Here are five federal healthcare updates on life expectancy, vaccines and more that Becker's has reported on since Aug. 29:
1. Life expectancy at birth in the U.S. has fallen to 76.1 years, the lowest it has been since 1996, according to provisional data the CDC published.
2.. In the first step toward the national rollout of omicron-updated COVID-19 vaccines, the FDA authorized Pfizer's and Moderna's candidates for emergency use Aug. 31.
3.. The U.S. confirmed its first monkeypox death Aug. 30 as the virus continues to spread nationwide, surpassing 18,000 total cases.
4. HHS, through the Health Resources and Services Administration, will invest more than $20 million in initiatives aiming to improve maternal and infant health.
5. The federal government halted its program that delivers free, at-home COVID-19 tests on Sept. 2 because of dwindling funds.