Health Policy

Three senior leaders who work on immunization and infectious diseases left their jobs in defiance of Trump administration policies they say jeopardize scientific integrity.

As health and science research is disrupted or canceled, longstanding policies on vaccines and other disease prevention are upended, global aid is cut off, and federal health funding cuts trickle down to communities, Healthbeat is here to help you navigate what it all means.

Trump officials sowed fear and confusion among CDC scientists, slowing their response to the measles outbreak in West Texas. Cases surged and sparked new outbreaks in the U.S. and Mexico. These linked outbreaks have sickened more than 4,500 and killed at least 16.

The 30-year-old strategy developed – but never broadly implemented – in New York City prioritizes moving people directly from the street into permanent housing, without requiring sobriety, treatment, or shelter stays beforehand.

The HHS secretary's targeting of a federal vaccine compensation program that settles injury claims could diminish the fund, saddling pharmaceutical companies with liability risks and costs that would compel them to stop making vaccines altogether.

Amid political chatter about vaccines and the government entities that oversee them, it’s understandable to wonder where all this leaves the 2025-26 flu vaccine. Here's what you need to know.

Residents at Brookdale Hospital mostly come from overseas, working in jobs American medical students overlook.

NYC Care enrollment declines for the first time, as doctors warn that New Yorkers worried about their immigration status are avoiding care out of deportation fears.

Fired-then-reinstated workers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention worry about the future of public health amid proposed downsizing — and now a traumatic attack.

Friday’s shooting at the CDC follows years of backlash against public health since the pandemic. Bound by a commitment to protect people, public health workers aren’t giving up.

The Metropolitan Transit Authority banned alcohol advertising in 2018, amid concerns about underage drinking. Extensive research shows that alcohol ads drive consumption, particularly for young people.

Sharing Excess retrieves unsellable food from market wholesalers, inspects it, and then distributes what’s still good to eat to more than 150 food pantries and other organizations that serve food-insecure New Yorkers.

The second Trump administration has said that healthy eating is a priority. But its tax and spending law will make it harder for some people to afford healthy food.

Georgia is one of 10 states that haven’t expanded Medicaid health coverage to a broader pool of low-income adults. Instead, it offers coverage to those who can prove they’re working or completing 80 hours a month of other qualifying activities.

The Million Veteran Program's repository has the potential to help answer a wide range health questions for all Americans.

Studies have consistently found that some artificial food colorings can make some children hyperactive, inattentive, and irritable. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. directed the FDA to request that food producers phase out the dyes, but compliance is voluntary.

SNAP-Ed, which funds nutrition programs across New York City, will expire Sept. 30. Without it, families may have less fresh produce — and advocates worry about increased child hunger.

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.