Axios

Only a third of Americans infected with hepatitis C from 2013 to 2022 were treated and cured, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control that pointed to barriers to diagnoses, drugs and preventive services.

Why it matters: Overcoming those barriers will require comprehensive screening and treatments for all persons regardless of insurance status, the report said.

While many people are drawn to Fourth of July fireworks, most dogs are scared away from them.

Why it matters: A record number of dogs are lost over Independence Day, data suggests.

Death rates from certain cancers rose in Hispanic men and women over the two decades ending in 2020 while the rest of the population saw mortality decline, according to a new JAMA Oncology study.

Why it matters: The study highlights how lack of access to health care has contributed to cancer being the leading cause of death among Hispanics, even as cancer incidence remains low for this population.

While the Supreme Court's ruling to block the use of affirmative action in college admissions is being criticized for the way it could stymie efforts to diversify the medical workforce, experts tell Axios there are still a number of options medical schools can pursue.

Why it matters: A body of research has shown outcomes for patients of color improve when they are seen by doctors of the same race.

Regardless of how the next year and a half shakes out, it seems increasingly likely that the pharmaceutical industry is going to have an adversary in the White House come 2025.

Why it matters: Drugmakers are still reeling from Democrats' new law allowing Medicare to negotiate the price of drugs, but both President Biden and former President Trump are vowing even harsher crackdowns if either wins another term.

A group of Georgia parents of trans children filed a lawsuit Thursday night seeking to block the state's new law restricting gender-affirming care for minors — days before it's set to go into effect.

Why it matters: Nearly 20 states have passed laws restricting access to this care for minors and many have already faced trouble in the courts.

Americans in 2021 were fatally overdosing from xylazine at a rate 35 times greater than in 2018, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data released Friday.

The big picture: The spike shows how the the veterinary sedative known as "tranq" or "zombie drug" that's often mixed with fentanyl is vastly complicating the addiction crisis.

Much of the U.S. is under siege from extreme weather.

The big picture: Heat warnings and watches are in effect for over 100 million people as a record-breaking heat wave sweeping the southern U.S. continues to expand. Meanwhile, air quality alerts have been issued for an estimated 80 million others as wildfire smoke from Canada chokes much of the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Ohio Valley and even the Southeast.

The Centers for Disease and Prevention on Thursday recommended adults aged 60 and older get one of two respiratory syncytial virus vaccines this fall, making them the first shots against the disease to be authorized in the U.S.

Driving the news: The vaccines from GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer shots have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The CDC said older adults should first consult with their doctors if the shot is right for them.

Older members of Gen Z who are lesbian, gay or bisexual are more anxious and less happy than their straight counterparts, per a Gallup-Walton Family Foundation American Youth Survey released Thursday.

Why it matters: Studies have shown that the cohort born between the late 1990s and early 2010s is experiencing a sustained decline in mental health, but the poll indicates stigma and harassment is placing an extra burden on lesbian, gay and bisexual members.

Health systems that had to ration supplies during the pandemic are now facing disruptions of basic needs like syringes, surgical tourniquets, chest tubes and compounds for CT scans — and spending huge sums on workarounds.

The big picture: Drug shortages aren't the only supply problem plaguing U.S. health care as providers navigate an increasingly volatile environment characterized by acute spot shortages and manufacturing and logistics issues. The crunch isn't expected to ease for at least a year.

A federal judge temporarily blocked part of a Tennessee law that sought to ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors.

• The judge wrote that the law likely violated the U.S. Constitution.

Why it matters: The judge's order, issued Wednesday, preserves Tennessee minors' access to gender-affirming care such as hormones or puberty blockers for now.