As monkeypox cases grow, King County scrambles to distribute limited vaccine doses The number of confirmed monkeypox cases in King County is doubling every week — in part because of increased spread of the virus, and in part because of increased testing and detection of cases. To date, there have been 91 monkeypox cases in King County, and 103 statewide. Eilís O'Neill
Critics say 'monkeypox' is a racist name. But it's not going away anytime soon Scientists call the name "discriminatory and stigmatizing." The World Health Organization agrees. But no progress has been made on finding a new name. And some say the name doesn't need changing. Bill Chappell
Monkeypox vaccines in short supply and high demand Monkeypox is testing our already strained medical care system. Cases are doubling nearly every week and vaccines are still in short supply. But King County UW Medicine’s Dr. Shireesha Dhanireddy is here to fill us in Brandi Fullwood Patricia Murphy Play AudioListen 14 mins
Taking stock of WA state’s decade of legal cannabis, and what to expect next November 2022 marked a decade since Washington voted to legalize recreational cannabis. There was a lot of fanfare — and uncertainty — when voters set the state on this path back in 2012. So what are the big takeaways about our legal cannabis market so far? Amy Radil Play AudioListen 8 mins
Short on community health workers, a county trains teens as youth ambassadors In Fairfax County, Va., the health department is training high school students to become health ambassadors in underserved communities and get a leg up on future careers in public health. Pien Huang Play AudioListen 5 mins
3,000+ young children accidentally ate weed edibles in 2021, study finds The cases of accidental ingestion of cannabis candies and baked goods among small children increased 1,375% in five years, according to a study in the journal Pediatrics. Rhitu Chatterjee Play AudioListen 4 mins
Increasing overdose deaths stress King County morgue King County is experiencing a grim indicator of how bad the opioid crisis has become — a lack of space to store bodies. Public Health Director Faisal Khan said the Medical Examiner's office has finite space in the coolers they use, and that space is being exceeded on a regular basis. Kate Walters
Washington's next drug law could let accused choose treatment, services over jail time The Washington State Senate has passed a bill that would boost criminal penalties for drug possession but allow people to avoid jail if they engage in treatment and services. Amy Radil Play AudioListen 5 mins
'Live free and die'? The sad state of U.S. life expectancy A decade after a landmark report on Americans' shorter lives, the problem has only gotten worse. Unlike other wealthy nations, U.S. life expectancy has not bounced back from the pandemic. Selena Simmons-Duffin
A robot answers questions about health. Its creators just won a $2.25 million prize At the Skoll World Forum this week, South Africa's Reach Digital Health was one of five honorees. They offer health advice via mobile phones to millions, focusing on pregnancy, babies and COVID. Ari Daniel
