Daily Briefing: Whooping Cough Outbreaks Across the U.S.

Whooping Cough: There are now outbreaks in Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin, Kansas, and Montana. Brave reporters might check to see if Pertussis vaccination rates have fallen.

Alzheimer's: Scientists are researching the way a sense of purpose affects the spread of Alzheimer's disease. It doesn't seem to slow the formation of tau proteins or plaque, but a sense of meaning is associated with a slower rate of cognitive decline, reports Lane Wallace for the Atlantic.

Breastfeeding: In an attempt to encourage breastfeeding, New York City is asking its hospitals to stop giving new parents free samples of baby formula, reports Anemona Hartocollis for the New York Times.

Pharmacy Fraud: In one year pharmacists billed Medicare for 1,000 prescriptions for just two patients. That's one example of the suspicious pharmacy billings the Medicare fraud trackers have discovered, reports Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar reports for the AP.

Osteoporosis: Research from the Food and Drug Administration shows that the controversial drug Fosomax may not help women in the long term.

Want more from Reporting on Health? Join us, sign up for our newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. Check out our Tumblr, too!

Photo credit: Sanofi Pasteur via Flickr