The Wall Street Journal: Pfizer To Ask Regulators To Authorize Covid-19 Vaccine Booster 
Pfizer Inc. will seek clearance from U.S. regulators in coming weeks to distribute a booster shot of its Covid-19 vaccine to heighten protection against infections, as new virus strains rise. The company also said it plans to start clinical trials in August of an updated version of its vaccine that would better protect against the Delta variant. (Walker, 7/8)

Bloomberg: Pfizer Outlines Booster Plans While Regulators Signal Caution
Pfizer Inc. plans to request U.S. emergency authorization in August for a third booster dose of its Covid-19 vaccine, based on early data showing that it can sharply increase immune protection against the coronavirus. At the same time, however, federal health officials signaled that they would take a cautious approach to potential booster shots, and underlined that the currently available vaccines are effective at keeping people from being sickened by the coronavirus. (Langreth and Wingrove, 7/8)

The Hill: Pfizer To Seek FDA Authorization For Booster Of COVID-19 Vaccine 
"As seen in real world data released from the Israel Ministry of Health, vaccine efficacy in preventing both infection and symptomatic disease has declined six months post-vaccination, although efficacy in preventing serious illnesses remains high," Pfizer said. "Based on the totality of the data they have to date, Pfizer and BioNTech believe that a third dose may be beneficial within 6 to 12 months following the second dose to maintain highest levels of protection," the companies said. (Sullivan, 7/8)

AP: Pfizer To Seek OK For 3rd Vaccine Dose; Shots Still Protect
Two doses of most vaccines are critical to develop high levels of virus-fighting antibodies against all versions of the coronavirus, not just the delta variant -- and most of the world still is desperate to get those initial protective doses as the pandemic continues to rage. But antibodies naturally wane over time, so studies also are underway to tell if and when boosters might be needed. On Thursday, Pfizer’s Dr. Mikael Dolsten told The Associated Press that early data from the company’s booster study suggests people’s antibody levels jump five- to 10-fold after a third dose, compared to their second dose months earlier. (Neergaard, 7/9)

CNBC: Pfizer Says It Is Developing A Covid Booster Shot To Target The Highly Transmissible Delta Variant
Pfizer and BioNTech announced Thursday they are developing a Covid-19 booster shot intended to target the delta variant as concerns rise about the highly transmissible strain that is already the dominant form of the disease in the United States. The companies said although they believe a third shot of their current two-dose vaccine has the potential to preserve the “highest levels” of protection against all currently known variants, including delta, they are “remaining vigilant” and developing an updated version of the vaccine. (Lovelace Jr., 7/8)

The New York Times: Pfizer And BioNTech Are Developing A Vaccine That Targets Delta Variant 
Pfizer and BioNTech announced on Thursday that they are developing a version of the coronavirus vaccine that targets Delta, a highly contagious variant that has spread to 98 countries. The companies expect to launch clinical trials of the vaccine in August. (Mandavilli, 7/9)

The Boston Globe: Fully Vaccinated Americans Don’t Need A Booster Shot At This Time, FDA, CDC Says
Americans who are fully vaccinated do not need a booster shot at this time, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration. In a joint statement issued late Thursday, the two federal regulators said they are engaged in a “science-based, rigorous process to consider whether or when a booster might be necessary.” The statement stressed that available vaccines are effective, and that nearly all people hospitalized or dying from the virus are unvaccinated. The announcement came in the wake of news that Pfizer is about to seek US emergency authorization for a third dose of its COVID-19 vaccine, saying Thursday that another shot within 12 months could dramatically boost immunity, and “maybe” help ward off the latest worrisome delta mutant. (Bowker, 7/8)

NPR: Despite New COVID Variants, CDC Says You Don't Need Any Booster Doses Right Now
As new coronavirus variants test the protections of the available vaccines, federal health officials say there's no need for booster doses right now. "Americans who have been fully vaccinated do not need a booster shot at this time," read a joint statement sent Thursday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration. The agencies added that people who are fully vaccinated are protected from severe illness and death, including from emerging variants like the highly contagious delta variant that's now the dominant strain in the U.S. and in other countries. (Bowman, 7/8)

CNN: Pfizer Says It's Time For A Covid Booster; FDA And CDC Say Not So Fast 
Drugmaker Pfizer said Thursday it is seeing waning immunity from its coronavirus vaccine and says it is picking up its efforts to develop a booster dose that will protect people from variants. It said it would seek emergency use authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration for a booster dose in August after releasing more data about how well a third dose of vaccine works. (Fox, 7/8)

Axios: FDA, CDC: Fully Vaccinated People "Do Not Need A Booster Shot At This Time"
People who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus do not need a booster shot at this time, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a joint statement released Thursday evening. What they're saying: "People who are fully vaccinated are protected from severe disease and death, including from the variants currently circulating in the country such as Delta," the FDA and CDC said. (Gonzalez, 7/8)

Stat: Study Highlights Need For Full Covid Vaccination To Protect Against Delta
In the welter of news about the Delta variant spreading around the world, one theme has emerged: This form of the virus that causes Covid-19 is challenging, but vaccination works to protect people against it. A new study published Thursday in Nature adds new detail about the dominant variant, analyzing how well Delta, in a lab dish, was able to evade monoclonal antibody drugs such as bamlamivimab and natural antibodies made in our bodies after infection or vaccination. Looking at both kinds of antibodies in blood drawn from 162 patients and how they reacted to Delta, researchers from the Institut Pasteur in France found lower protection against the variant than against three other variants also notable for how easily they spread from person to person. (Cooney, 7/8)

The Washington Post: New Study On Delta Variant Reveals Importance Of Receiving Both Vaccine Shots, Highlights Challenges Posed By Mutations 
New laboratory research on the swiftly spreading delta variant of the coronavirus is highlighting the threats posed by viral mutations, adding urgency to calls to accelerate vaccination efforts across the planet. A peer-reviewed report from scientists in France, published Thursday in the journal Nature, found that the delta variant has mutations that allow it to evade some of the neutralizing antibodies produced by vaccines or by a natural infection. A single shot of a two-dose vaccine “barely” offers any protection, researchers reported. (Achenbach, 7/8)

NPR: Fauci Says Current Vaccines Will Stand Up To The Delta Variant
Coronavirus cases and deaths in the U.S. are down dramatically from last winter's peaks, but the road ahead could still be a long one, with the rapid spread of the delta variant — now the dominant strain of the virus in the U.S. — and mounting questions over how effective current vaccines are against it. Addressing those concerns in an interview Thursday with NPR's All Things Considered, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, said studies continue to show that vaccines are not only effective against the virus, they're also highly effective at preventing serious disease or hospitalization. (Louise Kelly, 7/8)

More on the state of the virus variants —

Politico: Delta Variant Said To Be Far More Widespread Than Federal Estimates 
The more-transmissible Delta coronavirus variant is believed to be significantly more widespread than the current federal projections, according to two senior Biden administration health officials with knowledge of the situation. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data released late Tuesday shows the Delta strain accounted for more than 51 percent of new Covid-19 cases from June 20 to July 3. But the reality on the ground is likely much higher because states and private labs are taking weeks to report testing results to the CDC, the officials said. (Banco, Goldberg and Lim, 7/8)

NPR: The Delta Variant Isn't Just Hyper-Contagious. It Also Grows More Rapidly Inside You
After months of data collection, scientists agree: The delta variant is the most contagious version of the coronavirus worldwide. It spreads about 225% faster than the original version of the virus, and it's currently dominating the outbreak in the United States. A new study, published online Wednesday, sheds light on why. It finds that the variant grows more rapidly inside people's respiratory tracts and to much higher levels, researchers at the Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported. On average, people infected with the delta variant had about 1,000 times more copies of the virus in their respiratory tracts than those infected with the original strain of the coronavirus, the study reported. (Doucleff, 7/8)

CNN: Coronavirus Variants: Here's What We Know 
The Delta variant of coronavirus is now the dominant lineage in the US, parts of Europe and elsewhere. Also known as B.1.617.2, it is clearly more transmissible, but it is unclear if it causes more severe disease. It's taken over from the B.1.1.7 or Alpha variant in most of the countries where it is spreading fastest, but most also still have a mix of variants. Here's what scientists know about the most common among them: (Fox, 7/8)

CNBC: Here's What You Need To Know The Lambda Variant
While the world is still contending with the rapid spread of the delta variant, which has usurped the alpha variant in terms of transmissibility and the potential to cause hospitalizations in unvaccinated people, there is now a new variant that experts are monitoring: The lambda variant. Here’s what we know (and don’t know) about it. (Ellyat, 7/9)

AP: Missouri Governor Doesn’t Want Door-To-Door Vaccine Help
Federal officials are pushing back after Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said he doesn’t want government employees going door-to-door in his state to urge people to get vaccinated, even as a COVID-19 outbreak overwhelms some hospitals. Missouri asked for help last week from newly formed federal “surge response” teams as it combats an influx of cases that public health officials are blaming on fast-spreading delta variant and deep-seated concerns about the vaccine. After President Joe Biden mentioned the possibility of door-to-door promotion of the vaccine, Parson tweeted: “I have directed our health department to let the federal government know that sending government employees or agents door-to-door to compel vaccination would NOT be an effective OR a welcome strategy in Missouri!” (Hollingsworth, 7/8)

In other news about the vaccine rollout —

Politico: HHS Chief Says His Vaccine Comments Are Being Taken ‘Wildly Out Of Context’
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra on Thursday sought to clarify his argument that “it is absolutely the government’s business” to know which Americans have been vaccinated against the coronavirus, after facing backlash from Republicans in Congress. In a tweet, the federal government’s top health official said his comments from earlier in the day had been “taken wildly out of context.” (Forgey, 7/8)

Politico: Calls Mount On FDA To Formally Endorse Covid Vaccines As Delta Surges
Pressure is growing for the FDA to grant full approval to the Pfizer and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines — or to at least more clearly explain to the public its decision-making process — to help convince more Americans to get their shots. Some medical experts have sounded off on social media in recent days, calling on regulators to endorse what they say the data already shows — that the two vaccines by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna made with messenger RNA technology safely and effectively prevent severe illness, hospitalization and death from the coronavirus. (Gardner, 7/8)

Axios: Some Clinical Trial Participants Stuck In Coronavirus Vaccine Limbo 
Tens of thousands of Americans who stepped up to help test coronavirus vaccines through clinical trials are now stuck without a standard vaccine card to prove it. State of play: Two vaccine candidates — created by Novavax and AstraZeneca, respectively — have clinical trial data suggesting they're effective, but have yet to be authorized for use in the U.S. That leaves clinical trial participants in a potentially tough spot. (Caitlin Owens, 7/9)

Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi Delta Mayor Fights Back Against Low COVID Vaccination Stats
Standing behind the counter of her town's only store, Mayor Linda Short was adamant her county wasn't the least vaccinated in the state when it came to COVID-19. “I know they are definitely wrong,” Short said about the vaccine data. "Everyone I know is vaccinated." This was June 15, when 15.8% of Issaquena County residents had been fully vaccinated for the coronavirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At that point, it was the least vaccinated county in the least vaccinated state in America. (Sanderlin, 7/8)

Charleston Gazette-Mail: Dr. Marsh Urges Vaccinations Before 'COVID-19 On Steroids' Hits WV; KCHD Reports First Delta Case
Dr. Clay Marsh warned West Virginians again Thursday that it is a matter of when, not if, the more virulent Delta variant of COVID-19 will hit the state. “This is COVID-19 on steroids,” Marsh said during the state COVID-19 briefing, quoting Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden. Marsh, vice president for health sciences at West Virginia University and the state’s COVID-19 czar, said confirmed cases of the Delta variant in West Virginia are up to 15, although the Department of Health and Human Resources’ COVID-19 dashboard continues to show 12 cases — a number that has not changed in more than a week. (Kabler, 7/8)

And more hospital systems issue vaccine mandates —

AP: Big Idaho Health Care Providers Mandate Staff COVID Vaccines
Three of Idaho’s largest medical care providers announced Thursday that they would require COVID-19 vaccines for eligible employees. The mandates from Primary Health Group, Saint Alphonsus Health System and St. Luke’s Health System are an effort to keep staffers and patients safe ahead of the busy cold and flu season and as coronavirus variants continue to spread in parts of the U.S. (Boone, 7/8)

Modern Healthcare: Trinity Health To Mandate COVID-19 Vaccinations For Workers
All 117,000 employees at the Trinity Health system must get vaccinated against COVID-19 by this fall, the not-for-profit health system announced Thursday. The mandate covers everyone, from clinical staff to contractors to anyone else working in the not-for-profit Catholic system's 91 hospitals and 113 continuing care locations. Leaders and new hires will need to be fully vaccinated by Aug. 24, and all other employees will have until Sept. 21. Workers who refuse a vaccine face termination, said Mike Slubowski, president and CEO of Livonia, Michigan-based Trinity Health. The company allows for exceptions on religious or medical grounds. (Christ, 7/8)

The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Covid-19 Hospitalizations Rise As Delta Variant Spreads
Hospitalizations related to Covid-19 are rising in the U.S. after a long decline, federal data showed, providing evidence of the human toll the Delta virus variant is taking on unvaccinated Americans. Just under 2,000 new patients were admitted to hospitals each day over the week ending July 5, a 6.8% increase over admissions during the previous week and an 88% decrease over a seven-day average of 16,492 patients admitted daily in early January, according to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (McKay, 7/8)

Reuters: U.S. COVID-19 Cases Rising, Mostly Among Unvaccinated - Officials
U.S. COVID-19 cases are up around 11% over the previous week, almost entirely among people who have not been vaccinated, officials said on Thursday, as the highly infectious Delta variant becomes the dominant COVID-19 strain in the country. Around 93% of COVID-19 cases in recent days have occurred in counties with vaccination rates of less than 40%, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Rochelle Walensky told a media briefing. (O'Donnell and Mason, 7/8)

CIDRAP: US COVID-19 Cases Jump Amid Increased Delta Activity 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, said today that America has two current truths to face concerning its ongoing battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. "On one hand, we have seen successes with cases, hospitalizations, and deaths," she said during a White House press briefing. "On the other…we are now starting to see new and concerning trends in cases." (Soucheray, 7/8)

In related news about the spread of the coronavirus —

Fox News: COVID-19 Cases In US Could Surge During ‘Dangerous’ Fall, Leading To New Mandates
A top official at the World Health Organization said Thursday that COVID-19 mutations will likely lead to a surge in cases this fall, prompting parts of the U.S. to bring back health guidelines. "I could foresee that in certain parts of the country, there could be a reintroduction of indoor mask mandates, distancing and occupancy limits," Lawrence Gostin, the director of WHO’s Collaborating Center on National and Global Health Law, said, according to CNBC. He continued, "We are heading for a very dangerous fall, with large swaths of the country still unvaccinated, a surging delta variant and people taking off their masks." (DeMarche, 7/8)

AP: Man Who Refused To Wear Mask On Flight Fined $10,500
A man who refused to wear a mask on an Allegiant flight departing from Utah has been fined $10,500.The passenger refused to wear a mask over his mouth and nose on the Feb. 27 flight from Provo, Utah, to Mesa, Arizona, the Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday. Flight attendants said they instructed the man to wear his mask properly seven times, but he removed it each time they walked away. (7/8)

AP: Arkansas Virus Cases Spike By More Than 1,200 In A Day
Arkansas’ coronavirus cases increased by more than 1,000 for the second day in a row Thursday as the state saw another spike in its hospitalizations and deaths. The Department Health reported 1,210 new virus cases, bringing its total since the pandemic began to 354,305. The state’s COVID-19 hospitalizations rose by 49 to 481 and deaths increased by 11 to 5,944. (7/8)

Salt Lake Tribune: 12 Utah Counties Are Rated At ‘High’ Transmission Level Of COVID-19 — The Most In Four Months
A dozen Utah counties are now in the high level of transmission category — the most since early March. The levels are determined by the seven-day average percent positivity, the 14-day case rate per 100,000 population, and the utilization of intensive care units. (Pierce, 7/8)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: Surge In Louisiana COVID Cases Traced To Delta Variant, Low Vaccination Rate: 'We're In It'
For weeks, experts have been bracing for the effects of the Delta variant, a version of the coronavirus first discovered in India that is twice as contagious and has an enhanced ability to evade protective antibodies. Now, a startling new surge in cases suggests that Delta is established in Louisiana and the previously beaten-back virus is once again on the rise.“I do think we’re in it,” said Dr. Joe Kanter, assistant secretary of health. “We are seeing what is likely the beginning of increases.” (Woodruff and Adelson, 7/8)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Sees Small Spike In Positive COVID-19 Cases, Delta Variant
Wisconsin saw its highest number of positive COVID tests since early June yesterday, with over 200 new cases, according to the state Department of Health Services. Updated statistics show a rise in several new variants of the virus, including the Delta variant — a strain of the coronavirus that seems to be more transmissible and result in more severe disease — which grew by 12 cases in the last week. DHS said the Epsilon variant is no longer a variant of concern and will no longer be tracking it. Wisconsin had seen 649 total cases of that variant. (McDermott, 7/8)

And in California —

CNN: Los Angeles County Sees Exponential Growth In Covid-19 Cases As Delta Variant Becomes Dominant, Worrying Officials 
Los Angeles County -- the most populous county in the US -- is seeing "exponential growth" of Covid-19 cases as Delta takes over as the dominant strain, according to local health officials. The jump mirrors upticks in other parts of the country over the past week, as experts warn of Delta's high transmissibility. "We do continue to see an uptick in cases and hospitalizations," Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Thursday. "Deaths, fortunately continue to be relatively low, but as hospitalizations continue to increase we anticipate that deaths might also increase." (Elamroussi, 7/9)

NPR: LA County Public Health Director: COVID-19 Cases Rise Among Black Residents
Black residents of Los Angeles County are dealing with a rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. The development comes shortly after California reopened its economy and the highly contagious Delta variant became the dominant strain in the U.S. Dr. Barbara Ferrer, LA County's public health director, tells NPR that in comparing data from two-week periods in May and June, the case incident rate for Black residents went from 39 cases per 100,000 people to 46 cases per 100,000 people. Ferrer says there was a significant but smaller increase in hospitalizations: from 8.4 hospitalizations per 100,000 Black residents to 9.3 hospitalizations per 100,000 Black residents. (Fadel, 7/8)

San Francisco Chronicle: Alameda County Sees 'Concerning' Jump In COVID Cases
Alameda County has seen an alarming spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations since lifting most pandemic restrictions last month, health officials said Thursday. The county hit pandemic lows for cases and hospitalizations in early June, with a reported average of 28 daily infections. But it is now seeing more than 70 new cases a day, and the total has topped 100 on some days recently, county data shows. (Vaziri, 7/8)

USA Today: COVID-19: Genetics Play Role In Why Some People Escape Effects: Study
It is among the lingering mysteries of COVID-19: Why do some people catchit while others – sometimes even sleeping in the same bed – escape without symptoms? Some of the factors that explain these differences have long been clear: Older adults are more likely to fall seriously ill, particularly if they smoke, are obese or have diabetes. People never exposed to the coronavirus won't get sick, of course, and exposure to a high concentration poses a higher risk for infection. The virus itself matters, too. The delta variant seems to be more contagious than earlier ones. (Weintraub, 7/8)

Stat: Gene Hunters Turn Up New Clues About Covid-19 
On March 16, 2020, five days after the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a global pandemic, Andrea Ganna, a geneticist at the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, took to Twitter to make an announcement: “We are launching the ‘COVID-19 host genetics initiative,’” he wrote. He asked other scientists to join him and institute director Mark Daly in probing the world’s stores of human DNA to help answer a complicated but pressing question: Why do some unlucky people infected by the coronavirus end up gasping for air in an intensive care unit, while many others catch and spread the disease without having so much as a cough? (Molteni, 7/8)

In other covid research —

The Wall Street Journal: In Children, Risk Of Covid-19 Death Or Serious Illness Remains Extremely Low, New Studies Find
Children are at extremely slim risk of dying from Covid-19, according to some of the most comprehensive studies to date, which indicate the threat might be even lower than previously thought. Some 99.995% of the 469,982 children in England who were infected during the year examined by researchers survived, one study found. (Roland, 7/8)

CIDRAP: Heart Rate Might Remain Abnormal For 79 Days During Long COVID-19
For 234 COVID-19 patients, resting heart rates (RHRs) did not return to baseline until a mean of 79 days, reports a JAMA Network Open research letter yesterday. Step counts and sleep duration both took about a month to return to normal. The researchers derived their COVID cohort from the Digital Engagement and Tracking for Early Control and Treatment (DETECT) study and analyzed data from Mar 25, 2020, to Jan 24, 2021. As a comparison, they also looked at 641 participants who had acute respiratory illness but not COVID-19. (7/8)

The Washington Post: Western U.S. Readies For Scorching Heat This Weekend 
Days after an unprecedented heat wave hit the Pacific Northwest, killing scores, officials in the western United States on Thursday were preparing for a another round of scorching heat expected to hit this weekend. While not expected to be as deadly as the wave that caused widespread highs of 100 or more, including 116 in Portland and 108 in Seattle, temperatures in the West are likely to be up to 25 degrees above average for this time of year, according to forecasts. (Foster-Frau, Suggs and Kreidler, 7/8)

AP: Death Toll From Recent Heat Wave Climbs To 78 In Washington
Washington state’s death toll from last month’s record-breaking Pacific Northwest heat wave has risen to 78.A year earlier, Washington had just seven heat-related deaths from mid-June to the end of August, the state Department of Health said Thursday. From 2015 to 2020, there were a total of 39 deaths. (7/9)

The New York Times: California Braces For Dangerous Weekend Of Record-Setting Heat 
California is bracing for another dangerous heat wave and record-breaking temperatures this weekend, just two weeks after a heat dome descended on the normally temperate Pacific Northwest, killing hundreds of people and capping North America’s hottest June on record. The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for much of California beginning Friday at noon and extending into Monday night. Forecasters are predicting dangerous triple-digit highs and warm overnight lows for much of the state’s inland regions. (Paz, 7/8)

Las Vegas Review-Journal: Las Vegas Sets July 8 Heat Record At 114; All-Time Records Possible This Weekend
There is a chance that all-time temperature records could fall in the Las Vegas region this weekend, according to the latest National Weather Service forecast. Death Valley is forecast to reach 131 on Sunday, which would surpass its year-old record for the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth. The Saturday high is expected to be 130. Last August 16 a high of 130 was reached at the Death Valley visitor’s center. The reading remains under review by the Climate Extreme Committee, that studies and rules on the world’s extreme temperatures. (Clemons, 7/8)

AP: Oregon Adopts Most Protective Heat Rules For Workers In US
Oregon adopted an emergency rule Thursday that strengthens requirements for employers to safeguard workers from extreme heat, including expanding access to shade and cool water in what advocates called the nation’s most protective heat rules following deadly record-high temperatures in the Pacific Northwest. “With these new rules, Oregon has a chance to lead the country in ensuring workplaces are safe from high heat, especially for those doing the most demanding and dangerous jobs like farming and construction,” said Kate Suisman, an attorney with the Northwest Workers’ Justice Project. (Selsky, 7/8)

Stat: FDA Revises Prescribing Information For Biogen's Alzheimer's Drug
The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday changed the prescribing label for Biogen’s Alzheimer’s treatment Aduhelm — narrowing its recommended use to patients with milder forms of the disease. Biogen and the FDA described the Aduhelm label update as a clarification meant to better reflect data from clinical trials. But changing the label so soon will be seen as the FDA yielding to outside criticism that the drug’s approval — just one month ago — was overly permissive. (Feuerstein, 7/8)

The New York Times: In Reversal, F.D.A. Calls For Limits On Who Gets Alzheimer’s Drug 
Under fire for approving a questionable drug for all Alzheimer’s patients, the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday greatly narrowed its previous recommendation and is now suggesting that only those with mild memory or thinking problems should receive it. The reversal, highly unusual for a drug that has been available for only a few weeks, is likely to reduce the approximate number of Americans who are eligible for the treatment to 1.5 million from six million. (Robbins and Belluck, 7/8)

The Boston Globe: FDA Narrows Recommended Use Of Biogen Alzheimer’s Therapy After Flood Of Criticism
The US Food and Drug Administration, which approved Biogen’s controversial new drug for Alzheimer’s disease despite scant evidence that it works, narrowed its recommended use of the medicine on Thursday to patients with early symptoms, citing “confusion regarding the intended population for treatment.” Biogen had already said Aduhelm was meant for Alzheimer’s patients with mild cognitive impairment, the group studied by the Cambridge drug maker in three clinical trials. But the FDA didn’t limit the medication to those people, who number 1 to 2 million in the United States, when it approved Aduhelm on June 7, raising the specter that anyone diagnosed with the disease — an estimated 6 million Americans — might seek it. (Saltzman and Gardizy, 7/8)

Also —

Stat: FDA’s Expansive Aduhelm Approval Surprised Even Top Agency Officials
The Food and Drug Administration’s contentious decision to approve a new Alzheimer’s drug for every single patient with the disease surprised even top FDA officials involved in deliberations about the approval process, two senior staffers told STAT. One of the sources went further, saying they would never have supported the faster approval process that the FDA employed had they known the agency was considering such a broad patient population. (Florko, Silverman, Cohrs and Garde, 7/8)

The New York Times: A New Alzheimer’s Drug Offers More Questions Than Answers
Dr. Kenneth Koncilja, a geriatrician at the Cleveland Clinic, saw the announcement from the Food and Drug Administration on June 7, on Twitter: The agency had approved Aduhelm (aducanumab), the first drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease to be approved in nearly 20 years. The calls from patients’ spouses and family members began within the hour, and have not stopped. “I was shocked at how fast the word spread — ‘Hey, is this something we can use? When can we get it?’” Dr. Koncilja recalled. “There’s a mix of excitement, anxiety and desperation.” (Span, 7/8)

KHN: Doctors Weigh Pros And Cons Of Prescribing Hot-Button Alzheimer’s Drug
As physicians and health policy experts debate the merits of Aduhelm, the first new drug for Alzheimer’s disease approved in 18 years, patients want to know: “Will this medication help me — and how much?” Doctors explaining the pros and cons of Aduhelm won’t have a definitive answer. “On an individual basis, it will be absolutely impossible to predict,” said Dr. Allan Levey, director of the Goizueta Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Emory University. (Graham, 7/9)

In related news about dementia —

CNN: Flossing Your Teeth May Protect Against Cognitive Decline, Research Shows 
Flossing your teeth isn't just important for keeping your dentist happy -- it may also protect against cognitive decline. Good oral health habits like brushing and flossing may prevent cognitive impairment and dementia, according to a new analysis led by researchers at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. "Given the staggering number of people diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and dementia each year, and the opportunity to improve oral health across the life span, it's important to gain a deeper understanding of the connection between poor oral health and cognitive decline," said Bei Wu, a professor in global health at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing and the senior study author, in a statement. (Kent, 7/8)

Fox News: Moderna Testing MRNA Flu Vaccine In Clinical Trial
Moderna has begun testing an mRNA flu vaccine in clinical trials, with the company announcing Wednesday that the first participants had been dosed in the Phase 1/2 study. The vaccine, mRNA-1010, is Moderna’s first seasonal flu vaccine candidate to enter clinical trials and will target influenza A H1n1, H3N2, and influenza B Yamagata and Victoria. The company is aiming to enroll 180 participants ages 18 years and older in the trial, and eventually aims to study combination vaccines to target multiple respiratory viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and RSV. (Hein, 7/8)

In other pharmaceutical industry news —

Stat: Report: Pharma Stock Buybacks And Dividends Exceed R&D Spending
A congressional committee released a report on Thursday showing the 14 largest drug makers spent more on stock buybacks than research and development during the last five years, the latest sign that the cost of prescription medicines remains a political hot potato in Washington. Specifically, the companies spent $577 billion on stock buybacks and dividends from 2016 through 2020, which was $56 billion more than was spent on R&D over the same period. Of the drug makers that were examined, only AstraZeneca (AZN) and Roche (RHHBY) spent more on R&D during that time time, according to the report. (Silverman, 7/8)

KHN: Drugmakers’ Spending On Stock, Dividends And Executive Pay Exceeds Research, Democrats Say
The largest drug companies are far more interested in enriching themselves and investors than in developing new drugs, according to a House committee report released Thursday that argues the industry can afford to charge Medicare less for prescriptions. The report by the House Oversight and Reform Committee says that contrary to pharmaceutical industry arguments that large profits fund extensive research and innovation, the major drug companies plow more of their billions in earnings back into their own stocks, dividends and executive compensation. (McAuliff, 7/9)

Stat: FDA Extends Shelf Life For Glaucoma Drug Discontinued By Pfizer
In a bid to calm anxious patients, the Food and Drug Administration has extended the shelf life of a drug used to treat a rare form of glaucoma, which Pfizer (PFE) recently discontinued and which may disappear altogether unless the company finds a suitable buyer. The agency sent a notice to health care providers on Wednesday indicating that the shelf life for the medicine, known as phospholine iodide, would now run 12 months beyond the date stamped on its packaging, which would make “additional limited inventory of product available.” (Silverman, 7/9)

In biotech news —

Modern Healthcare: Devicemaker To Pay Feds $38M Over Defective Blood Monitoring Strips
Medical device manufacturer Alere on Thursday agreed to pay the Justice Department $38.75 million to settle allegations that it knowingly sold defective blood monitoring test strips to Medicare beneficiaries. Alere and its subsidiary Alere San Diego allegedly failed to inform the Food and Drug Administration, patients and providers of issues with its INRatio blood coagulation monitor's test results. Many consumers billed Medicare to purchase the strips, which violates the False Claims Act. (Gellman, 7/8)

Bloomberg: Philip Morris Beats Carlyle Bid for Asthma Drugmaker Vectura
Philip Morris International Inc. agreed to buy U.K. asthma drug maker Vectura Group Plc for $1.2 billion, one of the biggest moves yet by a tobacco company toward treating conditions that its cigarettes can help cause. Philip Morris is offering 150 pence in cash for every Vectura share, the companies said in a statement Friday. That’s 11% higher than Thursday’s closing price, and beats an offer from Carlyle Group Inc. that management had agreed to in May. Vectura shares rose as much as 13%, trading above the new bid. Carlyle said it’s considering its options. As an increasing number of people across the developed world quit smoking to improve their health, Philip Morris has focused its investment on IQOS heated-tobacco devices. Chief Executive Officer Jacek Olczak is also targeting at least $1 billion in sales outside nicotine by 2025. (Gretler, 7/9)

Stat: Former Genentech Scientist Convicted Of Stealing Trade Secrets
A former Genentech principal scientist and her husband were convicted of stealing trade secrets and providing the information to a Taiwanese company, which then parlayed the purloined data to reach a $101 million partnership with Sanofi (SNY) to develop medicines. Xanthe Lam, who worked for Genentech from 1986 through 2017, helped to siphon information about four drugs — the Avastin, Rituxan, and Herceptin cancer treatments, as well as the Pulmozyme cystic fibrosis medication — to JHL Biotech, which was founded by former Genentech employees to develop biosimilar versions of these and other drugs, according to court documents. (Silverman, 7/8)

Fox News: US Hospitals Not 'Adequately' Prepared For Next Pandemic, Study Finds
A 10-year analysis of hospitals’ preparedness for pandemics and other mass casualty events in the years prior to COVID-19 is warning that the nation’s health care system may not be adequately prepared for the next one. For the study, a team of researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland Medical Center used a surge index tool called Hospital Medical Surge Preparedness Index (HMSPI) to score data from more than 6,200 hospitals nationwide. The hospitals had partaken in the American Hospital Association annual surveys. The team also used census data to determine population estimates in various cities and geographic service area and combined it with the survey information to calculate the HMSPI score. (Hein, 7/8)

CIDRAP: Experts Issue Pandemic-Recovery Guidance For Health Leaders 
Thirty-two experts from 17 countries published a consensus statement today in JAMA Network Open to guide health leaders through COVID-19 pandemic recovery and prepare for future emergencies. The consensus statement emphasizes the importance of bolstering pandemic preparedness for future pandemics and promoting global solidarity and leadership, all of which were lacking amid the crisis, the authors said. It is also meant to help governments, public health officials, and health systems around the world address health gaps and disparities, along with their structural, societal, political, and economic underpinnings, they added. (Van Beusekom, 7/8)

In other health care industry news —

Modern Healthcare: State Medicaid Program Unlikely To Give Providers A Raise Anytime Soon
Big changes in Medicaid payments to providers and managed care plans aren't likely this year as state budgets recover, Medicaid rolls shrink and the U.S. economy sheds its pandemic woes. Medicaid dramatically grew during the pandemic, rising to 80 million enrollees last month. Lost jobs and income last year drove enrollment, which remains high because federal relief funding was contingent on states not kicking beneficiaries off the Medicaid during the public health emergency. "States are in a better position than I think many anticipated at the start of all this," said Rachel Garfield, co-director for the Kaiser Family Foundation's Program on Medicaid and the Uninsured. (Brady, 7/8)

Modern Healthcare: Leapfrog Releases Data On HCAHPS, ASCs And Children's Hospitals
New cumulative data on hospitals, children's hospitals, outpatient surgery departments and ambulatory surgical centers is out from the Leapfrog Group. Here are the five big takeaways: 1. An average of 62% of parents and caregivers gave high marks for feeling equipped on reporting concerns over preventing potential medical errors. Leapfrog Group said caregivers are almost always at their child's bedside, and are apt to notice when something is wrong and should feel empowered to speak freely. This decreases the chances of a medical error. (Gillespie, 7/8)

Modern Healthcare: Regional Hospital M&A Is On The Rise
Hospital merger and acquisition activity is rebounding as systems pursue regional combinations, according to a new report. The total revenue among hospitals that announced deals in the first half of 2021 was $17.2 billion, which was the second-highest tally since 2015, Kaufman Hall data show. There were only 27 transactions announced through the second quarter of this year—down from between 40 to 60 deals over the same span since 2015—signaling that larger health systems aim to join forces. The average size of the smaller hospital involved in the transaction was $638.6 million, which doubled the trailing five-year average. (Kacik, 7/8)

Philadelphia Inquirer: Temple Health Discloses The Deal It Got For Cancer Treatment Centers Of America’s Philly Campus
Temple University Hospital Inc. paid $12 million for the buildings, equipment, and supplies of the former Cancer Treatment Centers of American location at 1331 E. Wyoming Ave. in Northeast Philadelphia, Temple executives told bondholders Thursday. “This opens a significant and historic new chapter in our health system’s history — one which speaks to our improving clinical outcomes, operational efficiency, positive financial performance, and long-term strength of our organization,” Michael A. Young, president and chief executive of Temple University Health System, said in a June 29 news release on the completion of the acquisition. (Brubaker, 7/9)

KHN: Effort To Decipher Hospital Prices Yields Key Finding: Don’t Try It At Home 
A federal price transparency rule that took effect this year was supposed to give patients, employers and insurers a clearer picture of the true cost of hospital care. When the Trump administration unveiled the rule in 2019, Seema Verma, then chief of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, promised it would “upend the status quo to empower patients and put them first.” I set out to test that statement by comparing prices in two major California hospital systems. I am sorry to report that, at least for now, that status quo — the tangled web that long has cloaked hospital pricing — is alive and well. (Wolfson, 7/9)

KHN: Federal Speech Rulings May Embolden Health Care Workers To Call Out Safety Issues 
Karen Jo Young wrote a letter to her local newspaper criticizing executives at the hospital where she worked as an activities coordinator, arguing that their actions led to staffing shortages and other patient safety problems. Hours after her letter was published in September 2017, officials at Maine Coast Memorial Hospital in Ellsworth, Maine, fired her, citing a policy that no employee may give information to the news media without the direct involvement of the media office. (Meyer, 7/9)

Philadelphia Inquirer: A Dog Disease Resembling Human Multiple Sclerosis May Help Treatment For Both, Penn Vet Study Suggests
Seizures, vision problems, sluggishness, a strange head tilt — every year, veterinarians at Penn Vet encounter about a dozen dogs with these perplexing symptoms. By the time that owners notice this strange behavior, the dogs have already begun a mental decline, and one third soon die. “That is in general something that’s frustrating about veterinary medicine,” said Molly Church, an assistant professor of pathobiology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. “Dogs can’t tell you when they have a headache. They tend to present once the signs have gotten pretty severe.” (Nathan, 7/8)

AP: Cold Weather Virus In Summer Baffles Docs, Worries Parents
The recent emergence of a virus that typically sickens children in colder months has baffled U.S. pediatricians and put many infants in the hospital with troublesome coughs and breathing trouble. RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is a common cause of cold-like symptoms but can be serious for infants and the elderly. Cases dropped dramatically last year, with people staying home and social distancing, but began cropping up as pandemic restrictions eased. (Tanner, 7/8)

AP: Tyson Foods Recalls Almost 4,500 Tons Of Chicken Products
Tyson Foods is recalling almost 4500 tons (4082.33 metric tonnes) of ready-to-eat chicken products after finding the products may be tainted with listeria bacteria, federal officials announced Thursday. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the recall a month after two consumers reported falling ill with listeriosis. Further investigation revealed one death besides the two listeriosis cases traced to pre-cooked chicken produced by Dexter, Missouri-based Tyson Foods, according to a statement from the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. (7/9)

The New York Times: How Weight Training May Help With Weight Control 
Lifting weights a few times a week might help us stave off obesity, according to an interesting new study of resistance exercise and body fat. It shows that people who regularly complete muscle-strengthening exercises of any kind are about 20 to 30 percent less likely to become obese over time than people who do not, whether they also work out aerobically or not. The findings indicate that weight training could be more consequential for weight control than many of us might expect, and a little lifting now may keep us lighter, later. (Reynolds, 7/7)

Los Angeles Times: Naomi Osaka Felt Pressured To Reveal Mental Health Struggles
Naomi Osaka says she felt “a great amount of pressure” to reveal her struggle with mental health issues earlier this year during an ordeal that led to her withdrawing from the French Open and taking a temporary break from the sport. The 23-year-old tennis star wrote in a first-person account for Time magazine about the series of events that started in May when she announced she would not take part in the required post-match news conferences at the French Open, citing a “disregard for athletes’ mental health.” (Schilken, 7/8)

Bangor Daily News: COVID Testing Swab Manufacturer Furloughs Pittsfield Workers As Demand Falls
The Maine company that’s one of the world’s two major producers of COVID-19 testing swabs is extending a furlough of 180 employees as demand for the swabs has slipped. Puritan Medical Products furloughed the employees at its North Main Street plant in Pittsfield last month, and it will last for three more weeks as the company finalizes new orders from the federal government, Puritan spokesperson Virginia Templet said. The workers are now expected to return on Aug. 2, she said. (Marino Jr., 7/8)

In news from Washington, D.C., Texas and California —

The Washington Post: Fatal Opioid Overdoses Are Up By The Hundreds, Devastating Families And Worrying Officials
Health officials point to a rise in fentanyl-laced substances, including opioids, marijuana and cocaine for the recent increase in overdoses, with a suspected bad batch of fentanyl circulating in the region exacerbating the trend. In the District, the city’s medical examiner identified fentanyl in 95 percent of the 87 overdose deaths through March this year, a number that has risen steadily in recent years; 281 overdose deaths in 2019 and 411 in 2020. Black residents, who make up 46 percent of the city according to census data, have been disproportionately affected. More than four out of five people who die of overdoses in the city are Black, according to data from city officials. (Rosenzweig-Ziff and Hilton, 7/8)

Houston Chronicle: Fort Bend County Cities Push Mosquito-Control Efforts Amid West Nile Virus Confirmation
Now that West Nile virus has been confirmed in the mosquito population in Fort Bend County, area cities are being proactive in controlling the pests. According to one report last week, the city of Sugar Land “confirmed the presence of West Nile virus at a mosquito trap located on Morrisons Place in the New Territory subdivision.” Dr. Joe Anzaldua, the city’s medical director and health authority, is urging residents to take precautions to reduce West Nile exposure. (Kent, 7/8)

AP: Families Fostering Migrant Kids Offer What Shelters Cannot
Transitional foster homes, where families are licensed to care for migrant children, are widely considered to be the best option for kids in U.S. custody, especially for minors who have been traumatized, are very young, pregnant or are teen parents and require extra emotional support. Yet hundreds of transitional foster care beds at family homes and small group facilities are not being used, according to government data. Four providers told The Associated Press that they have licensed foster families ready to take children. Two providers said about a third of available beds over the past month were not used. The others declined to specify. (Watson, 7/8)

Bloomberg: Africa Had Worst Week Of Coronavirus Pandemic, Worse To Come
Africa had its worst week of the coronavirus pandemic, with cases jumping 20% in seven days, and the situation is expected to intensify, according to Matshidiso Moeti, the World Health Organization’s Africa director. “For Africa the worst is yet to come as the fast moving third wave continues to gain speed and new ground in countries,” Moeti said on a conference call. The end of this wave “is still going to be several weeks away.” During the week to July 4, a record 251,000 coronavirus cases were recorded in Africa and infections are now doubling every 18 days, she said. (Kew, 7/8)

The Washington Post: South Korea Increases Social Distancing Measures As Covid Infections Hit Record 
South Korea is increasing social distancing curbs in its capital to the highest level after a steep rise in covid-19 infections amid a slow vaccine rollout. The country reported 1,316 new coronavirus cases on Friday, setting a record for the second day running. Friday’s figure is twice as high as the daily average across the first seven days of July. (Kim, 7/9)

Bloomberg: Major Virus Outbreak Looms In Myanmar As Vaccination Stalls
Myanmar’s Covid inoculation drive has ground to a near halt due to a vaccine shortage, forcing the military government that seized power in February to hunt for new supplies to stem a spike in cases and deaths. With the Southeast Asian country receiving no vaccine supplies since early May, just 1.75 million of a population of about 55 million have been fully vaccinated, according to Health Minister Thet Khine Win. The administration is now in talks with Russia and China to urgently secure more shots, officials said. (Lin Kyaw, 7/8)

Reuters: Cuba Says Second COVID-19 Vaccine Soberana 2 Boasts 91.2% Efficacy
Cuba said on Thursday its two-shot Soberana 2 vaccine, delivered with a booster called Soberana Plus, had proven 91.2% effective in late stage clinical trials against the coronavirus, following similar news about its Abdala vaccine. The announcement came from state-run biopharmaceutical corporation BioCubaFarma, which oversees the Finlay Institute, the maker of Soberana 2, and the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, the producer of Abdala. Last month, Abdala was found to have a 92.28% efficacy. (Frank, 7/8)

Bloomberg: Countries Using China, Astra Shots Increasingly Eye Boosters
Growing concern that Covid-19 vaccines being deployed across much of the developing world aren’t capable of thwarting the delta variant is prompting some countries to look at offering third doses to bolster immunity against more-infectious virus strains. Though definitive evidence is yet to emerge backing the need for so-called “booster” shots, health officials from Thailand to Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have already decided to offer the extra doses to some people already inoculated with vaccines from Chinese makers Sinovac Biotech Ltd., Sinopharm and from AstraZeneca Plc. (7/8)

Bloomberg: Quebec Backs Vaccine Passport To Keep Economy Open Despite Covid-19 Variants
Quebec, which had some of the toughest restrictions in North America during the pandemic, says it won’t close its economy again if there’s another outbreak. Instead, Canada’s second-most populated province will only allow fully vaccinated people to access non-essential places like bars and gyms. The passport-based approach, which is still rare in Canada, will take effect on Sept. 1, leaving Quebeckers enough time to get a second jab, Health Minister Christian Dube said. (Rastello, 7/8)

In other global developments —

AP: Oxfam: 11 People Die Of Hunger Each Minute Around The Globe
The anti-poverty organization Oxfam says 11 people die of hunger each minute and that the number facing famine-like conditions around the globe has increased six times over the last year. In a report titled “The Hunger Virus Multiplies,” Oxfam said Thursday that the death toll from famine outpaces that of COVID-19, which kills around seven people per minute. (Elhennaway, 7/9)

Modern Healthcare: McKesson To Sell European Businesses, Focus On Growth In The U.S. And Elsewhere
Pharmaceutical distributor McKesson Corp. plans to sell its European businesses in six countries to the Phoenix Group in order to prioritize its services in the U.S. The sale includes its businesses in France, Italy, Ireland, Portugal, Belgium and Slovenia, McKesson AG's headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, its German wound-care business Recucare GmbH, its shared services center in Lithuania and its 45% ownership stake in Brocacef, the company's joint venture based in the Netherlands. (Devereaux, 7/8)

In updates on the pope —

AP: Pope Temporarily Had Fever 3 Days After Intestinal Surgery
Pope Francis temporarily had a fever three days after intestinal surgery, but routine tests and scans proved negative, the Vatican said Thursday. The Vatican’s daily update said Francis was continuing to eat and move around unassisted, and had even sent his greetings to young cancer patients at Rome’s Gemelli Polyclinic hospital. But spokesman Matteo Bruni said Francis did have a “fever episode” temporarily Wednesday evening. (Winfield, 7/8)

The Washington Post: Pope Francis’s Surgery Elevates Questions About The Remaining Years Of His Papacy
For much of his pontificate, Pope Francis, 84, has carried on at the pace of a much younger man. He eschews weekend breaks. He packs his mornings with meetings. He takes breakneck international trips — with day after day of pre-sunrise alarms — that often seem to leave his traveling party more exhausted than he is. But this week, Francis was slowed to a halt, hospitalized for colon surgery to address a potentially painful bowel condition that is common among the elderly. (Harlan and Pitrelli, 7/8)

The Washington Post: The Search For Coronavirus Patient Zero, From Wuhan To Paris To Milan
On Dec. 8, 2019, the accountant began to feel ill. He did not frequent Wuhan’s Huanan seafood market, he would later tell World Health Organization experts investigating the coronavirus’s origin. He preferred the RT-Mart near his home on the eastern bank of the Yangtze River — a sleek, multistory supermarket where magnetized escalator ramps sweep customers and their shopping carts from floor to floor. He hadn’t traveled outside of Wuhan in the days before his illness. If someone caught the novel coronavirus by crawling in a bat cave, it wasn’t him. (Dou, Li, Harlan and Noack, 7/7)

Reuters: China’s Gene Giant Harvests Data From Millions Of Pregnant Women
A Chinese gene company selling prenatal tests around the world developed them in collaboration with the country's military and is using them to collect genetic data from millions of women for sweeping research on the traits of populations, a Reuters review of scientific papers and company statements found. U.S. government advisors warned in March that a vast bank of genomic data that the company, BGI Group, is amassing and analyzing with artificial intelligence could give China a path to economic and military advantage. As science pinpoints new links between genes and human traits, access to the biggest, most diverse set of human genomes is a strategic edge. The technology could propel China to dominate global pharmaceuticals, and also potentially lead to genetically enhanced soldiers, or engineered pathogens to target the U.S. population or food supply, the advisors said. (Needham and Baldwin, 7/7)

KQED: Heat-Related Deaths Could One Day Match Those Of Infectious Diseases
It was the most extreme heat wave on record in the Pacific Northwest. And as officials count the heat-related deaths over the next weeks, it will almost certainly turn out to be one of the deadliest. In Vancouver, British Columbia, police responded to at least 65 sudden deaths suspected to be heat-related. And the province’s chief coroner said in late June that at least 486 deaths likely linked to the heat. The residents of one British Columbia community, Lytton, where a temperature of 121 degrees Fahrenheit was higher than any ever recorded in Canada, were ordered to evacuate because of an encroaching wildfire. (Berwyn, Bruggers and Gross, 7/6)

AP: Wildlife, Air Quality At Risk As Great Salt Lake Nears Low
The silvery blue waters of the Great Salt Lake sprawl across the Utah desert, having covered an area nearly the size of Delaware for much of history. For years, though, the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi River has been shrinking. And a drought gripping the American West could make this year the worst yet. The receding water is already affecting the nesting spot of pelicans that are among the millions of birds dependent on the lake. Sailboats have been hoisted out of the water to keep them from getting stuck in the mud. More dry lakebed getting exposed could send arsenic-laced dust into the air that millions breathe. (Whitehurst, 7/6)

Also —

AP: Blades Of Steel: Johns Spotlights Mental Health In Hockey
Stephen Johns worked out at the rink, trying to get back to playing after a concussion. Dallas Stars teammates asked how he was doing but never quite understood. “They kind of went on about their days not really knowing what was really going on, kind of the thoughts I was having and the severity of the depression and anxiety,” Johns said. “Once I started being more open about it, guys would come out and say, ‘Man, I had no idea you were going through that,’ and ‘I wish I would’ve known, wish I could’ve helped.’” Johns figured out last year he couldn’t keep playing hockey, hung up his ice skates and eventually strapped on rollerblades with the goal of helping others. The 29-year-old who recently announced his retirement from the NHL is rollerblading across the U.S. and making a movie about it to bring awareness to depression and anxiety, which could be another major stride for a sport still trying to raise acceptance and management of mental health concerns. (Whyno, 6/27)

CBS News: CC Sabathia Once Woke Up Naked At A Jay-Z Party After A Drinking Bender. Now The MLB Pitcher Is Opening Up About His Addiction And Recovery.
CC Sabathia's left arm has taken him from the streets of Vallejo, California, to the mound at Yankee Stadium. One of the most dominating pitchers of his generation, Sabathia is a six-time All-Star, Cy Young Award Winner and ace of the 2009 World Series Champion New York Yankees. But his on-the-field success came with off-the-field heartbreak. Sabathia lost his dad and a beloved cousin during his playing career, while his addiction to alcohol grew. In the opening lines of his new book "Till the End," Sabathia called himself a "weird alcoholic." "I would pitch, and then the next three days, I would drink. So the day after, right after I came out of the game, I would need a drink and would drink the next three days, and I would take two days off, pitch and do it all over again," Sabathia told CBS This Morning co-host Gayle King. "So I kind of had a routine where I would normalize drinking for three days, like a bender, and would detox myself, be able to pitch — and do it all over again." (Novak, 7/5)

The Washington Post: Richard Lewontin, A Preeminent Geneticist Of His Era, Dies At 92
Ever since the mid-1800s, when Charles Darwin articulated the theory of evolution and the Moravian monk Gregor Mendel discerned the basic principles of heredity by crossbreeding peas in his garden, scientists, philosophers, social scientists and theologians have debated the implications of genetics on the origins, meaning and future of human life. In the second half of the 20th century, one of the most prominent scientists to spar in that arena was geneticist Richard C. Lewontin. (Langer, 7/8)

Stat: Why Aren't Diseases Like HIV And Malaria Called Pandemics?
The furor about vaccine nationalism and sharing doses of Covid-19 overshadows a fundamental issue: What is an equitable definition of what counts as a pandemic? The use of that word isn’t just semantics: It’s about who we care lives or dies. As high levels of vaccination coverage in high-income countries enable their citizens to gradually resume normal life, much of the focus in the capitals of G7 countries is shifting from fighting Covid-19 to preventing future pandemics. It makes sense for them to seize the moment to make themselves safer from future threats. (Peter Sands, 7/6)

USA Today: COVID Vaccine: Helping The Vulnerable Requires Personalized Focus
Millions of Americans are getting back to normal this summer, visiting relatives, shopping at small businesses and traveling to their favorite beaches or parks – all thanks to the COVID-19 vaccine. Yet, racial gaps in our nation’s health care recovery persist. For many Black, Hispanic, Latino and Indigenous people, who were two to three times more likely to get sick and die of COVID-19 and whose vaccination rates trail those of white people, this summer looks a lot different: an empty seat at the dining table, continued fear of COVID-19 or uncertainty about how to get the vaccine. (Bruce Broussard and Matt Eyles, 7/9)

The Boston Globe: The Unnecessary Death March Of The Unvaccinated 
Last month, COVID-19 killed 130 people in Maryland, all unvaccinated. At least 160 children and adults at a Texas church summer camp tested positive for coronavirus; only six of those infected were vaccinated. Hospitals in Springfield, Mo., are so overwhelmed with cases among the unvaccinated that they’ve run out of ventilators and are transferring some patients to other parts of the state. President Biden is begging Americans to “please get vaccinated now.”“It works, it’s free, it’s never been easier,” he said Tuesday. “It’s never been more important. Do it now for yourself and the people you care about — for your neighborhood, for your country. It sounds corny, but it’s a patriotic thing to do.” (Renee Graham, 7/9)

The Baltimore Sun: Keep The Mask Mandate For Kids Under 12 Until They Have Access To A Vaccine 
The COVID-19 pandemic is not yet over. At least, it isn’t for millions of unvaccinated people around the world including almost 50 million American children under 12 years old who are too young to be eligible for vaccination. And yet with the lifting of the statewide and citywide mask mandate on July 1, some local summer camps and Baltimore County Public Schools are dropping their masking requirements not just for vaccinated adults and teenagers, but for unvaccinated elementary school aged children as well. As a pediatrician specializing in infectious diseases and a proud Baltimore City Public School parent, I believe this is a huge mistake. (Jeanette Beaudry, 7/9)

Bloomberg: Covid Delta: Should I Still Wear A Face Mask After U.K. Freedom Day July 19? 
In the U.K., July 19 is being called Freedom Day. To some, it will feel a bit like England winning the Euros. After 15-plus months of setbacks, uncertainty and constraints on everyday life, there will be something to celebrate: Brits can congregate without restriction and are free to bin or burn their face masks if they want. Masking up will no longer be required in public spaces or even on public transport. But everything we know about this virus suggests proceeding with caution. Keeping a mask mandate in certain crowded settings costs little and can help reduce virus transmission, especially going into the autumn and winter. It would also reinforce a culture of safety. Instead, mask-wearing is likely to become more politicized. (Therese Raphael, 7/9)

Kansas City Star: With COVID Delta Surging, Missouri Needs To Wear Masks Again
Missouri’s COVID-19 crisis is worsening. Which means we do have to go back to wearing masks in more situations. We wish this weren’t the case. We wish Gov. Mike Parson and those around him would work harder to convince Missourians to get their shots. Wednesday, Parson said the state might put up $5,000 or $10,000 as vaccine incentives, which shows you how unserious he is, and just how much he values human life. (7/9)

Chicago Tribune: Parents, Help Our Schools. Get Teens Vaccinated. 
Gov. J.B. Pritzker dove into Illinois’ share of federal coronavirus relief funds to dangle a carrot in front of Illinoisans who, for whatever reason, have yet to get vaccinated. Get inoculated, and get a shot at a $1 million lottery prize. Three students will win $150,000 scholarships. Officials at Chicago Public Schools aren’t offering any such incentive to parents to ensure kids get vaccinated. They shouldn’t have to. (7/8)

Stat: Ignoring Mental Health Infrastructure Will Be A Costly Mistake 
President Biden’s ambitious infrastructure plan has a glaring omission: It makes no effort to redress the awful reality that the United States has the worst mental health infrastructure of any country in the developed world. People with mental illness, their families, and society at large are suffering the tragic consequences of four decades of mental health defunding and privatization: 90% of psychiatric beds have been closed; the once-wonderful system of publicly funded community mental health centers has been gutted; crisis response teams are almost nonexistent; and the available pool of affordable housing meets only a fraction of what’s needed. (Allen Frances, 7/9)

The New York Times: Banning Abortion Doesn’t Protect Women’s Health 
During its coming term, the United States Supreme Court will review the constitutionality of a Mississippi anti-abortion law that criminalizes abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Already in Mississippi, only one abortion clinic remains to serve the entire state. This new law, one of the most restrictive anti-abortion measures yet, provides no exemptions in cases of rape or incest. Many see it as the gravest threat to Roe v. Wade ever taken up by the Supreme Court. They are not wrong. (Michelle Goodwin, 7/9)

The Washington Post: Home Health Care Belongs In The Infrastructure Package. We All Pay For It Anyway
When Tanja Lee’s mother was diagnosed with cancer in 2005, the North Carolina woman shut down her child-care business to take care of her. Now, Lee is a full-time home health-care worker, currently caring for an Alzheimer’s patient for $8.50 an hour. That’s not enough money, she says — and similar pay is not enough for millions of other caretakers in this country. “This job is not an easy job, and we are essential workers,” Lee told me. “We’ve got to do something.” Lee will leave her eastern North Carolina home next Tuesday and head to D.C. to take part in a Service Employees International Union (SEIU) day of action. The SEIU-backed rallies and marches in cities across the United States, including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, are aimed at keeping pressure on Congress to include the $400 billion investment in Medicaid home health care President Biden proposed in his American Jobs Plan in upcoming budget reconciliation legislation. The money would increase both the number of caretaking jobs and the pay workers get for performing them. “Care can’t wait,” SEIU head Mary Kay Henry told me. (Helaine Olen, 7/7)

Bloomberg: FDA Restriction Of Biogen Alzheimer’s Drug Raises Questions 
The Food and Drug Administration is already limiting one of the most controversial drug approvals in its 115-year history. The medication is Biogen Inc.'s Alzheimer's treatment Aduhelm, which won clearance last month despite mixed evidence and expert objections. The agency initially approved the drug for most Alzheimer's patients, even though it was only studied in those with mild disease. The decision risked bringing an expensive treatment to millions of additional patients without evidence of utility or safety. Thursday saw the FDA change its prescription guidelines to suggest using the drug only in the smaller group in which it was studied. The initial approval was so inexplicably broad that investors reacted favorably to the restriction: Biogen’s stock climbed as much as 4% Thursday. (Max Nisen, 7/8)

Houston Chronicle: Make Telemedicine Permanent? Tech Should Also Enable More In-Person Care
The use of technology has promised to change most jobs. This change has been greatly accelerated by COVID in health care with the use of telemedicine. The American Medical Association has predicted that after COVID, telehealth will account for a shift of $250 billion or about 20 percent of what Medicare, Medicaid and commercial insurers spend on outpatient, office and home health visits. In this bright future, physicians sit in their offices, patients sit at home and … done! (Arthur Garson Jr., 7/9)

Los Angeles Times: Put Public Members In Charge Of The California Medical Board 
It’s become a common scene at the quarterly meetings of the California Medical Board, the 15-member state panel that oversees physicians and other healthcare professionals: Witnesses tell heartrending stories about loved ones maimed or killed by a routine medical procedure, then blast the board for imposing little or no penalty on the doctor responsible. Even the board admits that the public has lost a lot of faith in its ability to protect consumers from bad doctors. (7/6)

Modern Healthcare: Properly Defining Communities Is Paramount In Protecting Them
After falling short in reaching President Biden's goal of having 70% of adults in the U.S. receive at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by the Fourth of July, it is clear more work needs to be done. While much progress has been made since COVID immunizations first became available, there are still communities around the country where protection doesn't run as deep as we need it to be. How we define community matters. As we look toward reaching 70%, we need to think about how we'll get there together. (Dr. Oxiris Barbot, 7/8)