Listen: Healthbeat staff talk vaccinations, bird flu and other public health stories on ‘What the Health’

Healthbeat staff dropped in on the “What the Health” podcast with Julie Rovner at KFF Health News in Washington, D.C., to talk about our work on public health and what stories to be watching.

Healthbeat Editor in Chief Charlene Pacenti, national reporter Amy Maxmen, and New York reporter Eliza Fawcett discuss vaccination rates - from Covid to childhood shots - bird flu, the importance of community trust in the public health system, and changes expected under a new administration in Washington.

The episode, “Public Health and the Dairy Cow in the Room,” was released Tuesday.

KFF Health News is Healthbeat’s national reporting partner.

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The Latest

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Dr. Preeti Jaggi says pediatricians have a duty to protect the Earth’s future for their young patients: 'It’s becoming more and more obvious that the environment is affecting health.

President Donald Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill' cuts $1 trillion from Medicaid and reshapes the Affordable Care Act marketplace. Your Local Epidemiologist NY shares the action you can still take.

This major policy change treats Head Start as a welfare program rather than an educational one.

Cuts to public health and Medicaid don’t make costs disappear — they just shift them to the health care system. Hospitals are already seeing the fallout: longer wait times, overburdened staff, and sicker patients requiring more intensive — and expensive — care.

A state health initiative positions food and nutrition as essential health supports beyond the traditional clinical setting, recognizing that medical care can happen in the community, too.