating their organs?


The number waiting for an organ is at a record high as loved ones increasingly block donations.

Why is MenB vaccine not given to teenagers in UK and should they be offered it?


Students and older teens are not routinely vaccinated against the meningitis strain behind the Kent outbreak.

Our son loved the outdoors - invisible illness means he now can't walk or talk


Tomos is one of thousands with ME in Wales, with services described as “a desert” for those most affected.

What are the symptoms of meningitis and how is it spread?


Two people have died following an "unpredecented" outbreak of meningitis in Kent.

Stay at home advice questioned and rules too tough - key findings from Covid report


An NHS close to collapse, patients failed and NHS staff put at risk - what you need to know.

AI toys for children misread emotions and respond inappropriately, researchers warn


In first study of its kind, Cambridge researchers found AI toys could misread some children's emotions.

Are UK students at risk of more deadly meningitis outbreaks?


The worst seems to be over, but questions remain about why this happened and whether it could happen again.

Is screen time always bad and how do I manage it?


How do you manage screen time, does it have a bad impact and what steps can you take to mitigate the problem?

Hundreds of GPs tell BBC they have never refused a fit note for mental health concerns


The number of fit notes issued has been rising, with more than 11.2m approved in England last year.

NHS tracker - are hospital waiting times improving near you?


Use our interactive tracker to see if treatment waits are getting better at your local hospital.

Hospital waiting lists in Wales see record drop


Wait times for planned care are falling but diagnostic and cancers waits are up, latest figures indicate.

Fears of two-tier health system as more turn to private care, says watchdog


The patient watchdog warns of two-tier service as polling shows numbers paying for care is on the rise.

'Having coeliac disease aged 9 means I'm normal with a tiny twist'


Nine-year-old Eliza's mum says she was relieved when her daughter was diagnosed with the disease.

Better NHS care might have saved 58 babies, BBC finds


There are growing calls for a statutory public inquiry into maternity services in Oxford.

Why has this meningitis outbreak spread so fast?


There have been 20 cases since the weekend in one small area of Kent - but this isn't the normal pattern, so what could have happened?

Lab-grown food pipe offers new hope for young patients


UK scientists have grown fully functioning food pipes and successfully transplanted them into mini pigs, paving the way for human trials.

Streeting praises response to meningitis outbreak


Wes Streeting praises the "Herculean efforts" to protect people from the Kent meningitis outbreak.

I spent five months in a mother and baby mental health unit - here's what I want mums to know


Sofii Lewis was diagnosed with postpartum psychosis tendencies and OCD after giving birth.

Hospital waited two days before raising alarm about meningitis outbreak


Experts say the wait was indefensible and possibly delayed identification of the outbreak.

Meningitis outbreak passes peak, says health agency


"We could still see cases continuing to come in, we need to keep an eye on those, the UKHSA says.

Cuba's mothers-to-be prepare to give birth in a country plunged into darkness


Two pregnant women tell the BBC's Will Grant of their hopes and fears as their nation is mired in crisis.

Screen time for under-fives should be limited to one hour a day, parents told


New government guidance also suggests children under-two should not be watching screens alone.

UK's transplant system was world-leading - now it lags behind other Western nations


The UK has failed to keep pace with the rest of the world. Can it regain its status, and how?

NHS dentistry is rotting. Will the plan to fix it work?


As patients struggle to find NHS dentists, Labour has a plan but not everybody is convinced it will work

'I nearly broke trying to help my partner with addiction issues'


Claire Harkin believes the experiences of people who are supporting loved ones with an addiction can be overlooked.

Our daughter battled Meningitis B despite being vaccinated in 'very rare' case


After Noa-Rose became critically ill, the four-year-old spent two weeks fighting for her life.

Man fears stroke or heart attack due to aspirin shortage


David Slater, 72, says ministers need to step up and sort out issues with the medication.

The man who wants to bring human composting to the UK


Human composting is when a body placed in a sealed vessel containing organic matter turns into soil.

Our skin is falling off and no-one can tell us why


People sharing pictures and accounts on socials of red, inflamed skin have triggered the first UK research into TSW.

Why the benefit used by more than 8 million people may not be fit for the future


Can Universal Credit and the work and benefits system more generally reshape itself to meet a new reality?

'Something wasn't right': Wrong sperm given to UK families by IVF clinics in northern Cyprus


Families of seven children believe the wrong sperm or egg donors were used in their IVF treatment.

My daughter has childhood dementia and may not live past 16


Diagnosed just before her fourth birthday, Sophia, now 15, can no longer speak and cannot walk unaided.

Starmer gives doctors 48 hours to cancel strike or lose new jobs package


The prime minister says the NHS could lose 1,000 extra training places if resident doctors go ahead with a six-day strike next week.

Weight-loss jabs will be offered on NHS for people at risk of further heart attacks


More than a million people in England will start being offered the anti-obesity jab for better heart health and to avoid strokes.

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