Health News Highlights: EU Tracks Bird Flu, Kennedy’s Vaccine Views Under Fire, TB Outbreak In Kansas City

This summary covers current health issues including European agencies monitoring bird flu variants due to potential human threat, Kennedy facing Senate heat over vaccine opinions, a significant TB outbreak in Kansas City, and developments on drug pricing transparency and lowering prescription costs.

European health regulators are diligently tracking variants of the bird flu virus amid fears of its potential to adapt for human transmission, posing future pandemic risks. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Food Safety Authority have issued recommendations based on analyses and case studies to assess current threats.

In a contentious Senate confirmation hearing, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump's nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, defended his stance on vaccines against accusations from Democrats of promoting anti-vaccine conspiracy theories. Kennedy affirmed his commitment to address rising chronic disease rates and adhere to Trump's directives on health policy.

A tuberculosis outbreak in Kansas City has escalated, becoming one of the largest recorded in the United States, with 67 active cases reported in Wyandotte and Johnson counties. Health officials are urgently addressing this public health challenge as the contagious disease continues to spread in the region.

(With inputs from agencies.)