Washington ends Covid-19 vaccine requirements for state employees Washington's Covid-19 emergency declaration ended months ago, but Gov. Jay Inslee announced Wednesday that he is rescinding the requirement for state employees to get their Covid-19 shot, effective May 11. Jeanie Lindsay
A plastic sheet with a pouch could be a 'game changer' for maternal mortality A new study assesses a low-cost intervention aimed at reducing deaths from bleeding during childbirth. It's remarkably simple — and, according to a new study, quite effective. Rhitu Chatterjee
The pandemic-era rule that lets you get telehealth prescriptions just got extended Telehealth flourished during the pandemic thanks to relaxed rules that allowed prescribing without an in-person visit. Federal officials have decided to keep that in place for the time being. Yuki Noguchi
Advisers to the FDA back first over-the-counter birth control pill In a unanimous vote, 17-0, a panel of advisers to the Food and Drug Administration recommended that the agency approve the first over-the-counter birth control pill. Rob Stein
Should we think of gun violence as a 'disease'? These epidemiologists do For the first time ever, the Springer Handbook of Epidemiology has added gun violence to its pages. How does looking at gun violence as a disease change the way we view it? Libby Denkmann
Loneliness is an epidemic, can writing letters help? While artists have long plumbed the depths of solitude’s impact on the soul, doctors are only now focusing on its consequences for our well being. Hans Anderson
Dr. Ashish Jha on the White House ending the COVID-19 emergency declaration NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha about how the national public health emergency for coronavirus is coming to an end May 11. Erika Ryan
If you're 40, it's time to start mammograms, according to new guidelines The influential U.S. Preventive Task Force issue a draft of its new breast cancer screening guidelines. They're now recommending women start younger, amid a rise in breast cancer rates. Allison Aubrey
Many people living in the 'Diabetes Belt' are plagued with medical debt More than half of the counties in the nation's so-called Diabetes Belt also have high rates of medical debt among their residents, an NPR analysis found. Nick McMillan
Major psychologists' group warns of social media's potential harm to kids At a time of rising rates of depression and anxiety among teens, the American Psychological Association warns parents that their children need more protection when they are online. Michaeleen Doucleff
