Public health officials on Thursday urged Americans to get their seasonal flu vaccine early this year, in case the U.S. follows Australia's season in which the virus hit many people early.
Why it matters: While public health officials admit the vaccine is not 100% effective, there's growing research showing that the vaccine reduces the severe and sometimes deadly complications from the disease and can protect newborns if the mother receives the vaccine while pregnant.
The legal marijuana industry's revenue from sales of vaping products has dropped 15% amid health fears stemming from a vaping-related lung illness, AP reports.
Why it matters: Most of the patients who were sickened had a history of using e-cigarette products containing THC, the chemical found in marijuana, and nearly all cases were found in people who purchased products from illegal sellers. Federal and state health agencies have advised the public to stop vaping until they can find conclusive evidence about the cause of the illness.
Altria (NYSE: MO) and Philip Morris International (NYSE: PM) said they are no longer in talks for an all-stock merger, which would have reunited the two cigarette makers after more than a decade apart.
Why it matters: It reflects tobacco industry tumult over the Trump administration's proposal to ban flavored vaping products, although the two companies still plan to launch a joint, FDA-approved, "heat-not-burn" vaping product called IQOS.
While everyone was laser-focused on the Affordable Care Act for the past decade, the backbone of the American health care system was gradually deteriorating.
Between the lines: Employer insurance has become increasingly unaffordable over the last decade, contributing to today's political debates over surprise medical bills, drug prices and "Medicare for All."
Employer-based health insurance isn’t a monolith — the cost and generosity of that coverage varies widely. And that likely affects how open workers would be to “Medicare for All” or a public insurance option.
The big picture: Democrats’ health care plans would offer a better deal to many low-wage workers than to their higher-wage counterparts.
Health officials from Rockland County — the New York community that's been a focal point in the recent battle over measles due to its low vaccination rate — announced Wednesday that the outbreak there is over.
Why it matters: The latest measles outbreak in America is the largest since 1992, and public health officials have been concerned the U.S. could lose the "measles elimination status" it earned in 2000. But the U.S. may "scrape through just under the wire" and retain its status as long as no new cases are reported in New York state in September, a spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tells Axios.
Vaping startup Juul announced Wednesday that it would suspend all broadcast, print and digital advertising of its products in the U.S.
The big picture: The move comes alongside the ouster of CEO Kevin Burns. He will step aside immediately for K.C. Crosthwaite, who previously served as tobacco giant Altria's chief growth officer.
