Updated Sep 27, 2018

Last year's flu season killed about 80,000 in the U.S.

Note: Data represents share of outpatient visits to U.S. clinics. Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network (ILINet); Data: Centers for Disease Control; Chart: Chris Canipe/Axios

Last season's flu epidemic is estimated to have killed 80,000 Americans — the highest level for at least four decades, Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told the Associated Press in an interview. It also caused the deaths of at least 180 children, 80% of whom were not vaccinated, per the CDC.

Why it matters: U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams and other public health officials will kick off a campaign today to promote seasonal flu vaccinations, in an effort to prevent a repeat of last year's terrible flu season.

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Marisa Fernandez

Measles-related death toll tops 6,000 in Democratic Republic of the Congo

Deaths from measles in the Democratic Republic of the Congo surpassed 6,000, with children over the age of 5 most vulnerable to the infectious disease, new data from the World Health Organization showed Tuesday.

Why it matters: About 310,000 suspected measles cases, one-fourth of which are in kids over age 5, have been reported since the beginning of 2019. Vaccinations for children have made headway in some parts of the country, but public health officials are still trying to keep the disease at bay.

Go deeper: DRC health leader discusses what's being done to fight Ebola

Keep ReadingJan 7, 2020

Ben Geman

Big Tech data centers probably aren't a climate change time bomb

Data: Reproduced from an International Energy Agency report; Chart: Axios Visuals

An International Energy Agency analysis pushes back against concerns that data centers are a ticking carbon bomb as use of web-connected devices expands.

Where it stands: Power use by data centers consumes about 1% of global power (which isn't trivial in a world of still-rising emissions) and has changed little since 2015, they report.

Go deeperJan 7, 2020

Rashaan Ayesh

Study: 49% of American adults projected to be obese by 2030

A new study published by the New England Journal of Medicine estimates that almost half of American adults are expected be obese by 2030, and about 25% will be severely obese.

The big picture: The report used data from a decades-long federal study, while previous estimates typically rely on national health surveys, AP reports. The study found the prevalence of obesity among U.S. adults will vary across states and demographic subgroups.

Go deeperDec 21, 2019