Health & Wellness

A pregnant woman receiving a vaccine at a doctors office

OSF HealthCare Staff

RSV is expected to be prevalent this winter. So, one OSF provider says it's important to follow the guidelines on getting a vaccine.

Avoid cantaloupe unless you know its origins, CDC warns amid salmonella outbreak

Emily Olson

At least 117 people in 34 states have gotten sick from salmonella infections. U.S. health officials believe two brands of cantaloupe — and dozens of fruit cups and medleys — may have been the cause.

A child from the Mbendjele people, a hunter-gatherer community that lives in the northern rainforests of the Republic of Congo. A new study found that children in this society have on average 8 caregivers in addition to the mother to provide hands-on attention.

Bringing up a baby can be a tough and lonely job. Here's a solution: alloparents

Michaeleen Doucleff

"Allo" is Greek for "other." Alloparents are helpful relatives and neighbors. In a study from Congo, babies had 8 alloparents on average. Perhaps the self-reliant nuclear family is a societal misstep.

As of Dec. 1, North Carolina becomes the latest state to fully expand Medicaid

Jason deBruyn

Around 600,000 people in the state will now have access to low-cost health insurance. The change will particularly benefit people in poor, rural areas.

On World AIDS Day, we hear from a man who's spent 40 years caring for people with HIV

In this week's StoryCorps, a conversation with Joseph Rogers Britton, a caregiver who has been working with AIDS patients for four decades.

Many dog owners are worried about reports of a mysterious respiratory illness affecting dogs.

Veterinarians say fears about 'mystery' dog illness may be overblown. Here's why

Will Stone

Reports of an "outbreak" of some as yet unidentified canine respiratory illness are scaring dog owners. But veterinarians and researchers aren't panicking.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., performed the Heimlich maneuver on Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa as she was choking Thursday during a closed-door GOP lunch. Here, Paul and Ernst look over a folder provided to them by the White House, during a luncheon in 2017 in the State Dinning Room of the White House.

Politics & Elections

Rand Paul successfully used the Heimlich maneuver on Joni Ernst at a GOP lunch

Jonathan Franklin

Ernst, who has served in the Senate since 2015, hosted the closed-door luncheon for GOP senators Thursday when the incident occurred.

EPA proposes new rule to require nationwide replacement of lead pipes

Emma Klein

Under the Biden Administration's new guidance, most U.S. cities would have to replace lead pipes within the next 10 years. About 9 million lead pipes are still bringing water into American buildings.

Leslie McIntire, 69, is part of the baby boomer generation that is entering older age amid a historic affordable housing shortage and rising wealth inequality in the U.S.

Millions of seniors struggle to afford housing — and it's about to get a lot worse

Jennifer Ludden

Baby boomers are entering older age amid a historic affordable-housing shortage and widening inequality. A new study warns many won't be able to access the kind of housing or caregiving they need.

People gathered at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. in July at a rally held by the Center for Medicare Advocacy. They protested denials and delays in private Medicare Advantage plans.

Uncle Sam wants you to help stop insurers' bogus Medicare Advantage sales tactics

Susan Jaffe

The Biden administration is cracking down on deceptive or misleading Medicare Advantage and drug plan sales tactics. And it's counting on beneficiaries to help catch offenders.