HEALTH

When politicians use food benefits as political football, Prof. Mariana Chilton says the country — not only hungry families — experience a collective trauma.

After rupturing his Achilles, Russell Samora, of Great Barrington, set out to test his recovery and resolve. 368,000 steps later, he knew what he was made of.

President Trump announced he would stop the federal program during the government shutdown — which no president has done before. Farmers and consumers say they are scared and angry.

As some health centers in Massachusetts pull back on gender-affirming care for minors to protect federal funding, Northampton-based TransHealth says they will continue to offer that care for young people.

Health experts say vaccine skepticism has long been a feature of both islands, setting the stage for highly contagious diseases like measles to potentially find a foothold.

On The Rundown, panelists discuss why some schools in western Mass. have lower vaccination rates, the Pittsfield man who is back at home after being unlawfully detained by ICE, and a pilot program to clean up nips.

In the heart of downtown New Bedford, a city forged by the diversity of its fishing, merchant and whaling history, stands the New Bedford Community Health center. Its commitment to the city's complex, multilingual fabric is deep: it provides health care regardless of a patient's immigration status, and its website offers translation in more than 200 languages.

The reasons are deeply nuanced and varied, meaning the exemption covers a wide variety of circumstances.

State law dictates how public schools approach vaccines. Proposed legislation in the Bay State would prevent parents from claiming religion as a reason for skipping vaccination.

Although standard vaccines are required by Massachusetts, it's up to local school districts to enforce the mandate - and they really don't want to keep children out of school.