— Health news and commentary gathered by MedPage Today staff
October 22, 2026 • 2 min read
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Pope Leo XIV will need no further treatment for lung canceropens in a new tab or window after tests confirmed the disease was localized, the Vatican said. (AP)
The uninsured rate among working-age U.S. adults rose to 11.2% in 2026, and nearly half were inadequately insured, according to a Commonwealth Fund surveyopens in a new tab or window.
The Justice Department said that Ohio State University College of Medicine discriminated against white and Asian studentsopens in a new tab or window in its admission practices.
Pennsylvania's measles cases have grown to to 1,317opens in a new tab or window, including 251 hospitalizations, the state's heath department announced.
Amid multiple measles outbreaks, the CDC took 2 months to respond to statesopens in a new tab or window requesting that the agency validate a test that can diagnose hundreds of cases in a matter of hours. (New York Times)
Meanwhile, the controversial CDC-backed hepatitis B vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau has been haltedopens in a new tab or window, the lead researcher said. (The Guardian)
In other infectious diseases news, a rabies comebackopens in a new tab or window appears to be in full effect. (New York Times)
Nearly half of all on-duty firefighter deaths in the U.S. from 1990 to 2025 were attributed to cardiac causesopens in a new tab or window. (JACC: Advances)
The FDA expanded the label for ravulizumab (Ultomiris)opens in a new tab or window with an accelerated approval for reducing proteinuria in primary immunoglobulin A nephropathy, AstraZeneca announced.
The agency also expanded approval of the oral pellet formulation of berotralstat (Orladeyo) to include patients 12 years and olderopens in a new tab or window with hereditary angioedema, said BioCryst Pharmaceuticals.
The Supreme Court refused to allow the Trump administration to immediately enforce new medical restrictionsopens in a new tab or window for transgender people in federal prison. (AP)
In Washington, healthcare workers and educators are fighting a ballot measure that would mandate genital examsopens in a new tab or window for female student-athletes that aims to prevent transgender girls from participating in sports. (The Guardian)
Results of a randomized trial in JAMA Internal Medicine questioned the need for FDA's required mifepristone patient agreement formopens in a new tab or window.
Just 1 in 4 U.S. adults support the Make America Healthy Again movement, but three-fourths support food-related policiesopens in a new tab or window such as ultraprocessed labeling and regulating chemical additives, an Annenberg Public Policy Center survey indicated.
Unpasteurized dairy, anti-vegetable diets? The New York Times took a look at the "dark nutrition" trendopens in a new tab or window.
Thousands of Midwest families face years-long waitsopens in a new tab or window and strict caps for Medicaid waivers that can help move disabled people out of institutions to receive in-home care. (KCUR)
Over 500 people in South Africa have fallen ill from a gastrointestinal illnessopens in a new tab or window that causes stomach cramps and diarrhea, which authorities are blaming on poor water quality in two cities. (AP)
A challenge to the HHS rollback of employee teleworkopens in a new tab or window was upheld by the Federal Labor Relations Authority. (Government Executive)