Stat: FDA Grants Authorization To Moderna's Covid-19 Vaccine
And now there are two. The Food and Drug Administration on Friday issued an emergency authorization for a Covid-19 vaccine developed by Moderna, the second such vaccine to be cleared in the United States. Inoculations should begin within days, as was the case following last week’s authorization of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech. (Herper, 12/18)

Seattle Times: Gov. Jay Inslee Announces Western States’ Approval Of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine 
The Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup has authorized use of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, Gov. Jay Inslee announced Sunday. The vaccine won emergency approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday and the first shipments are expected to arrive in Washington this week. Moderna’s vaccine is the second to gain approval from the FDA and the work group comprised of vaccine experts from Washington, Oregon, California and Nevada. (Rietmulder, 12/20)

NBC News: First Shipments Of Moderna Vaccine Roll Out, A New Weapon In U.S. Covid-19 Response
Distribution for Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine began on Sunday, just two days after the Food and Drug Administration authorized it for emergency use. Moderna’s vaccine distribution means the U.S. now has two vaccines in its arsenal to fight the pandemic that has infected more than 17.7 million Americans and claimed more than 317,000 lives. (Kesslen, 12/20)

Courier-Journal: Moderna Coronavirus Vaccines Arrive At Louisville UPS Worldport
Two truckloads filled with "hundreds" of boxes filled with doses (UPS could not say how many) stopped at the UPS Worldport early Sunday, and officials said a third could arrive later in the day. One delivery from the shipment will be taken to a location in Louisville, they added, while the others were set to be sent to other cities. Moderna's vaccine is similar to the vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech, which was flown into Louisville last week to be shipped around the country and was made available to a number of local health care workers Monday. That experience came in handy Sunday, as UPS spokesman Jim Mayer said handling practices for workers at the facility do not differ between the two vaccines. (Aulbach, 12/20)

Fox Business: FedEx Begins Shipping Second COVID-19 Vaccine, With First Moderna Shots Expected Monday
FedEx began shipping the second coronavirus vaccine candidate to earn emergency authorization in the U.S. after Moderna, a Massachusetts-based biotech company, received the authorization for its vaccine candidate from an FDA advisory panel on Thursday. Employees at a factory in the Memphis area and a facility in Olive Branch, Mississippi were boxing up the vaccine developed by Moderna Inc. and the National Institutes of Health. (Fordham, 12/20)

CBS News: First Shipments Of Moderna's Coronavirus Vaccine Begin Distribution In The U.S. 
Initial shipments of the second coronavirus vaccine authorized in the U.S. left a distribution center Sunday, a desperately needed boost as the nation works to bring the coronavirus pandemic under control. The trucks left the factory in the Memphis area with the vaccine developed by Moderna Inc. and the National Institutes of Health. The much-needed shots are expected to be given starting Monday, just three days after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized their emergency rollout. (12/20)

USA Today: COVID-19 Vaccine: Police, Firefighters, Teachers Will Be Next In Line
Police, firefighters, teachers and grocery workers will be among those next in line for a COVID-19 vaccine, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel decided Sunday. The committee voted 13-1 to recommend that Phase 1b include people 75 and older and front-line essential workers. Phase 1c will include people 65 to 74 and people 16 to 64 who have high-risk medical conditions, along with other essential workers. (Weise, 12/20)

AP: Panel: People Over 75, Essential Workers Next For Vaccines
Sunday’s vote by the panel was who should be next in line, and by a vote of 13-1, it decided that it should be people 75 and older, who number about 20 million, as well as certain front-line workers, who total about 30 million. The essential workers include firefighters and police; teachers and school staff; those working in food, agricultural and manufacturing sectors; corrections workers; U.S. Postal Service employees; public transit workers; and grocery store workers. They are considered at very high risk of infection because their jobs are critical and require them to be in regular contact with other people. It’s not clear how long it will take to vaccinate those groups. (Hanna and Stobbe, 12/20)

Politico: CDC Panel: Frontline Workers, 75-Plus Seniors Should Get Covid Shots Next 
The recommendations are nonbinding, since states make the final decisions over who to prioritize for vaccination. However, many states have been looking to ACIP recommendations to help them settle challenging ethical questions over how to fairly divvy up scarce supply of doses. “This isn’t black and white,” Amanda Cohn, ACIP’s executive secretary, said of the recommendations. “It will vary by local context.” (Ehley, 12/20)

The New York Times: CDC Panel Says Frontline Workers And People Over 74 Should Get Vaccine Next 
The panel of doctors and public health experts had previously indicated it would recommend a much broader group of Americans defined as essential workers — about 90 million people with jobs designated by a division of the Department of Homeland Security as critical to keeping society functioning — as the next priority population, and that older people who live independently should come later. But in hours of discussion on Sunday, conducted remotely, the committee members concluded that given the limited initial supply of vaccine and the higher Covid-19 death rate among older Americans, it made more sense to allow the oldest among them to go next, along with workers whose jobs put them “at substantially higher risk of exposure” to the virus. (Goodnough and Hoffman, 12/20)

The Wall Street Journal: CDC Panel Recommends Covid-19 Vaccines For Front-Line Workers, People Over 75 Next
Jose Romero, chair of the ACIP and Secretary of Health in Arkansas, said deciding how to give priority to the groups was wrenching. “This is without doubt the hardest vote that I have taken in my six-and-a-half years on the committee,” he said. Henry Bernstein, a pediatrician at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y., gave the sole no vote, he said, because he believes the second priority group should include people starting at age 65. Their risks are similar to those 75 and older, he said. (McKay, 12/20)

NPR: Older People, Some Essential Workers Should Get Vaccines Next, CDC Panel Says
The group's recommendation may not align with public expectations, warned Molly Howell, immunization program manager for the North Dakota Department of Health. "We will need some very clear communication and talking points as to why frontline essential workers, who may be younger and healthier, are being vaccinated over [people ages 65 to 74] and those with multiple underlying health conditions," she said during the meeting, citing a recent poll showing public support for prioritizing seniors and immunocompromised individuals. (Huang, 12/20)

In related news about essential workers —

Los Angeles Times: Supermarkets In L.A. County See Unprecedented Coronavirus Infection Rates
Supermarkets have been hit hard by the unprecedented explosion of the coronavirus in Los Angeles County, further straining an essential service that needs to remain open despite the new stay-at-home order. L.A. County is investigating ongoing coronavirus outbreaks at 490 businesses, compared with 173 a month ago, according to county data. The increase in outbreaks drives home officials’ warnings that the only way to stay safe is to stay home, even as many businesses remain open. (Karlamangla, 12/20)

Bloomberg: Hospital Laundry Workers Say Every Day At Work Risks Covid Infection
Workers at a leading commercial laundry firm that cleans sheets for some of New York City’s biggest hospitals say every day on the job places them at greater risk of Covid-19 infection. Industry CEOs from all over the U.S. voiced concern earlier this month about potential outbreaks, too. As a critical component of a healthcare system buckling under the strain of a nationwide surge, commercial laundry companies have become essential in the fight against the pandemic. But their employees’ unions contend that while some operators have taken adequate measures to protect workers, others have not. (Davalos, 12/21)

The Washington Post: Early Access To The Coronavirus Vaccine Sparks Lobbying From Companies And Unions 
What is clear is that there won’t be enough doses to go around for months. Local officials in each state will have to make tough choices about which essential workers get their shots first. “It almost feels like a wrestling match out there, where many interests want to make it clear that the people they represent have a lot of essential workers,” said Jonathan Slotkin, chief medical officer of Contigo Health, which leads partnerships between large national employers and hospital systems. Companies are displaying a “voracious appetite” for vaccines for their workforces, he said. (Rowland, Stanley-Becker, Bogage, Bhattarai and Reiley, 12/20)

The Hill: FDA Investigating Allergic Reactions To Pfizer Vaccine Reported In Multiple States 
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is investigating allergic reactions to the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine that were reported in multiple states after it began to be administered this week. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, told reporters late Friday that the reactions had been reported in more than one state besides Alaska and that the FDA is probing five reactions. (Axelrod, 12/19)

The Hill: CDC Issues New Guidance Addressing Allergic Reactions To Coronavirus Vaccine 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new guidelines on Saturday to address reported severe allergic reactions to the coronavirus vaccine. The agency said it recently “learned of reports” of some people experiencing severe allergic reactions after getting inoculated. The agency defined a “severe reaction” as one where a person needs to be treated with epinephrine or requires hospitalization. (Williams, 12/19)

Anchorage Daily News: After Few Vaccine Reactions, Alaska Officials Stress That Reactions Are Treatable But COVID-19 Is ‘Wild Card’
Five Alaska health care workers experienced adverse reactions after getting the COVID-19 vaccine this week — including two cases that were considered serious — but health officials continue to emphasize that such reactions are both rare and treatable while the vast majority of vaccine recipients were fine. ... Nationally by Friday night, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it had identified six cases of anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction, according to presentation materials from federal health officials. (Krakow, 12/20)

ABC7 Chicago: COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effects Prompt Advocate Condell Medical Center To Temporarily Pause Vaccinations; Program To Resume Sunday 
After a thorough internal review, Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville is restarting their COVID-19 vaccination program as of Sunday. The program was put on pause Friday night after four employees experience reactions shortly after receiving the vaccine. Officials said there have been no other cases reported across Advocate Aurora Health. "So the immediate concern was, is there something wrong with that batch of vaccines, but after discussion with our health departments and also understanding that that same lot of vaccine was used at multiple other sites, both within and outside of advocate Aurora health, and no other serious concerns reported. We felt that there are really no concerns about the integrity of the vaccine," said Dr. Robert Citronberg, Executive Medical Director of Infectious Disease and Prevention. (Jones and Kirsch, 12/20)

The Atlantic: What The COVID-19 Vaccine’s Side Effects Feel Like
For a fraction of people, getting these first COVID-19 vaccines could be unpleasant—more than the usual unpleasantness of getting a shot. They might make you feel sick for a day or two, even though they contain no whole viruses to actually infect you. Both the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are quite “reactogenic”—meaning they stimulate a strong immune response that can cause temporary but uncomfortable sore arms, fevers, chills, and headaches. In other words, getting them might suck a little, but it’s nowhere near as bad as COVID-19 itself. (Zhang, 12/18)

Detroit Free Press: CVS To Start Vaccinations In Michigan Long-Term Care Facilities
CVS Health on Monday announced it launched its partnership with the federal government to vaccinate up to four million residents and staff at about 40,000 long-term care facilities across the nation. The company's Michigan effort starts Dec. 28 at 1,000 skilled nursing and assisted living facilities across the state, according to a company press release. Up to 135,000 patients and nursing home residents in Michigan could receiving vaccinations from CVS, one of the two national pharmacy chains chosen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to administer the program nationally. Walgreens announced its efforts started Friday. (MacDonald, 12/21)

The Washington Post: Nursing Homes Face Daunting Task Of Getting Consent Before They Give Coronavirus Vaccines 
More than 3 million elderly and infirm residents of nursing homes and other long-term-care facilities may face delays in getting coronavirus vaccines as the facilities confront the difficult task of obtaining consent, which consumer advocates, operators and some health officials say should have been simplified and started earlier by the federal government. Obtaining consent presents one of the toughest hurdles as officials mobilize to inoculate residents of these facilities, many of whom have dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. (Nirappil and Abutaleb, 12/20)

In related news about the distribution of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines —

NPR: Warp Speed Official: 7.9 Million Doses Of Vaccine Ready For Distribution Next Week
With a second COVID-19 vaccine now authorized for emergency use, the top military official with Operation Warp Speed says a combined 7.9 million doses of vaccine are ready to be distributed next week. U.S. Army General Gustave Perna, the chief operating officer of the federal vaccine effort, briefed reporters on Saturday, less than a day after the Food and Drug Administration authorized the vaccine developed by the biotech company Moderna. Perna said efforts to distribute the Moderna vaccine were already underway, with the first doses scheduled to arrive at sites across the U.S. on Monday. (Slotkin, 12/19)

The Washington Post: Tracking The Covid Vaccine: Doses, People Vaccinated By State
Tens of thousands of people have received the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, and the pace is expected to quicken in the coming weeks for the 2.9 million doses in the initial allocation. States are expecting doses for another 12 million people in the first distribution of the newly approved Moderna vaccine. The Post gathered figures for distribution to each state from the CDC for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and from states for the Moderna distribution. (12/20)

Stat: A Side-By-Side Comparison Of The Pfizer/BioNTech And Moderna Vaccines
In an ideal world, a pandemic vaccine could be delivered in a single shot, so supplies could be stretched to cover a lot of people. It would trigger no side effect more significant than a sore arm. And it would be easy to ship and store. Unfortunately, this is not an ideal world — not yet, anyway. (Branswell, 12/19)

Also —

KHN: With Few Takers For COVID Vaccine, DC Hospital CEO Takes ‘One For The Team’ 
Administrators at Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C., were thrilled to be among the city’s first hospitals to get a COVID-19 vaccine, but they knew it could be a tough sell to get staffers to take the shot. They were right. The hospital, located on the campus of one the nation’s oldest historically Black colleges, received 725 doses of the vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech on Dec. 14 and expects 1,000 more vaccine doses this week to immunize its workers. (Galewitz, 12/21)

The Hill: Stella Parton, Singer And Sister Of Dolly, Lashes Out At Politicians In Viral Tweet Over COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout 
Stella Parton, a country music singer and sister of Dolly Parton, went viral this week after criticizing politicians amid the government’s rollout of the coronavirus vaccine. In a tweet over the weekend, Stella Parton pointed to her older sister’s recent donation to help fund research for Moderna's coronavirus vaccine, writing: “If a little Hillbilly singer like my big sister Dolly can invest in the vaccine then why the hell can’t some of you old moldy politicians pitch in a few million yourselves?” (Folley, 12/20)

Bloomberg: Vaccines Don’t Mean We’ll See The Last Of Covid, Experts Warn
Today’s programs in the U.S. and the U.K. are precursors to immunization campaigns intended to reach the planet’s entire population — all 8 billion people in every corner of the globe. There is reason for optimism. Vaccines are the best, and perhaps only, way to eliminate infectious disease: Smallpox has been eradicated and polio is on the brink, with just two countries where transmission persists. But global vaccine campaigns take time — usually decades — suggesting that even with the latest technologies, money and might behind the unprecedented global drive to knock out Covid-19, the disease is unlikely to be eliminated any time soon. (Lauerman and Paton, 12/20)

CNBC: U.S. Slashed Vaccine Numbers For Several States Due To Confusion Over FDA Requirement
Officials with Operation Warp Speed, the U.S. government program to distribute Covid-19 vaccines to Americans, had to slash the number doses for several states due to confusion over the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s certificate of analysis requirement for vaccine rounds. The federal government’s error disrupted vaccination distribution plans in at least 14 states and frustrated governors and state health officials who said they were caught off guard upon learning of shipment shortfalls. (Newburger, 12/20)

AP: General Sorry For 'Miscommunication' Over Vaccine Shipments
The Army general in charge of getting COVID-19 vaccines across the United States apologized on Saturday for “miscommunication” with states over the number of doses to be delivered in the early stages of distribution. “I failed. I’m adjusting. I am fixing and we will move forward from there,” Gen. Gustave Perna told reporters in a telephone briefing. (White and Colvin, 12/19)

CNN: White House Vaccine Chief Explains Why States Haven't Received Number Of Vaccines Promised
The chief scientific adviser for Operation Warp Speed explained Sunday that an unpredicted "two-day lag period" is the reason why many states have not received the number of vaccines promised. "We all made the error or mistake of assuming that vaccine that's actually produced and being released is already available for shipment, when, in fact, there is a two-days lag between the time at which we generate a lot of data that shows this vaccine vial is actually safe and right and the time we can ship it," Moncef Slaoui told CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union" when asked about the delay. (Gordon and Thomas, 12/20)

Fox News: General At Operation Warp Speed Apologizes For Vaccine Rollout 'Miscommunication'
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said Thursday that his state is receiving 40% fewer doses than projected, calling the cut "disruptive and frustrating. "The reduction was due to the difference in vaccine doses produced and doses that completed quality control, Inslee said Friday. California, where coronavirus cases are currently surging, will also see a roughly 40% cut, which equals about 160,000 fewer doses than originally planned. (Best, 12/20)

NPR: Biden To Receive COVID-19 Vaccine Monday
President-elect Joe Biden and incoming first lady Jill Biden will both publicly receive their first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine in Delaware on Monday, as the death toll from the disease nears 320,000 in the United States. The president-elect has set a goal of distributing 100 million vaccine shots in the first 100 days of his administration. (Sprunt, 12/21)

AP: Biden To Receive COVID Vaccine As Trump Remains On Sidelines
“I don’t want to get ahead of the line, but I want to make sure we demonstrate to the American people that it is safe to take,” Biden has said of his decision. Biden and his wife, Jill, will also thank health care workers at the facility where they receive the shots, his incoming press secretary has said. (Colvin, 12/21)

And others in the federal government are inoculated —

PBS NewsHour: Pelosi, McConnell Get COVID-19 Vaccine, Urge Others To Do So 
The legislative branch of government is rapidly moving to receive the coronavirus vaccine, with both House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell getting the shot on Friday and the top Capitol doctor urging all members of Congress to join them. Both Pelosi and McConnell tweeted photos of themselves receiving the vaccine from the Capitol physician, Dr. Brian P. Monahan. Monahan informed lawmakers Thursday evening that they are all eligible for the shots under government continuity guidelines and asked members of the House and Senate to make appointments with his office to be vaccinated. (12/18)

The Washington Post: Pelosi, McConnell Receive Coronavirus Vaccine From The Capitol's Top Doctor
Throughout the day Friday at the Capitol, other members of leadership and rank-and-file lawmakers also received the vaccine. House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.), Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), the third-ranking Republican in leadership, and Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), the No. 2 Democrat, were vaccinated. Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), a doctor, volunteered to get the shot and afterward encouraged his constituents to do the same when it becomes more widely available. (Kane, Wagner and Itkowitz, 12/18)

Fox News: AOC Gets Coronavirus Vaccine On Social Media, As Congress Begins To Receive Pfizer Injections
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as well as several other New York lawmakers, used social media to document getting vaccinated for the coronavirus Saturday, as the vaccine became available for Congress.  The self-proclaimed Democratic socialist also posted a photo of her COVID-19 vaccination record card. (Wallace, 12/20)

The Hill: Congress Clinches Sweeping Deal On Coronavirus Relief, Government Funding 
Congressional leaders on Sunday reached a mammoth deal to fund the government and provide long-sought coronavirus relief as lawmakers race to wrap up their work for the year. The deal will tie a $1.4 trillion bill to fund the government until Oct. 1 to roughly $900 billion in coronavirus aid. In order to give Congress time to process and pass the agreement, the House and Senate passed a one-day stopgap bill on Sunday. (Carney, 12/20)

Politico: Congress Strikes Stimulus Deal After Days Of Frantic Talks 
Congressional leaders on Sunday clinched a Covid stimulus deal after days of hard-fought negotiations — but Americans will have to wait at least a little longer to get much needed relief. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced Sunday evening that negotiators had finalized a $900 billion coronavirus aid package, after breaking a multi-day stalemate over the Federal Reserve’s lending powers. (Everett, Desiderio, Zanona and Caygle, 12/20)

The Wall Street Journal: Congress Reaches Final Agreement On Pandemic Relief
“This agreement is far from perfect, but it will deliver emergency relief to a nation in the throes of a genuine emergency,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) said on the Senate floor. The legislation is set to add $300 to weekly unemployment payments for 11 weeks and extend two other unemployment programs until they begin phasing out in mid-March and end in early April. Those two programs expand the pool of people eligible for unemployment benefits and extend their duration. (Duehren and Peterson, 12/21)

The Hill: Negotiators Resolve Last-Minute Issues As COVID-Relief Bill Moves Toward Finish Line 
“At long last, we have the bipartisan breakthrough that the country has needed. Now we need to probably finalize text and avoid any last-minute obstacles and cooperate to move this legislation through both chambers,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on the Senate floor. (Bolton and Jagoda, 12/20)

The New York Times: Congress Strikes Long-Sought Stimulus Deal To Provide $900 Billion In Aid 
While Mr. Trump’s signature will be on the law, its effect will be far more significant for President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr., who faces the task of shepherding the shaky economic recovery. Mr. Biden, who quietly pushed for lawmakers to strike a compromise that would deliver at least some modest help after months of congressional inaction, is expected to seek yet another major economic relief package after taking office in January. “I am heartened to see members of Congress heed that message, reach across the aisle, and work together,” Mr. Biden said in a statement. “But this action in the lame-duck session is just the beginning. Our work is far from over.” (Cochrane, 12/20)

The New York Times: The Stimulus Deal: What’s In It For You
Individual adults making up to $75,000 a year would receive a $600 payment, and a couple earning up to $150,000 a year would get twice that amount. If they have dependent children, they would also get $600 for each child. The first payments early this year began arriving via direct deposit about two weeks after legislation passed. It took some people months, however, to receive the money. (Bernard and Lieber, 12/20)

CNN: When Will You Get A Second Stimulus Check? 
Lawmakers are expected to vote Monday on the deal, which would provide for $600 checks, but experts say it will take at least two weeks for the Treasury to get cash into individuals' bank accounts after legislation is signed. "The timing could be more challenging this time, but the IRS could likely begin to get the money out in January," said Howard Gleckman, a senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. (Lobosco, 12/20)

The Washington Post: What’s Inside The $900 Billion Stimulus Package 
Congress will extend unemployment benefits of up to $300 per week. The benefit could kick in as early as Dec. 27 and run at least through March 14. An unemployment benefits program for contract and gig workers, which is set to expire at the end of the year, would be extended, too. (Siegel, Stein and DeBonis, 12/20)

CNN: Here's What's In The Second Stimulus Package 
The bill would extend until January 31 the eviction protection set to expire at the end of the year. It also would provide $25 billion in rental assistance for individuals who lost their source of income during the pandemic. (Lobosco and Luhby, 12/20)

AP: Highlights Of $900 Billion COVID-19 Relief, Wrapup Bills
[The bill] increases food stamp benefits by 15% and provides funding to food banks, Meals on Wheels and other food aid. [It also] provides $10 billion to the Child Care Development Block Grant to help families with child care costs and help providers cover increased operating costs. (12/21)

Also —

The Hill: Surprise Medical Bill Prevention Included In Year-End Legislative Package 
Bipartisan legislation to protect patients from getting massive “surprise” medical bills is included in a year-end package deal reached Sunday, clearing the way for the measure to pass Congress after almost two years of negotiations. The legislation will protect patients from getting medical bills for thousands of dollars in common situations like going to the emergency room and getting care from a doctor who happened to not be covered by the patient’s insurance plan. (Sullivan, 12/20)

Modern Healthcare: Congress To Ban Surprise Bills, Include Provider Grant Fix In Year-End Deal
The agreement breaks paralysis that has gripped Washington for years on the issue of banning balance billing, or when consumers receive large bills for out-of-network care provided in emergency situations or at an in-network facility. A broad bipartisan coalition of lawmakers that had squabbled over details involving how insurers and providers should work out payment ultimately united on Dec. 11 for a final push to get a fix across the finish line. The legislation attempts to protect patients from surprise medical bills in emergencies and non-emergency situations where patients can't choose an in-network provider, according to a draft outline of the bill. Patients would only be required to pay their in-network cost-sharing amount. (Cohrs, 12/20)

The Hill: Surgeon General Nominee Says More Contagious Viral Strain In UK Does Not Appear To Be Deadlier 
Former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, whom President-elect Joe Biden has nominated to return to the position, said Sunday that a new, more contagious coronavirus strain reported in the U.K. does not appear to be any deadlier. “This news from the U.K. appears to be about a new strain of the virus that’s more transmissible, more contagious than the virus we’ve seen prior to this,” Murthy said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “While it seems to be more transmissible, we do not have evidence yet that this is a more deadly virus to an individual who acquires it.” (Budryk, 12/20)

Politico: Testing Czar Says Covid-19 Variant No 'Reason For Alarm' 
Adm. Brett Giroir, the Trump administration’s coronavirus testing czar, said the Department of Health and Human Services will continue to watch a variant strain of coronavirus that’s been reported in Britain in recent weeks. “Viruses mutate,” Giroir said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos.” “We've seen almost 4,000 different mutations among this virus. There is no indication that the mutation right now that they're talking about is overcoming England.” (Bice, 12/20)

CNN: US Army Scientists Examine New UK Coronavirus Variant To See If It Might Be Resistant To Vaccine 
Scientists at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research expect to know in the next few days if there's a concern that the coronavirus vaccines might not work against a mutated variant of the virus that's rapidly spreading in parts of England, according to the institute's top vaccine researcher. While there's always a worry that a vaccine won't work if a virus mutates significantly, the Walter Reed scientists still expect the vaccine will be effective against this new variant, said Dr. Nelson Michael, director of the Center for Infectious Diseases Research at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. (Cohen, 12/20)

Also —

AP: Are New Coronavirus Strains Cause For Concern?
Reports from Britain and South Africa of new coronavirus strains that seem to spread more easily are causing alarm, but virus experts say it’s unclear if that’s the case or whether they pose any concern for vaccines or cause more severe disease. Viruses naturally evolve as they move through the population, some more than others. It’s one reason we need a fresh flu shot each year. New variants, or strains, of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been seen almost since it was first detected in China nearly a year ago. (Marchione, 12/21)

BBC News: New Coronavirus Variant: What Do We Know?
The rapid spread of a new variant of coronavirus has been blamed for the introduction of strict tier four mixing rules for millions of people, harsher restrictions on mixing at Christmas in England, Scotland and Wales, and other countries placing the UK on a travel ban. So how has it gone from being non-existent to the most common form of the virus in parts of England in a matter of months? The government's advisers on new infections have "moderate" confidence that it is more able to transmit than other variants. (Gallagher, 12/20)

The Washington Post: New Coronavirus Mutation In United Kingdom: What We Know So Far 
A flurry of European travel restrictions announced Sunday over worries about a fast-spreading new variant of the coronavirus have spurred curiosity and concern that the mutation could infect Americans. After officials in the United Kingdom said Saturday that the variant first identified there was spreading 70 percent faster than others, Google searches about the mutation have spiked. But American public health experts and federal officials say that although it appears that the variant may be more contagious, it is not any more dangerous than others already detected in the United States. (Kornfield, 12/20)

The New York Times: The Coronavirus Is Mutating. What Does That Mean For Us? 
Scientists are worried about these variants but not surprised by them. Researchers have recorded thousands of tiny modifications in the genetic material of the coronavirus as it has hopscotched across the world. Some variants become more common in a population simply by luck, not because the changes somehow supercharge the virus. But as it becomes more difficult for the pathogen to survive — because of vaccinations and growing immunity in human populations — researchers also expect the virus to gain useful mutations enabling it to spread more easily or to escape detection by the immune system. (Mandavilli, 12/20)

CNN: Boris Johnson To Hold Emergency Meeting As Concerns Grow Over New Coronavirus Variant 
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to chair an emergency meeting with ministers Monday, as governments around the world step up efforts to contain a potentially fast-spreading new coronavirus variant. Alarm over the new variant, which was first identified in England, has seen British travelers cut off from much of Europe and other parts of the world as countries move to impose restrictions on flights from the UK. (Gan, 12/21)

AP: More EU Nations Ban Travel From UK, Fearing Virus Variant
A growing list of European Union nations and Canada barred travel from the U.K. on Sunday and others were considering similar action, in a bid to block a new strain of coronavirus sweeping across southern England from spreading to the continent. France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Ireland and Bulgaria all announced restrictions on U.K. travel, hours after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that Christmas shopping and gatherings in southern England must be canceled because of rapidly spreading infections blamed on the new coronavirus variant. (Grieshaber and Hui, 12/20)

Bloomberg: U.S. Ban On U.K. Flights Isn’t Needed, Virus Team Member Says
The U.S. doesn’t need to suspend flights from the U.K. based on a coronavirus mutation that helped prompt an emergency lockdown for London, a member of the White House virus task force said. “I really don’t believe we need to do that yet,” Assistant Secretary for Health Brett Giroir said on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday. Giroir and Vivek Murthy, President-elect Joe Biden’s pick for surgeon general, both expressed confidence that vaccines developed to fight Covid-19, two of which are already approved for use in the U.S., will be effective against the mutated form of the virus. (Wade and Pickert, 12/20)

NPR: Much Of U.K. Sees New Lockdown As New Coronavirus Variant Spreads Quickly
The United Kingdom has entered a period of intense restrictions after a mutation of the coronavirus was discovered spreading rapidly through the population of London and the southeast and east of England. Most of the country faces a strict lockdown as Christmas approaches, and several countries throughout Europe have banned travel from the U.K. The British government put several parts of England into what's known as "Tier 4" restrictions after the spike in infections. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the new restrictions on Saturday. (Schwartz, 12/20)

The Marshall Project and The AP: 1 In 5 Prisoners In The U.S. Has Had COVID-19
One in every five state and federal prisoners in the United States has tested positive for the coronavirus, a rate more than four times as high as the general population. In some states, more than half of prisoners have been infected, according to data collected by The Marshall Project and The Associated Press. As the pandemic enters its tenth month—and as the first Americans begin to receive a long-awaited COVID-19 vaccine—at least 275,000 prisoners have been infected, more than 1,700 have died and the spread of the virus behind bars shows no sign of slowing. New cases in prisons this week reached their highest level since testing began in the spring, far outstripping previous peaks in April and August. (Schwartzapfel, Park and DeMillo, 12/18)

The Marshall Project and The AP: Moving People—And Coronavirus—From Prison To Prison
In prisons around the country, COVID-19 outbreaks have followed transfers of prisoners or prison workers. Nearly all of the 25 state prison systems and the federal Bureau of Prisons that responded to a survey conducted by The Marshall Project and The Associated Press said they had reduced or limited the number of prisoners they moved due to the pandemic. Eight states halted the practice except in special circumstances. The reductions were keeping in line with medical guidelines. But most of those states lifted their restrictions by September and few prison systems heeded the earlier lessons as the pandemic worsened this winter, worrying families of prisoners and correctional officers who work in the prisons. (Aspinwall and White, 12/21)

In related news about the surge of COVID cases —

The Hill: Fauci Urges People To Wear Masks Even If Family Members Get Vaccinated 
The nation's leading infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci on Saturday continued to urge people to wear masks during the holiday season even if family members have already received COVID-19 vaccinations. "You can enjoy the family and the warmth of the holiday season and still stay safe and prevent yourself from getting infected by just doing some of the common things that we talk about; appropriate wearing of masks, trying to keep some physical distance," Fauci said on CNN's Sesame Street town hall Saturday morning. (Deese, 12/19)

The Hill: California Battles Skyrocketing Coronavirus Cases 
California is grappling with a record number of coronavirus cases, putting a strain on hospital resources even as the distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine provides hope for a breakthrough in the fight against the disease. The nation’s most populous state is pulling out all the stops to try to get its outbreak under control amid a surge heading into the colder months, which experts warn will be one of the worst phases of the pandemic as more people gather indoors. (Axelrod, 12/19)

Boston Globe: Mass. COVID-19 Numbers Continue To Climb As Moderna Vaccine Added To State Pandemic Arsenal
Massachusetts expects to add a second vaccine to its pandemic arsenal this week, as state public health officials reported more than 4,100 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and 60 deaths Sunday. Due to arrive just days before Christmas, the Moderna vaccine comes as Governor Charlie Baker and Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh renew calls for residents to avoid large, holiday gatherings to avoid opportunities for the often-deadly virus to spread. “Let’s all do our part to protect our communities and slow the spread of #COVID19,” Walsh said in a statement posted Sunday to Twitter. (Hilliard, 12/20)

KHN: Many US Health Experts Underestimated The Coronavirus … Until It Was Too Late 
A year ago, while many Americans were finishing their holiday shopping and finalizing travel plans, doctors in Wuhan, China, were battling a mysterious outbreak of pneumonia with no known cause. Chinese doctors began to fear they were witnessing the return of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, a coronavirus that emerged in China in late 2002 and spread to 8,000 people worldwide, killing almost 800. The disease never gained a foothold in the U.S. and disappeared by 2004. (Szabo, 12/21)

Fox News: Murthy Believes 'Realistic' Timeline Sees Public Vaccinations Starting Midsummer
President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee for surgeon general believes that a more "realistic" timeline will see the coronavirus vaccine distributed to the public starting midsummer 2021. Dr. Vivek Murthy cautioned that the Trump administration's timeline, which would see general public access to the vaccine as early as April 2021, is possible but would require everything to go right. "I think when it comes to the vaccine timeline, we all want the vaccine to be delivered as quickly, as fairly as possible, and you can be sure that every day and night, myself and others on the Biden team are working toward that end," Murthy told NBC’s Chuck Todd during Sunday’s "Meet the Press." "But we also want to be realistic about the timeline." (Aitken, 12/20)

Stat: Poll: Most Americans Would Support Biden Issuing A Mask Mandate
Most Americans believe the Biden administration should mandate several steps — such as requiring people to wear masks in public and banning gatherings of 10 or more people — to thwart the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the latest survey from STAT and The Harris Poll. (Silverman, 12/21)

Stat: A Former FDA Chief Surprises Washington By Winning Biden's Trust
David Kessler is not the obvious choice for any role in the Biden administration, let alone a high-profile one like co-chair of the Covid-19 task force. The hard-charging former Food and Drug Administration commissioner has been out of government for more than 23 years. He was ousted from his last job, as head of the medical school at the University of California, San Francisco. Even his closest colleagues admit he lacks the collegiality and interpersonal skills that animate so much of Washington. (Florko, 12/21)

KHN: As Biden Gets Sworn In, White House Will Get Scrubbed Down 
It was a down-in-the-mud presidential campaign, but the dirtiest part comes on Inauguration Day. As Joe Biden lifts his right hand to take the oath of office at noon on Jan. 20 at the Capitol, a team of specially trained cleaners will be lifting their hands to disinfect the White House. (12/21)

In news related to the Trump administration —

The Hill: Front-Line Doctors Criticize Perdue, Loeffler In New Georgia Ad 
Front-line health care workers in a new ad are criticizing Georgia's two GOP senators just ahead of the runoff elections next month that will determine the Senate majority. The ad from the Committee to Protect Medicare (CPM) PAC criticizes Sens. David Perdue (R-Ga.) and Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) over reports that they made significant financial gains via stock trades during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Bowden, 12/20)

AP: Birx Travels, Family Visits Highlight Pandemic Safety Perils
As COVID-19 cases skyrocketed before the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus response, warned Americans to “be vigilant” and limit celebrations to “your immediate household.” For many Americans that guidance has been difficult to abide, including for Birx herself. The day after Thanksgiving, she traveled to one of her vacation properties on Fenwick Island in Delaware. She was accompanied by three generations of her family from two households. Birx, her husband Paige Reffe, a daughter, son-in-law and two young grandchildren were present. (Madhani and Slodysko, 12/21)

Bloomberg: States, Hospitals Told To Make Rationing Plans As Covid Surges
States and hospitals need to be in crisis mode, ready to make “agonizing decisions about how resources are used” as Covid-19 infections surge nationwide, several major groups representing doctors and nurses said Friday. The U.S. has “reached a point in the crisis at which critical decisions must be made in order to do the most good possible for the largest number of people with limited resources,” nine organizations, including the American Medical Association, the American Nurses Association and the National Academy of Medicine, warned in a statement Friday. Many intensive care units are already over capacity and more will be in the coming weeks, the statement said. (Edney, 12/18)

Modern Healthcare: COVID-19 Stretches Rural Health Safety Net
About 40% of adult hospitalizations at rural hospitals were COVID-19 related as of Nov. 27, up from a median of 28% in late July, Chartis Center for Rural Health's analysis of HHS data shows. The share of COVID-related hospitalizations at urban hospitals increased from 14% to 23% over that span. Rural hospitals typically lack the capacity, equipment and staffing to best manage acute cases. There is one ICU bed for every 9,500 Americans who live in rural communities, where intensive care beds are hard to come by. Nearly two-thirds of rural hospitals don't have any ICU beds, Chartis data show. (Kacik, 12/18)

Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Department Of Health Warns Of 'Broken' Hospital System If COVID-19 Cases Surge
Tennessee Department of Health officials announced Sunday that the state could "break" its hospital system if a Christmas surge of COVID-19 cases matches that of Thanksgiving. Commissioner Lisa Piercey said there have been multiple household gatherings where people have been affected statewide, as Thanksgiving surges proved. "We know how this happens," she said. "People get together and think, 'It's OK for me to be home or not at a bar,' and think having a few friends over is OK. That's a dangerous mentality. We want to preserve access to hospital resources. If we have another surge over Christmas, it will break our hospitals. Don't gather with those outside of your households. We have to change our behavior over the next several weeks." (West, 12/20)

AP: Hospital Staffs Stretched Thin During California Virus Surge
Medical staffing is stretched increasingly thin as California hospitals scramble to find beds for patients amid an explosion of coronavirus cases that threatens to overwhelm the state’s emergency care system. As of Sunday, more than 16,840 people were hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 infections — more than double the previous peak reached in July — and a state model that uses current data to forecast future trends shows the number could reach 75,000 by mid-January. (Weber, 12/20)

Also —

The New York Times: Hospitals Are Still Facing Shortages Of Masks And Other Protective Gear 
As Americans celebrate the rollout of a coronavirus vaccine, many of the doctors and nurses first in line for inoculation say a victory lap is premature. They fear that the optimism stirred by the vaccine will overshadow a crisis that has drawn scant public attention in recent months: the alarming shortage of personal protective equipment, or P.P.E., that has led frontline medical workers to ration their use of the disposable gloves, gowns and N95 respirator masks that reduce the spread of infection. (Jacobs, 12/20)

Stat: Pandemic-Induced Demoralization Is Sapping Clinicians' Spirits 
“There’s a surge in calls. We need more backup,” read the text I got last week from my colleague Mona Masood, a psychiatrist and co-founder of the Physician Support Line, a peer-to-peer hotline that she, I, and others developed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. With 700 volunteer psychiatrists staffing the hotline, my first thought was, “How is that possible?” My second thought was “Ah, yes. We are still demoralized.” (Song, 12/19)

KHN: ‘Nine Months Into It, The Adrenaline Is Gone And It’s Just Exhausting’ 
In March, during the first week of the San Francisco Bay Area’s first-in-the-nation stay-at-home order, KHN spoke with emergency department physicians working on the front lines of the burgeoning COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, these doctors reported dire shortages of personal protective equipment and testing supplies. Health officials had no idea how widespread the virus was, and some experts warned hospitals would be overwhelmed by critically ill patients. In the end, due to both the early sweeping shutdown order and a state-sponsored effort to bolster the supply chain, Bay Area hospitals were able to avert that catastrophe. (Barry-Jester, 12/21)

Modern Healthcare: HIPAA Changes Shift Mindset From Protecting To Sharing Health Information
HHS' proposed changes to HIPAA will require hospitals to revamp how they respond to record requests, as the proposed rule gives both patients and providers more decision-making power over when and how to disclose health data. HHS' Office for Civil Rights last week proposed a slew of changes to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act designed to give patients more control over their health data and make it easier for clinicians to share patient data with other providers, insurers and social service agencies for coordinating patient care. (Brady and Kim Cohen, 12/18)

RACmonitor: HHS Unveils Proposed HIPAA Changes 
In a landmark move made amid a flurry of other regulatory revisions affecting the healthcare industry, federal officials announced that they are proposing changes to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act’s (HIPAA’s) Privacy Rule. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the proposed changes to “support individuals’ engagement in their care, remove barriers to coordinated care, and reduce regulatory burdens on the healthcare industry,” the Department said in a press release. (Spivey, 12/16)

In other health care industry news —

The Wall Street Journal: Hospitals Retreat From Early Covid Treatment And Return To Basics 
Doctors are treating a new flood of critically ill coronavirus patients with treatments from before the pandemic, to keep more patients alive and send them home sooner. Last spring, with less known about the disease, doctors often pre-emptively put patients on ventilators or gave powerful sedatives largely abandoned in recent years. The aim was to save the seriously ill and protect hospital staff from Covid-19.Now hospital treatment for the most critically ill looks more like it did before the pandemic. (Evans, 12/20)

Stat: Shaped By War And Hardship, ER Doctor Chronicles Covid-19
As a Marine combat medic in Iraq’s Al-Anbar province, Cleavon Gilman saw bodies torn apart by IEDs. He heard agonizing screams, saw burned flesh and penetrating trauma... He still has PTSD, though he returned from the war 16 years ago. Even so, that experience did not prepare him for the coronavirus. (McFarling, 12/21)

Stateline: COVID-19 Eased Drug Treatment Rules And That Saved Lives
Since March, some patients have been allowed to take the life-saving medication methadone at home instead of risking COVID-19 exposure by visiting a crowded clinic every day. Buprenorphine patients have had their prescriptions renewed by phone instead of visiting their doctors every week or month. And addiction counseling and crisis support has become available over the phone. Now, physicians and addiction experts are advocating for extending the emergency federal and state rules they say have saved thousands of lives by dramatically expanding access to addiction treatment. (Vestal, 12/18)

Modern Healthcare: Judge To Decide Soon Whether CMS Outpatient Drug Pay Demo Must Temporarily Stop
A federal judge in Maryland on Friday said she will decide by Dec. 24 whether the Trump administration's new outpatient drug payment demonstration tied to international drug prices can be implemented on time. U.S. District Judge Catherine Blake made the comments in a hearing on whether she should issue a temporary restraining order on CMS' most-favored nation drug payment demonstration, which is set to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2021. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, Association of Community Cancer Centers, the Global Colon Cancer Center Association and National Infusion Center Association sued to stop implementation of CMS' interim final rule, and their lawsuit is one of several ongoing legal challenges to the policy. (Cohrs, 12/18)

Stat: Documents: Sacklers Withdrew Cash From Purdue After Lawsuit Fears Raised
In recent weeks, different members of the Sackler family that controls Purdue Pharma maintained they did not foresee the massive amount of lawsuits that would blame their company for its role in the opioid crisis. And for this reason, they have argued that the billions of dollars withdrawn from Purdue over the past decade were not fraudulent distributions to hide money. (Silverman, 12/20)

Stat: Here Are The Best And Worst Biopharma CEOs Of 2020
The best and worst biopharma CEOs of 2020, selected by STAT+ readers, are Sam Kulkarni of CRISPR Therapeutics and Nick Leschly of Bluebird Bio. This is one of the most fascinating paired selections in all the years that I’ve been naming best and worst biopharma CEOs. (Feuerstein, 12/18)

NPR: Millions Of People Flying Despite Public Health Pleas To Stay Put
More than 2 million people have passed through security checkpoints at U.S. airports over the last two days, according to statistics provided by the Transportation Security Administration. This is despite official guidance to stay home for the holidays as the coronavirus pandemic rages and the nation's death toll continues to rise. On both Friday and Saturday, about 1.07 million travelers passed through TSA checkpoints, the agency reported. That's down nearly 60% from last year, but still much higher than the typical checkpoint statistics since the pandemic began. (Schwartz, 12/20)

The Hill: Health Officials, Social Media Scramble To Fight Vaccine Misinformation 
Public health authorities and social media companies are scrambling to battle coronavirus misinformation as they try to ensure that enough Americans get vaccinated against the coronavirus. Health experts say at least 70 percent of the country needs to be vaccinated in order to achieve herd immunity and completely crush the outbreak that has killed more than 300,000 Americans. (Weixel and Mills Rodrigo, 12/19)

The Hill: Federal Agency Says Employers Can Require Workers To Get COVID-19 Vaccine 
A key federal agency said this week that employers can legally require their workers to get the COVID-19 vaccine and prevent them from entering their workplaces if they refuse. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in guidance issued Wednesday said that requiring a test would not violate the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990. The law bars employers from requiring medical exams such as blood tests that seek information on an employee’s physical or mental condition, but the EEOC said a COVID-19 vaccine does not fall under that category. (Axelrod, 12/19)

In other public health news —

CNN: Take Blood Pressure In Both Arms, Study Says 
The next time you get your blood pressure taken at the doctor, you might consider asking the nurse to take it in both arms. A significant difference in the systolic, or top blood pressure reading between the two arms could be a warning sign of a future heart attack or stroke, according to a new meta-analysis of 24 global studies published Monday in the journal Hypertension. (LaMotte, 12/21)

Politico: Low-Income Children Wait Months For USDA Food Aid To Replace School Meals 
Millions of low-income schoolchildren have gone almost an entire semester without receiving federal payments to help their families buy groceries months after Congress authorized the aid — even as child hunger reaches record highs in the U.S. Congress first established the payments in March to replace the free or subsidized meals that students are missing while schools are closed or virtual during the pandemic. But lawmakers waited until the program was set to expire Oct. 1 to extend the aid for the current school year. The USDA then took several weeks to write guidelines for states to hand out the money. (Bottemiller Evich, 12/20)

Reuters: Amazon Shuts New Jersey Facility On Virus Spike Among Workers 
Amazon.com Inc said on Sunday it had closed one of its warehouses in New Jersey out of caution till Dec. 26, after seeing an increase in asymptomatic positive cases amongst workers. “Through our in-house COVID-19 testing program, we detected an increase in the number of asymptomatic positive cases at our PNE5 facility in northern New Jersey and have proactively closed the site until December 26th out of an abundance of caution,” an Amazon spokeswoman said in a statement to Reuters. (12/20)

KHN: Montana’s Mask Mandate In Doubt With Incoming Governor
Incoming Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signaled he won’t continue a statewide mask mandate in place since July, though he said he plans to wear a mask himself and get vaccinated against COVID-19.If Gianforte, a Republican, reverses outgoing Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock’s mask order, Montana will be just the second state after Mississippi to lift its mandate. Thirty-eight states now have statewide mandates. (Volz, 12/21)

In other news —

Houston Chronicle: Texas Agency Urges Lawmakers To Close Loophole That Leads To High Ambulance Bills
The Texas Department of Insurance urged lawmakers to close a loophole in the state’s patient protection law that allows out-of-network ambulance companies to charge unsuspecting consumers exorbitant bills. In 2019, lawmakers passed sweeping legislation to curb crippling out-of-network medical bills in emergency situations or when patients had no choice of who treated them. It also took many patients out of the middle of fights over billing between insurers and providers. That measure, Senate Bill 1264, was applauded as one of the toughest patient protection laws in the nation. (Deam, 12/18)

The Hill: Lawsuit Claims St Louis County Inmate Died Of Survivable Leukemia After Being Denied Medical Care 
The mother of a man who died of leukemia last year while imprisoned in a St. Louis County jail filed a federal wrongful-death lawsuit last week, according to multiple reports. Lamar Catchings was found dead in his jail cell in March 2019, the St. Louis Dispatch reported. He had been in custody at the St. Louis County Justice Center since April 2018. (Pitofsky, 12/20)

AP: EU Regulator Meets To Discuss Approval Of COVID-19 Vaccine
The European Medicines Agency is meeting Monday to consider approving a coronavirus vaccine developed by BioNTech and Pfizer that would be the first to be authorized for use in the European Union. The closed-doors meeting comes weeks after the shot was granted permission under emergency provisions by regulators in Britain and the United States. (12/20)

Bloomberg: In Vaccine Drive, EU Turns To Super-Freezers, Church Leaders
Refrigerated cargo trucks carrying hundreds of thousands of vaccine doses are set to roll out of Pfizer Inc.’s factory in Puurs -- 15 miles south of Antwerp -- in the coming days, marking the start of an unprecedented effort to deliver the shot to 27 countries at the same time. From Malta to Finland, the EU is about to embark on an immunization campaign aimed at halting a pathogen that’s ravaged the continent this year. Trailing the U.K. and U.S., the bloc is feeling the heat, especially because the first vaccine was pioneered in Germany. A decision to clear the shot developed by BioNTech SE and Pfizer is due shortly, and the first Europeans will likely be immunized on Dec. 27. (Paton, 12/21)

In other global developments —

Stat: World Health Organization Says Its Covid-19 Vaccine Program Has Secured 2 Billion Doses 
After months of effort, a World Health Organization program has reached an agreement to obtain nearly 2 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines and expects to begin distribution in the first quarter of 2021, which means shots can start reaching dozens of low and middle-income countries that must rely on patronage for supplies. (Silverman, 12/18)

AP: France's Macron Blames His COVID-19 On Negligence, Bad Luck
French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday blamed his COVID-19 on a combination of negligence and bad luck, urging his compatriots to stay safe as critics called out slip-ups in his behavior to prevent infection, from a close-quarters handshake to repeated big-group meals over the past week. ... Macron said his infection “shows that the virus really can touch everyone, because I am very protected and am very careful.” Macron usually wears a mask and adheres to social distancing rules, and has insisted that his virus strategy is driven by science. But he has been captured on camera in recent days violating France’s virus-control guidelines. He shook hands and half-embraced the head of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Angel Gurria, at a meeting Monday. Both were masked, but Macron’s office acknowledged Friday the move was a “mistake.” (Charlton and Leicester, 12/18)

Stat: In The Shadow Of Covid-19, The Threat Of A Fearful Measles Outbreak 
The Covid-19 pandemic puts the world at great risk of this deadly infectious disease. But it also holds the threat of a fearful outbreak measles, an extremely contagious and sometimes fatal illness. For the first time in my 45 years as a pediatrician, I fear that we will see a serious national outbreak of a vaccine-preventable illness that we had, until recently, all but eliminated. (Sean Palfrey, 12/19)

CNN: Tucker Carlson's Vaccine Rant Should Be Called Out By Every Reputable News Organization 
The First Amendment offers wide protection for free speech in America. But that right to express an opinion is not unlimited. Everyone knows you can't run into a crowded theater and yell fire. There are also long-established limits on what you can lawfully say and write about individuals and organizations. During a deadly pandemic, spreading disinformation about the novel coronavirus is the equivalent of yelling fire in that crowded theater. The result is the same: it puts people's lives at risk. (Joe Lockhart, 12/18)

New York Post: Stop The 'Public Health' Drive To Racialize Vaccines
You were warned about this first in The New York Post last July. Now it’s happening. On Sunday, the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, recommended that seniors aged 65 to 74 be moved toward the back of the line for the COVID-19 vaccine. The reason, says ACIP, is that “racial and ethnic minority groups are underrepresented” in this age group. Put another way: Seniors are too white. (Betsy McCaughey, 12/20)

The Wall Street Journal: Why Are Covid Antibody Drugs Sitting On Shelves? 
The Friday approval of a second Covid vaccine is welcome news, but much of the public won’t be able to get inoculated for many months. Meanwhile, the best way to reduce suffering and hardship is therapeutic technologies like antibody drugs. But right now, many of these drugs are languishing on shelves at hospitals and not reaching patients. Moncef Slaoui, who runs Operation Warp Speed, said recently that more than 80% of the available supply is sitting unused, even as hospitals are inundated with critically ill patients. Antibody drugs infuse patients with synthetic versions of the kinds of immune cells developed in response to an infection. Early trials show antibody cocktails can stop Covid symptoms from progressing. They can be used with or without vaccines for patients at highest risk of severe disease. (Scott Gottlieb and Mark McClellan, 12/20)

Los Angeles Times: We Rigorously Test Vaccines. Mask Wearing, Distancing And Hand Washing Deserve The Same Treatment 
The COVID-19 pandemic has seen remarkable and rapid research in vaccines and therapeutics, but disappointingly little research to shed light on the interventions we currently use to reduce SARS-CoV2 transmission. That is a problem because even with vaccines on the way, we will be stuck with COVID-19 for a considerable time. We urgently need more research to identify and disseminate the most effective and least disruptive interventions and practices to reduce virus transmission, for this pandemic and the ones that will inevitably follow. (Steven Woloshin, Paul Glasziou and Susan Michie, 12/21)

Los Angeles Times: Pence Gets A COVID Vaccine. It's The Least He Could Do After All His Lies
In an all-too-rare display of pandemic-era leadership, Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, received the new Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in front of cameras on Friday morning. “We gather here today at the end of a historic week to affirm to the American people that hope is on the way,” Pence said after his shot. “Karen and I were more than happy to step forward before this week was out to take this safe and effective coronavirus vaccine that we have secured and produced for the American people. It’s truly an inspiring day.” It’s the least he could do. (Robin Abcarian, 12/18)

Bloomberg: Covid-19 And SolarWinds: America Keeps Paying For Trump’s Incompetence 
In 2016, a few months before Donald Trump was elected president, I wrote a column about his long history as a mismanager that cited this chestnut from his book “Crippled America”: I realized that America doesn’t need more ‘all-talk, no-action’ politicians running things. It needs smart businesspeople who understand how to manage. We don’t need more political rhetoric — we need more common sense. ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ — but if it is broke, let’s stop talking about it and fix it. I know how to fix it. Trump’s book, like all his nonfiction works of fiction, was a self-promotional exercise at odds with his true history as an inept bungler. (Timothy L. O'Brien, 12/20)

The Washington Post: Our Nation’s Covid-19 Failures Extend Far Beyond Donald Trump
After the last vaccine is injected, and the last covid-19 patient is released from the hospital, we will need a public accounting of all the ways our government failed, starting with the man at the top. Recrimination is already largely pointless, but preparation isn’t, as this probably won’t be the last pandemic our country faces. It’s an oversimplification to say that President Trump is responsible for more than 300,000 excess deaths. But given all the natural advantages our country started with — as varied as weather to Americans’ penchant for personal space — we should have been one of the developed world’s best performers, instead of among the worst. (Megan McArdle, 12/18)

Los Angeles Times: Stop Dismissing All Vaccine Skeptics As Anti-Science
Infection and death rates caused by COVID-19 are raging, but the rollout of the vaccines brings new hope that the pandemic will end and we will soon be back to normal. Yet, according to a recent Pew Research study, 40% of Americans are wary of receiving a vaccine. What to do? Vaccine skepticism has a long history in the United States. While vaccines have proved to be overwhelmingly safe, dissenters have always worried about safety. Vaccine skeptics are often branded as anti-science, but most are not opposed to vaccination across the board. Some advocate vaccine choice and alternative childhood immunization schedules. Opposition comes from people with diverse political, racial, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. This is why the term “anti-vaxxer” doesn’t describe any single group and does more harm than good when it is used as a pejorative, driving a wedge between doctors and patients.  (Kira Ganga Kieffer, 12/20)

Bloomberg: Most Countries Don't Have The Capacity To Distribute Covid-19 Vaccines 
Doctors, nurses and other essential workers are getting vaccinated against Covid-19 in the U.S. and U.K. Yet in Asia, where several countries led the way in reining in the viral outbreak, there are few signs that detailed distribution plans are ready to be implemented. Supplies are limited and unknowns plentiful. Governments need to jump-start the process to get shots into arms. In most cases, however, their capacity to distribute the vaccine is a constraint or simply doesn’t exist. Some nations have signed on to procurement and advanced purchasing plans from vaccine manufacturers. Others are working on collaborations and homegrown options. But everywhere, the need to maintain optimal temperatures for certain vaccines raises hard issues, such as cold-storage warehouses and adequate last-mile delivery. (Anjani Trivedi, 12/20)