‘As lethal as the smallpox virus’

Plus, op-eds on postpartum mental health, the trauma of illness, and more

August 24, 2025 Check out STAT+

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By Torie Bosch First Opinion editor

This week, First Opinion published an essay everyone who cares about public health should read. Legendary former CDC Director William Foege was instrumental in eradicating smallpox — which makes his words about health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. all the more striking. Foege wrote, "Kennedy's words can be as lethal as the smallpox virus."  Recommendation of the week: This is a little silly, but I recently re-read the 1986 young adult novel that first sparked my interest in bioethics: "Miriam's Well," by Lois Ruby. The titular character is a shy teenager in a fundamentalist Christian group that eschews all medical care. When she's diagnosed with cancer, it sparks fights in both the courts and public opinion. It's striking to see what parts of the "medical freedom" discussion still resonate — and what parts feel dated.

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Adobe Hospitals should not separate postpartum women in crisis from their newborns Hospital protocols often separate a postpartum mother experiencing a mental health emergency from her baby. It shouldn't be like this. By Anneli M. Merivaara The trauma of illness can last long after the body has healed Medicine overlooks the psychological toll of medical illness. Healing must involve helping people repair their relationship with their bodies. By Alexandra Kutnick Congress must continue to support the VA's research into psychedelics for PTSD Two members of Congress and a veteran argue for continued VA research into PTSD treatments that include psychedelics in a STAT First Opinion essay. By Lou Correa, Jack Bergman, and Juliana Mercer Adobe STAT+ | Republicans and Democrats must agree: Americans deserve price transparency in health care Price transparency is a bipartisan health fix at a time when Americans are seeking real solutions that bridge political divides. By Roger Marshall STAT+ | AI should come with green, yellow, and red lights for mental health People are turning to AI for mental health support. They deserve to know what chatbots can help, and which can hurt. By Tanzeem Choudhury and Dan Adler Study saying monthly cash won't help children's health is highly misleading — even irresponsible The Baby's First Years study says monthly checks won't help children's health. Experts say it's highly misleading — even irresponsible. By Joan Luby and Deanna Barch JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images The hidden neurological toll of wildfires Exposure to wildfire smoke and trauma during critical developmental windows can fundamentally alter brain structure and function. By Burcin Ikiz and Clayton Page Aldern Former CDC Director William Foege: How public health can fight back in a time of dangerous nonsense William Foege helped eradicate smallpox. Now, he says, public health faces an equally devastating threat from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. By William Foege End the unchecked growth of publishing fees and the overreliance on unpaid peer review The core dysfunctions of the scientific publication economy are the unchecked growth of publishing fees and the overreliance on unpaid peer labor. By Angel Algarin

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