Steven Ross Johnson

Chicago

Public Health Reporter at U.S. News and World Report

Public Health Reporter @usnews. Former population health reporter @modrnhealthcr. Reach me at: [email protected]

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Articles

Public Health Under Pressure: Lori Freeman on Trump’s Cuts and Mental Health

1 week ago | usnews.com | Steven Ross Johnson

The tumult of President Donald Trump’s second term has trickled down from federal agency headquarters in Washington, D.C., to state and local health departments, kicking off a new era fraught with uncertainty even as some of these leaders on the front lines of public health are still struggling to recover from the upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
CDC Provisional Data Shows Dramatic Drop in Drug Overdose Deaths

3 weeks ago | usnews.com | Steven Ross Johnson

New provisional data indicates drug overdose deaths in the U.S. plummeted in 2024 by nearly 30% compared with 2023, with projections pointing to the lowest level since 2019. Estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics indicate the total number of drug overdose deaths fell 27% from 110,037 to 80,391.
Trump Signs Executive Order Aiming to Lower Prescription Drug Prices

3 weeks ago | usnews.com | Steven Ross Johnson |Cecelia Smith-Schoenwalder

President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order seeking to lower drug prices in the U.S. by having the government pay the same costs for medications as is paid in other countries. Trump at a press briefing said the plan involved establishing a “most favored nation” pricing policy to reduce the cost the government pays for medications to those comparable to what other countries pay.
FDA Names Critic of COVID-19 Shots to Lead Vaccine Agency: 3 Things to Know

4 weeks ago | usnews.com | Steven Ross Johnson

The Food and Drug Administration has named a vocal critic of the agency’s policies around administration of the COVID-19 vaccine to be the next head of the center responsible for regulating vaccines and gene therapies. FDA commissioner Dr. Marty Makary on Tuesday announced Dr. Vinay Prasad, a hematologist/oncologist, as his pick to lead the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research in a post on social media.
Higher Ground: What's Behind the Rankings Rise for These 4 States?

1 month ago | usnews.com | Steven Ross Johnson

They sit in different parts of the country and have different climates and different economic engines. Politically and culturally, they’re not an across-the-board monolith.
Florida Approves Fluoride Ban as Red States Embrace RFK Jr.’s Contrarian Calls

1 month ago | usnews.com | Steven Ross Johnson

Florida is poised to become the second state in the U.S. to implement a ban on adding fluoride to its public drinking water, a move that has received growing support as several cities and states have begun to take similar actions in spite of the advice of many public health experts who contend the mineral’s removal could be detrimental to dental health.
4 Takeaways From RFK Jr.’s Press Conference on CDC Autism Report

1 month ago | usnews.com | Cecelia Smith-Schoenwalder |Steven Ross Johnson

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday used his first Department of Health and Human Services press conference to address one of his major priorities under the Trump administration: the autism “epidemic” and what’s causing it.
Q&A: How Trump’s Plans for Pharma Tariffs Will Affect Drug Prices in the U.S.

1 month ago | usnews.com | Steven Ross Johnson |Diederik Stadig |Tim Smart

President Donald Trump’s recent announcement of his intention to set tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals has raised concerns among experts that the move will drive up drug prices. Trump said on Tuesday he plans to impose tariffs on pharmaceutical imports, a sector that had been exempt from a previous round of reciprocal tariffs announced on April 2. “We’re going to be announcing very shortly a major tariff on pharmaceuticals," Trump said at a National Republican Congressional Committee dinner.
RFK Jr. Visits West Texas After Second Measles Death: What to Know

2 months ago | usnews.com | Steven Ross Johnson

HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. visited West Texas after the measles-related death of a second school-aged child to “console the families” and “to support Texas health officials” in efforts to control an outbreak that has reached nearly 500 cases with two pediatric deaths. “I came to Gaines County, Texas, today to comfort the Hildebrand family after the loss of their 8-year-old daughter Daisy," Kennedy posted on social media platform X.
Measles Case Count Nears 500 in Texas

2 months ago | usnews.com | Steven Ross Johnson

Key Takeaways: There have been 481 measles cases in West Texas. More than 50 cases in West Texas were reported between April 1 and April 4. More than 20 states have reported measles casesThe number of measles cases from the outbreak in West Texas is nearing 500 as close to 60 infections were reported in just three days. Here are key things to know about measles and the outbreaks in the U.S.What Is Measles?