Rob Stein
Stories
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Health
Federal health agencies told to halt all external communications
In a memo obtained by NPR, acting Health Secretary Dorothy Fink forbade staff from public communications on most matters until Feb. 1, unless they get express approval from "a presidential appointee."
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Health
Winter illnesses return with a vengeance
The annual winter respiratory virus season is in full force. The number of people catching the flu is skyrocketing, while COVID-19, RSV and other respiratory viral illnesses are also rising.
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Medical Treatments
Talking with the first person to receive a new kind of pig kidney transplant
NPR visits first person to get a new kind of genetically modified pig kidney two weeks after undergoing the historic procedure.
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Health
A transplanted pig kidney offers a grandmother hope for life without dialysis
The patient was in kidney failure and her immune system would reject a human organ. Scientists hope genetically modified pig organs prove safe and will alleviate the organ shortage and save lives.
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Health
For kids with rare genetic disorders, customized CRISPR treatments offer hope
The gene-editing technique is effective for treating some illnesses but it's been too expensive to consider it for rare conditions. A new approach in the works could make it more widely available.
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Medical Treatments
Customized CRISPR treatments could help people with rare genetic disorders
The gene-editing technique known as CRISPR is promising to revolutionize medicine. Some researchers are trying to help make it available for people with very rare genetic disorders.
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Health
As the respiratory virus season approaches, where does the vaccination rate stand?
So far very few Americans have been rolling up their sleeves to get vaccinated against COVID, flu or RSV.
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Health
Trump turns to critic of COVID mandates to run NIH
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a Stanford health researcher, is in line to lead the National Institutes of Health. Early in the pandemic he argued against lockdowns and focusing on people at highest risk.
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Health
Is it the flu or is it COVID? One at-home test can tell you
If you've got a fever, cough, aches and pains, and you're wondering, 'what virus got me this time?" Now you can find out, without taking a trip to the doctor.
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Health
With Trump coming into power, the NIH is in the crosshairs
The National Institutes of Health, the crown jewel of biomedical research in the U.S., could face big changes under the new Trump administration, some fueled by pandemic-era criticisms of the agency.
