Helen Branswell - Profile and Journalist Details

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Biography

Helen Branswell is STAT’s infectious diseases and public health reporter. She comes from The Canadian Press, where she was the medical reporter for the past 15 years. Helen cut her infectious diseases teeth during Toronto's SARS outbreak in 2003 and spent the summer of 2004 embedded at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2010-11 she was a Nieman Global Health Fellow at Harvard, where she focused on polio eradication. Warning: Helen asks lots of questions.

Content

Total articles 2775

• Closure of CDC hepatitis lab imperils U.S. outbreak response, prevention

  By Helen Branswell Verified| STAT Verified An estimated 4 million Americans are infected with hepatitis C, a disease that can go undetected for years. Another 2.4 million people in this country are chronically infected with hepatitis B, which is the leading cause of liver cancer globally. Hepatitis B is preventable, and hepatitis C is curable. But the U.S. capacity to battle these viral scourges has been leveled a devastating blow with the April 1 closure of the country’s premier testing laboratory for viral hepatitis, experts warned.

  By Helen Branswell Verified · STAT

  Apr. 14, 2025

• Health secretary RFK Jr. declares certain vaccines have ‘never worked,’ flummoxing scientists

  By Helen Branswell Verified| STAT Verified Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has expressed another unorthodox view on vaccines, with the long-time vaccine critic declaring that vaccines for respiratory bugs that target a sole part of the pathogen they are meant to protect against do not work. The claim was dismissed as erroneous by vaccine experts, who were befuddled by the secretary’s theory, espoused during an interview with CBS News.

  By Helen Branswell Verified · STAT

  Apr. 10, 2025

• U.S. may be reverting to a time when measles deaths were not very rare, experts warn

  By Helen Branswell Verified| STAT Verified The United States recorded three measles deaths in the first 24 years of this century. In just over three months of 2025, it has equaled that number. The most recent patient, an 8-year-old unvaccinated and previously healthy girl in West Texas, died late last week. Infectious disease experts warn that the days when measles deaths in the United States were ultra rare may be over for now.

  By Helen Branswell Verified · STAT

  Apr. 06, 2025

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Company Info

STAT

STAT News is a digital media outlet focused on health, medicine, and science journalism. Launched in 2015, it specializes in investigative reporting and analysis of medical advancements, pharmaceutical developments, and public health issues. The platform gained significant recognition during the COVID-19 pandemic for its comprehensive coverage, which helped expand its audience and revenue. The company provides in-depth news reporting, features, and opinion pieces from industry experts. It also hosts industry events and collaborates with healthcare organizations through brand partnerships. STAT News operates on a subscription model, offering premium content while temporarily removing paywalls for COVID-19 coverage to enhance public access. With an estimated annual revenue of $56.4 million, the company has seen substantial growth, particularly during the pandemic, and currently employs 364 people.