Many have seen their monthly health insurance premiums increase in 2026. For people with Affordable Care Act Marketplace plans, prices have increased because enhanced ACA premium tax credits, which reduced the cost of insurance plans, expired on December 31st, 2025. People with health plans through their employer are also seeing monthly premiums increase by an average of 6.0%. Many factors, including an increase in prescription drug costs, are driving up prices.

RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) is a respiratory virus that usually causes mild cold-like symptoms. While most people recover in 1-2 weeks, RSV can be serious especially for infants and older adults. RSV is the leading cause of hospitalization for infants. RSV rates typically peak in December and January each year, and the U.S. is seeing high rates right now. RSV vaccines are recommended during pregnancy, for some infants, for all adults 75 years of age or older, and for adults 60-74 who are at increased risk of severe RSV disease.

On January 5th , 2026 the CDC changed its recommendations for 6 out of 17 childhood vaccines, reducing the number that are recommended for all children. This change was not based on science or new research, but rather on a decision by the Department of Health and Human Services. The American Academy for Pediatrics continues to recommend all 17 vaccines for all children, and as of January 6th insurance companies including federally funded insurance plans will continue to cover all vaccines.

In January 2025, The Department of Health and Human Services released new dietary guidelines that emphasize whole foods over processed or high sugar foods. New guidelines also encourage eating more protein than the old guidelines. The American Heart Association (AHA) and American Medical Association have agreed with the recommendations to cut back on sugary or highly processed foods. The AHA continues to recommend prioritizing plant-based proteins, seafood, and lean meats for heart health.

As of January 23rd, 2026, there have been 558 confirmed cases of measles in South Carolina related to an outbreak in Spartanburg County. There are now 531 people in quarantine and 85 in isolation. Many of those in quarantine are school students who are unvaccinated and were exposed to measles. The outbreak started in October. Around 90% of K-12 students in Spartanburg County were vaccinated which is below the 95% vaccination threshold for herd immunity.  The MMR vaccine remains the best protection against measles.

A review of existing research found that people who lose weight with GLP-1 drugs regain weight faster after stopping GLP-1s than people who stop behavioral weight-loss interventions like diet and exercise. The studies looked at weight regained over a two-year period and found that people who had been using GLP-1s regained about 0.7 lbs more each month than people who had lost weight through only diet and exercise. More research is needed to confirm these findings and to learn why they were observed.