Listeners, today’s public health alerts in the United States include several important updates and advisories you need to know. According to KFF Health News, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services just launched a new program allowing participating state Medicaid agencies to buy select prescription drugs at prices aligned with what other countries pay. This could potentially lower drug costs for millions. There’s also a new deal from the federal government with drugmakers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to offer weight-loss medications at significant discounts for eligible Medicare and Medicaid patients, with a new government website in the works for direct access next year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn that the measles risk remains a top concern, with three official deaths and over 200 hospitalizations from measles in the United States this year. There is also a new global travel alert: the CDC has raised polio to a Level 2 advisory, urging all Americans traveling internationally to ensure they are fully vaccinated against polio. Anyone who has previously completed their polio vaccine schedule may get a single, lifetime booster before travel. Travelers are also warned about chikungunya outbreaks in China’s Guangdong Province and Bolivia; precautions such as using insect repellent and protective clothing are strongly advised, with pregnant people especially discouraged from travel to outbreak areas per the CDC. Within the U.S., ProMED reported a pertussis—whooping cough—spike, especially in Texas where cases are reportedly four times higher than last year according to My San Antonio. This disease is highly infectious, and health officials remind listeners to remain up to date with Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) vaccines for both children and adults. ProMED also alerts listeners to ongoing measles activity, noting a recent case in Nevada, and to a recent recall of uneviscerated fish in New York City due to botulism risk. On the influenza front, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend everyone six months or older get their annual flu shot this fall. For those 65 and older, high-dose flu vaccine options are preferred and fully covered under Medicare. The CDC also urges older adults and those with serious health conditions to get an RSV vaccine if eligible. NPR reports that avian influenza, or bird flu, has surged among poultry this fall, killing millions of birds and raising concerns for possible spillover. The federal government is monitoring, and a new intranasal H5N1 flu vaccine has produced strong immune responses in early trials, per Nature Communications. In mental health news, Roll Call highlights ongoing reductions in funding and staffing for federal mental health and addiction response agencies. VA programs are expanding clinical trials of psychedelic therapies for PTSD, according to Military.com. SNAP and WIC benefits, vital for food security, were at risk during the recent government This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.
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