— Health news and commentary gathered by MedPage Today staff
October 19, 2026 • 3 min read
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Billy Joel's doctors advised him to stop performing opens in a new tab or windowafter he was diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus, which makes every show "like getting a concussion." (USA Today)
Annals of Internal Medicine retracted a study on long COVID treatmentsopens in a new tab or window because of missing metformin dosing information, then republished a revised version. (Retraction Watch)
CMS chief Mehmet Oz, MD, and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.opens in a new tab or window appeared beside Russell Brand last month at the 2026 Make America Healthy Again Summit, just weeks before the comedian's sexual assault trial in London. (Politico)
The chairman of the NIH Clinical Center's board accused Kennedy of politicizing the hospital's work after the health secretary opened a vaccine injury clinic opens in a new tab or windowat the center. (New York Times)
Meanwhile, Kennedy continues to cast doubtopens in a new tab or window about the safety of hepatitis B vaccination and to falsely suggest that respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) started in a labopens in a new tab or window. (New Hampshire Public Radio, The Atlantic)
U.S. measles cases this year have grown to over 4,400, according to the CDCopens in a new tab or window.
A Washington state resident was infected with avian influenzaopens in a new tab or window (H5N1) after exposure to an infected dairy cow, state health authorities announced.
The U.S. struck a 1-year, $25 million deal with some of the world's poorest countries to supply free medicines to moms and babiesopens in a new tab or window, though the total's a fraction of earlier Trump administration aid cuts. (Reuters via AOL)
A woman who used CPR to revive her boyfriend (now husband) twice after he was struck by lightning on a hikeopens in a new tab or window said, "I brought him back from death, so he's kind of stuck with me." (People)
Illinois' medical debt relief program has erased more than $1.4 billion in medical debtopens in a new tab or window for nearly 700,000 state residents. (AP)
Deaths in gene therapy trials are drawing scrutiny to the adeno-associated virus vectoropens in a new tab or window. (The Atlantic)
FDA notices warned of recalls for Family Farmstead raw cheddar cheeseopens in a new tab or window over potential Escherichia coli contamination and Starfish Seafood cold smoked salmonopens in a new tab or window over possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.
The American Thoracic Society and American College of Chest Physicians filed a brief supporting a lawsuit against recent FDA guidance that critics contend will allow the sale of unauthorized e-cigarettesopens in a new tab or window and nicotine pouches.
And in other agency news, the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research set up a new boardopens in a new tab or window to oversee drug and biologics exclusivity decisions. (Reuters via AOL)
Average monthly premiums for Obamacare health insurance plans will rise by double digits in 2027opens in a new tab or window, and the number of insurers will drop by 14%. (Washington Sun)
Commercial kitchen staff cooking with gas face high levels of air pollutionopens in a new tab or window, including nitrogen dioxide levels that exceed limits in the World Health Organization's (WHO) indoor-air guidelines. (The Guardian)
More than $700 million of donor money for Ebola response is unaccounted for in Congoopens in a new tab or window, though it's too soon to say it was embezzled, the Africa CDC said. (Reuters via AOL)
The Ebola outbreak in Congo has reached an eighth provinceopens in a new tab or window in the country's north; so far, at least 9,400 confirmed cases have been tallied, including over 4,500 deaths. (AP)
In Kenya, Ebola cases grew to eightopens in a new tab or window, but there's currently no evidence of community transmission. (AP)
The WHO says Saudi Arabia has reported eight cases of Middle East opens in a new tab or windowrespiratory syndrome coronavirusopens in a new tab or window in 2026, including one death.