Health

Hundreds of families lined up for free baby formula Tuesday at two StarMed Healthcare clinics in Charlotte. StarMed gave away roughly 1,100 cans amid the nationwide shortage.

The virus became the third leading cause of death in the U.S., and caused so many to die in the prime of life that the country experienced the biggest drop in life expectancy since World War II.

The Food and Drug Administration expanded authorization of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID vaccine to enable kids ages 5 to 11 who were vaccinated at least five months ago to get a third shot.

Medicare's decision to limit coverage for a controversial new Alzheimer's drug has prompted an outcry among Alzheimer's advocates. The drug is Aduhelm, and despite widespread enthusiasm for it among Alzheimer's patients and advocates, it hasn't been proven to slow the disease. The drug was given accelerated approval by the Food and Drug Administration because it reduces the plaque that develops in the brains of most Alzheimer’s patients.

Abbott, one of the largest formula-makers in the U.S., has reached an agreement with the government to bring a closed factory back on line. And the FDA is easing some restrictions on imported formula.

Households in the U.S. will receive eight test kits via the U.S. Postal Service. The release comes as cases have risen over 60% in the U.S. over the past two weeks.

Workers at two of StarMed Healthcare’s Charlotte clinics on Tuesday will distribute roughly 360 cans of baby formula on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at noon.

Aduhelm, an expensive Alzheimer's drug, is fomenting controversy — and generating excitement for patients. The FDA approved it last summer. But Adulem’s results are the subject of intense debate — and so is the cost of the drug.

Last fall, the North Carolina General Assembly approved $30 million to address a lack of air conditioning in the state’s prison system. But with summer approaching, none of the actual construction has begun.

The Turnaway Study followed nearly 1,000 women who sought abortions, interviewing them regularly for years to understand the impact on their mental and financial wellbeing.

Shrinking access to abortion in Republican-controlled states has already hit people of color hardest. They will bear the brunt if Roe v. Wade is overturned, experts and advocates say.

North Carolina health officials have reported seven additional cases of unusual hepatitis in children — bringing the total number of reported cases in the state to nine. The children had severe liver inflammation with no known cause.