Trending News Today: Congress Misses Reauthorization Deadline for Children's Health Insurance Program

In response to the hepatitis A outbreak in California, Burbank and Glendale are working to protect their homeless populations from the virus, the Los Angeles Times reported. Officials from the LA County Department of Public Health said that homeless individuals are most at risk for the infection. Although the virus has not yet hit Burbank or Glendale, both cities are reaching out to the homeless to get them screened and vaccinated against hepatitis A. According to the LA Times, individuals can receive a vaccination for hepatitis A in Glendale during a health fair event taking place on October 13, 2017.

After years of controversy over the diagnosis and management of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), health organizations are acknowledging that exercise can worsen CFS symptoms. According to NPR, the CDC has already revised its patient guidelines on CFS and is currently revising physicians’ guidelines for the illness. The CDC update is considered a major victory by physicians and patient advocates, and that revisions to British guidelines are needed. The CDC hopes other major medical websites will revise their information on the disease, according to NPR. Dr Nancy Klimas, who served on the ME/CFS advisory committee for the Department of Health and Human Services said outdated information only perpetuates a key misperception about CFS, “That you can exercise your way out of this illness,” Dr Klimas told NPR. “That’s just not true. You can exercise, but you have to be extremely cautious. And it will not cure you.”

Federal funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) will expire at the end of month after Congress missed the September 30 deadline for reauthorization, according to The Hill. Although the Senate released a bipartisan, 5-year bill to reauthorize the program, a vote was never scheduled. CHIP helps states provide inexpensive health insurance to children in lower-income families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, according to The Hill.