A measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine is prepared at Seminole Hospital District in Seminole, Texas, Feb. 24, 2025. In South Carolina, parents struggle to deal with infections that have brought quarantines and remote learning as health workers are bracing for an increase in cases. (Desiree Rios/The New York Times) By EDUARDO MEDINA and NICK MADIGAN Late-night emails sent to parents informing them that someone in their child’s classroom has been infected with measles. Pediatric

Over the last few years, a growing body of research has suggested that people who eat more ultraprocessed foods have higher risks of developing certain conditions that affect the stomach and the intestines. (Jiaqi Wang/The New York Times) By ALICE CALLAHAN Walk into a typical supermarket in the United States, and much of what you see — breakfast cereals, frozen meals, processed meats, sodas — is considered ultraprocessed food. These products, typically defined as foods and dr

Alzheimer’s disease is the most commonly diagnosed form of dementia, but it’s far from the only one. (Robert Samuel Hanson/The New York Times) By DANA G. SMITH Alzheimer’s disease is the most commonly diagnosed form of dementia, but it’s far from the only one. In fact, most people who have dementia (including Alzheimer’s) show signs of several different types of neurodegenerative disease in their brains. That can include the amyloid plaques and tau tangles that are hallmarks

The committee did not change the recommendation that newborns of mothers known to be infected or whose status is unknown be immunized. (Freepik) By APOORVA MANDAVILLI A federal vaccine committee last Friday took a major step toward Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s goal of remaking the childhood vaccine schedule, voting to end a decades-long recommendation that all newborns be immunized at birth against hepatitis B, a highly infectious virus that can cause severe liver

It’s important to not only identify sciatica correctly, but find exercises you can comfortably do. (Joyce Lee/The New York Times) By AMANDA LOUDIN Ryan Smith was 23 when he felt a pop in his back while performing a heavy dead lift at the gym. That pop led to an immediate, radiating pain from his spine all the way down the back of his leg and into his foot. A physical therapy student at the time, he quickly recognized it as a possible sign of sciatica. “The pain was debilitati

A mother holds her 8-month-old while a COVID-19 vaccine is administered in Hatfield, Pa., June 30, 2022. Dr. Vinay Prasad, director of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said in a staff memo on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, that a review spearheaded by vaccine skeptic Dr. Tracy Beth Høeg found that at least 10 children in the U.S. died “after and because of” getting a COVID-19 vaccination. (Hannah Beier/The New York Times) By CHRISTINA JEWETT The Trump administration is casting

Struggling to feel pleasure is a key marker of depression, but this distressing symptom can also occur on its own. (Vanessa Saba/The New York Times) By CHRISTINA CARON On Wednesday, Michela turned 49. She considered forcing herself to celebrate, but when two friends offered to take her out, she said no. First, she would have to spend time getting ready. Then, she would need to participate in conversation, act enthusiastic, appreciate the moment. “All that takes so much effort

A nurse monitors a fetal heart rate at Rochester General Hospital in Rochester, N.Y., on Nov. 13, 2025. While C-sections for first-time mothers ticked up across the U.S. in recent years, Rochester General Hospital dropped its rate dramatically. (Lauren Petracca/The New York Times) By SARAH KLIFF and BIANCA PALLARO When Dr. Elizabeth Bostock took over the obstetrics department at Rochester General Hospital in New York in 2019, she was alarmed by its high rate of C-sections: 40