Health Care
Biden administration asks state, local officials to boost monkeypox vaccine outreach
WASHINGTON — Federal public health officials said Thursday they are working with state and local health departments to boost messaging and vaccinations for those most likely to contract monkeypox, including at large-scale events. But Biden administration officials at a press briefing also struggled to explain differing statements about how the vaccines should be administered, a […]
Arkansas’ $1M pregnancy resource center grant untouched so far
Arkansas’ crisis pregnancy centers so far have declined to apply for a new $1 million grant program created by the state Legislature to help fund their operations. The application period opened Aug. 1 and ends Aug. 26, but no one has applied for the money aimed at helping those facing unintended pregnancy and encouraging them […]
Twenty states, D.C. join in opposing Texas lawsuit on emergency abortion care
WASHINGTON — Attorneys general from 20 states and the District of Columbia filed a brief in federal court on Tuesday, challenging Texas’ assertion that states shouldn’t have to comply with a federal law that protects doctors who end a pregnancy to save the patient’s life. The brief argues the judge in the case shouldn’t […]
Arkansas health officials, patients brace for Medicaid eligibility review
Health insurance coverage for hundreds of thousands of Arkansans will soon be at risk as health officials prepare for the first-of-its-kind review of state Medicaid rolls. The number of Arkansans on Medicaid grew 20% during the pandemic, but some of those recipients are no longer eligible. They remained covered under the nation’s largest public health […]
Biden administration proposes changing how monkeypox vaccine is administered
The Biden administration has begun encouraging health care providers to change the way they’re administering vaccines to protect against monkeypox.
Why same-sex marriage has become a less polarizing issue for Congress
While public opinion and different state laws on abortion rights are sharply dividing the country, there’s growing indication that most people agree on another once-controversial topic – protecting same-sex marriage. The U.S. House of Representatives voted on July 19, 2022, to enshrine same-sex marriage into law with a bipartisan vote – all 220 Democratic representatives […]
Arkansas COVID numbers decline, continuing trend
Active coronavirus cases continued to trend downward in Arkansas on Monday, according to the Arkansas Department of Health’s COVID-19 data portal. The department considers “active” cases to be currently infectious. The 860 fewer active cases Monday were a sharp dive after Sunday’s decline of 116 active cases, according to ADH data. Active cases totaled 11,044 […]
Arkansas adds 5 new monkeypox cases
Arkansas health officials identified five more cases of monkeypox on Monday, bringing the state’s cumulative case total to 20. A lab identified the first case of the virus, a less-severe cousin of smallpox, in July. As of Friday, the state had 15 cases. Monkeypox symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain and a painful rash that […]
Biden signs landmark bill aiding veterans exposed to burn pits overseas
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden signed legislation into law Wednesday that will provide health care and benefits to veterans exposed to burn pits in Afghanistan and Iraq, achieving a long-term, personal goal. “I was in and out of Iraq over 20 times,” Biden said of prior trips to the war zone he took as both […]