The free-to-use machine, called a Bluebox, has public health items like the naloxone product Narcan, fentanyl test strips, COVID tests, safe sex kits and more. It’s the third such vending machine in Jackson County, with more still to be installed.

A man with untreated schizophrenia spent two and a half years in the Clay County Jail, which subjected him to unsanitary conditions and physical abuse. His experience is a cautionary tale about the dangers of an overwhelmed system where vulnerable defendants and jailers await help.

The latest effort to expand insurance coverage to include IVF costs for military families died this year after Senate Republicans, including Missouri’s Eric Schmitt, voted to remove it from a defense spending bill.

The updated cyclosporiasis case numbers, released Sunday, show more Missourians have tested positive for the parasite, but the rate of illness is slowing.

Despite a new presidential order, health officials urge parents to stick with longstanding guidance about routine shots.

Medicaid policy experts say anticipated changes to Medicaid eligibility requirements are already having a chilling effect, particularly among immigrants. Jackson County leaders are trying to get the word out so as many people as possible can keep their coverage.

The cyclosporiasis numbers released Sunday by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services are a 24% increase from the previous week.

Missouri's ban on hemp-derived THC drinks starts Nov. 12. But, if Congress gives final approval to a short-term funding bill and the president signs it, the beverages could stay on shelves longer.

Just like all previous summers since the pandemic began, COVID-19 cases are ticking up again, even while other health threats make more headlines.

On Monday, Aug. 10, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that aims to cut the number of routine immunizations for American children. Only states can require vaccinations for children to enter school or day care. But many health experts pushed back, saying the order would not make children's lives safer and further erodes vaccine trust for parents.

In an executive order this week, President Donald Trump recommended separating the measles, mumps and rubella vaccination, though separate vaccinations don't exist.

A recent analysis by ValuePenguin found the estimated number of pickleball-related injuries treated in U.S. emergency rooms nearly quadrupled between 2018 and 2025, with falls, slips and trips accounting for nearly 65,000 ER visits nationwide.