Public Good News • May 30 2025 Interested in AI for health information? Here’s how to use it responsibly When used with care, AI can be a useful tool for answering health-related questions.
PHCC • May 28 2026 Online posts share stories of potential mental health effects of weight loss drugs Two news articles sparked an online debate about the potential mental health effects of GLP-1 weight loss medications.
PHCC • May 24 2026 Concern grows over expanding tick populations, alpha-gal, and a Lyme disease vaccine Online conversations about tick-borne illnesses surged after HHS announced plans to address expanding tick populations.
PHCC • May 24 2026 Lawmaker promotes false COVID-19 vaccine safety claims, contradicting FDA data A U.S. senator’s May 11 letter revealed that a December FDA analysis found no children’s deaths were definitively linked to COVID-19 vaccines.
Infodemiology.com • May 19 2026 Reactions to global viral outbreaks highlight post-pandemic “fatigue” In recent weeks, several deadly viruses have made headlines and sparked debate online.
PHCC • May 19 2026 EPA rollback of drinking water restrictions on forever chemicals draws criticism On May 18, the Environmental Protection Agency announced plans to “rescind and restart” restrictions on PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” in drinking water.
PHCC • May 17 2026 Hantavirus cruise outbreak sets off wave of online conspiracy theories In early April, several passengers on a cruise ship became sick with hantavirus, which can cause severe illness and death.
PHCC • May 17 2026 Online posts express post-pandemic “fatigue” over reports of viral outbreaks On May 17, the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring Uganda due to an active Ebola outbreak that has killed more than 130 people.
Infodemiology.com • May 7 2026 FDA faces criticism online for blocking studies showing vaccine effectiveness This week, the federal government's stance on multiple routine vaccines was the topic of online discourse.
PHCC • May 5 2026 Experts and online posts express concern over the health secretary’s SSRI comments At a May MAHA summit, health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. outlined plans to “curb psychiatric overprescribing” by discouraging insurance coverage of antidepressants and encouraging patients to discontinue certain psychiatric medications, particularly SSRIs.
PHCC • May 1 2026 Federal harm reduction cuts loom amid calls for a ban on opioid-like substances On April 24, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced in a letter to health departments that the federal government will no longer fund several services shown to reduce overdoses and other harms associated with drug use.
PHCC • April 29 2026 Singer’s shingles diagnosis sparks discussion about severity and vaccine effectiveness In an April 28 social media post, a British singer in his 30s shared that he is recovering from shingles, prompting discussion about the disease and the vaccine to prevent it.
PHCC • April 24 2026 Posts discuss the benefits of male HPV vaccination An April 24 news article highlighted the benefits of HPV vaccination for boys and men, sparking debate about the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness.
Infodemiology.com • April 23 2026 Posts falsely suggest breastmilk protects babies against measles as well as vaccine Debates about childhood vaccines persisted online as disease outbreaks surge...
PHCC • April 19 2026 Concern about the climate and health impacts of AI data centers grows online Debates about artificial intelligence data centers and their potential effects on local communities have been trending online in recent weeks.
PHCC • April 17 2026 Health Secretary continues to fuel measles myths amid ongoing outbreaks During an April 17 congressional hearing, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed that the U.S. has contained measles outbreaks better than other countries.
Public Good News • April 10 2026 Nicotine pouches: What to know about the risks Some experts say nicotine pouches may help reduce cigarette use. Others warn they are highly addictive and harmful to young people.
Public Good News • February 24 2026 Ultra-processed foods: What you need to know Ultra-processed foods are drawing new attention from federal regulators and state lawmakers, but researchers are still learning about their health impact.
Public Good News • December 3 2025 Kratom: What to know about the loosely regulated herbal drug A plant-derived chemical more potent than morphine is regulated by a patchwork of state laws.
Public Good News • October 24 2025 The impact of polio vaccines in 4 charts Seventy years after the first polio vaccine, wild polio has been eliminated in all but two countries.
Public Good News • July 25 2025 What would it mean for the U.S. to lose measles elimination status? The best tool to prevent a measles comeback—the MMR vaccine—is readily available.
Public Good News • June 27 2025 Social media is full of mental health myths Some people turn to social media for mental health support. The results can be dangerous.
Public Good News • April 16 2025 Don't get duped: A guide to spotting fake studies Here’s how to spot the red flags of questionable research.
Public Good News • January 29 2025 How the HHS impacts your community’s health HHS is responsible for programs that impact every community in the country. But most Americans aren’t aware of the department’s scope.
Public Good News • December 20 2024 Here's the latest you need to know about bird flu Health officials continue to monitor the spread of the bird flu virus. The risk to the public remains low.
Public Good News • November 25 2024 Debunking the vitamin D fad Vitamin D supplements are important for people without enough of the nutrient. Other health claims are less certain.
Public Good News • October 23 2024 Vaccines are our best weapon in the fight against polio In honor of World Polio Day 2024, here are a few reasons why vaccines are indispensable to making polio a disease of the past.
Public Good News • September 26 2024 Debunking anti-abortion myths More than two years after the fall of Roe, dangerous anti-abortion myths continue to spread. Here are the facts.
Public Good News • August 30 2024 Yes, we still need chickenpox vaccines Vaccination spares children and adults from the misery of chickenpox and the serious short- and long-term risks associated with the disease.
Public Good News • July 25 2024 We need to talk about birth control Many people have legitimate concerns about hormonal birth control. Some are taking advantage of those fears.
Public Good News • May 23 2024 How anti-vaxxers abuse data to trick you Cherry-picking, misrepresenting, and misappropriating data are just a few ways to spin falsehoods.
Public Good News • March 25 2024 Vaccines and cancer: The myth that won’t die Over three years of research have found no link between COVID-19 vaccines and cancer.
Public Good News • February 15 2024 ‘Disease X’: What it is (and isn’t) Understanding Disease X could be the key to fighting the next pandemic.
Public Good News • December 25 2023 Most of what you know about myocarditis is wrong Separating fact from fiction about heart inflammation.
Public Good News • October 2 2023 Don’t let these myths stop you from getting your flu shot The vaccine can keep you from getting infected or severely ill.
Public Good News • June 21 2023 Dispelling myths about mRNA vaccines The history of mRNA vaccines spans decades. In the last three years, the groundbreaking technology has faced an onslaught of misinformation.
Stronger • November 29 2021 How the wellness movement became an anti-vax stronghold The industry is a potent entry point to COVID-19 vaccine opposition