In a combative interview on CNN, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. opened the conversation with a throwback claim.

“We had the highest death rate from COVID of any nation on earth,” Kennedy said. When host Dana Bash challenged him, Kennedy doubled down: “What I said was accurate. We had the highest death rate from COVID.”

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A food-borne parasite wreaking havoc on digestive systems has Americans on alert this summer.

A parasite present in water and food contaminated by human excrement is making life miserable for thousands of Americans. The parasite is cyclospora and the illness it causes is cyclosporiasis. Most who contract it can recover without needing treatment, though it can persist for a month or more. (A long time to endure symptoms that include “explosive diarrhea.”)

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Plans are underway to launch a phase 3 trial of an existing Ebola vaccine to fight the ongoing deadly outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, WHO told Healio.

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President Donald Trump signed an executive order recognizing what his administration framed as "gold standard childhood vaccine recommendations" for 11 "core" vaccinations.

The order follows previous steps by the administration to reduce the number of vaccinations a typical American child receives, including a government report published in January that found that kids in the U.S. get more shots than kids in peer nations.

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The 2026 Africa Health Security (AHS) Index was developed with that principle and goal in mind. This independent assessment of health security capacities across Africa provides leaders with evidence so they can direct resources and strengthen resilience against future epidemic and pandemics threats.

To mark the release of the Index, NTI, the Brown University Pandemic Center, Economic Enterprise, and Science for Africa Foundation hosted a discussion to highlight the Index’s findings. The conversation brought together African and global experts who outlined remaining capacity gaps and offered recommendations to advance health security across the continent.

Americans have been frightened for weeks by cyclosporiasis, a sickness with diarrhea-like symptoms caused by a parasite on shredded iceberg lettuce.

Now, with more cases potentially on the horizon, fearful customers are turning to alternative sources of lettuce not hit by the outbreak. One of those providers is Little Leaf Farms in Shirley.

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Hayley Severance, Deputy Vice President, Global Biological Policy and Programs, Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), walks us through the newly launched Africa Health Security Index (AHSI): its origin and purpose; its key African and other partners; what it reveals about significant progress in Africa since 2021 (surveillance, countermeasures) and what it reveals about glaring problems (biosafety/biosecurity, finance). The challenge now is to get the AHSI in front of senior African decision makers, and to engage with the Trump administration, among others, at this moment when the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak is raging.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr pulled $500 million in funding for mRNA vaccine development last year - the medical community said the U.S. would pay the price in dollars and lives

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The U.S. Senate on Aug. 5 confirmed Dr. Erica Schwartz as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, handing the Trump administration a rare win after repeated failed attempts to fill top health posts.

Emerging infectious diseases can pose a serious threat to national health and security.

Experts we convened suggested several ways the federal government could better detect and monitor such threats. For example, they suggested unifying animal and public health efforts because emerging diseases often affect both. They also discussed improving leadership among many partners, and more.

Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo is quoted in this article.

Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo is quoted in this article.