Health

Health
Brainerd considers contentious question of chlorinating the city's drinking water
Currently, Brainerd is the largest city in Minnesota that doesn't regularly chlorinate its water, only when there's an issue. The city has a long history of fighting additives to its drinking water.
Coronavirus FAQs: How worrisome is the new variant? How long do boosters last?
Readers are curious about the new variant, currently known a BA.2.86. Also: Lots of questions about boosters. Can you get it at the same time as a flu shot? And how long does protection last?
Immunization rates are up in Red Lake schools. This nurse led the way
The school district’s seen vaccinations jump among its youngest learners. Charmaine Branchaud said that success started with sifting through paper records to help understand student health needs.
After two-year spike, Boundary Waters visits drop to pre-pandemic levels
The number of visitors to the Boundary Waters dropped in 2022, returning to pre-pandemic levels. But the number of permit cancellations and no-shows continued to rise.
Allina halts policy denying non-emergency care to debtors
Allina Health said Wednesday that it will no longer prohibit people with outstanding medical debt from making new appointments.
Why are more kids nearsighted?
Children’s vision is getting worse. MPR News host Angela Davis talks about why more young kids are becoming nearsighted and how to protect our eyesight across a lifetime — from childhood to old age.