About 1 in 8 adolescents and young adults in the U.S. are using AI chatbots for mental health advice, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

A federal vaccine advisory committee voted to delay a vote on whether newborns should still get the hepatitis B vaccine on the day they're born. For decades, the government has advised that all babies be vaccinated against the liver infection right after birth. The shots are widely considered to be a public health success for preventing thousands of illnesses. But the committee formed by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist before he became the nation's top health official, is considering whether to recommend the birth dose only for babies whose mothers test positive, which would mark a return to a public health strategy that was abandoned more than three decades ago. The committee plans to vote Friday.

A federal vaccine advisory committee this week is expected to discuss whether newborns should still get the hepatitis B vaccine — the first shot found to prevent cancer. Federal health recommendations now suggest that all babies be vaccinated against the liver infection in their first day of life, but U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s committee on Thursday is expected to change that. Changing the recommendation would contradict previous public health advice, and some medical and public health experts are alarmed. It's not clear what the committee is considering, but the American Academy of Pediatrics will still urge a birth dose.

The holidays are a time of merriment, festivity — and, for many, tense family gatherings.

The Trump administration says pharmaceutical companies have agreed to slash the Medicare prices for 15 prescription drugs after months of negotiations and that it's expected to produce billions in savings for older adults. But the net prices unveiled Tuesday aren't what Medicare recipients will pay at their pharmacy counters because those final amounts will depend on each individual's plan and how much they spend annually on prescriptions. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. touted the deals as part of efforts to address affordability concerns. The negotiation program is mandated by law and began under the Biden administration.

NEW YORK — You keep your trusty reusable bottle filled with only clear, delicious water. Do you still need to wash it?

“My year of unraveling” is how a despairing Christy Morrill described nightmarish months when his immune system hijacked his brain.

A coalition of nursing and other health care organizations are pushing back against a Trump administration plan that could limit access to student loans in some cases. Students pursuing graduate degrees in nursing, physical therapy and some other fields would face tighter federal student loan limits under the plan because it doesn't consider them professional programs. The revamp is part of an overhaul passed by Congress in Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill." Under current rules, graduate students can borrow loans up to the cost of their degree. But the new rules would set caps depending on whether the degree is considered a graduate or professional program. The Trump administration believes the changes could reduce tuition costs.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is fending off criticism from his own base as some of the environmental and anti-vaccine activists who propelled him into politics have said they want stronger action against vaccines and pharmaceutical companies. Other Kennedy supporters have questioned why he and other government leaders have appeared willing to work closely with large corporations. The tensions reflect emerging cracks within Kennedy's "Make America Healthy Again" coalition as it amasses power and broadens in scope. The MAHA initiative has enjoyed widespread popularity, but public health researchers say the broad appeal of making Americans healthier can also cause conflicts within the movement by inviting competing interests.

Health officials say at least 31 babies in 15 states have been treated for botulism as an outbreak tied to ByHeart formula continues to grow. Investigators in at least three states said the formula remains on some store shelves, despite a Nov. 11 recall of all products nationwide. Businesses and consumers should remain alert and should not sell or feed the formula to babies. Infant botulism is a potentially deadly illness causes by a type of bacteria that produces a toxin in babies' guts. Symptoms can take up to 30 days to develop. The illness requires immediate medical attention.

It's one of medicine's biggest mysteries — why sometimes our immune system attacks our own bodies. Autoimmune diseases affect as many as 50 million Americans and millions more worldwide. They're hard to diagnose and treat, and they're on the rise. A Massachusetts woman's journey with one named lupus — called the disease of 1,000 faces for its baffling variety of symptoms — offers a snapshot of the burden. Now researchers are decoding the biology behind these debilitating diseases in hopes of eventually treating the causes, not just the symptoms.

More Americans are turning to peptides for muscle building, skin rejuvenation, and to try and live longer even though the substances aren't FDA approved. Doctors warn that most haven't undergone adequate clinical trials and the supposed benefits are unproven. The FDA has tried to crack down, sending warning letters and listing peptides that shouldn't be compounded. But Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has vowed to end the FDA's restrictions, and he has support from wellness advocates. Critics caution that these peptides may pose serious health risks. And experts warn there's no way to know what exactly is in the products being touted by celebrities and hawked on platforms like TikTok.

A federal bankruptcy court judge on Friday said he will approve OxyContin-maker Purdue Pharma's latest deal to settle thousands of lawsuits over the toll of opioids that includes some money for thousands of victims of the epidemic. The deal overseen by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane would require members of the Sackler family who own the company to contribute up to $7 billion and give up ownership. The new agreement replaces one the U.S. Supreme Court rejected last year, finding it would have improperly protected members of the family against future lawsuits. The judge said he would explain his decision in a hearing on Tuesday.

State officials are working to restore full SNAP benefits to millions of people after the long U.S. government shutdown has finally ended. Some state officials said Thursday that full November SNAP benefits should be available to spend on groceries by Friday, if not sooner. A series of court rulings and shifting policies from the Trump administration had led to inconsistent distribution of November benefits. About two-thirds of states had issued only partial or no benefits before the shutdown ended Wednesday night. The federal food program serves about 42 million people in lower-income households.

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to announce whether the Trump administration must start complying with lower court orders that require full payments in the SNAP food program. The administration accepted a pair of earlier rulings that said it must provide at least partial benefits. But there has been an intense court battle underway since last week after a judge ruled that full funding was required. SNAP helps about 1 in 8 American buy groceries. For many of them, November's payments are already delayed. Resuming the program is a piece of the legislation adopted by the Senate and now headed to the House on to reopen the federal government. A high court decision is expected Tuesday.

Baby formula manufacturer ByHeart recalled all of its products sold nationwide Tuesday. The move comes days after some batches were recalled amid an expanding outbreak of infant botulism. According to state and federal health officials, at least 15 babies in 12 states have been sickened in the outbreak since August, with more cases pending. All the infants were hospitalized after consuming ByHeart formula. Parents and caregivers who have the formula in their homes should immediately stop using it and dispose of the product. Babies with symptoms of infant botulism need immediate medical care.

The Trump administration has asked a federal appeals court to block a judge's order to distribute November's full SNAP benefits during a U.S. government shutdown. A U.S. district judge had given the administration until Friday to make the payments through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. However, the administration is seeking to suspend any court orders requiring it to spend more money than available in a contingency fund. Meanwhile, some states, such as California, New Jersey and Wisconsin, have already started distributing the payments. The ongoing court battle adds to weeks of uncertainty for the food program, which serves about 1 in 8 Americans.

Republicans are swatting down an offer from Democrats to end the government shutdown. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the new offer from Democrats is a "non-starter." The proposal from Democrats would reopen the government and include a one-year extension of expiring health care subsidies. It's unclear what may happen next. Thune suggested a weekend session of the Senate was possible, and idea that President Donald Trump endorsed in a social media post. Despite the stalemate, lawmakers in both parties were feeling increased urgency to end the shutdown, which has now lasted for 38 days.

Scientist James Watson, who shared a Nobel prize for helping discover the double-helix shape of the DNA molecule, has died. He was 97. His death was announced by his former research lab. Watson also helped guide efforts to map the human genome. But he was widely condemned for racist remarks later on and left his job as chancellor of the prestigious Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York. Watson shared a 1962 Nobel Prize with collaborator Francis Crick and scientist Maurice Wilkins for discovering in 1953 that DNA was shaped like a long, gently twisting ladder. Knowing the structure of DNA was key to figuring out how the genetic material works.

President Donald Trump has unveiled a deal with drugmakers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to expand coverage and reduce prices for their popular obesity treatments Zepbound and Wegovy. The drugs are part of a new generation of obesity medications known as GLP-1 receptor agonists that have soared in popularity in recent years. But access to the drugs has been a consistent problem for patients because of their cost and spotty insurance coverage. Thursday's announcement is the latest attempt by the Trump administration to rein in soaring drug prices in its efforts to address cost-of-living concerns among voters.

A federal judge in Rhode Island has ordered the Trump administration to find the money to fully fund SNAP benefits for November. The ruling Thursday was in response to a challenge from cities and nonprofits complaining that the administration was only offering to cover 65% of the maximum benefit. The Trump administration said last month that it would not pay benefits at all for November because of the federal shutdown. Last week, two judges ordered the government to pay at least partial benefits using an emergency fund. It initially said it would cover half, but it now says it will cover 65%.

A mosquito-borne virus more common in South America has been detected in the United States. Health officials say the chikungunya virus has been identified in a patient living in the suburbs of New York City who began experiencing symptoms in August. Authorities say it's the first locally acquired case identified in any state since 2015, meaning the patient didn't travel outside the country before becoming infected. It's also the first locally acquired case that New York has ever seen. Chikungunya typically produces symptoms including fever, muscle pain, nausea, fatigue and a rash.

Nature walks are good for you, but can a city stroll be just as good? Walking in nature has been shown to boost physical and mental health, improve cognitive performance, lower stress and restore attention. But researchers say there are also mental-health benefits to walking in urban areas. You just have to find the right path and pay attention to your surroundings. Walking through historic areas of cities can make people feel less stressed and more energized — some researchers say even more so than walking through a park. Or you could simply focus on natural elements during your city walk. Trees in particular seem to make people more relaxed — even if they're on the street.

At-home tests of the gut's microbiome are trending, but doctors say the technology is getting ahead of medical knowledge. In many cases, there is no proven way to treat the imbalances that the tests claim to find. The companies and medical researchers say they hold great promise to one day personalize the treatment of complex gut-brain diseases. But much more clinical research and regulation is needed. The gut microbiome is complex and poorly understood. Growing evidence links changes in the gut to diseases like diabetes, liver disease, obesity and inflammatory bowel disease, but it's often unclear whether those changes cause, or result from, illness.

President Donald Trump's administration says it will partially fund the SNAP food aid program in November after two federal judges required the payments to continue. That means grocery aid will resume for 1 in 8 Americans, though it has been delayed for millions already and the amount beneficiaries receive will be reduced. The U.S. Department of Agriculture earlier said it would not continue the funding in November due to the government shutdown. Two federal judges ruled last week that the government was required to keep the program running. But both gave the administration leeway to pay for it entirely or partially. It can take up to two weeks to load beneficiaries' debit cards.

Two federal judge have ruled that the Trump administration must continue to fund the SNAP food aid program using contingency funds during the government shutdown. The rulings Friday came a day before the payments were due to be halted. SNAP is used by 1 in 8 Americans to buy groceries and is a major piece of the nation's social safety net. The administration has said it can't fund SNAP with the government shuttered. Democratic state officials challenged the plan to freeze SNAP payments starting Nov. 1, saying there's a legal obligation to keep providing the assistance for low-income people. Judges agreed, but gave the administration some leeway on the details.