Reuters: U.S. Developing Plan To Require Foreign Visitors To Be Vaccinated 
The Biden administration is developing a plan to require nearly all foreign visitors to the United States to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as part of eventually lifting travel restrictions that bar much of the world from entering the United States, a White House official told Reuters on Wednesday. The White House wants to re-open travel, which would boost business for the airlines and tourism industry, but is not ready to immediately lift restrictions because of the rising COVID-19 case load and highly transmissible COVID-19 Delta variant, the official said. (Shepardson, 8/4)

The Hill: US To Require Foreign Travelers To Be Vaccinated When Restrictions Lift 
The White House official said that interagency working groups are currently working to develop a plan for “a consistent and safe international travel policy” that would involve a phased approach that would require foreign nationals traveling to the U.S. to be fully vaccinated “with limited exceptions.” Reuters first reported that Biden administration officials are developing the plan for international travelers. It’s unclear precisely when the U.S. will lift restrictions on travel from Mexico, Canada, Europe and other countries. The White House said in late July that it would keep restrictions in place, citing the delta variant. (Chalfant, 8/4)

AP: US Plans To Require COVID-19 Shots For Foreign Travelers
The Biden administration has kept in place travel restrictions that have severely curtailed international trips to the U.S., citing the spread of the delta variant of the virus. Under the rules, non-U.S. residents who have been to China, the European Schengen area, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil, South Africa and India in the prior 14 days are prohibited from entering the U.S. All travelers to the U.S., regardless of vaccination status, are required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of air travel to the country. (Miller, 8/5)

Stat: WHO Calls For Moratorium On Administering Covid-19 Booster Shots
The World Health Organization called Wednesday for a temporary moratorium on the use of Covid-19 vaccine booster shots by wealthy countries, saying the global priority should be on increasing supplies of first doses to countries that are still struggling to protect health workers and older adults. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that countries should hold off on starting to give booster doses until at least the end of September — though it was quickly clear that the global health agency might extend the call if vaccine doses available to lower-income countries do not increase to adequate levels. (Branswell, 8/4)

NPR: COVID Vaccine Booster Moratorium Proposed By WHO
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of the World Health Organization, is now calling for a moratorium – for at least the next two months – on COVID booster shots. "We should not accept countries that have already used most of the global supply of vaccines, using even more of it," he says, "while the world's most vulnerable people remain unprotected." WHO is saying that people who are fully immunized against COVID should hold off on getting a third shot until more people around the world can get their first dose of a vaccine. (Beaubien, 8/4)

The Wall Street Journal: WHO Calls For Halt To Covid-19 Booster Shots To Tackle Shortfall In Developing World
The WHO said the world is falling short of the organization’s target of giving 10% of the population of every country a vaccine shot by the end of September. While richer countries have administered almost 100 doses for every 100 people, low-income countries have administered just 1.5 doses per 100 people, the agency said. Most of the vaccines currently in use require two doses. “I understand the concern of all governments to protect their people from the Delta variant, but we cannot and should not accept countries that have already used most of the global supply of vaccines using even more of it while the world’s most vulnerable people remain unprotected,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference. (Fidler, 8/4)

Also —

CBS News: Countries Move Ahead With Vaccine Booster Plans Despite WHO Plea
French President Emanuel Macron said Thursday his country would join the handful of nations that plan to offer a third dose of the coronavirus vaccine to elderly and vulnerable people, despite the World Health Organization calling on Wednesday for a hold on booster shots until at least the end of September. WHO chief Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus appealed for countries that were further along in their vaccination programs to wait until September to distribute third doses to allow for at least 10% of the population of every country to be vaccinated. (Ott, 8/5)

CNBC: Employers Can Require Workers Get Vaccinated—And It May Help Business
Covid cases are currently rising in all 50 states as the highly contagious delta variant spreads and vaccination rates level off. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 70% of U.S. adults have received at least one dose of the vaccine — leaving roughly a third of the population unvaccinated. Government organizations such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have long made it clear that employers can require vaccination. (Hess, 8/4)

The Wall Street Journal: Covid-19 Vaccine Mandates Split Corporate America 
Business leaders broadly agree they need to get more workers vaccinated to keep the U.S. economy humming in the face of the fast-spreading Delta variant. But they’re split over how best to do that. Some are dangling bigger bonuses or other incentives to cajole employees into getting the Covid-19 vaccine. Others have started requiring workers get the shot. (Cutter, Nassauer and Tita, 8/4)

ABC News: More Businesses Are Mandating COVID-19 Vaccines. Is That Legal? 
With the delta variant surging, some businesses have begun announcing COVID-19 vaccine mandates for employees with some exceptions on religious and medical grounds. The announcements have led to relief for some and strong opposition and protests for others as well as a handful of states introducing legislation to block them. (Pereira, 8/5)

Newsweek: These Companies Are Mandating Employees Get The COVID Vaccine
With the Delta variant surging worldwide, momentum for COVID-19 vaccination mandates has taken speed in the United States and corporations are pushing their employees to receive the vaccine. A growing number of major companies announced their plans to mandate vaccines just in the last few weeks. Here is a list of the companies that are requiring vaccinations for their employees: (Mayer, 8/4)

ABC News: What Is A HIPAA Violation?
Late last month Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, of Georgia, raised eyebrows around the country when she claimed that a reporter's question about her COVID-19 vaccination status was a "violation of my HIPAA rights. "Not even close, legal experts say. (Schumaker, 8/5)

CBS News: Vanguard Offers $1,000 To Each Vaccinated Employee 
Vanguard Group is giving $1,000 to employees who show proof of vaccination against COVID-19, with the mutual fund and asset- management firm joining other companies offering both carrots and sticks in an effort to spur workers to get inoculated. And it's quite the golden carrot, that $1,000. Vanguard is offering the unusually rich bonus to its roughly 16,500 U.S.-based workers who get their shots by October, the company confirmed in an email to CBS MoneyWatch after the incentive was first reported by Bloomberg News. (Gibson, 8/4)

And in more news about vaccine mandates —

ABC News: Defense Secretary To Announce Mandatory COVID Vaccinations For Troops 'Soon': Sources 
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is expected to announce his recommendation to President Joe Biden that COVID-19 vaccines be made mandatory for troops, officials told ABC News Wednesday evening. A senior official said the announcement will come "soon," while a separate U.S. official said an announcement is expected by the end of this week. (Seyler and Martinez, 8/5)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Advocate Aurora Health Requiring Employees Get Vaccinated For COVID-19
Advocate Aurora Health, the state’s largest health system, has joined other health systems in requiring employees to be vaccinated for COVID-19. Marshfield Clinic Health System, UW Health and Prevea Health, a large physician practice with clinics throughout eastern and northern Wisconsin, also said that they would require employees to be vaccinated. (Boulton, 8/4)

Los Angeles Times: Solis Issues Executive Order Mandating L.A. County Employees Get Vaccinated 
Hilda Solis, chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, issued an executive order Wednesday evening requiring the county’s 110,000 employees to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 by Oct. 1. In issuing the order, Solis cited an 18-fold increase in coronavirus cases in the county and a five-fold increase in hospitalizations — many involving unvaccinated people — since the county lifted its social distancing restrictions in June and the extra-contagious Delta variant began rapidly spreading across the region. (Rector, 8/4)

CNN: It'll Be Tough For Restaurants To Card For Vaccines. But They're Happy To Do It 
One of the world's biggest food capitals just made a bold move when it comes to vaccine mandates -— and it's one that some restaurant owners say they can get behind, even though it may result in fewer customers. On Tuesday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a new rule: Starting later this month, if you want to eat indoors at a restaurant, go to a gym or visit an indoor entertainment venue, you have to show proof of vaccination by flashing your vaccination card or a city or state mobile app. Same deal if you want to work at any of these places. The city will start to enforce the rule in September. (Wiener-Bronner, 8/4)

CNN: New York City And Vaccine Mandates: What Visitors Need To Know 
New York City's newly announced vaccine mandate for certain indoor activities raises questions for visitors about meeting the new requirements. The Key to NYC pass, announced Tuesday by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, will require vaccination for workers and customers for indoor dining, indoor fitness facilities and indoor entertainment facilities such as performance spaces and movie theaters. "The only way to patronize these establishments indoors will be if you're vaccinated," de Blasio said Tuesday as he announced the program. (Hunter, 8/4)

The Washington Examiner: Acting Boston Mayor Compares Vaccine Passports To Documentation Required During Slavery
Acting Boston Mayor Kim Janey balked at the idea of mandating proof of COVID-19 vaccines in her city, comparing the idea to slavery policies. "We know that those types of things are difficult to enforce when it comes to vaccines," the Democratic mayor said Tuesday after a reporter asked her about the vaccine passport mandate in New York City. (Richard, 8/4)

The Washington Post: Law Professor Sues George Mason University, Challenging Covid Vaccine Mandate
A law-school professor filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging George Mason University’s coronavirus vaccine mandate, arguing it is unnecessarily coercive and unconstitutional. The nonprofit New Civil Liberties Alliance filed the case against George Mason’s president and some of its other leaders in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia on behalf of Todd Zywicki, a professor at the university’s Antonin Scalia Law School. (Svrluga, 8/4)

In updates on mandates in nursing homes —

Axios: Massachusetts To Mandate COVID-19 Vaccination For Long-Term Care Staff 
Massachusetts announced Wednesday that most nursing home workers will be required be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus by Oct. 10. The requirement comes as cases driven by the Delta variant rise across the U.S. and Massachusetts reported 883 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday. (Frazier, 8/4)

Bangor Daily News: Staffing Shortages Keep Maine Nursing Homes From Mandating COVID-19 Vaccines
Many Maine nursing homes would be requiring employees to get COVID-19 vaccines if not for staffing shortages exacerbated by the pandemic, a recent survey found. The ongoing survey from the Maine Medical Directors Association, which had gotten 43 homes to respond as of Wednesday, found 60 percent of those facilities want to require staff to be vaccinated. But long-standing shortages make them wary of implementing requirements as new cases in Maine creep up, driven by the more contagious delta variant. (Andrews, 8/5)

CNBC: CVS Stops Giving J&J Covid Vaccines In Pharmacies, Still Offers Shots At Some MinuteClinics
CVS Health has stopped offering Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose Covid-19 vaccine in its pharmacies, now only making the shots available in roughly 10% of its retail locations, the company told CNBC on Wednesday. The drugstore chain said it made the change over the past several weeks. It said customers can still get the shots at almost 1,000 MinuteClinic locations in 25 states and Washington D.C. MinuteClinics are inside of some of the company’s drugstores and provide non-emergency medical care and other services, such as diagnostic tests and vaccines. (Lovelace Jr. and Repko, 8/4)

Axios: CVS, Walgreens See Uptick Of People Getting COVID Vaccines 
Demand for COVID-19 vaccines has increased at Walgreens and CVS stores in the past month after slow uptake in May and June. Vaccinations are vital to slow the spread of the Delta variant, and the amount of rising coronavirus cases appears to be nudging some unvaccinated people into a pharmacy. (Herman, 8/4)

PBS NewsHour: As COVID Cases Surge Again, Here’s How Vaccinations Are Rising
After more than a dozen weeks of new COVID vaccinations declining in the United States, public health experts are encouraged to be seeing a small uptick in shots. But with the more transmissible delta variant fueling steep spikes in cases in places where vaccination rates are low, experts also insist more must still be done. Nationwide, there has been a 55-percent increase in the average number of new people getting vaccinated daily, President Joe Biden said during a news conference Tuesday, adding that some of the hardest hit states are now reporting as much as a doubling in the rate of new vaccinations. (Santhanam, 8/4)

CNN: As People Of All Aged Flock To A Louisiana Vaccination Site, An Official Says He Is Optimistic Outreach Is Working 
As hospitals in Louisiana fill up with Covid-19 patients, vaccination sites in the state are also seeing increased traffic, leaving at least one hospital official optimistic that all the vaccination outreach is working. Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center Director of Operations Thomas Dunn said seeing people of all ages come in for their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccination is a positive sign. The hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is low on space as another wave of Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations sweeps the region. Masking and vaccinations, Gov. John Bel Edwards said, is the only way to end the nightmare. (Holcombe, Romero and Simon, 8/5)

The Hill: Surgeon General: 'Odds Are High' Vaccine For Kids Under 12 Will Be Approved In Upcoming School Year
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy this week said there's a high likelihood that a vaccine for children under the age of 12 will be approved during the next school year. “I think the odds are high,” Murthy said during an interview on theSkimm’s podcast “Skimm This,” set to be released Thursday. (Schnell, 8/4)

San Francisco Chronicle: At Least 2,700 San Francisco City Employees Have Not Been Vaccinated. Some Are Frontline Workers
At least 2,700 San Francisco city employees have not been vaccinated against the coronavirus — including some frontline workers — and could eventually lose their jobs if they continue to refuse the shots, according to city data exclusively obtained by The Chronicle. The overwhelming majority of San Francisco’s 36,000-person workforce is vaccinated against the coronavirus. But the San Francisco Police Department, Municipal Transportation Agency and Department of Public Health each had hundreds of unvaccinated employees as of Wednesday, according to data collected by the Department of Human Resources. (Thadani and Moench, 8/4)

Reuters: U.S. COVID-19 Cases Hit Six-Month High At Over 100,000
The United States hit a six-month high for new COVID cases with over 100,000 infections reported on Wednesday, according to a Reuters tally, as the Delta variant ravages areas where people did not get vaccinated. The country is reporting over 94,819 cases on a seven-day average, a five-fold increase in less than a month, Reuters data through Wednesday showed. The seven-day average provides the most accurate picture of how fast cases are rising since some states only report infections once or twice a week. (Abraham, 8/5)

The New York Times: World’s Coronavirus Infection Total Passes Staggering Figure: 200 Million
Two hundred million is an enormous number. But as the world recorded the 200 millionth detected case of coronavirus infection, that daunting figure — more than the populations of Germany, France and Spain combined — also fails to capture how far the virus has embedded itself within humanity. ... A surge in case numbers has too often been followed by a crush of people crowding emergency rooms. And then, several weeks later, fatality counts have typically spiked. It took more than a year for the pandemic to reach its 100 millionth case, and little more than six months to double that, with the world surpassing the 200 million figure on Wednesday, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. (Santora and Kwai, 8/4)

In other news about the spread of the coronavirus —

The Washington Examiner: More Than 1,500 Coronavirus-Positive Migrants Released In One Week Into Texas Border Town 
A border city in south Texas declared a local disaster this week as it struggles to respond to surging cases of the coronavirus among migrants as thousands are released by the Border Patrol onto the street every week. Last week, a record-high 7,000 migrants were released in downtown McAllen, where they were immediately tested for the coronavirus through a city contractor. More than 1,500 people tested positive over the past seven days, according to a city document issued Wednesday, compared to a total of 7,000 confirmed cases over the past five months. Those who test positive are told to quarantine for two days but are ultimately released into the public. (Giaritelli, 8/4)

The New York Times: Nursing Homes Confront New Covid Outbreaks Amid Calls For Staff Vaccination Mandates 
In late spring, the 142 nursing homes operated by the Good Samaritan Society hit a milestone that was unthinkable just four months earlier: Zero cases of Covid-19 across the whole company, from 900 at the peak of the pandemic. The relief was short-lived. The case count has ticked up again: It’s still below 100 among residents and staff, the company said, but includes many breakthrough cases of vaccinated residents testing positive. Then last week, two vaccinated residents died with Covid at the Good Samaritan Society-Deuel County nursing home in Clear Lake, South Dakota. (Richtel and Abelson, 8/4)

Houston Chronicle: COVID-19 Cases Found On Vaccinated Carnival Cruise
Carnival Cruise Line confirmed Wednesday evening that a “small number” of people onboard the Galveston-based Carnival Vista cruise ship have tested positive for COVID-19. The cruise company, which resumed sailing from American ports with the Carnival Vista’s July 3 excursion, now operates the Vista and sister ship Carnival Breeze on weekly cruises from the port of Galveston. (Zong, 8/4)

Houston Chronicle: According To Houston's Wastewater, The Surge Of COVID-19 Is Only Going To Get Worse
There is more COVID-19 in the city’s wastewater system now than at any time in the pandemic, city officials said Wednesday, the latest warning that the virus is spreading at an unprecedented rate. Dr. David Persse, the city's health authority, said there is more than three times as much virus in the system as there was last July. The volume also is higher than in January, during the most recent spike. Persse said the wastewater data, a precursor to other meaures, show the surge will only grow worse in the coming weeks. (McGuinness, 8/4)

USA Today: Chicago's Lollapalooza Could Be A Super Spreader, Experts Warn
The sight was striking. As COVID-19 cases surged in the U.S. last weekend, the city's downtown was a sea of mostly unmasked humanity as hundreds of thousands crowded together for the outdoor music festival Lollapalooza. A chorus of public health experts sounded the alarm about the fast spread of the contagious coronavirus delta variant – even by the fully vaccinated – and the city called for masking indoors, yet more than 385,000 people packed the four-day event. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot defended the decision to hold the festival, citing strict pandemic precautions that required concertgoers show proof of vaccination or a negative coronavirus test and to wear a mask. (Rodriguez and Fernando, 8/4)

Also —

Reuters: First Broadway Play Opens In NY Since Lengthy Pandemic Shutdown
The first Broadway play since the coronavirus pandemic shut down theaters in New York City in 2020 opened on Wednesday, with vaccinations and masks required for audiences."Pass Over," a modern twist on "Waiting for Godot," was sold out for its first preview at the August Wilson Theatre in Manhattan. ... Under rules announced by Broadway theaters last week, audiences, actors, stage crew and theater staff must be fully vaccinated and masks must be worn for shows, which will be allowed to play to 100% capacity audiences. "The vibe is amazing, it's electric," said director Danya Taymor. "We got to have a dress rehearsal last night, so we got to have like 500 people in here. And just the palpable joy and gratitude of the audience made me weep.” (8/4)

The Washington Post: NFLPA Proposes Return To Stricter Coronavirus Protocols 
The NFL Players Association told its membership Wednesday that it will propose re-tightening the sport’s coronavirus protocols and testing vaccinated players and team staffers more frequently, based on growing concerns about the spread of the delta variant and breakthrough infections among vaccinated individuals. (Maske, 8/4)

Politico: White House Wants NY To Avoid Setback In Case Of Leadership Change 
Press secretary Jen Psaki on Wednesday said the White House didn’t want to see New Yorkers affected “in a negative way” by potential leadership turnover in the state as it continues its battle with Covid. “The president made clear, because of the abhorrent allegations that were made public yesterday, that it is time for Governor Cuomo to resign,” Psaki said during a White House press briefing. “At the same time, we do not want the people of New York to be impacted in a negative way as they’re working to fight Covid.” (Ward, 8/4)

The Washington Post: Bryson DeChambeau: No Vaccine, No Regrets After Coronavirus Led To Missing Olympics
Bryson DeChambeau said Wednesday that he does not regret declining to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, despite developing a case of covid-19 that caused him to lose around 10 pounds and miss out on representing the United States in the Olympics. The 27-year-old major winner told reporters Wednesday that being vaccinated “doesn’t necessarily prevent it from happening,” referring to possibly contracting the coronavirus. Speaking in Memphis, the site of the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, DeChambeau asserted that he would “rather give [the vaccine] to people who need it.” (Bieler, 8/4)

CNN: Dallas Firefighter Allegedly Faked His Family's Covid-19 Diagnoses And Took Paid Leave To Go To A Resort 
A Dallas firefighter was charged with theft after allegedly taking paid leave for nearly a month while lying about testing positive for Covid-19. William Jordan Carter, 38, who's been with the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department for 14 years, was arrested Friday, and bail was set at $1,500, according to court records. He was no longer in custody as of Wednesday. Carter requested time off on March 24 because his wife had Covid-19, according to an affidavit for his arrest warrant. A week later, he requested another week, saying his daughter had tested positive for the virus. Two days before he was set to return to work, Carter reported to the department he was sick and had tested positive for Covid, the affidavit says. (Killough and Vera, 8/5)

ABC News: Delta Variant Now 93% Of All Sequenced Cases In US
The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads. More than 614,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and over 4.2 million people have died worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. (Shapiro and Pereira, 8/5)

The Hill: Delta's Peak Is Difficult To Project, But Could Come This Month
The COVID-19 delta variant surging through the United States could peak later this month, but experts say projections are difficult and much will depend on an unpredictable factor: human behavior. The U.S. is expected to endure a rough next few weeks no matter what. The seven-day average for COVID-19 has risen in recent weeks to 85,866 cases per day as of Monday, the highest point since Valentine’s Day, according to data from The New York Times. (Coleman, 8/4)

The Atlantic: What Does The Future Of Delta Look Like?
When the U.K. dropped all coronavirus restrictions on “Freedom Day,” July 19, critics called the move a “dangerous and unethical experiment.” Harsher critics called it “epidemiologically stupid.” At the time, cases in the country were still rising amid a Delta-fueled spike. Then, to nearly everyone’s surprise, COVID-19 cases started falling. This suggests that Delta hit a natural peak in the U.K. by mid-July—not because of Freedom Day, the effects of which are only just starting to show up in the data, but through some other mechanism. (Zhang, 8/4)

The Washington Post: Should You Cancel Travel Plans Because Of Delta Variant? What To Ask Yourself.
For a blissful few weeks this spring, a summer of semi-normal travel seemed not just possible, but almost certain. Flights were booked, hotel reservations were made and vacation time was requested as those with wanderlust or pent-up desire to see loved ones organized their long-awaited excursions. But the hyper-transmissible delta variant of the coronavirus has now forced some would-be travelers to cancel trips and others to consider whether it’s safe to follow through with their plans. (Iati, 8/4)

Philadelphia Inquirer: Delta-Plus And Lambda Variants Don’t Yet Warrant Panic For Vaccinated People, Philly Experts Say
While the United States scrambles to respond to growing COVID-19 cases fueled by the delta variant, a handful of new variants are continuing to appear, such as B.1.617.2.1 or AY.1 — dubbed “delta-plus.” As its moniker suggests, delta-plus is reported to be a souped-up version of the highly prevalent and likely more transmissible delta variant. On Tuesday, South Korean public health officials reported two cases of this new variant, including at least one person who was vaccinated, according to Reuters. This extends the list of more than 200 previously reported cases in the United States, Canada, and multiple European and Asian nations. The World Health Organization considers it to be a variant of concern. (Nathan, 8/5)

In related news —

Axios: Fauci Fears A COVID Variant Worse Than Delta Could Be Coming 
If America's current COVID-19 surge continues unabated into the fall and winter, the country will likely face an even more deadly strain of the virus that could evade the current coronavirus vaccines, NIAID director Anthony Fauci told McClatchy Wednesday. Fauci's comments underscore the importance of acting quickly to vaccinate the tens of millions of Americans who have not been inoculated against the virus. (Saric, 8/4)

CNN: If We Do Not All Get Vaccinated, The Next Covid-19 Variant Is Just Around The Corner, Expert Says 
Efforts to get more Americans vaccinated against Covid-19 are growing more urgent as an expert warns that if vaccination rates don't increase, the dangerous Delta variant could continue to evolve. "The next variant is just around the corner, if we do not all get vaccinated," Adm. Brett Giroir, the former coronavirus testing czar under Pres. Trump, told CNN's Chris Cuomo. "I just beg the American people to understand that to defeat this virus, we have to get everybody's level of immunity up, and that's just the way it is," he added. (Holcombe, 8/5)

Fox News: Pfizer, J&J React To COVID-19 Breakthrough Infections
Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson remain confident in their respective COVID-19 vaccines’ ability to prevent severe illness, hospitalization and death amid the spread of the highly transmissible delta variant, the companies told Fox News. Following recent outbreaks in Massachusetts, in which nearly three-quarters of some 469 COVID-19 cases occurred in fully vaccinated individuals, federal officials involved with the country’s COVID-19 response and some vaccine drugmakers are emphasizing that the shots remain protective against serious outcomes. (Rivas, 8/4)

The Hill: DeSantis Hits Back At Biden Criticism: 'Why Don't You Do Your Job?'
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hit back on Wednesday after President Biden criticized him and other Republican governors for banning mask mandates. Speaking at a news conference, DeSantis promised to stand in the way of “lockdown policies” and accused Biden of trying to restrict the rights of parents and children in Florida. “Joe Biden suggests that if you don’t do lockdown policies, then you should ‘get out of the way.’ But let me tell you this: If you’re coming after the rights of parents in Florida, I’m standing in your way. I’m not going to let you get away with it,” DeSantis said. (Chalfant, 8/4)

Florida's deadly covid surge continues —

Newsweek: Florida's Seven-Day COVID Case Average Spikes 800 Percent In One Month
Over the past month, Florida's seven-day average number of COVID-19 cases has spiked by a large percentage, as the state has seen a surge of new cases, deaths and hospitalizations. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of August 1, Florida was reporting a seven-day average of new cases of 17,024, but this number was far lower just a month ago. (Impelli, 8/4)

Bloomberg: Florida Hospitals Fighting To Get Oxygen With ‘Hand Tied’
Florida hospitals are struggling to get oxygen due to a rise in Covid-19 cases attributable to the delta variant and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s decision not to declare another state of emergency. A shortage of drivers who are qualified to transport oxygen, as well as restrictions around how long truck drivers can be on the road—which went back into effect following the expiration of the public health emergency in the state—means that the supply isn’t getting to the hospitals that need it most. (Stein, 8/4)

AP: In Florida Hospitals, 'There Are Only So Many Beds'
A South Florida hospital chain is suspending elective surgeries and putting beds in conference rooms, an auditorium and even a cafeteria as many more patients seek treatment for COVID-19. “We are seeing a surge like we’ve not seen before in terms of the patients coming,” Memorial Healthcare System’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Marc Napp said Wednesday during a news conference in Hollywood. (Kennedy, 8/5)

USA Today: Florida, Texas Hospitals Swamped By Younger, Unvaxxed COVID Patients
A fourth wave of COVID-19 is threatening to overwhelm U.S. hospitals in regions where large swaths of unvaccinated people provide little resistance to the highly contagious delta variant. Nowhere is the strain more apparent than Florida, which reached a new peak Tuesday of 11,515 people hospitalized with COVID-19, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Hospitals in Jacksonville and Orlando last week crashed through their pandemic peaks, and hospitals in Miami-Dade County are at or approaching record coronavirus hospitalizations this week, said Mary Mayhew, CEO of Florida Hospital Association. (Alltucker, 8/4)

Some schools in Florida say they will defy Gov. DeSantis —

Politico: 'Literally Losing Our Workforce': Florida Schools Defy DeSantis' Anti-Mask Order
Florida school districts are moving to resist Gov. Ron DeSantis’ order barring schools from implementing mask requirements for kids, setting up a fight with the Republican governor who has resisted any Covid-related mandates. Late Tuesday night, school board members in Alachua County in north Florida voted to require all students to wear masks during the first two weeks of school. And Wednesday morning, Leon County, which includes Tallahassee, announced it’s seeking a mandatory mask rule for students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Both are direct rejections of DeSantis’ executive order prohibiting schools from enacting mask requirements for students. (Atterbury, 8/4)

The Washington Post: Several School Districts In Florida Issue Mask Mandates Despite Governor’s Order 
Some of Florida’s largest school districts have announced they will either keep or issue new mask mandates in light of the coronavirus outbreak that is ravaging the state, challenging an order by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) threatening to withhold funds from school districts if they mandate that students wear face coverings. At least four school districts in the state are pushing back against the governor’s staunch opposition to new virus restrictions or mask mandates after he issued an executive order Friday saying that recent guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that students wear masks “lacks” scientific justification and warning that the government could withhold state funds from “noncompliant” schools. (Villegas and Kornfield, 8/4)

Axios: Arkansas Governor Says He Regrets Banning Mask Mandates 
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Tuesday he regrets signing a bill into law that banned local mask mandates in the state. Hutchinson has called on the state legislature to amend the law to let school districts decide whether to require face coverings when they return to in-person learning this fall. (Gonzalez, 8/4)

NPR: Arkansas Governor Wants To Reverse A Law That Forbids Schools To Require Masks
Months after he signed the bill banning state and local mask mandates, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson says he wants the law reversed to give schools the option to require face coverings when children return to the classroom. "In hindsight, I wish that it had not become law. But it is the law, and the only chance we have is either to amend it or for the courts to say that it has an unconstitutional foundation," he said at a Tuesday news conference. Hutchinson has called a special session for the state legislature to change the law. During the news conference, he and Secretary of Health Jose Romero stressed that children under 12 are currently the most vulnerable group in the state because they are unable to get the vaccine. (Fischels, 8/4)

CNN: New Data On Kids And Covid Made Even A GOP Governor Flip On Masks In Schools 
The freedom coveted by some Americans to avoid vaccines and spurn masks is, increasingly, leading to a group of Americans that can't access vaccines getting Covid-19. We're talking about kids under 12, who need to go back to school over the next month, but can't get the vaccine. "I think we've let our children down," Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine adviser to the US Food and Drug Administration, told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Wednesday, while discussing low vaccination rates in the US placing children who cannot get the shot at risk. "They depend on those around them to protect them," he said. (Wolf, 8/4)

In related news from Arkansas —

CNN: This Arkansas Hospital Is So Short On Nurses In This Newest Covid-19 Surge, It's Offering A $25,000 Signing Bonus 
Takela Gardner began her nursing career just two years ago, but her patients already think she's a seasoned nurse. A registered nurse at a University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) facility in Little Rock, Gardner told CNN she's had to essentially learn nursing on the fly during the Covid-19 pandemic, which she said began eight months into her nursing career. Not only that, but seeing constant death, working long shifts and having a shortage of health care staff -- specifically nurses -- have left Gardner burnt out. (Vera, Savidge, Cartaya and Hanna, 8/5)

Thv11.Com: Virtually Zero Hospital Beds Available In Arkansas, Officials Say 
The Arkansas Secretary of Health Dr. Jose Romero said there is no space in any state hospitals for inpatient care (ICU beds.) In a meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 4, Dr. Romero asked the steering committee to direct money from the American Rescue Plan to get more hospital staff and beds for COVID-19 patients. A hospital bed would cost $4,000 each. Dr. Rawle Seupaul, the UAMS Chief Medical Officer said the hospital can't give adequate care to patients as the delta variant is causing mostly unvaccinated Arkansans to receive inpatient care. (8/4)

Fox News: NIH Director Backs Away From Suggestion That Parents Wear Masks At Home To Protect Kids
The head of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on Tuesday afternoon tried to walk back his comments from earlier in the day suggesting that parents wear masks at home to protect unvaccinated children. Dr. Francis Collins said "it’s clear" that the delta variant was capable of causing serious illness in kids while addressing whether young children should avoid indoor situations. He noted that while rare, there are many examples of young people being sickened by the virus and cited new recommendations for kids under 12 to avoid being in places where they might get infected and recommendations for universal masking at schools, and even for adults at home. (Hein, 8/4)

NBC News: Delta And Vaccinated Parents: What People With Kids Under 12 Need To Know
With coronavirus cases rising across the country and the highly contagious delta variant spreading in every state, many parents have been left wondering how best to keep their children safe, particularly when it comes to kids under 12 who are not yet eligible for vaccination. Most schools are set to welcome students back in person in the coming weeks, but many aren't requiring them to wear masks. And as people look to plan last-minute vacations, set up play dates for their kids or attend other events, weighing the potential risks is challenging because many families are juggling different vaccination statuses within their own ranks. (Chow, 8/4)

In updates on mandates at schools and universities —

Axios: Illinois Announces Mask Mandate For Schools, Vaccinations For State Workers 
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) announced Wednesday that the state would institute a mask mandate for preschool through high school students and staff and a vaccine mandate for some state employees. The move comes as surging COVID-19 cases driven by the Delta variant in Illinois have led to rising hospitalization, ICU occupancy and ventilator use rates, per the governor's press release. (Saric, 8/4)

AP: Penn State University Requires Masking At All Campuses
Penn State University will require students, staff and visitors at all its campuses to wear masks while indoors, the school announced Wednesday, responding to a statewide surge in coronavirus cases. The masking rule will apply to everyone, regardless of vaccination status, Penn State officials said. (8/5)

AP: Phoenix School District Says Suit Over Mask Mandate Is Moot
A Phoenix school district wants a judge to dismiss a lawsuit over its mask mandate, which could be a test case for other districts, arguing a state law banning such policy isn’t in effect yet. A preliminary hearing was held Wednesday in the case of Douglas Hester, a biology teacher who sued the Phoenix Union High School District. Hester is asking a Maricopa County Superior Court judge to grant a temporary restraining order on the mandate, calling it unlawful. (Tang, 8/5)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: Tulane University Will Require Regular COVID Testing This Fall, In Addition To Vaccine Mandate
Tulane University will require students and faculty to have regular coronavirus testing this fall, the latest in a series of moves by the university to stop the spread of COVID-19. Students must test for COVID three days before they arrive at the university's dormitories, university officials said in a memo this week. Students should also quarantine for up to a week before they return to campus. Classes begin Aug. 23. Dorm move-ins begin Aug. 15 and run through Aug. 21. (Williams, 8/4)

Anchorage Daily News: Anchorage Assembly Member Says Requiring Children To Wear Masks In Schools Is ‘Criminal Child Abuse’
Anchorage Assembly member Jamie Allard in an interview this week said she believes requiring children to wear masks in public schools is criminal child abuse. Allard, a vocal opponent of the city’s previous mask mandate and other COVID-19 restrictions, first made the statement in a column on a conservative website last week. It was published ahead of an Anchorage School Board meeting considering the school district’s COVID-19 mitigation plan. The plan recommended requiring students and staff, in most cases, to wear masks indoors during the upcoming school year. “I also agree with those who believe that masking children is nothing short of criminal child abuse. Don’t do it, Anchorage School Board,” wrote Allard. On Tuesday, the Anchorage School Board accepted the district’s plan. (Goodykoontz, 8/4)

The Baltimore Sun: In Ever-Changing Pandemic, Maryland And Baltimore-Area Schools Leaders Say One Thing Is Certain: Classes Will Be In-Person Next School Year 
Education officials say all Maryland public schools will be open five days a week for in-person classes next school year, despite currently rising coronavirus cases and changing federal guidance on masking. There are no plans to switch back to online learning. No plans to reintroduce the hybrid compromise, where teachers simultaneously instruct online and in front of a class of students. And no one is talking about expanding seats for what is planned to be a limited number of online students. (Bowie and Reed, 8/4)

In other mask news —

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin State Employees Will Be Required To Wear Masks
State employees will have to wear face masks starting Thursday because of a surge in coronavirus cases, Wisconsin officials announced Wednesday. The move came shortly after the two largest University of Wisconsin schools, in Madison and Milwaukee, put in place their own mask requirements. The policies are being enacted as the delta variant of COVID springs up around the world, including among those who have been fully vaccinated. (Marley, 8/4)

Newsweek: Google Doodle Says 'Get Vaccinated, Wear A Mask' As Delta Variant Threat Looms
The Google Doodle for Wednesday, August 4, is urging people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and wear face masks as the pandemic continues. The company's latest animated graphic shows the familiar letters spelling out its name, all wearing masks. It is accompanied by the caption: "Get vaccinated. Wear a mask. Save lives." (Kim, 8/4)

Las Vegas Review-Journal: Man Scales Strip Hotel To Protest New Mask Mandates
At the first glimpse of sunlight on Tuesday, Las Vegas-based rock climber Maison Des Champs set out to scale the exterior of a Strip hotel in protest of Nevada’s latest COVID-19 mask mandate for indoor public areas. Maison Des Champs, 22, said he had been scouting the Aria, a 600-foot-tall skyscraper, for the better part of the past year. After his grandfather died by suicide during last year’s pandemic-triggered lockdown, Des Champs said, he was inspired to find a way to peacefully protest against Nevada’s mandates in his grandfather’s honor. “I don’t expect everyone to agree with me,” the climber told the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Wednesday. “COVID is dangerous, and masks aren’t that big of a deal, but it’s what they stand for: a loss of freedom and personal choice.” (Lacanlale, 8/4)

CIDRAP: Flu Vaccine Linked To Less Severe COVID-19
COVID-19 patients who had received the flu vaccine 6 months to 2 weeks prior to diagnosis were less likely to have sepsis, stroke, and—with some time constraints—deep vein thrombosis (DVTs) and admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) or emergency department (ED), according to a study yesterday in PLOS One. The researchers used an electronic medical record network to match 37,377 COVID-19 patients who had received the flu vaccine with 37,377 of those who hadn't in January 2021, drawing from 56 healthcare organizations predominantly in the United States. (8/4)

The New York Times: Heart Problems After Vaccination In U.S. Are Uncommon And Short-Lived, Researchers Say
For every one million Americans immunized with a coronavirus vaccine, about 60 develop temporary heart problems, according to a study published on Wednesday in the journal JAMA Network. The complications were all short-lived, the researchers found. And these heart problems are far more common among patients who develop Covid-19, outside experts noted. (Mandavilli, 8/4)

Nature: Surprise Dip In UK COVID Cases Baffles Researchers
Scientists are scratching their heads over the precipitous decline in daily COVID-19 infections in the United Kingdom following their rapid rise earlier in the year. Officially recorded new cases more than halved in just 2 weeks: from a high of 54,674 on 17 July to 22,287 on 2 August. “Nobody really knows what’s going on,” says epidemiologist John Edmunds at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). In particular, it’s not clear whether this sudden trend indicates that the peak of the third wave has passed, or whether it is a blip caused by complex social factors. (Ball, 8/3)

Also —

Nature: COVID ‘Fast Grants’ Sped Up Pandemic Science
What happened when an economics researcher, a bioengineer and a tech entrepreneur joined forces in a pandemic? They envisaged a research-grant system with an application form that can be completed in less than 30 minutes, a decision-making process that takes just 48 hours, and funding that arrives within a week — and then set up the system in 10 days, using donations from philanthropists. The scheme, known as Fast Grants, launched in April 2020 and received 4,000 applications in its first week. It was created by Tyler Cowen, an economics researcher at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia; Patrick Collison, co-founder of online payment processing platform Stripe; and Patrick Hsu, a bioengineer at the University of California, Berkeley. (Else, 8/3)

The Guardian: Research Into Non-Injectable Covid Vaccines Brings Hope For Needle-Phobics
The sight of a needle piercing skin is enough to chill a quarter of adult Britons and trigger up to 4% into fainting. But hope is on the horizon for needle-phobics as researchers are working on a range of non-injectable Covid vaccine formulations, including nasal sprays and tablets. Almost every vaccine in use today comes with a needle, and the approved Covid-19 vaccines are no exception. Once jabbed, the body’s immune system usually mounts a response, but scientists in the UK and beyond are hoping to harness the immune arsenal of the mucous membranes that line the nose, mouth, lungs and digestive tract, regions typically colonised by respiratory viruses including Covid-19, in part to allay the fears of needle-phobics. (Grover, 8/2)

The Washington Post: Real Estate, Landlord Groups File Legal Salvo To Stop Biden Administration’s New Eviction Moratorium
Only one day after the Biden administration issued a new policy protecting renters from eviction, a series of real estate and landlord groups is trying to invalidate it — setting up another legal showdown over a moratorium that Democrats say is essential to keeping Americans in their homes. The petition arrived Wednesday from groups including the Alabama Association of Realtors and its counterpart in Georgia, arguing the latest eviction order issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention exceeds the agency’s authority. The group asked a federal judge in D.C. to halt the new protections, citing the district court’s prior ruling that found the government’s first eviction ban to be unlawful. (Romm, 8/4)

Politico: Landlords Sue To Stop Biden's 'Nakedly Political' Eviction Ban 
Trade groups representing property owners late Wednesday sued to block a new federal eviction moratorium that President Joe Biden himself warned this week was on shaky legal ground. The Alabama and Georgia chapters of the National Association of Realtors filed a motion in federal court to vacate the ban that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ordered Tuesday. The same groups led a legal challenge against the prior federal eviction moratorium that expired Saturday — a lawsuit that prompted the Supreme Court to cast doubt on the CDC's authority. (O'Donnell, 8/4)

USA Today: Real Estate Groups Sue To Block Biden's New Eviction Moratorium
A group of real estate entities asked a federal court late Wednesday to block enforcement of the Biden administration's new eviction moratorium, reopening a battle that appeared destined to put the legal challenge back before the Supreme Court. Arguing that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "caved to the political pressure" by creating what the administration called a "targeted," 60-day freeze on evictions in counties with a high spread of COVID-19, the groups asked the district court in Washington, D.C., to immediately block the new moratorium. (Fritze, 8/4)

The Wall Street Journal: Legal Battle Looms Over New Eviction Moratorium
The Biden administration’s latest eviction moratorium is set to face an immediate and possibly fast-moving legal challenge that could present high hurdles for the White House. A group of property managers and realtors lodged objections in a Washington federal court to the new moratorium late Wednesday. The same plaintiffs, supported by the National Association of Realtors, challenged the previous moratorium, alleging the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lacked legal authority to issue it. (Kendall, 8/4)

In related news —

The Hill: Rental Aid Emerges As New Housing Fight After Eviction Ban 
Lawmakers and housing advocates are struggling to figure out how to get billions of dollars in rental assistance to tenants who desperately need the help, even with the action taken Tuesday by the Biden administration to extend an eviction moratorium for most of the country. Congress this year appropriated $46 billion for tenants and landlords in need, but only about $3 billion has reached the intended recipients. (Johnson, 8/4)

Modern Healthcare: Higher ACA Subsidies Are Saving Consumers A Lot Of Money
Consumers who buy health insurance through the Affordable Care Act's exchange marketplaces have saved 40% on monthly premiums since new tax credits took effect in April., CMS reported Wednesday. More than one in three shoppers found coverage for $10 or less per month through HealthCare.gov, which is the federal enrollment portal used in 37 states. Another 2.5 million federal exchange enrollees saved at least $40 on their premiums since President Joe Biden's administration opened a special enrollment period in February as part of its COVID-19 response. The CMS report doesn't include information from the exchanges operated by 14 states and the District of Columbia. (Brady, 8/4)

Bloomberg: Biden Stimulus Increase Cut Obamacare Plan Premiums by 40%
Biden has prioritized expanding enrollment and lowering premium costs in the ACA exchanges, a reversal from his predecessor Donald Trump, who sought to dismantle Obamacare. The shift has boosted enrollment for companies like Centene Corp. that sell ACA coverage and enticed other insurers back to the marketplace. CVS Health Corp. said Wednesday that its Aetna unit planned to offer plans in new states next year. Average premiums for returning customers in the 36 states using the federal marketplace dropped from $104 a month to $62 a month, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services. (Tozzi, 8/4)

And more on health care affordability —

MarketWatch: What Does Earning $62,000 A Year Buy You In America? Not Great Access To Health Care, New Report Concludes
What does earning at least $62,000 a year buy you in America? About the same amount of health-care affordability problems as lower-income citizens in three other highly developed countries, according to a new report. Around one-quarter (27%) of higher income Americans said they skipped doctors’ visits, tests, treatments, follow-up appointments or drug prescriptions due to costs last year, according to a comparative report from the Commonwealth Fund about health care systems in 11 countries. (Keshner, 8/4)

The Hill: Senate Eyeing Possible Weekend Finish For $1T Infrastructure Bill 
Senators are in negotiations over wrapping up a roughly $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure deal, with an eye at finishing it as soon as this weekend. Senators say they are looking at holding a key vote to wind down debate on Saturday, where the bill would need 60 votes to move forward. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said a vote to end debate was “possible” on Saturday, but cautioned that it wasn’t final because senators were still haggling over up to 60 hours of time they would still need to burn through after that vote under the Senate’s rules before they could get to final passage for the bipartisan agreement. (Carney, 8/4)

CBS News: Senate Slowly Presses Forward On Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill
The Senate is slowly inching closer to a final vote on the roughly $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, as debate on amendments to the proposal continues and Republicans urge their Democratic colleagues not to move too quickly. The Senate has so far considered eight amendments to the plan, which provides $550 billion in new spending to revitalize the nation's physical infrastructure. The upper chamber is poised to consider another "substantial tranche" of amendments Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said, though an agreement on the total number of amendments to weigh has not yet been reached. (Quinn, 8/4)

KHN: 2+2=? Senate Uses Murky Math As It Shelves Drug Pricing Rule To Fund Infrastructure
The Senate’s release of its bipartisan infrastructure plan signals that lawmakers are poised to throw former President Donald Trump’s belated bid to lower Medicare drug prices under the bus — not to mention trains, bridges, tunnels and broadband connections. That’s because the massive spending bill is the first of two likely to at least delay the so-called Medicare rebate rule released at the end of the Trump administration, which has yet to take effect. Congress would use the projected costs of that rule to pay for more than half a trillion dollars in new infrastructure. (McAuliff, 8/5)

In other news from Capitol Hill —

The Washington Post: Senators Join Effort To Create A Covid Memorial Day For 614,000 Pandemic Victims
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and two other senators introduced a resolution Wednesday to create a national covid-19 day of memorial, giving momentum to the cause of hundreds of grieving families to ensure their loss is not forgotten. For months, the families of those who died struggled to find a single senator to support their cause, and they converged on Washington last week to make their pleas in person. (Wan, 8/4)

The Washington Post: Scalise’s Misleading Clip Job Claiming ‘Vaccine Misinformation’ By Democrats
Republicans, especially supporters of former president Donald Trump, increasingly make up a large share of people refusing coronavirus vaccines, according to various surveys. With Democrats claiming that Republicans are not trusting science, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), the House minority whip, decided to go on the offense, releasing a video claiming that Democrats actually are purveyors of vaccine misinformation. This is a classic example of “whataboutism.” The 57-second video consists of clips of three prominent Democrats — President Biden, Vice President Harris and New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo — but are carefully clipped to remove context or to twist their meaning. These comments were made in 2020, when Trump was president and he was pressing the Food and Drug Administration to approve a vaccine before the presidential election. (Kessler, 8/5)

The Hill: 19 House Democrats Call On Capitol Physician To Mandate Vaccines
A group of 19 House Democrats is calling on the Capitol physician to start mandating that lawmakers and staff on Capitol Hill be vaccinated against COVID-19 or be subject to testing at least twice per week. In a letter to the Capitol physician released on Wednesday, the Democratic lawmakers argued that "unique factors," such as the frequent travel among members of Congress who hail from all corners of the country, make people who work in the Capitol complex more at risk of exposure to COVID-19. (Marcos, 8/4)

The Washington Examiner: Newt Gingrich Says He's Worried About Fauci's 'Cognitive Impairment' 
Newt Gingrich raised concerns about the cognitive abilities of Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden's chief medical adviser who has become a target among Republicans throughout the coronavirus pandemic. The former House speaker brought up Fauci's brain Wednesday as he explained why he believes the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases should retire. (Chaitin, 8/4)

In other news about elected officials in Louisiana and Arizona —

CBS News: Louisiana Congresswoman Julia Letlow Urges COVID-19 Vaccinations After Husband's Death: "We Have The Answer. Let's Use It"
Louisiana Congresswoman Julia Letlow's husband, Luke, had just been elected to Congress when he got the coronavirus. The two were anxiously awaiting an opportunity to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. "He and I had prayed for weeks prior about the possibility of the vaccine, and we were so excited that it was coming out and that it was going to be widely available. And he missed it by two weeks," Julia told CBS News' David Begnaud. (CBS News, 8/4)

The Washington Examiner: Vaccinated Arizona State Senator Tests Positive For COVID-19 
An Arizona state lawmaker revealed on Tuesday he tested positive for COVID-19 after being vaccinated against the virus. Democratic state Sen. Tony Navarrete issued a press release saying he tested positive after conducting a rapid test and a PCR test last week. Navarrete is isolating at home and is experiencing mild symptoms, according to the press release, which also noted the legislator received his final vaccine shot in February. (Chaitin, 8/4)

Indianapolis Star: Eskenazi Health Diverts Patients Due To Attempted Ransomware Attack
Eskenazi Health went on diversion, meaning all incoming ambulances were routed to other hospitals, after an attempted ransomware attack early Wednesday morning. The attack occurred around 3:30 a.m., and the diversion began at 7:51 a.m. Wednesday. As of Wednesday evening, the diversion was still in place. The move affected all of the health system's locations, including Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital downtown. (Rafford, 8/4)

In other health care industry news —

Axios: CVS Reports Higher Medical Claims As Coronavirus Cases Rise 
For every premium dollar that CVS Health's insurance arm, Aetna, collected in the second quarter, it paid a little more than 84 cents to medical providers — a "medical loss ratio" that was a lot higher than Wall Street expected. Health insurers were the main beneficiaries of the pandemic last year, as the widespread delay of doctor visits and procedures greatly offset what they had to pay for COVID-19 hospitalizations. (Herman, 8/5)

NPR: One Medical Employees Accuse Concierge Care Provider Of Less Focus On Patients
The health care company One Medical, under government scrutiny for allegedly using vaccine distribution to increase its bottom line, is facing a new challenge from within: employees who accuse the company of placing profits over patients. Dozens of One Medical employees are trying to unionize as a response to what they say has been mismanagement of the organization's COVID-19 response, poor working conditions for staff and, they allege, a declining focus on patients. (Mak, 8/4)

Modern Healthcare: Aetna Medicare Advantage Program Targeted In OIG Audit
Aetna's Medicare Advantage business is being audited by the HHS' Office of Inspector General, parent company CVS Health disclosed in a federal filing Wednesday. CVS Health's Aetna is under scrutiny as the HHS inspector general cracks down on inaccurate risk-adjustment scores submitted by Medicare Advantage plans, which have been growing in popularity. Aetna covers 4.1 million Medicare Advantage and Medicare supplement customers. Humana's and Anthem's Medicare Advantage operations also have attracted the inspector general's attention. (Tepper, 8/4)

CNBC: JPMorgan's New Health Business Makes Inaugural Investment In Start-Up Vera Whole Health
JPMorgan Chase’s new healthcare unit has made its first investment, CNBC has learned exclusively. The bank has agreed to invest $50 million in Vera Whole Health, a Seattle-based start-up that is pioneering a new, subscription-type model for employee healthcare. Further, through the bank’s Morgan Health unit — a new business unveiled in May after a joint venture with Amazon and Berkshire Hathaway folded — JPMorgan will begin offering Vera’s services to its employees during benefits enrollment season this fall, the companies said. (Son, 8/4)

Bloomberg: Venus Williams Joins Health Brand Owner HumanCo’s Advisory Board
Seven-time tennis Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams is joining the advisory board of HumanCo, which is seeking to build a portfolio of health-focused consumer brands before eventually going public. “I am thrilled to be joining HumanCo’s board of advisors and supporting their mission to help people live their healthiest lives,” Williams, 41, said in an emailed statement, adding that she will also invest in Austin-based HumanCo. “I believe that investing in one’s health is the most important thing we can do as individuals. As a professional athlete and a businesswoman, fueling my body with the highest quality products is pivotal for success.” (Tan, 8/4)

Modern Healthcare: Feds Hit With "Tidal Wave" Of Merger Filings
Merger filings are surging, which will delay regulatory reviews this year, the Federal Trade Commission advised companies Tuesday. Filings have already exceeded 2,000 through July, up from 815 during the same period last year and 1,136 in 2019, according to federal data. Businesses can complete their proposed mergers before the FTC finishes its reviews, but regulators can still retroactively challenge the transactions if they violate antitrust laws, the FTC warned. (Kacik, 8/4)

KHN: Providence-KP Team Up To Attract Patients In California’s Growing High Desert Region
A plan by Providence and Kaiser Permanente to build a new medical center in the High Desert region of California is the latest example of leading hospital chains seeking market advantage. They intend to spend up to $1 billion to build a hospital in Victorville, a city of about 123,000 that sits 85 miles northeast of Los Angeles. The site is only 11 miles from a hospital Providence already owns, and plans to close, in the adjoining city of Apple Valley. The new site is next to Interstate 15, a major artery that cuts across a swath of the Mojave Desert and through the San Bernardino Mountains toward the more populous cities of Fontana, Riverside and San Bernardino. That location should help ratchet up market share in an area whose population has skyrocketed over the past four decades. Victorville’s population has nearly doubled since 2000. (Wolfson, 8/5)

Stat: Watchdog Will Review FDA Approval Of Biogen's Alzheimer's Drug
The federal watchdog at the Department of Health and Human Services will review the process used by the Food and Drug Administration to approve the Alzheimer’s drug sold by Biogen, which has caused unprecedented controversy over regulatory standards. Specifically, the HHS Office of Inspector General will examine the accelerated approval pathway that the FDA increasingly uses to speed approvals for medicines to treat serious conditions and fill an unmet medical need. This was the pathway used by the agency two months ago when it OK’d the Aduhelm treatment for Alzheimer’s. (Silverman, 8/4)

In other pharmaceutical and biotech news —

Modern Healthcare: Congress Eyes Crackdown Large, Wasteful Drug Vials
Imagine cracking open a vial of a $1,000 chemotherapy drug and injecting it into a cancer patient She only needs 1.3 milligrams but the vial contains double that amount. What happens to the rest? Oftentimes, it gets thrown in the trash. Patients, Medicare and private insurance foot the full bill anyway. Congress is set to crack down on the practice, which is the result of drug companies packaging expensive physician-administered drugs in single-use vials that are too large for the typical patient. (Hellmann, 8/4)

Stat: Seeking Slice Of ARPA-H Pie, Patient Advocates Descend On Washington
President Biden’s vision for an ambitious new government research center is never quite the same. He’s said it will focus on diabetes and Alzheimer’s. He told a prominent ALS advocate that the agency would focus on his disease, too. Once, he mentioned obesity. And, of course, there is his most common refrain: that the new research branch will “end cancer as we know it.” The shifting vision is creating a lobbying frenzy among patient advocacy groups frustrated with the pace of research, all now scrambling to ensure they benefit from the gold rush of new research dollars and high-profile attention. (Facher, 8/5)

Stat: Bayer Inks A $1.5 Billion Deal For A Biotech With A Proprietary Drug Discovery Platform 
In a bid to quickly broaden its drug discovery abilities, Bayer (BAYRY) has reached a deal to acquire Vividion Therapeutics for $1.5 billion, the third time in two years the company has bought a small biotech with proprietary technology for uncovering medicines. Unlike the two earlier acquisitions, which gave Bayer entree to potential gene and cell therapies, the focus of this latest acquisition is primarily on oncology and immunology, although that can be expanded to other therapeutic areas. (Silverman, 8/5)

San Francisco Chronicle: San Mateo County Sues McKinsey, Says Consulting Giant Fueled Opioid Crisis That Hurt Residents
San Mateo County has sued consulting giant McKinsey & Company, Inc. in federal court for what it says was the company’s role in helping opioid manufacturers boost sales in the county. The suit alleges that McKinsey’s work with Purdue Pharma, which manufacturers the opioid painkiller OxyContin, helped it to “turbocharge” sales of the drugs by advising Purdue to aggressively market the drug to certain doctors resulting in it being over prescribed. (DiFeliciantonio, 8/4)

The Wall Street Journal: Former Theranos Patients Can Testify At Elizabeth Holmes Trial, Judge Rules
Former Theranos Inc. patients will be allowed to testify at the criminal fraud trial of the defunct blood-testing startup’s founder, Elizabeth Holmes, a federal judge ruled Wednesday. The decision by U.S. District Judge Edward Davila blocked a last-ditch attempt by Ms. Holmes to keep jurors from hearing the stories of patients who say they received inaccurate results from Theranos tests. (Randazzo, 8/4)

Stat: Athira Cited Altered Studies In $15 Million NIH Grant Application 
Biotech company Athira Pharma, which is in turmoil after its chief executive was found to have published research containing altered images, now faces a new concern: It cited the allegedly doctored papers in a federal grant application. This creates the potential for the government or whistleblowers to pursue legal action to force the company to repay not only the $15 million it received to fund its work but also additional penalties. (Goldhill, 8/5)

CBS News: Tech Advances Offer New Tools In The Fight Against Skin Cancer 
This year, it's estimated that more than 100,000 Americans will be diagnosed with melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer. But there's encouraging news in the battle against the disease, in the form of revolutionary new ways to screen for it. One innovation is an oddly shaped machine that has 92 cameras. Dr. Allan Halpern, chief of dermatology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, showed CBS News how it works: The cameras shoot simultaneously, and within minutes, a software program builds a three-dimensional image of the patient's body in precise detail. (Lapook, 8/4)

Stat: With A Nudge From AI, Ketamine Emerges As Potential Rare Disease Drug
In the seven difficult years since their son Mateo was diagnosed with a rare disease, Victoria Malvagno and Frank Solorzano have been waiting for medicine to catch up with their lives. Doctors tested Mateo for hundreds of conditions before they finally determined he was one of only a few hundred people in the world with a neurodevelopmental condition called ADNP syndrome. Even with a diagnosis in hand, just getting through each day has been a full-time job. Mateo communicates mostly nonverbally, and his parents must constantly be on alert to make sure he doesn’t hurt himself. For years, they have muddled through managing his many symptoms piecemeal, because there’s no treatment approved for the rare genetic disease. (Palmer, 8/5)

Detroit Free Press: Michigan Suicides Declined During Pandemic, Early Data Shows
While COVID-19 upended and ended the lives of thousands of Michiganders, taking a profound emotional toll, the challenges of 2020 did not seem to bring about a rise in suicides, which early data indicates dropped last year after rising significantly over the previous decade. According to provisional data from the state health department, Michigan recorded 1,284 deaths by suicide in 2020, down nearly 200 from the 1,471 recorded in 2019 and more than 250 from the 1,547 deaths in 2018. (Hendrickson and Boucher, 8/4)

AP: Youth Suicide Prevention Programs Get Support In Maine
A project to try to prevent youth suicide in Maine is receiving a nearly $850,000 boost from the federal government. The effort is called the Maine Comprehensive Suicide Project and it supports youth suicide prevention programs in the state. Independent Sen. Angus King and Republican Sen. Susan Collins said the money was awarded through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Injury Prevention & Control. (8/5)

In updates on the wildfires and drought in California —

The Washington Post: Dixie Fire And River Fire Burn In Northern California, Forcing Thousands Of Evacuations 
As the Dixie Fire in Northern California surged on Wednesday, scorching the community of Greenville that firefighters had worked overnight this week to save, the nearby River Fire grew rapidly in less than a day, forcing thousands to evacuate. The Dixie Fire grew to more than 278,000 acres by Wednesday evening amid a red flag warning — indicating the risk of “extreme fire behavior” caused by hot, dry and windy conditions — that was issued through Thursday evening local time. (Pietsch, 8/5)

CBS News: California Tourist Town Running Out Of Water Amid Drought 
The historic California town of Mendocino is running out of water, as the wells the tourist town depends on are drying up amid a devastating drought. The Alegria Inn is paying to truck in water so its guests can shower. "Right now it costs $600 for 3,500 gallons, and that's lasting us a week," said Eric Hillesland, who runs the inn. (Evans, 8/4)

In news from Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Kentucky —

The Boston Globe: McKee Signs Bills On Equal Pay, Women’s Health, Health Insurance In R.I. 
Governor Dan McKee signed five new bills into law on Wednesday, supporting women’s health and pay equity for all employees, regardless of their gender or ethnicity. The pay equity legislation was first introduced in the House in January by Representative Susan Donovan, a Portsmouth Democrat, and introduced in the Senate by Senator Gayle Goldin, a Providence Democrat, in early February. (Gagosz, 8/4)

Philadelphia Inquirer: Feds Roll Back ‘Confusing’ Addiction Funding Rules That Had Deadly Consequence In Pa.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has eliminated language that prohibited grant recipients from providing federal funding “to any individual who or organization that provides or permits marijuana use for the purposes of treating substance use or mental disorders. ”The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs highlighted the change in a public bulletin Monday. A spokesperson said the agency had “no insight into what led to the change, but we are happy to see that the updated term no longer includes” the prohibition. (Mahon, 8/4)

AP: WellCare Of Kentucky To Expand Hazard Call Center
WellCare of Kentucky, a Medicaid and Medicare services provider, will double employment at its national call center in Hazard, Gov. Andy Beshear announced Wednesday. The eastern Kentucky facility was selected over call centers in Tennessee, Texas and Arizona. It will add 16 customer service representatives, a team leader and a supervisor, with all positions to be hired and trained by September. (8/5)

In news from North Carolina, Mississippi, Wisconsin and Montana —

North Carolina Health News: When People With Dementia Wander, NC Programs Help 
Deputy Daniel Roberson of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office still recalls a case a couple of years ago when a 75-year-old woman with dementia wandered from her home. The incident launched a multi-day search. Hundreds of people participated, combing the woods and streets near her home. Severe storms interrupted the search briefly. Two days passed before investigators from the sheriff’s office and other rescue crews found the woman in a drainage ditch, thankfully alive. (Dougani, 8/5)

Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Medicaid Proponents Sound Off On MS Auditor's Fraud Accusations
Whether it's partisanship or political posturing, some advocates think State Auditor Shad White intentionally singled out Medicaid fraud in his office's audit report to make it harder for poor Mississippians to get public assistance. “This ... is going to be used during next year’s legislative session to make it even harder for low-income children to (get) basic health insurance,” Jarvis Dortch, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi, wrote on Twitter Monday afternoon. Dortch, a former Democratic state lawmaker, said in an interview he thinks White, a Republican, is using his office to set a political agenda. (Sanderlin, 8/4)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Gov. Tony Evers Introduces Bills To Reduce Costs Of Prescription Drugs
After a similar but less comprehensive set of proposals was shot down by Republicans in the budget, Gov. Tony Evers introduced a new legislative package Wednesday aimed at increasing access and lowering the costs of prescription drugs. Joined by Wausau Mayor Katie Rosenberg and Democratic state Rep. Lisa Subeck, Evers announced the legislative package, comprised of initiatives proposed by Evers in the 2021-23 biennial budget earlier this year. (Garfield, 8/4)

KHN: Feds To Nix Work Requirements In Montana Medicaid Expansion Program 
Federal health officials will likely reject Montana’s request to include work requirements for beneficiaries of its Medicaid expansion program, which insures 100,000 low-income Montana adults, state officials said. Three years after the Trump administration encouraged states to require proof that adult enrollees are working a certain number of hours or looking for work as a condition of receiving Medicaid expansion benefits, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has reversed course under Democratic President Joe Biden. (Halland, 8/5)

AP: Japan To Limit Hospital Care As COVID-19 Cases Hit New High
Japan’s government is introducing a contentious new policy in which coronavirus patients with moderate symptoms will isolate at home instead of in hospitals, as new cases surge in Tokyo to record levels during the Olympic Games. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s plan, which aims to save hospital beds almost exclusively for those with serious symptoms or at risk of developing them, is a major policy shift as new cases in the capital have more than tripled since the Olympics began on July 23. (Yamaguchi, 8/4)

Bloomberg: China Hunkers Down As Delta Reaches Nearly Half The Country
China imposed new restrictions on travel in a bid to slow a delta-driven outbreak that’s grown to more than 500 cases scattered across half the country, as the government stuck to an aggressive containment playbook rather than rely on its high vaccination rate. Public transport and taxi services were curtailed in 144 of the worst-hit areas nationwide, while officials curbed train service and subway usage in Beijing, where three new cases were reported Wednesday. Hong Kong re-imposed quarantine on travelers from the mainland, though an exception remained for the southern Guangdong province which neighbors the financial city. (8/5)

CNN: Covid-19 Delta Variant Is Pushing Southeast Asia To Breaking Point 
Countries across Asia are grappling with their worst coronavirus outbreaks of the pandemic, spurred by low vaccine rates and the highly-contagious Delta variant. While nations such as China, Japan and South Korea are seeing growing outbreaks, the sharp edge of the Delta wave is being keenly felt in Southeast Asia, with countries seeing rapid rises in case numbers and deaths. (Regan, 8/5)

AP: UK To Roll Out COVID-19 Vaccines To 16 And 17-Year-Olds
The U.K. plans to offer coronavirus vaccines to 16 and 17-year-olds in the next few weeks after the independent body of scientists that makes vaccine recommendations to the government changed its advice. The four nations of the U.K. all accepted the change from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization, which now says healthy 16 to 17-year-olds can be offered a first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. They will not need parental consent. (Pylas, 8/4)

Bloomberg: France's Macron Says Anti-Vaccine Protesters Have ‘Lost Their Minds’
French President Emmanuel Macron has stepped up criticism of radical anti-vaccine demonstrators who oppose his push to boost vaccination across the country. “I won’t give in to their radical violence at all,” Macron said in an interview with Paris Match magazine, according to excerpts made available online before the full article is published on Thursday. “Their attitude is a threat to democracy. They mix up everything.” (Adghirni, 8/4)

In other global developments —

Modern Healthcare: Memorial Sloan Kettering Launching Telemedicine Hub In India 
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is setting up shop in India, offering its oncologists through video calls or even arranging patient travel to the provider's main campus in New York, the company announced Wednesday. MSK oncologists who specialize in a patient's specific form of cancer will review their medical records and test results and provide a comprehensive written opinion, meet with them virtually or speak with their local oncologist about their care plan. (Bannow, 8/4)

Stat: Canadian Agency Loses Battle Over Drug Maker's 'Excessive' Pricing
In a withering ruling, a Canadian appeals court overturned a controversial decision issued four years ago by a government agency that ordered Alexion Pharmaceuticals to lower the price of a rare disease medicine and reimburse the government for “excessive” pricing. The ruling follows a long-running struggle that began after the drug maker six years ago refused to lower its price for Soliris, which, depending upon the disease, costs approximately $400,000 to $560,000 per patient. The Patented Medicine Prices Review Board, which demanded a lower price, also ordered the company to repay sales generated by the drug from 2012 through the first half of 2014. (Silverman, 8/4)

CIDRAP: Study Shows MRNA Vaccines Don’t Trigger Flares In Rheumatic Patients
A study today in Arthritis & Rheumatology shows the mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 do not routinely cause rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases like arthritis to flare in patients after the two-dose vaccination, and if flares do occur, they are not severe. The study was based on 1,377 patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases, including arthritis and lupus. The researchers measured symptoms within 7 days of each vaccine dose (D1 and D2), and 1 month after D2. Only 11% of participants reported a flare that required treatment after vaccination, none of which were severe. (8/4)

American Academy Of Pediatrics: Acute Respiratory Illnesses In Children In The SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: Prospective Multicenter Study 
Nonpharmaceutical interventions against coronavirus disease 2019 likely have a role in decreasing viral acute respiratory illnesses (ARIs). We aimed to assess the frequency of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza ARIs before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. (Haddadin et al, 8/1)

ScienceDaily: Marijuana-Like Brain Substance Calms Seizures But Increases Aftereffects, Study Finds 
Epileptic seizures trigger the rapid synthesis and release of a substance mimicked by marijuana's most psychoactive component, Stanford University School of Medicine investigators have learned. This substance is called 2-arachidonoylglycerol, or 2-AG, and has the beneficial effect of damping down seizure intensity. (Stanford Medicine, 8/4)

ScienceDaily: Artificial Pancreas Trialled For Outpatients With Type 2 Diabetes
An artificial pancreas could soon help people living with type 2 diabetes and who also require kidney dialysis. Tests led by the University of Cambridge and Inselspital, University Hospital of Bern, Switzerland, show that the device can help patients safely and effectively manage their blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of low blood sugar levels. (University of Cambridge, 8/4)

ScienceDaily: Scientists Reverse Age-Related Memory Loss In Mice
Scientists at Cambridge and Leeds have successfully reversed age-related memory loss in mice and say their discovery could lead to the development of treatments to prevent memory loss in people as they age. In a study published today in Molecular Psychiatry, the team show that changes in the extracellular matrix of the brain -- 'scaffolding' around nerve cells -- lead to loss of memory with ageing, but that it is possible to reverse these using genetic treatments. (University of Cambridge, 7/22)

ScienceDaily: New Genes Linked To Longer Reproductive Lifespan In Women
The age at which women go through menopause is critical for fertility and impacts healthy ageing in women, but reproductive ageing has been difficult for scientists to study and insights into the underlying biology are limited. Now, scientists have identified nearly 300 gene variations that influence reproductive lifespan in women. Additionally, in mice, they have successfully manipulated several key genes associated with these variants to extend their reproductive lifespan. (University of Exeter, 8/4)

Scientific American: Governor Makes Personal Plea To Reluctant Arkansans To Get Vaccinated 
I recently saw a cartoon that depicted a young child looking up and asking about the scar on her mother’s arm. The mother points out that the scar is from the smallpox vaccine, and the young girl asks why she doesn’t have one. The mother’s answer, quick and simple: “Because it worked. ”The smallpox vaccine is one of the earliest successful vaccines. It was so successful that the last known smallpox outbreak in the U.S. was in 1949. And in 1980 the World Health Assembly officially declared smallpox eradicated. (Governor Asa Hutchinson, 8/4)

USA Today: COVID Safe Zones At American Businesses Can Help Us End The Pandemic
As the COVID-19 delta variant rips through the nation, we will need more energy in the private sector to beat this pandemic. That’s why leaders across party and sector have come together to rally American businesses to maximize vaccinations and take other steps to ensure a safe workplace. We are at a crossroads in our efforts to address the delta wave and move beyond COVID-19. Roughly 165 million Americans – representing 58% of the eligible population – have been fully vaccinated, providing substantial protection against illness and death, while reducing missed workdays, closures and burdens on hospitals. Increasing vaccination rates is the country’s most immediate and best hope of reaching population immunity and restoring our national vitality and way of life. (Dr. Mark McClellan, Andy Slavitt and John Bridgeland, 8/5)

San Diego Union-Tribune: People Who Won't Get COVID-19 Vaccine Shouldn't Complain About Restrictions
It would be helpful if people who refuse the COVID-19 vaccine started viewing themselves as a public safety threat rather than victims of the growing requirements aimed at keeping them from spreading the deadly virus to others. Then they might understand why a majority of the public is frustrated and angry with them, as well as why businesses and governments are putting restrictions on commercial, employment and social opportunities for people who won’t get vaccinated. (Michael Smolens, 8/4)

The Boston Globe: COVID-19 Booster Shots: Why Wait? 
Well, that was fun while it lasted, no? The safety, the security, the mask-free concert-going, the euphoria of post-vaccination hugs. Then came the Delta variant. And then the Provincetown cluster. So what if we all weren’t going to be dancing at midnight downstairs at the Atlantic House (no judgment here, and, yes, I’ve done that too in the before time). There were lessons to be learned. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention took those lessons to heart and, depending on where you live or dine or party, well, many of the already-vaccinated are now advised to put those masks back on. (Rachelle G. Cohen, 8/4)

Bloomberg: Booster Push Now Is Wrong And Dangerous. WHO Is Right 
A growing number of wealthy countries including Israel and Germany are now launching or making plans for Covid booster-shot initiatives for parts of their populations amid evidence of waning immunity among some of the vaccinated. That’s prompted the World Health Organization to call for a moratorium on top-up shots through September or until all countries are at least 10% vaccinated. In the U.S., boosters aren't officially allowed, but people are going out and getting them on their own. The WHO has it right — the priority should be first vaccinations as long as supplies are limited and there's a huge global disparity in protection. (Max Nisen, 8/4)

The Washington Post: As Bad As Covid-19 Has Been, A Future Pandemic Could Be Even Worse — Unless We Act Now 
Coronavirus vaccines can end the current pandemic if enough people choose to protect themselves and their loved ones by getting vaccinated. But in the years to come, we will still need to defend against a pandemic side effect: collective amnesia. As public health emergencies recede, societies often quickly forget their experiences — and fail to prepare for future challenges. For pandemics, such a course would be disastrous. New infectious diseases have been emerging at an accelerating pace, and they are spreading faster. (Eric Lander, 8/4)

The New York Times: Is The Future Just A Spike Protein Stamping On A Human Face, Forever? 
Last week, I wrote about the measures we may need to take to persuade the unvaccinated to sign up for shots. This week, I want to explore the other side of the question: How much danger does the Delta variant pose to the vaccinated? In particular, how does it compare to the seasonal flu? I’ll be honest about the question-behind-my-question. I want to know if there’s an endgame here. In San Francisco, where I live, 70 percent of residents are fully vaccinated, and 76 percent are partially vaccinated. These are the kinds of numbers we were once told would carry us to herd immunity. Now the hope of herd immunity appears to be gone, and even in San Francisco we’re back to universal, indoor masking. I’m exhausted, and frustrated, and everyone else is, too. Is the future just a spike protein stamping on a human face, forever? (Ezra Klein, 8/5)

Stat: Who Judges What's 'Necessary' When It Comes To Emergency Care? 
Last month, I rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency care after experiencing pelvic pain and abnormal bleeding. Because I had a history of complications from ovarian cysts, my physician recommended I go straight to the emergency department. While waiting to be seen, I read a news report that my insurance provider, UnitedHealthcare, was considering a new policy that would deny payment for emergency department visits that it retrospectively deemed “unnecessary.” (Laura Specker Sullivan, 8/5)

The Baltimore Sun: Nearly 80 Years Worth Of Vaccines And All Were Apolitical — Until Now. A Personal History
In the late 1980s, on a school day in early March at Pikesville High School in Baltimore County, classes were suspended for a day. The entire student body was sent to the gymnasium and lined up. A student at the school had recently returned from a trip abroad and had come down with the measles. The health department acted quickly to stave off an epidemic by deciding on a mass vaccination of the entire student body. I was a math teacher at Pikesville at the time, and I was stationed in the gym to help keep the lines moving and facilitate the process. The health professionals set up a series of vaccination tables, and, without incident, the approximately 1,000 students were quickly and efficiently vaccinated. All of this was done with a minimum of political turmoil. (Iver Mindel, 8/4)

Los Angeles Times: State Lawmakers Are Fumbling The Chance To Improve Patient Safety 
The lobbying group for state physicians is having its way with the state Legislature this year, neutering two bills aimed at improving patient safety. Unless lawmakers suddenly reverse course, they’re poised to punt on the chance to upgrade the state board that disciplines bad doctors, and they’ll defang a proposal to require doctors to reveal potential conflicts of interest to the people they treat. At issue are a Senate bill (SB 806) to reauthorize the Medical Board of California, the agency in charge of licensing physicians, and an Assembly bill (AB 1278) to require doctors to disclose directly to patients what they’re being paid by drug and medical device companies. (8/4)

Modern Healthcare: The Transformative Power Of Public-Private Partnerships
When we look back on 2020, undoubtedly a definitive period in our history, perhaps one of our greatest lessons will be the near-miraculous power of partnerships and collaboration. When we harnessed the greatest scientific minds of the world from both academia and companies and paired them with the financial backing and influence of the most powerful governments, we advanced light-years ahead in vaccine research, viral treatments and diagnostics. (Dr. Bill Frist, 8/2)

Bloomberg: Vaccine Giant Sanofi Bets On MRNA With Translate Bio Purchase 
Sanofi is one of the world's largest vaccine makers, with billions in reliable annual sales coming from the business. With its $3.2 billion purchase of Translate Bio Inc., announced Tuesday, the company is coopting a possible disruptor. Translate focuses on messenger RNA, the promising new approach behind the wildly successful Covid vaccines from Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE and Moderna Inc. Sanofi first partnered with Translate to explore mRNA vaccines in 2018, then expanded the partnership last year to work on a Covid vaccine. Now it’s making a bigger bet on the biotech startup. It's yet another validation of the potential of mRNA vaccines, and even though uncertainty remains, this deal helps Sanofi prepare for the future at a reasonable price. (Max Nisen, 8/3)

The New York Times: It’s Hard Enough To Have A Child With Cancer. It Shouldn’t Crush Families Financially
My infant daughter was diagnosed with a brain cancer nearly a year ago. She endured several surgeries and horrific side effects from her chemotherapy, which ultimately took her life on Christmas Eve. And yet, my family was one of the lucky ones. We had ample savings and excellent health insurance. Our employers mostly continued to pay us. Though the total tab for her four-month battle came to a staggering $1.8 million, insurance covered most of our hospital bills. (Andrew Kaczynski, 8/5)

Modern Healthcare: Keeping The Healthcare Industry Connected 
Over the past 45 years, Modern Healthcare has witnessed this dynamic industry transform itself. First, leaders responded to the driving forces around consumerism and cost. Then last year, the industry morphed again in reaction to a global crisis. In 1976, Modern Hospitals became Modern Healthcare: the go-to for timely, comprehensive, unbiased industry news. Our newsroom has reported on vital healthcare milestones. Our reporters analyzed how policies like the Affordable Care Act changed your operations or how emerging trends like digital health pushed care outside of the hospital. (Fawn Lopez, 8/2)