Stories by Tara Haelle

Recent studies show that the Supreme Court ruling that overturned the national right to abortion led to a sharp increase in people—particularly younger, single individuals—seeking a vasectomy or a tubal sterilization procedure

Vaccines are the first step toward health equity in many parts of the world

Certain adults may need to get an additional dose of the measles vaccine. Here’s how to know if you have adequate immunity to measles

Separate outbreaks of pneumonia in children have cropped up in the U.S., China and Europe. Public health experts say the uptick in cases is not caused by a novel pathogen

The RSV vaccine is the latest in a series of immunizations that could protect pregnant people and their babies from severe disease and death

Decades of failed attempts have given way to several successful vaccines and treatments for the respiratory disease RSV

Your questions answered about what RSV is, how it spreads, what vaccines are on the way and who is most at risk

COVID shutdowns limited the spread of influenza in 2019–2020. Several factors could mean this season will be more severe

The FDA’s decision to expand eligibility for the Pfizer vaccine to young kids could mean less illness, safer school and more freedom

Pfizer expects to have safety and efficacy data on five- to 11-year-olds by the end of the month, but federal authorities must still review it

Those who were exposed to Ground Zero have increased rates of certain cancers and other health problems

Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine approval is younger teens’ shot at freedom

Immunization reduces the likelihood of a painful reemergence of the virus in kids

California coast visitors are now 91 percent less likely to be bitten by a great white than they were in 1950, in part because beach populations of humans have risen dramatically

Blood banks begin using the method in donations this summer as the northward spread of chikungunya continues

The thinner, oxygen-poor air above 2,400 meters may be among the environmental stressors that increase the risk of SIDS

Guidelines that emphasize the need for behavioral therapies often go unheeded, although study results broken out by demographics were surprising

The movement of proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases could serve as a target for future therapies

Vitamin K injections, given after birth, can prevent potentially fatal hemorrhaging in infants, but anti-vax parents are extending their fears into a general rejection of all shots

Some parents delay vaccines out of a misinformed belief that it’s safer, but that decision actually increases the risk of a seizure after vaccination and leaves children at risk for disease longer

CT scans may soon link human remains to missing persons

That’s the good news. Bad news: Half of drugs used in kids are still unlabeled, which is a problem because of the risk of improper dosing or usage 

The shortcomings of the whooping cough vaccine may help explain the disease's resurgence

Several factors may be contributing to recent whooping cough outbreaks, but parents’ refusal to immunize their children is one