ABC News: US Begins Rollout Of Johnson & Johnson Coronavirus Vaccine 
Johnson & Johnson will ship the first batch of its coronavirus vaccine to states and pharmacies on Monday, just two days after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave Emergency Use Authorization. The pharmaceutical company said it planned to roll out 3.9 million doses to state and local governments based on the size of the local adult population as well as federal distribution sites and select pharmacies. Unlike the vaccines developed by Moderna and Pfizer, which require two doses for full immunization, the J&J vaccines only need one dose, according to the FDA. (Pereira, 3/1)

NBC News: J&J Covid-19 Vaccine Distribution To Begin Immediately
The first shots of Johnson & Johnson's coronavirus vaccine could be administered as early as Tuesday, senior Biden administration officials said Sunday. The drugmaker, which got sign off over the weekend for emergency use of its vaccine from both the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is expected to deliver 4 million shots this week. (Edwards, 2/28)

CNBC: CDC Director Signs Off On J&J's Single-Shot Covid Vaccine
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, signed off Sunday on Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot Covid-19 vaccine for those 18 years of age and older as the federal government prepares to ship out millions of doses this week. ... The federal government can now begin shipping doses out to sites across the country. The ACIP met in an emergency session to review data on the vaccine, which on Saturday became the third shot to receive an emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration. (Feuer, 2/28)

But supply will be limited at first —

Stat: J&J Covid-19 Vaccine To Start Shipping, Early Supply Will Be Uneven
Health care providers will begin receiving the first 3.9 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s newly authorized Covid-19 vaccine as early as Tuesday morning, though supply will be uneven in the coming weeks, senior Biden administration officials said. The first shipments account for the entirety of J&J’s current inventory. Officials expect another 16 million doses to be available by the end of March, though J&J told the federal government that the doses will be delivered mostly toward the second half of the month. (Cohrs, 2/28)

The New York Times: Supplies Of Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Will Be Limited At First, Officials Warn
One day after federal regulators authorized Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use, senior Biden administration officials warned Sunday that the supply of the new vaccine would be highly uneven for the next month. In an effort to lower expectations that the authorization of a third Covid vaccine will mean a steady new stream of doses, the officials said that the company will deliver 3.9 million shots this week but none the week after. The officials were speaking in an organized briefing with reporters but refused to be quoted by name. (LaFraniere, 2/28)

CNBC: Fauci: All Three Covid Vaccines Highly Effective, Urges People To Take Available Shot
White House Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Sunday he would take the newly approved Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine and urged Americans to take whichever shot is available when they are eligible. (Newburger, 2/28)

Bloomberg: Fauci Rejects Possible Vaccine Arbitrage Between Three Choices
Anthony Fauci pushed back against any tendency to shop around or wait for a preferred coronavirus vaccine among the three that are now approved for use in the U.S. The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases was asked on ABC’s “This Week” about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which got the go-ahead on Saturday from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The one-dose J&J shot was found to be highly effective at preventing severe Covid-19, but has a lower efficacy rate than the Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE and Moderna Inc. vaccines, raising concerns that some people may opt to wait rather than being vaccinated with it. (Riley and Krasny, 2/28)

CBS News: Gottlieb Says Americans "Should Be Confident" About Taking Johnson & Johnson Vaccine 
Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the former head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said Americans should be "confident" about taking the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson, with millions of doses set to join the fight against the coronavirus in the coming days. "There is more and more evidence that these vaccines are preventing transmission of infection, which makes them an even more important public health tool," Gottlieb said in an interview on "Face the Nation." "I think people should be confident about taking it. And it will be in the market this week." (Hayes, 2/28)

KHN: When Your Chance For A Covid Shot Comes, Don’t Worry About The Numbers 
When getting vaccinated against covid-19, there’s no sense being picky. You should take the first authorized vaccine that’s offered, experts say. The newest covid vaccine on the horizon, from Johnson & Johnson, is probably a little less effective at preventing sickness than the two shots already being administered around the U.S., from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. On Saturday, the Food and Drug Administration authorized the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after reporting it showed about 66% effectiveness at preventing covid illness in a 45,000-person trial. No one who received the vaccine was hospitalized with or died of the disease, according to the data released by the company and FDA. As many as 4 million doses could be shipped out of J&J’s warehouses beginning this week. (Allen and Szabo, 2/28)

In updates about side effects —

CNBC: J&J: 2 People Had Severe Allergic Reactions After Getting Covid Vaccine
Two trial participants suffered severe allergic reactions shortly after getting Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine, a J&J scientist told an FDA panel on Friday. J&J was first informed on Wednesday about the allergic reactions, Macaya Douoguih, head of clinical development and medical affairs for J&J’s vaccines division Janssen, told the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee. (Lovelace Jr., 2/26)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: What You Need To Know About The New Johnson & Johnson COVID Vaccine
Among the study participants, the most common side effects were soreness at the injection site, headaches, fatigue and muscle pain. Those were generally mild to moderate and more common in those ages 18 to 59 than to older participants in the trials. ... Two people suffered severe allergic reactions shortly after getting the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, a J&J scientist told the FDA panel Friday. One of the people was participating in an ongoing trial in South Africa and developed anaphylaxis, a severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction, after getting the vaccine. There were previously no reports of anaphylaxis in J&J’s clinical trial. (Oliviero, 2/28)

CNN: How The Johnson And Johnson Vaccine Is Different From The Others: Dosage, Efficacy, Protection, Technology
Two vaccines are already being distributed in the US -- one made by Moderna and another made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech. The new vaccine, made by Johnson & Johnson's Janssen vaccine division, is a little different. Here's how. (Fox, 3/1)

Axios: Fauci: Children "Very Likely" To Get COVID Vaccine At Start Of 2022 
Children under age 12 will "very likely" be able to get vaccinated for coronavirus at the "earliest the end of the year, and very likely the first quarter of 2022," NIAID Director Anthony Fauci told "Meet the Press" Sunday. (Allassan, 2/28)

CNBC: Fauci: Covid Vaccine For Elementary School Children Likely Coming In 2022
Elementary school-aged children will likely be able to receive Covid-19 vaccinations early next year, Dr. Anthony Fauci predicted on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday. Fauci, the government’s leading epidemiologist, said that there are studies already underway studying vaccine safety for younger children. (Higgins, 2/28)

Fox News: Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Trial In Kids Ages 12 To 17 Hits Full Enrollment
Moderna has completed enrollment for a Phase 2/3 study of its COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents ages 12 to 17. In an update posted Thursday, the company said it had completed enrollment "of 3,000 participants." The company has previously predicted that it will have results ahead of the upcoming school year. The two-dose jab received emergency use authorization in December for individuals ages 18 and older. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, also a two-dose jab, was approved weeks earlier for use in individuals 16 and older. Johnson & Johnson submitted an EUA request for use of its one-shot vaccine in individuals 18 years and older, with the decision pending. (Hein, 2/27)

In related news about children —

CNN: Why Kids Are Hitting The Pandemic Wall 
After almost a full year of grappling with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, including nearly nine months of virtual school, 11-year-old London Loree simply has had enough. Enough of Zoom classes and technology fails. Enough of social distancing. Enough of all of it. (Villano, 3/1)

The New York Times: Why Opening Windows Is a Key to Reopening Schools
The C.D.C. is urging communities to reopen schools as quickly as possible, but parents and teachers have raised questions about the quality of ventilation available in public school classrooms to protect against the coronavirus. We worked with a leading engineering firm and experts specializing in buildings systems to better understand the simple steps schools can take to reduce exposure in the classroom. (Bartzokas, Grondahl, Patanjali, Peyton, Saget and Syam, 2/26)

Axios: U.S. Sets Weekend Records For Daily COVID Vaccinations 
Just over 2.4 million coronavirus vaccinations were reported to the CDC on Sunday, matching Saturday's record-high for inoculations as seen in Bloomberg's vaccine tracker. (Rummier, 2/28)

Axios: About 20% Of U.S. Adults Have Received First Vaccine Dose, White House Says 
Nearly 1 in 5 adults and nearly half of Americans 65 and older have received their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, White House senior adviser Andy Slavitt said on Friday. (Fernandez, 2/26)

CBS News: How The United States Plans To Increase The Pace Of COVID-19 Vaccinations 
As impressive as the scientific advancements have been, getting shots into people's arms has been plagued by bad weather, bad logistics and bad information. The Biden administration's coronavirus coordinator Jeff Zients, in his first television interview since taking the job, tells us there has been real progress over the past month on vaccine distribution. But with just over 50 million vaccine doses given since President Biden took office, the American public still needs patience. (Whitaker, 2/28)

In other updates on the vaccine rollout —

The New York Times: In Quest For Herd Immunity, Giant Covid-19 Vaccination Sites Proliferate
The sites are one sign of growing momentum toward vaccinating every willing American adult. Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine won emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration on Saturday, and both Moderna and Pfizer have promised much larger weekly shipments of vaccines by early spring. In addition to using mass sites, President Biden wants pharmacies, community clinics that serve the poor and mobile vaccination units to play major roles in increasing the vaccination rate. (Goodnough, 2/28)

Tampa Bay Times: Raymond James Stadium Coronavirus Vaccine Site Opening Monday
The state-supported COVID-19 vaccine site that had been at Tampa’s University Mall will move to Raymond James Stadium on Monday. The decision to permanently relocate mass vaccinations to the stadium’s Lot 14 parking lot comes after the University Mall location reached gridlock in mid-February with long lines and confusion. (Ross, 2/28)

AP: Utah Cancels Vaccine Appointments After Registration Error
Utah is canceling about 7,200 coronavirus vaccine appointments after an error in the state health department’s registration website allowed people without qualifying conditions to register for the shots. Department spokesman Tom Hudachko said in a statement that the error allowed residents who are not 65 or older or who don’t have an underlying medical condition to sign up. (2/28)

USA Today: CVS, Walgreens Shouldn't Dominate COVID Vaccines, Local Pharmacies Say
So far, drugstore giants CVS and Walgreens and big-box stores like Walmart and Kroger have been getting the lion’s share of vaccines from the initial allotment devoted to retail pharmacies, independent pharmacists say. But community pharmacies, they argue, can play a critical role in delivering COVID-19 shots, so they're frustrated that they aren’t receiving as many vaccines proportionally as major chains are getting from the federal, state and local governments. They say their personal relationships with their customers are crucial to a successful vaccine rollout, and they reject the suggestion that they don't have the technology necessary to handling the scheduling process. (Bomey, 3/1)

NBC News: 'Saturday Night Live' Takes Shots At U.S.'s Struggling Vaccination Rollout
"Saturday Night Live" took shots at the country's sluggish vaccination rollout, which has been plagued by shortages, site closures and questions over who should be prioritized for inoculation. The show opened with a spoof of a game show, "So You Think You Can Get the Vaccine," in which contestants vie for a chance at getting shots. "Getting the vaccine shouldn’t be a competition, but Americans will only want to get it if it means someone else can’t," said the host, Dr. Anthony Fauci, played by Kate McKinnon. (Romero, 2/28)

Also —

Bloomberg: Microsoft Says Vaccine Tools Have ‘Fallen Short’ After DC Snags
Widely-used Microsoft Corp. vaccine scheduling software that has run into difficulties in states like Iowa and New Jersey is being blamed for problems that left some residents of the nation’s capital unable to book appointments. After three straight days of issues with the District of Columbia’s online vaccination registration, the Redmond, Washington-based technology company released a statement along with the city government acknowledging “that our efforts have fallen short” and vowing to address the problems. “We understand the frustration of individuals who attempted to utilize the District’s vaccination appointment portal this week,” they said. “We are committed to address technical issues so that the vaccination appointment portal is properly functional and accessible.” (Natter and Bass, 2/28)

NBC News: Why Big Tech Isn't Dominating The Vaccine Rollout
As the nation takes on one of the largest logistical challenges in history with the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination program, many Americans have asked why Big Tech can't run the operation. If Amazon can deliver a phone charger in two days, why can’t it use its logistical prowess to speedily vaccinate a nation? With all of the data that Google collects about its users, why can’t it track down and identify who needs a vaccination? That’s largely because when it comes to getting a phone charger delivered, a company like Amazon handles every step of the process, from taking the order to delivery. But when it comes to vaccine distribution, tech companies have learned they have far less control. The federal government is paying for the needed medication and is managing the supply to the states. Then, states, counties and corporations take over and figure out how to get vaccines into arms. So while Big Tech is certainly playing a role in the vaccine rollout, it’s not exactly how people may expect. (Farivar and Glaser, 2/27)

Tampa Bay Times: DeSantis Order Expands Coronavirus Vaccine Options For High-Risk People Under 65
People under age 65 who have prior conditions that put them at risk to the coronavirus could soon receive vaccines outside hospitals after a quiet executive order issued by Gov. Ron DeSantis late Friday. The order says that physicians, advance practice registered nurses and pharmacists can vaccinate a person deemed extremely vulnerable by their physician. (Ellenbogen, 2/28)

Axios: Most States Aren't Prioritizing Prisons For COVID Vaccines 
Jails and prisons have seen big outbreaks and a higher death rate than the general public, but with supplies still limited, most governors aren't putting prisoners at the top of the list for vaccines. (Fernandez, 3/1)

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: Vets Focus Of Vaccination Effort
Health care workers in the covid-19 isolation ward at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System started receiving covid vaccine shots within hours of the system receiving its first doses on Dec. 16. Since then, the facility has administered both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines to 3,096 veterans and the first doses to 7,234 more as of Friday, according to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs data. The Veterans Healthcare System of the Ozarks, based in Fayetteville, has given both doses of only the Moderna vaccine to 2,667 veterans and the first doses to 6,616 more since Dec. 30. (Vrbin, 3/1)

KHN: Connecticut Is Doling Out Vaccines Based Strictly On Age. It’s Simpler, But Is It Fair? 
With covid vaccines expected to remain scarce into early spring, Connecticut has scrapped its complicated plans to prioritize immunizations for people under 65 with certain chronic conditions and front-line workers. Instead, the state will primarily base eligibility on age. Gov. Ned Lamont pointed to statistics showing the risk of death and hospitalization from covid-19 rises significantly by age. Yet, shifting to an age-based priority system — after health workers, nursing home patients and people 65 and up have been offered vaccines — has frustrated people with health conditions such as cancer or diabetes who thought they would be next in line. (Galewitz and Heredia Rodriguez, 3/1)

Anchorage Daily News: Unscathed: These Alaska Villages Are Reaching Herd Immunity — Without A Single Case Of COVID-19
For years, residents of the Southeast Alaska fishing town of Pelican decried cuts to state ferry service that left them increasingly isolated. Then came news of a deadly pandemic spread around the world by travelers. “Everybody claims that it’s so hard to get in and out of here. I say, that’s perfect,” said Walt Weller, Pelican’s mayor. “There is no better time to be stranded in the middle of nowhere.” A year into the pandemic, Pelican — reachable only by bush plane or boat — has zero recorded cases of COVID-19 and has vaccinated more than half its adults. (Herz, 2/28)

KHN: Black Churches Fill A Unique Role In Combating Vaccine Fears 
In the hospital with covid-19 in December, Lavina Wafer tired of the tubes in her nose and wondered impatiently why she couldn’t be discharged. A phone call with her pastor helped her understand that the tube was piping in lifesaving oxygen, which had to be slowly tapered to protect her. Now that Wafer, 70, is well and back home in Richmond, California, she’s looking to her pastor for advice about the covid vaccines. Though she doubts they’re as wonderful as the government claims, she plans to get vaccinated anyway — because of his example. (Almendrala, 3/1)

Also —

Axios: Most Think It's A Good Idea To Give NBA Players Early COVID Vaccine Access 
54% of Americans think it would be a good idea to give NBA players early access to the COVID-19 vaccine in order to increase public confidence in it, according to a survey administered last week by The Harris Poll. (Tracy, 2/26)

NPR: Obesity Specialist Says BMI Is A 'Good Measure' For Vaccine Priority Group
Several cities across the country that count obesity as an underlying condition have opened COVID-19 vaccine appointments to people with a body mass index of 30 or higher — the medical benchmark for obesity. While BMI isn't a foolproof standard by which to assess potential health risk factors, obesity medicine physician Dr. Fatima Stanford told NPR, "overall, it's a good measure" in this case. It would be dangerous for people with obesity to not get vaccinated, she said, given that obesity is a risk factor for both severe illness and hospitalization from COVID-19. (Garcia-Navarro and Bowman, 2/28)

The Verge: Vaccine Centers Embrace Stickers And Selfie Stations
As the vaccine rollout continues, clinics and distribution centers across the country are embracing things like stickers and even selfie stations decked out with colorful backgrounds to help people celebrate getting the shot. The selfie stations are set up as colorful backgrounds, often with pro-vaccine messaging tiled with the name of the healthcare provider. It’s good branding. And hey, if social media-friendly backgrounds helped make some trendy restaurants popular, there’s no reason they couldn’t work for vaccine sites too. Added bonus — if the vaccines are being given in a healthcare setting, it gives people a designated space to take pictures without compromising other patients’ privacy. (Beth Griggs, 2/27)

The Washington Post: Covid Vaccine Selfies Are Drawing Backlash
Given a shot at a coronavirus vaccine, many Americans say they would roll up their sleeves. But the decision to post a photo of the moment isn’t as black and white. People are divided over “vaccine selfie” etiquette. ... Some people despise the smiley selfies, as the virus that has killed more than 2.5 million people worldwide continues to take its toll. And most Americans who want to be vaccinated still are unable to get a dose. (Kornfield, 2/27)

Stat: ‘We’re Not There Yet’: Biden Officials Issue Somber Warning About Uptick In Covid-19 Cases
Biden administration officials on Friday warned of a “very concerning” uptick in Covid-19 cases this week, urging Americans not to let down their guard despite an ongoing vaccination campaign and case rates that are substantially lower than their peak last month. (Facher, 2/26)

Axios: Biden Says It's "Not The Time To Relax" After Touring Houston COVID-19 Vaccination Site 
President Biden said Friday that "it's not the time to relax" coronavirus mitigation efforts and warned that the number of cases and hospitalizations could rise again as new variants of the virus emerge. (Knutson, 2/27)

CBS News: Fauci Warns Against Complacency As COVID-19 Cases Begin To Plateau Despite Vaccine 
Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Biden, warned Sunday that Americans shouldn't get complacent about following mitigation measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus, as the number of new cases is leveling off despite more Americans receiving vaccines. "We don't want to continue to prevent people from doing what they want to do. But let's get down to a good level," Fauci said in an interview on "Face the Nation." "Let's get many, many more people vaccinated. And then you could pull back on those types of public health measures. But right now, as we're going down and plateauing, is not the time to declare victory because we're not victorious yet." (Quinn, 2/28)

Also —

NPR: How Americans' Changed Behavior Helped Beat Back The Winter Surge
With coronavirus infections on a steady, six weeks long descent in the U.S., it's clear the worst days of the brutal winter surge have waned. Yet researchers are still not sure how sustainable the decline is. And a small but concerning uptick in cases in the last three days has health officials on edge. So what caused the massive decline since January, and what can the U.S. do to ensure that it lasts? New infections have fallen close to 70% nationwide in just over six weeks, bringing the average number of cases to levels last seen in early fall. (Stone, 2/26)

Politico: Fauci On CPAC Speech: ‘I'm Sure That You Can Get A Standing Ovation By Saying I'm Wrong’ 
Dr. Anthony Fauci on Sunday said South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s criticism of him at the Conservative Political Action Conference was “not really helpful” to the nation’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. The remarks from President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser came after Noem, a Republican and an ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump, received a standing ovation on Saturday at the American Conservative Union’s annual conference for rebuking Fauci’s public health guidance. (Forgey, 2/28)

Fox News: UK Coronavirus Variant Now Accounts For 10% Of US Cases, CDC Director Says
The coronavirus variant first detected in the U.K. late last year now accounts for up to 10% of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., officials said Friday. The 10% marks an uptick in prevalence, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said. Just a few weeks ago, the variant accounted for about 1-4% of illnesses, she added. Officials had previously predicted the B.1.1.7 variant, estimated to be about 50% more transmissible than the wild strain first detected in the U.S., would become the dominant strain in the country by mid-March. Walensky said that the U.S. "may now be seeing the beginning effects" of the variants in the most recent data, which reflected an uptick in several seven-day averages. (Hein, 2/27)

Los Angeles Times: New Fears Of Next Coronavirus Wave As Case Declines Slow
Federal officials are expressing worry that the decline in daily new coronavirus cases nationwide is starting to flatten as one of the variants, from the U.K., is on the rise. They warned states against relaxing COVID-19 restrictions, saying the nation remains at a precarious point that could tip into a fourth surge before more people get vaccinated. (Lin II, 2/27)

CNBC: UK Hunts For Missing Person Infected With Covid Variant First Detected In Brazil
U.K. health officials are anxious to trace one of six individuals infected with a more contagious variant of the coronavirus, initially identified in Brazil. Up to six cases of the new strain — dubbed P.1 and considered a “variant of concern” by global health experts — have been detected in the U.K., with three cases in Scotland and three in England. (Ellyatt, 3/1)

The Guardian: Brazilian Covid Variant: What Do We Know About P1?
P1 was first detected in Japan, in people who had travelled from Manaus in Brazil. Investigations confirmed the variant in Manaus, the city on the Amazon river that suffered an intense first wave of coronavirus that peaked in April. A survey of blood donors in October suggested that 76% of the population had antibodies, so were presumed at least temporarily immune. But in January, there was a big resurgence among people who had previously recovered from Covid. P2 is widespread in Brazil and has fewer worrying mutations. (Boseley, 3/1)

CBS News: One Of The Strongest Weapons Against COVID-19 Variants May Be A Vaccine The FDA Hasn't Approved Yet 
One of the strongest weapons against the troubling number of new coronavirus variants in the United States and worldwide may be one vaccine the FDA hasn't approved yet. Earlier this month, the World Health Organization gave the go ahead for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to be used internationally, and it is already being distributed in countries around the world to help fight COVID-19. But AstraZeneca is awaiting the results of clinical trials in America, which it expects to wrap up in the coming weeks, before it makes its application to the FDA. In the meantime, buoyed by the fact that their vaccine is relatively easy to update, scientists at Britain's Oxford University are modifying it in a preemptive strike to prevent new coronavirus variants, including the variant first discovered in South Africa, from taking hold. (D'Agata, 2/27)

In other news about the spread of the coronavirus —

CIDRAP: Sharing A Home Brings A 10% COVID-19 Risk After Exposure, Study Says
People who share a household with a member who has COVID-19 have a 10.1% risk of infection, according to a research letter published today in JAMA Network Open. The retrospective cohort study used electronic records from the Mass General Brigham health system to track 7,262 COVID-19 index cases and their 17,917 household contacts from Mar 4 to May 17, 2021. During the study period, 1,809 household members (10.1%) were diagnosed as having COVID-19 a median of 3 days after the index diagnosis. (2/26)

Axios: Tracking Coronavirus Variants Through Sewage 
As long as widescale testing and genetic surveillance remains constrained, we'll always be a step behind COVID-19. But sequencing sewage presents a cheap and simple way of keeping tabs on viral spread within a community. (Walsh, 2/27)

Vox: Should We Be More Careful Outdoors As Covid-19 Variants Spread?
That means we need to be more careful about protecting ourselves. To do that, public health officials are recommending that people make a greater effort to avoid indoor spaces like grocery stores and double-mask when going indoors in a public setting. Which has some people wondering: Should we be more careful outdoors, too? Do we now need to stay more than 6 feet away from our friends around that fire pit? What about those joggers who seem to be perpetually running toward us, unmasked? (Samuel, 2/26)

CNBC: Covid May Become Endemic After Pandemic: Here's What It Means
In a February survey of more than 100 immunologists, infectious-disease researchers and virologists, almost 90% said that SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes Covid, will become endemic. That means that there’s a “constant presence and/or usual prevalence of a disease or infectious agent in a population within a geographic area,” according to the Centers for Disease Control. (Stieg, 2/27)

North Carolina Health News: What We’ve Lost To Coronavirus 
Dulce Garcia was afraid. The 29-year-old’s coronavirus infection started ordinarily enough. She ran a fever. She had difficulties breathing. And it terrified her. (Engel-Smith, 3/1)

CNBC: Covid Relief Bill May Trigger Cuts To Medicare, Student Loan Programs
A Covid relief bill backed by Democrats could trigger billions of dollars in cuts to Medicare and other federal programs, like ones that support unemployed workers and student-loan borrowers, if it’s ultimately passed. The funding cuts would take effect in 2022 and last for several years. (Iacurci, 2/27)

Bloomberg: Biden’s Virus Relief Plan Threatens To Trigger Medicare Cuts
The Congressional Budget Office said in a letter Thursday to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy that Medicare would face a $36 billion cut, and as much as $90 billion in other programs would be slashed. The spending cliff is entirely of the Democrats’ making. Under the 2010 Pay-As-You-Go law passed by Democrats and signed by then-President Barack Obama, spending increases and tax cuts that add to the deficit — like Biden’s plan — trigger automatic cuts the following calendar year. It takes 60 votes in the Senate to declare the new outlays an emergency and avoid the cuts, which means Democrats would need 10 Republicans. (Dennis, 2/26)

Politico: Biden Urges Senate To Take 'Quick Action' On Coronavirus Relief Package 
President Joe Biden on Saturday called for the Senate to quickly pass his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, which the House approved early Saturday morning. “I hope it will receive quick action,” Biden said. “We have no time to waste. If we act now, decisively, quickly and boldly, we can finally get ahead of this virus, we can finally get our economy moving again and the people of this country have suffered far too much for too long. We need to relieve that suffering.” (Leonard, 2/27)

The Washington Post: Democrats Abandon $15 Minimum Wage Hike Backup Plan 
Senior Democrats are abandoning a backup plan to increase the minimum wage through a corporate tax penalty, after encountering numerous practical and political challenges in drafting their proposal over the weekend, according to two people familiar with the internal deliberations. On Thursday, the Senate parliamentarian said that the $15-an-hour minimum wage included in President Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus plan was inadmissible under the rules Democrats are using to pass the bill through the Senate. (Stein, 2/28)

Roll Call: Medicare Fixes, Amtrak Boost In Draft Senate Aid Package 
Senate Democrats were honing a substitute amendment to the House-passed $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid package that chamber plans to take up this week, with one early version circulating that would add money for Amtrak, cybersecurity and Medicare payments for ambulance services and certain hospitals, among other changes. (Krawzak, 2/28)

In related news about covid's economic toll —

AP: Fraud Overwhelms Pandemic-Related Unemployment Programs
With the floodgates set to open on another round of unemployment aid, states are being hammered with a new wave of fraud as they scramble to update security systems and block scammers who already have siphoned billions of dollars from pandemic-related jobless programs. The fraud is fleecing taxpayers, delaying legitimate payments and turning thousands of Americans into unwitting identity theft victims. Many states have failed to adequately safeguard their systems, and a review by The Associated Press finds that some will not even publicly acknowledge the extent of the problem. (Mulvihill and Welsh-Huggins, 3/1)

CNBC: Covid Symptom ‘Long Haulers’ Can See Lasting Financial Impact
It’s been 10 months since Laura Crovo has felt entirely normal. Since testing positive for Covid last April, the 41-year-old Marylander has yet to shake off all of her symptoms. And on top of battling them — mostly a racing heart (tachycardia), occasional fatigue and a lingering cough — she and her husband, parents of two children, are still paying off the thousands of dollars in debt that they racked up last year due to her persisting illness. (O'Brien, 2/28)

Axios: Scammers Seize On COVID Confusion 
The pandemic has created a prime opportunity for scammers to target people who are already confused about the chaotic rollouts of things like stimulus payments, loans, contact tracing and vaccines. Data shows that older people who aren't digitally literate are the most vulnerable. (Fischer and McGill, 2/28)

Modern Healthcare: CMS: Group Health Plans Must Cover COVID-19 Diagnostic Testing
The Biden administration on Friday made clear that private group health plans and issuers cannot deny coverage or impose cost-sharing for COVID-19 diagnostic testing, regardless of whether the patient is experiencing symptoms or has been exposed to the virus. According to CMS, the new guidance should make it easier for people to access COVID-19 diagnostic testing. For instance, the agency said people can get tested for COVID-19 before visiting a family member and pay no additional out-of-pocket costs. The guidance also instructs providers on how to get reimbursed for diagnostic testing or administering COVID-19 vaccines to people without health coverage. (Brady, 2/26)

Becker's Hospital Review: Health Insurers Have To Cover COVID-19 Tests For Asymptomatic People, CMS Says
CMS issued a guidance Feb. 26 that requires group health plans to waive cost-sharing for COVID-19 testing even if a person doesn't have symptoms or a suspected exposure, among other requirements. ... The guidance clarifies that private group health plans generally can't use medical screening criteria to deny coverage for COVID-19 tests for asymptomatic members or those without a known exposure. (Haefner, 2/26)

In other news about Medicare and Medicaid —

Philadelphia Inquirer: Social Security And Medicare May Experience Their Own COVID-19 Side Effects, Experts Say
Over the last year, COVID-19 has been especially devastating for people of retirement age. As of mid-February, those 65 and over accounted for 81% of the pandemic’s deaths in the United States. More than 373,000 older adults succumbed to the new virus, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Counterintuitive as it might seem, however, the pandemic could actually put even more pressure on Social Security and Medicare — the two giant, financially challenged federal programs that provide retirement and medical benefits to older and disabled Americans. Workers contribute to these programs through payroll taxes, then draw on their benefits in later life. If thousands die early, shouldn’t that relieve the stress on Medicare’s and Social Security’s budgets? (Burling, 2/27)

KHN: Becerra Has Long Backed Single-Payer. That Doesn’t Mean It Will Happen If He’s HHS Secretary. 
A digital ad running in Georgia and New Hampshire says Xavier Becerra, President Joe Biden’s nominee for Health and Human Services secretary, supports “Medicare for All.” “Becerra supports Bernie’s government takeover of your health care, eliminating your employer-provided coverage,” the narrator says. The ad, funded by the campaign PAC of Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), is part of a blitz from conservative groups against Becerra’s confirmation. It first aired last week and will continue until the Senate’s confirmation vote. The gritty, foreboding ad includes a range of other attacks, including criticisms of California’s covid-19 response and Becerra’s role in legal cases on reproductive rights. (Knight, 3/1)

The New York Times: U.S. Buys 100,000 Doses Of An Eli Lilly Antibody Treatment 
The federal government has agreed to buy 100,000 doses of a recently authorized Covid-19 treatment from Eli Lilly, increasing the supply of such drugs for patients who are high risk of becoming seriously ill but are not yet hospitalized. Under the deal, announced on Friday, the government will pay $210 million and Eli Lilly will ship out the doses by the end of March. The government has the option to buy 1.1 million more doses of the treatment through November, but how many of those doses ultimately get ordered will depend in part on the course of the pandemic in the United States. (Robbins, 2/26)

FiercePharma: Lilly Scores $210M Supply Deal For Newly Authorized Coronavirus Antibody Cocktail 
As U.S. officials look to ramp up COVID-19 vaccinations heading into March, they’re not overlooking another pandemic-fighting tool. Eli Lilly on Friday scored a government supply deal for its newly authorized antibody cocktail, which dramatically reduced deaths and hospitalizations in a late-stage trial. Lilly agreed to sell the U.S. government 100,000 doses of the bamlanivimab-etesevimab combination for $210 million. The doses will be delivered before the end of March, and the government has the option to purchase 1.1 million more doses through Nov. 25 depending on demand. (Sagonowsky, 2/25)

Southern California News Group: Wanted: Patients To Help Investigate Treatments To Crush COVID
The tricky part of finding a drug that works early in the infection cycle has been finding enough people with fresh COVID-19 diagnoses — long before there’s a need for hospitalization — to participate in well-designed studies of drugs that might forestall the virus’s progression. “Our study mantra is, ‘Rise above COVID,’ ” said Judith S. Currier, chief of UCLA’s Division of Infectious Diseases in the Department of Medicine. “We encourage people to think about how they can help advance science — it’s something they can do.” Those who have very recently been diagnosed can find a study to participate in at www.riseabovecovid.org/en. In Northern California, studies are underway at UC San Francisco, Stanford University, VA Northern California Health Care System, UC Davis and several other sites. (Sforza, 2/28)

In other pharmaceutical news —

Axios: FDA Approves Device Intended To Reduce Traumatic Brain Injuries 
The Food and Drug Administration authorized a device called the "Q-Collar" that may help reduce the risk of traumatic brain injuries "associated with repetitive sub-concussive head impacts" sustained during sports. (Knutson, 2/27)

Stat: Woodcock’s Cancer Crusade Inspires Supporters, Raises Concerns For Others
In 2000, the Food and Drug Administration approved just three cancer drugs. Last year, even with the agency laser-focused on the coronavirus pandemic, much of its staff teleworking, the agency still approved a record-breaking 17 different cancer therapies — more than in any other category. That’s the legacy of FDA drug center chief Janet Woodcock. (Florko, 3/1)

North Carolina Health News: The Steep Cost Of Breathing With Asthma 
The medications that keep Karen Bumgardner breathing are expensive. At $711, one puff of Trelegy Ellipta, a long-acting inhaler she uses daily, costs about $24. The 40-year-old Cleveland County resident also uses about $100-a-month on  rescue medications to help her breathe during an attack, including an albuterol inhaler and nebulizer. (Engel-Smith, 2/26)

Stat: Cigna's Evernorth To Acquire Telehealth Company MDLive 
Riding a wave of pandemic-fueled momentum for virtual care, Cigna subsidiary Evernorth is acquiring telehealth provider MDLive, the companies announced Friday. The news marks a significant strategic pivot for MDLive — which had at one point planned to go public at the start of the year — and reflects broader shifts in the virtual care landscape as the public stage for telehealth companies grows increasingly crowded. (Brodwin, 2/26)

Billings Gazette: Proposed Billings Medical School Responds To For-Profit Criticisms
In a repeat from five years ago, two private medical schools are looking to set up shop in Montana, and their parallel efforts are causing some friction. Rocky Vista University is hoping to open an osteopathic medical school on Billings’ West End, with the first class of students entering in 2023. Rocky Vista, established in the Denver suburb of Parker in 2006, was the first for-profit medical school in the U.S. to open in modern times. Touro College and University System is hoping to open a school adjacent to the campus of Benefis Healthcare Systems, a hospital in Great Falls. Established in 1971, the New York-based school is a nonprofit. (Hall and Tollefson, 2/28)

Modern Healthcare: Providers Weigh Risks, Rewards Of Post-COVID Collaboration
Despite having some of the fewest beds per capita in the country, Albuquerque-based Presbyterian Healthcare Services has been able to manage surges of COVID-19 patients by teaming up with its competitors. Presbyterian, Lovelace Health System, University of New Mexico Health System and Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center established four hubs to centralize and coordinate care across northern and central New Mexico. Hub hospitals would support smaller facilities to keep care in their respective communities. If a community hospital lacked a certain specialist, one could call in from the university to consult physicians over video. They monitored real-time data to assess shortages and hub hospitals would work with state and national authorities to direct testing equipment, staffing or supplies accordingly. (Kacik, 2/27)

NBC News: Inside 'Post-Covid' Clinics: How Specialized Centers Are Trying To Treat Long-Haulers
As the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. appears to be turning a corner, another health crisis is brewing: Covid-19 survivors struggling to bounce back to their former selves. Of the more than 28 million Americans diagnosed with Covid-19, an estimated 10 to 30 percent — possibly as many as 8.4 million people — fall into the category commonly known as "long-haulers." (Edwards, 3/1)

The Wall Street Journal: When Covid-19 Hit, Mayo Clinic Had To Rethink Its Technology
Mayo Clinic, like many health providers, has been pushed to its limits by the Covid-19 pandemic. Its intensive-care units were often filled to or near capacity in 2020. And while doctors throughout the health system rushed to find ways to care for the wave of sick patients infected by the new virus, many of the medical and support staff were being sent home to work remotely. The information-technology team led by Mayo Clinic Chief Information Officer Cris Ross faced immense challenges. Practically overnight, remote, secure and fast access to multiple systems had to be provided to thousands of workers, including doctors. The influx of Covid patients, meanwhile, needed to be able to communicate with the outside world while being kept in isolation. And it all had to be done on the fly. Adapting the healthcare system’s networks and building new tools to meet these demands required planning, decisions and execution at speeds undreamed of a short time before. (McCormick, 2/21)

Crain's New York Business: New York State Nurses Association Report Finds Over 26,000 Nurse Understaffing Complaints Filed In 2019 And 2020
Nurses filed 26,219 complaints to hospital and nursing home managers about understaffing in 2019 and 2020, according to numbers released Wednesday by the New York State Nurses Association. With multiple signatories on each complaint, there were 97,715 nurse signatures total, the data showed. NYSNA receives a copy when such "protests of assignment" are filed, and the numbers are tracked and reported annually, a spokesman said. "Both before and during the pandemic, understaffing at our public hospitals has been severe and puts patients in jeopardy," said Judith Cutchin, NYSNA board member and president of the union's NYC Health + Hospitals/Mayorals executive council. "This condition in our hospitals continues today, and our nurses must care for far too many patients." (Sim, 2/26)

CNN: Travel Nurses Deal With Stress, Loneliness And Mistrust While Serving As A Covid-19 Rapid Deployment System 
After another workday marked by unimaginable death, Veronica O'Kane would return to a hotel room -- empty except for the dumbbell she brought from home. The travel nurse from Ontario, Canada, took a contract in Maryland to provide support to a hospital struggling under the demands of the coronavirus pandemic. Isolated, to keep herself and her patients safe, O'Kane spent the time she wasn't tending to critical care coronavirus patients working out alone in her hotel room or calling her loved ones to cry. (Holcombe, 3/1)

Tampa Bay Times: He Pushed Himself From Farm Work To Nursing. At 27, He Died From The Coronavirus.
His first semester of college was just weeks away. After a year of preparations, Miguel Martinez Jr. worried about making it through the University of South Florida. Since his senior year at Brandon High School, he’d worked with Ruby Luis through the College Assistance Migrant Program, eagerly learning about college, what he’d need to do to get in, even visiting a place he’d never imagined. He graduated from high school with honors and traveled that summer with his family to Michigan for the blueberry harvest. (Hare, 3/1)

KHN: ‘Into The Covid ICU’: A New Doctor Bears Witness To The Isolation, Inequities Of Pandemic 
This week marks a grim milestone: Half a million Americans have died of covid-19. KHN reporter Jenny Gold, in collaboration with Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, spent eight months following one first-year medical resident working on the front lines of the pandemic. Dr. Paloma Marin-Nevarez graduated from the Stanford University medical school in June, right before the virus began its second major surge. She’s one of more than 30,000 new doctors who started residencies in 2020. Just weeks after graduating, Marin-Nevarez began training as an ER doctor at Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno, one of the areas in California hardest hit by the pandemic. (Gold, 3/1)

Also —

The New York Times: Plastic Surgeon Attends Video Traffic Court From Operating Room 
The Medical Board of California said it was investigating a plastic surgeon who attended a video traffic court hearing from an operating room while dressed in scrubs and with a patient on the surgical table. The surgeon, Dr. Scott Green, reported by videoconference for a trial in Sacramento Superior Court on Thursday. (Fazio, 2/28)

ABC News: Connecticut Ambulance Employee Arrested In String Of Molotov Cocktail Attacks: Police
A Connecticut ambulance company employee was arrested and charged in a string of Molotov cocktail attacks across the state that targeted two emergency medical services agencies, a volunteer fire department and a private residence on the same day, authorities said. Richard White, 37, of Torrington, Connecticut, was arrested around 10 p.m. on Saturday by Pennsylvania State Police troopers who stopped his car on Interstate 80 near Milton, Pennsylvania, officials said. (Hutchinson, 2/28)

Houston Chronicle: Blood Supply Critically Low Following Winter Storm
The Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center is issuing a desperate plea for blood donations following the devastating effects of winter storm Uri last week as it blanketed the area with snow, ice, and historic low temperatures.“ We were greatly impacted by the winter storm,” said Cameron Palmer, community development coordinator for the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center. “We went several days without the ability to collect and now we’re down to less than a one day’s supply of blood,” he said. The drive and walk-in donations were canceled, he said, because the facilities were dependent upon water and electricity. Without those, they couldn’t host the life-saving blood drives. (Taylor, 2/27)

The Washington Post: Even Occasional Smokers Are 27 Percent More Likely Than Nonsmokers To Suffer A Certain Type Of Stroke 
People who smoke even occasionally are more likely than nonsmokers to have a serious type of stroke caused by a ruptured blood vessel — 27 percent more likely if they smoke up to 20 packs a year, according to research published in the journal Stroke. The average American smoker, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smokes 14 cigarettes daily, which means about 255 packs a year. The type of stroke examined by the researchers, known as a subarachnoid hemorrhage, occurs when a weakened blood vessel ruptures and bleeds into the space between a person’s brain and skull. Most often, this results from an aneurysm, an abnormal bulge in a blood vessel. (Searing, 2/28)

Tampa Bay Times: Spring Breakers Are Coming, Tampa Bay. Fingers Are Crossed They’ll Wear Masks
Jennifer Boychuk and her husband own The Mint Fox Cookies and Ice Cream shop on Clearwater Beach, and they are excited to welcome the spring break crowd this year. They’ve hired three part-time staffers and are switching to their summer schedule, keeping their doors open another two or three hours a day. (Najarro, 3/1)

The Washington Post: Trader Joe’s Firing: Employee Says He Was Terminated After Calling For Coronavirus Measures
The Trader Joe’s employee appealed directly to the CEO. In a letter citing a medical journal and experts who study respiratory transmission of the coronavirus, Ben Bonnema called on the grocery chain’s head, Dan Bane, to adopt more stringent safety protocols. Among his requests: improving filtration, requiring masks without exception and adopting a “three-strikes” policy for removing uncooperative customers from stores. (Shammas and Knowles, 2/28)

CBS News: New Jersey Girl Facing Food Insecurity Highlights Growing Problem 
When a New Jersey student said she hadn't had enough to eat, she highlighted a problem at home, and one that affects some 18 million children nationwide. A New Jersey third-grader burst into tears in the middle of her virtual class, confessing to teachers and fellow students that she was starving.  "This 9-year-old just couldn't take it anymore," said former New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno, who manages the Fulfill Food Bank. That heartbreaking moment led an entire community to help, including Guadagno. (George, 2/28)

Politico: Parents Erupt Over FDA Failure To Regulate Toxic Metals In Food 
When Congress released a report this month finding that popular baby foods contain worrisome levels of toxic heavy metals, the reaction was swift. Scary headlines blared from the New York Times to the Daily Mail, lawsuits were filed within days and throngs of parents, already beleaguered from the stresses of the pandemic, took to social media with the fire of a thousand suns. “You knowingly sell food that hurt babies for profit,” one mom wrote on a baby food company’s Instagram page. “You are MONSTERS.” (Evich, 2/28)

Newsweek: Gwyneth Paltrow's COVID Advice Not Supported By Evidence, Health Experts Warn
Gwyneth Paltrow has been following an "intuitive fasting" regimen and taking supplements after having "COVID-19 early on," she has revealed in her latest post on Goop, the lifestyle website she launched in 2008. The Hollywood actress' remarks have been criticized by health experts who said there was a lack of evidence to support her suggested "healing" remedies. (Kim, 2/25)

NBC News: Virginia Lawmakers Pass Legislation That Would Legalize Marijuana In 2024
Virginia lawmakers approved a bill Saturday that would legalize the sale and recreational use of marijuana — but not until 2024. The move makes Virginia the first Southern state to vote to legalize recreational marijuana, joining 15 other states and the District of Columbia. The legislation now goes to Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam, who supports legalization, for his signature. (Atkins, 2/28)

The Wall Street Journal: Advocates Back Legislative Effort To Legalize Marijuana In New York 
Proponents of legalizing recreational marijuana in New York are putting their weight behind a bill in the state legislature, saying they prefer it to the competing framework that Gov. Andrew Cuomo has included as part of his proposed $193 billion budget. Associations representing growers and medical marijuana companies that operate in the state as well as the Drug Policy Alliance, which supports legalizing the drug for social-justice reasons, issued a rare joint statement in support of the pending Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, or MRTA. (Vielkind, 2/28)

Boston Globe: Mass. Marijuana Has To Be Ultra-Sterile. Just One Problem: It’s A Plant
At Holistic Health Group’s farm in Middleborough, dozens of vacuum-sealed bags full of marijuana flower — worth hundreds of thousands of dollars at retail — have been sitting in a secure vault for months, stuck in limbo. The problem? The marijuana, which was grown outdoors last season, flunked the strict laboratory tests for microbes that all legal cannabis in Massachusetts must pass before sale. The standards are intended to protect consumers from moldy or bacteria-contaminated flower. But farmers across Massachusetts have complained that the state’s unusually tight rules are based on flimsy science, discourage outdoor growing and other sustainable practices, add to the high cost of pot, and defy the simple fact that cannabis is a plant, one adapted to grow in soil rich with microorganisms. (Adams, 2/26)

In other news from the states —

Axios: Supreme Court Again OKs Indoor Church Services In California Amid Pandemic 
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that five California churches in Santa Clara County are exempt from a health directive prohibiting indoor gatherings, and are now permitted to resume services indoors. (Gonzalez, 2/27)

Boston Globe: ‘Charlie, You’re Making A Big Mistake’: Experts Criticize State’s Monday Reopening
As Governor Charlie Baker eases more pandemic restrictions on restaurants and other businesses starting Monday, public health experts warn that the moves could backfire, upending the state’s progress against COVID-19 and risking a new surge in cases. “I’d say, ‘Charlie, you’re making a big mistake,’” said Dr. Robert Horsburgh, a Boston University professor of epidemiology. “Opening up these restaurants is going to prolong the epidemic, and increase the number of Massachusetts residents that die.” Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have both cautioned that states rolling back health measures now could face a resurgence of the virus. And local epidemiologists echoed those warnings over the weekend, saying that easing the way for people to gather indoors now could reverse the progress the state has made against the coronavirus. (Hilliard and Phillips, 2/28)

Albuquerque Journal: House Narrowly Approves Sick Leave Measure
The state House adopted legislation Sunday that would require private employers in New Mexico to offer paid sick leave to their workers, sending the measure over to the Senate with 20 days left in the session. Supporters said the proposal, House Bill 20, would offer critical protection for low-income New Mexicans who might otherwise have to choose between a paycheck or caring for a sick loved one. It would also, they said, reduce the spread of illness in the workplace. (McKay, 2/28)

AP: Shaheen Introducing Bill To Improve Access To Health Care
U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire is introducing a bill to improve access to health care by lowering premiums and deductibles for low- and middle-income families. She said in a statement Friday the Improving Health Insurance Affordability Act would expand coverage to more than 4 million people who are currently uninsured and reduce health care costs for millions more who already have coverage. (3/1)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: 'Like Somebody Killed My Child': Louisiana Drug Deaths Soared In 2020 Amid Isolation And Fentanyl
Though overdose deaths have been rising nationwide, the jump in Louisiana is particularly dramatic. Recent estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed Louisiana’s overdose rate was No. 9 among the states and growing faster than any other, having spiked by 53% over a year. While detailed data from the full year is not yet available, the rough numbers compiled so far and information from coroner’s offices paint a bleak picture. Accidental deaths, a category that consistently counts overdoses as its largest contributor, were 46% higher in Louisiana in 2020 than would be expected from prior years. (Woodruff and Adelson, 2/28)

KHN: Looking To Kentucky’s Past To Understand Montana Health Nominee’s Future
The nominee to be Montana’s next health director faced an unwieldy disease outbreak and pushed Medicaid work requirements — two issues looming in Montana — when he held a similar job in Kentucky. Montana senators will soon decide whether to confirm Adam Meier, Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte’s pick for director of the state Department of Public Health and Human Services. He would earn $165,000 leading Montana’s largest state agency, which oversees 13 divisions and is a leader in the state’s pandemic response. (Houghton and Ungar, 3/1)

The Hill: CDC To Impose Travel Measures For Ebola-Hit Countries 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday announced new travel measures for those coming to the United States from countries that have been hit with an Ebola outbreak. Starting next week, passengers traveling from Guinea and the Democratic Republic of the Congo will be redirected to six U.S. airports so the CDC can track and follow up with them.“ Airlines will collect and transmit passenger information to CDC for public health follow-up and intervention for all passengers boarding a flight to the U.S. who were in DRC or Guinea within the previous 21 days,” the announcement states. (Lonas, 2/27)

In other global developments —

AP: Canadian Regulator Authorizes AstraZeneca Vaccine
Canadian regulators on Friday authorized AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine for all adults. It is the third COVID-19 vaccine given the green light by Canada, following those from Pfizer and Moderna. “This is very encouraging news. It means more people vaccinated, and sooner,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, adding that the nation of 38 million people will now get 6.5 million vaccines in total before the end of March, 500,000 more now with the new approval. (Gillies, 2/26)

Reuters: China To Provide Afghanistan With 400,000 Doses Of COVID-19 Vaccine 
China has pledged to deliver 400,000 doses of Sinopharm’s COVID-19 vaccine to Afghanistan, Afghan officials said on Monday, in a boost for an immunisation campaign begun last week. “China’s ambassador to Kabul said in a meeting with health officials that his country would provide Afghanistan with 400,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine,” Ghulam Dastagir Nazari, the health ministry’s head of the immunisation programme, told Reuters. (Sediqi, 3/1)

CIDRAP: Zika Roadmap Outlines Steps Toward Diagnostics, Treatment, Vaccines 
Currently, there is no treatment or preventive vaccine for Zika virus infection, but as the disease's prevalence has faded, so has global concern. To spur the development of Zika medical countermeasures (MCMs), the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), a task force of experts, and the World Health Organization (WHO) have created the "Zika Virus (ZIKV) Research and Development (R&D) Roadmap," a 10-year framework for optimizing research, diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines. In the roadmap, experts outline 14 strategic goals, such as ensuring research tools are available, identifying funding sources, supporting novel therapies, and promoting vaccine development. (mClERNON, 2/26)

The New York Times: The Era Of Vaccine Diplomacy Is Here 
President Biden has assured Americans that most will be vaccinated by the end of summer. He should also assure them that it is very much in their interest, for reasons of morality, common sense and national interest, to be at the forefront of the global war against that vicious little spiked blob. (2/28)

The Washington Post: Anti-Vaccine Extremism Is Akin To Domestic Terrorism 
Vaccines don’t stop viruses. Vaccinations do. This common public health saying means a vaccine does no good if we can’t get it into people’s arms. Insufficient supplies, natural disasters and bureaucratic mistakes have slowed efforts, but the overall goal of vaccinating a large majority of the U.S. population may ultimately be hampered by the anti-vaccine movement unless steps are taken to limit its impact. Otherwise, America may witness more scenes like the one in Los Angeles on Jan. 30, when a mob of anti-vaccine protesters stormed Dodger Stadium, one of the nation’s largest vaccination centers. These extremists succeeded in temporarily shutting down the site, delaying patients, many of them elderly, from getting their shots. The anti-vaccine activists have told the Los Angeles Times that they intend to keep disrupting vaccination efforts. (Richard Pan, 2/28)

Stat: Great Opportunities Ahead For Superspreaders To Do Their Work 
Like so many other Americans, we were green with envy as we watched football fans swarming the streets of Tampa Bay after the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl, and again when they clogged the parade route during the team’s victory flotilla a few days later. We, too, wanted to yell and sing and chant and not wear masks and ignore social distancing in the face of a viral pandemic that has killed almost 2.5 million people worldwide and more than 500,000 in the U.S. (Lisa Kearns and Arthur L. Caplan, 2/27)

The Wall Street Journal: The CIA Can Help Spot The Next Pandemic
Covid proved that international conventions and cooperation can’t be the sole backstop in a crisis. We need more capability for gathering information when there are signs of outbreaks. This means we’ll have to rely on more-traditional national-security tools, including intelligence services. The need is underscored by the challenges the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention faced in getting access to samples of the coronavirus when the outbreak first emerged. China refused to share these samples with the U.S., and the World Health Organization refused to pressure China publicly to release them. This wasn’t the first time in recent years that China has declined to share samples of a dangerous new pathogen. (Scott Gottlieb, 2/28)

Kaiser Family Foundation: Vaccine Confidence Isn’t The Main Obstacle To Reaching Herd Immunity
The share of the overall population that does not want to get vaccinated is small enough already that the U.S. should be able to reach herd immunity even if Americans who are most reluctant to get the vaccine do not change their minds. New data from our KFF Vaccine Monitor show that 57% of adults are either already vaccinated at least once or plan to get vaccinated as soon as they can, and another 22% are in a “wait and see” group. That group has been shrinking. Think of them like persuadable swing voters. Many are likely to get vaccinated as they see family members and friends and neighbors vaccinated without adverse effect. The “wait and see group” should be the focus of vaccine confidence building efforts, especially in Black and Latino communities where the need for building vaccine confidence and addressing information needs and barriers to access is the most urgent. Seven percent say they will only get vaccinated if they are required to at work and another 15% – the real hard core no vote – say they don’t want to get vaccinated. (Drew Altman, 3/1)

Los Angeles Times: Why Is It Hard For My Elderly Parents To Get The Vaccine?
When my parents finally received their first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, I was not ecstatic. Far from it. The overarching feeling was rage. The long road to getting those precious jabs in their arms brought into sharp focus how truly broken our healthcare system can be. And I’m speaking as a daughter and a doctor whose experience in the medical field conferred no advantage. My parents, both pushing 80 and living in the Bay Area, are cancer patients actively undergoing chemotherapy. When California opened up vaccines in mid-January to residents besides healthcare workers and residents of long-term care facilities, we naively waited a day thinking that our HMO — the one with the clever marketing slogan that exhorts its members to prosper — would be contacting high-risk patients over 65. (Dipti S. Barot, 2/27)

The Washington Post: How We’re Working Toward Racial Equity In Distributing Coronavirus Vaccines In D.C. 
The pandemic has laid bare a second public health crisis: the full impact of systemic racism. Though the Health Department certainly did not intend to create a vaccine portal that was more easily accessible to White and privileged residents, that was the outcome. For many Bread for the City clients, reliable access to computers and WiFi as well as digital literacy are challenges. Those who were initially assigned to our medical center for their vaccines also had the time and energy to advocate for themselves. In D.C., those people were overwhelmingly White. Anti-racism is an active state. Passivity allows for systems to be built with privilege centered and defaulted as the mainstream. (George A. Jones, 2/28)

The Washington Post: Hogan Can’t Explain Away Maryland’s Vaccine Inequities. He Needs A Plan To Fix Them Instead. 
The confusing rollout of coronavirus vaccines in Maryland is raising serious concerns of transparency and fairness. Despite the state health department describing its top priority as “equitable vaccine allocations based on county population,” Maryland counties vary widely in the proportion of vaccinated residents, from a high of 12.4 percent receiving two shots in Worcester County to a low of 3.3 percent in Prince George’s County. When the goal is equity but the reality is nearly fourfold variation, there’s a problem. (Joshua M. Sharfstein, Leana S. Wen and Peter Beilenson, 2/27)

The New York Times: Brazil Is Brilliant At Vaccinations. So What Went Wrong This Time?
In a country where the pandemic has wrought terrible damage — 250,000 people have died, the second-highest total in the world, after the United States, as cities along the Amazon River like Manaus have been abandoned to their fate — the failure amounts to a disaster. So what went wrong? Perhaps we should look to Joe Droplet: He seems to know exactly who to blame. From the beginning, Mr. Bolsonaro’s government downplayed the seriousness of the pandemic. (Vanessa Barbara, 2/28)

Stat: Sen. Rand Paul Misunderstands Transgender Medicine. Here’s The Truth
In a tense exchange on Thursday during the Senate confirmation hearing of Dr. Rachel Levine, President Biden’s nominee for assistant secretary of health, Sen. Rand Paul exposed his lack of understanding about — or perhaps prejudice against — transgender youth. (Sai Shanthanand Rajagopal and Henna Hundal, 2/26)

Los Angeles Times: Genderless Potato Heads Are No Cause For Panic 
As someone with a three-story pink Barbie Dream House in the middle of her living room, I can tell you that I pay closer attention to gendered children’s toys these days than is normal for a woman my age. I have noticed, for instance, that the profusion of Barbies sprawled across my floor are not always light-complexioned and blond, with impossibly attenuated torsos, as they were when I was little. My 10-year-old niece’s dolls have a range of skin colors and body sizes; some Barbies, you might even say, are thicc, current slang for a full-figured curvy body. This is a fantastic development, and if I need to explain why, you have not been paying attention. Now comes the less important but far more hysteria-inducing news that Hasbro’s Mr. Potato Head brand will be dropping the “Mr.” and become simply … Potato Head. (Robin Abcarian, 2/27)