April 2026 Health News
Date postedApril 3, 2026
Topics in this News Roundup
- Cancer
- Cardiology
- Care and Insurance Costs
- Caregiving and Patient Support
- Children's Health
- Chronic Health Conditions
- Consumer and Patient Safety
- Disabled Populations and Health Care
- Environmental Health
- Eye Health
- Flu and Respiratory Virus Season
- Food, Nutrition, and Food Safety
- Gastrointestinal Health
- Good News
- Government and Advocacy
- Health Care Systems and Facilities
- Immunology and Allergies
- Infectious Diseases and Infections
- Insurance Coverage
- Measles Outbreak
- Medical Care
- Medical Testing and Imaging
- Medicare and Medicaid
- Medications and Prescribing
- Mental and Behavioral Health
- Physicians and Health Care Providers
- Public Health
- Reproductive and Sexual Health
- Social Factors Affecting Health
- Substance Use and Treatment
- Vaccination
Cancer
- Cancer patients with cardiometabolic conditions face higher healthcare costs (Managed Healthcare Executive, 4/3/26)
- Two Decades of Mammography Trends Reveal Gaps in Screening Among Uninsured and Minority Women (American Journal of Managed Care, 4/3/26)
- Kennedy Sidelining Of US Advisory Panel Delays Updates to Cancer Screening Guidelines (Medscape, 4/2/26)
- COVID vaccines, boosters may help mitigate long-COVID risk in cancer patients (The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, 4/1/26)
Cardiology
- Premature menopause associated with a 40% risk of coronary heart disease (Managed Healthcare Executive, 4/2/26)
- Attruby reduces risk of death by 49% in rare heart condition in long-term study (Managed Healthcare Executive, 4/1/26)
Care and Insurance Costs
- The ACA Subsidy Gap and Its Toll on Primary Care (Medscape, 4/3/26)
- Cost-related medication non-adherence declined after the Inflation Reduction Act (Cardiovascular Business, 4/2/26)
Caregiving and Patient Support
- (New Hampshire) ‘Making order out of chaos’: Tips for new caregivers in NH (NH Public Radio, 4/1/26)
Children's Health
- Maternal COVID vaccination tied to fewer infant COVID hospital visits (The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, 4/3/26)
- Amid rising vaccine hesitancy, more parents reject vitamin K shots (The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, 4/1/26)
Chronic Health Conditions
- Cognitive Decline and Disability
- High-dose flu vaccine tied to lower Alzheimer’s risk in older adults (The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, 4/2/26)
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
- IBD: High Mental Health Toll for Newly Diagnosed Patients (Medscape, 4/3/26)
- Long COVID
- Fluvoxamine Improves Fatigue, QoL in Long COVID (HealthDay, 4/3/26)
- COVID vaccines, boosters may help mitigate long-COVID risk in cancer patients (The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, 4/1/26)
Consumer and Patient Safety
Disabled Populations and Health Care
- (New Hampshire) Disability care providers: New Hampshire needs more abuse and neglect investigators (New Hampshire Bulletin, 4/1/26)
Environmental Health
- US Agencies to Monitor Drinking Water for Microplastics, Pharmaceuticals (Medscape, 4/2/26)
Eye Health
- (New Hampshire) Ophthalmologists Focus on Strengthening Rural Eye Care in the Granite State (NH Medical Society, 4/1/26)
Flu and Respiratory Virus Season
- CDC data suggest flu is on the way out (The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, 4/3/26)
Food, Nutrition, and Food Safety
- (New Hampshire) Health officials: Walmart dinosaur chicken nuggets in NH could contain lead (NH Union Leader, 4/3/26)
- New Heart Diet Advice Counters U.S. Guidance on Meat and Dairy (HealthDay, 4/3/26)
- (New Hampshire) NH DHHS Advises Consumers Not to Eat Frozen, Dinosaur-shaped, Ready-to-Eat Chicken Nuggets Due to Elevated Levels of Lead (NH Department of Health and Human Services, 4/3/26)
- Peeled Garlic Recalled Over Risk of Deadly Botulism (HealthDay, 4/3/26)
- Raw dairy farm recalls some cheese products as FDA investigates E. coli outbreak (AP, 4/3/26)
- USDA Warns of Lead Risk in Frozen Dino-Shaped Chicken Nuggets (HealthDay, 4/3/26)
- FDA Recalls Wawa Milk Over Possible Plastic Contamination (HealthDay, 4/2/26)
- Health Alert Issued for Frozen, Dinosaur-Shaped Chicken Nuggets (RI Department of Health, 4/2/26)
Gastrointestinal Health
- IBD: High Mental Health Toll for Newly Diagnosed Patients (Medscape, 4/3/26)
- New Hope for Patients With Advanced Alcohol-Related Cirrhosis Who Stop Drinking (Journal of the American Medical Association, 4/3/26)
Good News
- (New Hampshire) Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center names Vera P. Luther, MD, MS, next infectious disease section chief (Dartmouth Health, 4/3/26)
Government and Advocacy
- General
- White House floats 12.5% budget cut for HHS in FY2027, reiterates reorganization plan (Fierce Healthcare, 4/3/26)
- Cancer - View more Cancer articles >>
- Environmental Health - View more Environmental Health articles >>
- US Agencies to Monitor Drinking Water for Microplastics, Pharmaceuticals (Medscape, 4/2/26)
- Health Care Systems and Facilities - View more Health Care Systems and Facilities articles >>
- Lawmakers introduce bipartisan legislation to help struggling rural hospitals stay open (Fierce Healthcare, 4/2/26)
- Hundreds of U.S. Hospitals at Risk of Shutting Down From Medicaid Cuts (HealthDay, 4/1/26)
- Medical Care - View more Medical Care articles >>
- (New Hampshire) Biotech execs lobby for expanded Right to Try and experimental treatment centers (NH Union Leader, 4/1/26)
- (New Hampshire) NH Republicans seek another expansion of ‘right to try’ law for experimental medical treatments (New Hampshire Bulletin, 4/1/26)
- Medications and Prescribing - View more Medications and Prescribing articles >>
- Drugmakers face 100% tariff unless they cut prices or produce drugs in US (NH Union Leader, 4/2/26)
- Trump signs order imposing 100 percent tariff on brand name drugs (The Hill, 4/2/26)
- Mental and Behavioral Health - View more Mental and Behavioral Health articles >>
- Supreme Court Blocks Colorado Limits on Therapy for LGBTQ Minors (HealthDay, 4/1/26)
- Public Health - View more Public Health articles >>
- CDC, health groups spent millions to buy ads on websites flagged for misinformation (The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, 4/3/26)
- State public health labs step up as CDC pauses testing for various pathogens, including rabies, mpox (The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, 4/3/26)
- CDC pauses diagnostic testing for rabies, other infectious diseases (The Hill, 4/2/26)
- Mpox, Rabies Diagnostic Testing Paused by CDC Amid Downsizing (American Journal of Managed Care, 4/2/26)
- CDC pauses dozens of types of lab testing during evaluation and in wake of downsizing (AP, 4/1/26)
- State of CDC Report (National Public Health Coalition, 4/1/26)
- Social Factors Affecting Health - View more Social Factors Affecting Health articles >>
- (New Hampshire) Bill aims to reinforce a right to raise children based on biological sex (NH Union Leader, 4/2/26)
- Vaccination - View more Vaccination articles >>
- (New Hampshire) Medical Community Opposes Bill to Remove Hep B from Required Vaccine List (InDepth NH, 4/2/26)
- The State of US Vaccine Policy — Apr 2, 2026 (The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, 4/2/26)
Health Care Systems and Facilities
- Lawmakers introduce bipartisan legislation to help struggling rural hospitals stay open (Fierce Healthcare, 4/2/26)
- Hundreds of U.S. Hospitals at Risk of Shutting Down From Medicaid Cuts (HealthDay, 4/1/26)
- Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act Darkens Outlook for Government-Backed Clinics (KFF Health News, 4/1/26)
Immunology and Allergies
- Many Plant Foods Without Allergen Labels Pose Severe Risk (Medscape, 4/2/26)
Infectious Diseases and Infections
- US Scientists Sequence 1,000 Genomes From Measles, a Disease Long Eliminated With Vaccines (KFF Health News, 4/2/26)
- Berlin sees rapid rise in locally acquired mpox clade 1b cases (The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, 4/1/26)
- Speed, scale of antiviral prevention may cut hospitalizations during flu outbreaks in nursing homes (The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, 4/1/26)
Insurance Coverage
- State-Run Insurance Plans for Foster Kids Leave Some of Them Without Doctors (KFF Health News, 4/2/26)
- After Man’s Death Following Insurance Denials, West Virginia Tackles Prior Authorization (KFF Health News, 4/1/26)
Measles Outbreak
- US nears 1,700 measles cases, with 73 new infections in Utah (The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, 4/3/26)
- Chicago authorities warn of possible measles exposure at O’Hare (The Hill, 4/2/26)
- End in sight for South Carolina’s measles outbreak; Chicago on alert after potential airport exposure (The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, 4/1/26)
Medical Care
- (New Hampshire) Biotech execs lobby for expanded Right to Try and experimental treatment centers (NH Union Leader, 4/1/26)
- (New Hampshire) NH Republicans seek another expansion of ‘right to try’ law for experimental medical treatments (New Hampshire Bulletin, 4/1/26)
Medical Testing and Imaging
- (New Hampshire) Concord Hospital Franklin Installs Advanced CT Scanner Expanding Imaging Services Close to Home (Concord Hospital, 4/1/26)
Medicare and Medicaid
- Over 130 hospitals sue HHS over changes to the DSH payment calculation that could cost facilities billions (HealthExec, 4/1/26)
Medications and Prescribing
- Fluvoxamine Improves Fatigue, QoL in Long COVID (HealthDay, 4/3/26)
- Drugmakers face 100% tariff unless they cut prices or produce drugs in US (NH Union Leader, 4/2/26)
- GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Use Tied to Delayed Surgical Wound Healing (HealthDay, 4/2/26)
- Trump signs order imposing 100 percent tariff on brand name drugs (The Hill, 4/2/26)
Mental and Behavioral Health
- Supreme Court Blocks Colorado Limits on Therapy for LGBTQ Minors (HealthDay, 4/1/26)
Physicians and Health Care Providers
- US health worker flu vaccine coverage holds steady, but COVID vaccine uptake lags (The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, 4/3/26)
- 4 out of 10 family physicians report feelings of burnout, Weill Cornell Medicine study finds (Fierce Healthcare, 4/2/26)
- A look at AMA's Joy in Medicine program amid steady physician burnout rates (Fierce Healthcare, 4/1/26)
Public Health
- CDC, health groups spent millions to buy ads on websites flagged for misinformation (The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, 4/3/26)
- State public health labs step up as CDC pauses testing for various pathogens, including rabies, mpox (The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, 4/3/26)
- CDC pauses diagnostic testing for rabies, other infectious diseases (The Hill, 4/2/26)
- Mpox, Rabies Diagnostic Testing Paused by CDC Amid Downsizing (American Journal of Managed Care, 4/2/26)
- Quick takes: Moringa Salmonella probe over, H7 flu case in Taiwan, H5N1 outbreaks in US poultry (The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, 4/2/26)
- CDC pauses dozens of types of lab testing during evaluation and in wake of downsizing (AP, 4/1/26)
- State of CDC Report (National Public Health Coalition, 4/1/26)
Reproductive and Sexual Health
- First Childbirth by Cesarean? Second May Need Fertility Help (Medscape, 4/2/26)
Social Factors Affecting Health
- (New Hampshire) Bill aims to reinforce a right to raise children based on biological sex (NH Union Leader, 4/2/26)
Substance Use and Treatment
- U.S. Health Officials Warn Of Veterinary Sedative in Illegal Drug Supply (Medscape, 4/2/26)
Vaccination
- Describing vaccines in terms of freedom can lead some hesitant older adults to accept COVID shots, study finds (The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, 4/2/26)
- High-dose flu vaccine tied to lower Alzheimer’s risk in older adults (The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, 4/2/26)
- (New Hampshire) Medical Community Opposes Bill to Remove Hep B from Required Vaccine List (InDepth NH, 4/2/26)
- The State of US Vaccine Policy — Apr 2, 2026 (The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, 4/2/26)
- RSV vaccination coverage remains low among older US adults (The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, 4/1/26)