Public Health

Latest California Healthline Stories

Amid Wildfire Trauma, L.A. County Dispatches Mental Health Workers to Evacuees

Catastrophic wildfires are common in California, and mental health specialists have become a key part of local governments’ response to extreme weather events, which scientists say are becoming more intense and frequent due to climate change. Los Angeles County has been modifying its approach with each disaster.

Childhood Vaccination Rates, a Rare Health Bright Spot in Struggling States, Are Slipping

Mississippi, Tennessee, and West Virginia — states with some of the worst health outcomes — also have some of the highest childhood vaccination rates. But doctors and health officials worry a rising tide of vaccine skepticism is causing those public health bright spots to dim.

Doctors, Nurses Press Ahead as Wildfires Strain Los Angeles’ Health Care

A primary care clinic burned, medical offices closed, and hospitals struggled with possible evacuations. The wildfires that have incinerated large swaths of Los Angeles County are stressing the region’s health care infrastructure. Still, providers continue to find ways to deliver vital care.

Syringe Exchange Fears Hobble Fight Against West Virginia HIV Outbreak

Health workers and researchers say an HIV outbreak in West Virginia that three years ago was called “the most concerning” in the U.S. continues to spread after state and local officials restricted syringe service programs.

Stimulant Users Are Caught in Fatal ‘Fourth Wave’ of Opioid Epidemic

The migration of fentanyl into illicit stimulants such as cocaine is especially dangerous for people who are not regular opioid users. That’s because they have a low tolerance for opioids, putting them at greater risk of an overdose. They also often don’t take precautions — such as not using alone and carrying the opioid reversal medication naloxone — so they’re unprepared if they overdose.