Federal websites aren’t updating anymore. Where can you get health info in KS, MO?
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services paused most external communications Tuesday, Jan. 21, following the inauguration of President Donald Trump for his second term.
An internal memo, first obtained by The Washington Post, instructed HHS agencies to halt external communications until at least Feb. 1. These agencies include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health and 10 others.
“It is important that the President’s appointees and designees have the opportunity to review and approve any regulations, guidance documents, and other public documents and communications (including social media),” the memo states.
While the memo only applies to federal agencies, health and science related information will be impacted at the state level, too.
The H5N1 bird flu, which just caused its first human fatality in the U.S., has largely been tracked at the federal level by compiling reports from state health departments. Positive cases of the flu are confirmed using CDC lab tests. While this testing will likely continue, reporting of their results to the public may not.
Missouri has recorded one human case of the disease, while Kansas has reported outbreaks in poultry flocks and dairy herds. Relegating disease reporting to the state level could remove the national context from new infection reports, making trends harder to spot.
But there are a few Kansas and Missouri resources you can use to keep up with the latest info on health concerns, including the bird flu:
KC area public health Facebook accounts to follow
You can keep up to date on local public health information like outbreaks in your area, tips for staying healthy and events like free vaccines and screenings by following these Facebook accounts.
Kansas
Kansas Department of Health and Environment (statewide)
Missouri
Kansas health resources
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment tracks a number of different health conditions in different ways, including data from hospital visits.
Tracking includes the flu, which spiked in Kansas in December but has begun to go down. There also dashboards for other respiratory illnesses, like COVID-19 and RSV; and gastrointestinal illnesses. And Kansas is sharing case numbers for tuberculosis, currently spiking around Wyandotte County.
Other data charts provided by the state, like suicide rates and overdose data, are only updated annually.
Kansas has always issued its own boil advisories for specific areas and has currently issued warnings about consuming certain fish.
KDHE does notify the public of significant outbreaks or health concerns through the Kansas Health Alert Network, and you can sign up for specific notifications about its different programs.
The most recent health alert pertained to bird flu, recommending increased testing of potential flu patients to help identify cases.
The Kansas Department of Agriculture has some information about the bird flu, also known as avian influenza, outbreaks among livestock, available on its website.
Missouri health resources
Missouri similarly tracks a few different health concerns on its government websites.
Its flu dashboard shows recent cases and hospital visits. Missouri has had a relatively mild flu season, and cases are currently on the decline.
Missouri issues weekly reports on cases of dozens of communicable diseases, from sexually transmitted infections and animal bites to tuberculosis and hepatitis.
Missouri also issues health alerts, though the signup is focused on health care providers. Recent health alerts have focused on bird flu testing and mpox.
The Missouri Department of Agriculture has some information on its website about how dairy and poultry producers can respond to the bird flu. It also tracks outbreaks in Missouri animals by county, the last case being reported Jan. 14.
Have more questions about health or government resources around KC? Send them to kcq@kcstar.com.
This story was originally published January 28, 2025 at 7:00 AM.