When outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles occur despite highly effective vaccines being available, it’s easy to conclude that parents who don’t vaccinate their children are misguided, selfish or…
Category: Anthropology
Cuts to school lunch and food bank funding mean less fresh produce for children and families
The U.S. government recently cut more than US$1 billion in funding to two long-running programs that helped schools and food banks feed children and families in need. The U.S. Department…
1 in 4 children suffers from chronic pain − school nurses could be key to helping them manage it
Joint pain, headaches, stomachaches, fibromyalgia – the list sounds like an inventory of ailments that might plague people as they age. Yet these are chronic, painful conditions that frequently affect…
Is methylene blue really a brain booster? A pharmacologist explains the science
The internet is abuzz with tributes to a liquid chemical called methylene blue that is being sold as a health supplement. Over the past five or 10 years, methylene blue…
Our trans health study was terminated by the government – the effects of abrupt NIH grant cuts ripple across science and society
Given the Trump administration’s systematic attempts to medically and legally disenfranchise trans people, and its abrupt termination of grants focused on LGBTQ+ health, we can’t say that the notice of…
Millions of US children have parents with substance use disorder, and the consequences are staggering − new research
About 1 in 4 U.S. children – nearly 19 million – have at least one parent with substance use disorder. This includes parents who misuse alcohol, marijuana, prescription opioids or…
There’s no evidence work requirements for Medicaid recipients will boost employment, but they are a key piece of Republican spending bill
Republicans in the U.S. Senate are sparring over their version of the multitrillion-dollar budget and immigration bill the House of Representatives passed on May 22, 2025. Some GOP senators are…
More Colorado workplaces are becoming safe places for employees in recovery
At Odie B’s, a sandwich shop in Denver, recovery from drug and alcohol use is part of daily operations. “Seventy percent of our staff is active in recovery,” Cliff Blauvelt,…
RFK Jr. says annual COVID-19 shots no longer advised for healthy children and pregnant women – a public health expert explains the new guidance
On May 27, 2025, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will no longer include the COVID-19 vaccine on…
Billy Joel has excess fluid in his brain – a neurologist explains what happens when this protective liquid gets out of balance
Cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF, is a clear, colorless liquid that plays a crucial role in maintaining the health and function of your central nervous system. It cushions the brain and…
