HEALTH

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.

This week on The Rundown, our panel takes on the local impacts of the federal government shutdown, a Legionella bacteria outbreak in Pittsfield, and what the latest MCAS test scores mean for Massachusetts students.

During a press conference held at Johnny Appleseed Park in Springfield, a partnership between the city and the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department was announced to address the needle problem in the city’s parks.