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The announcement of a new drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease was greeted this week with celebration and skepticism. The Food and Drug Administration approved the use of the drug Aduhelm over the objections of an FDA advisory committee and expert panels that questioned the medicine’s effectiveness in trials. Almost immediately, the drugmaker’s stock rose by 38%, adding $16 billion to the company’s market value. (6/9)

"I want to eat again, do you think I can do that, Doctor?" A patient with newly diagnosed stomach cancer understandably had immediate questions about his health and future. He was concerned that he may never be able to eat food again due to the cancer, which was now so large it obstructed the entrance to his stomach. He was trying to appear strong, but I could tell he was scared as he understood he was nearing the end of his life. (Gina Piscitello, 6/9)

Two decades ago, infectious disease experts warned that our country was uniquely vulnerable to epidemics because, unlike every other affluent nation, the United States has millions of residents without health insurance. Many who lack health coverage cannot afford to seek medical attention, even if they feel sick. A highly contagious virus “left undetected” because a person chose to forego care could “spread to family, neighbors, and other contacts,” making health insurance gaps “a risk to the nation’s health. ”These warnings came tragically true last year when the deadliest pandemic in more than a century hit. Based on peer-reviewed research, the nonpartisan consumer group Families USA linked 25% of Maryland’s COVID-19 deaths to our state’s failure to guarantee everyone health coverage. (Tom Perez, 6/9)

It’s not unusual to miss a doctor’s appointment every now and then. This has been especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic as people avoid public spaces like the doctor’s office. Studies report a 60% drop in pediatrician visits and similar decreases in children visiting the emergency room — but what if that simple check-in with the doctor actually turns out to be a matter of life or death for a child? Amid the worst health crisis of the century, pediatricians like myself are now grappling with the potentially dangerous consequences of interrupted care. (Lidia Park, 6/9)

Massachusetts has the oldest public school system in the country. We have the oldest public health system. While we led in inventing this infrastructure, it now requires modernization, especially of the links between them. Good health is foundational for learning. Across the country, schools that were able to open earlier and safely for in-person learning achieved this thanks to robust partnerships between schools and local public health offices. The federal government’s COVID stimulus dollars provide an enormous opportunity for Massachusetts to shift how we support healthy schools and healthy communities. If we invest strategically in infrastructure at the nexus of schools and public health across the Commonwealth, with more intensive targeted investments for the schools and communities most in need, we can lay a true foundation for all communities to flourish. (Danielle Allen, 6/9)

When it comes to children’s health, parents — and public activism — can make a difference. The declining valuation of Juul, maker of vaping equipment, and the surge in regulations restricting the nicotine vaping market can be attributed in no small part to the actions of parents who were shocked and dismayed by the toll that vaping was taking on their kids and their kids’ friends. (Linda Richter and Lindsey Vuolo, 6/10)

Maybe chicken soup can treat depression. That provocative claim was made not by a quack in a late-night infomercial but by John Bargh, a Yale social psychologist. He is an expert on “social primes,” the subtle cues that supposedly exert a major unconscious influence on our behavior. He has published research suggesting that, for example, exposure to words with geriatric associations like “wrinkles” primes people to walk slower. (Jesse Singal, 6/10)