U.S. Food and Drug Administration is moving to strengthen oversight of food additives by requiring manufacturers to notify the agency when they determine an ingredient is “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS).   Since 1958, companies have been able to self-affirm GRAS status without full government review, and notification has been encouraged but not required. The proposed rule would make…

Public health communicators facing unfavorable media coverage should consider that public complaints can substantially amplify the original story and its negative framing. A company executive’s social media response to a July 9 Wired article generated 437,000 views on the first day and 2.3 million within several days, compared with fewer than 15,000 views for Wired’s promotional post. The res…

A widely used medication for diabetes and weight management may also help some adults with alcohol use disorder (AUD) reduce harmful drinking. In a 50-person phase 2 randomized trial, 81.0% of participants receiving oral semaglutide reduced their World Health Organization risk-drinking level by at least one category, compared with 53.8% receiving placebo. Semaglutide was also associated with…

Hospital consolidation can drive major differences in healthcare costs, with patients and insurers paying more when competition is limited. A knee replacement covered by the same Blue Cross Blue Shield plan cost about $16,000 at one North Carolina hospital but roughly $40,000 at another just over an hour away. More than 1,000 hospital mergers occurred nationwide from 2002 to 2020, and 46 addi…

NPHIC and CDC’s July 29 Monthly Communication Call highlighted practical strategies public health communicators can use to improve accessibility and expand access to health information. The session featured CDC’s Jessica Handley, who shared guidance on accessible digital content, including the use of descriptive links, alt text, plain language, proper headings, and mobile-friendly design. The…

The American Immunization Registry Association (AIRA) has released an updated National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) Toolkit, providing public health organizations with ready-to-use resources to support August immunization outreach. The toolkit includes downloadable graphics, sample social media posts, and messaging that highlights the role of immunization information systems (IIS) in i…

CDC has released an introductory guide to its new Radiation Hazard Scale, a five-category, color-coded tool designed to communicate radiation hazards without relying on technical terminology or complex measurements. Effective communication during radiation emergencies depends on helping the public quickly understand their level of risk. The guide explains how the scale was developed, outlines…

Long COVID may be underdiagnosed among Black patients despite similar symptom burdens, highlighting a potential gap in equitable diagnosis and care. Analysis of electronic health records from approximately 2.4 million U.S. patients found Black patients were 6% less likely than White patients to receive a long COVID diagnosis despite comparable symptom profiles, while no significant differenc…

Public health professionals can now access a new interactive resource that simplifies reportable disease and condition requirements across U.S. jurisdictions. The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) launched the State Reportable Conditions Assessment (SRCA), the only publicly available tool of its kind, with participation from 100% of states, the District of Columbia, and…