First Edition: April 28, 2022

KHN: Emergency Contraception Marks A New Battle Line In Texas
“Mysterious Dolphin” needed an emergency contraception pill dropped off on a porch outside of town. Allison Medulan, a sophomore at Texas A&M University who had just come from biology class, saw the request on her cellphone via an anonymous text hotline. She gathered a box of the one-dose contraceptive, a pregnancy test, and a few condoms from her apartment and headed over. Inside a bewildering development of modest townhomes, Medulan tucked the plastic delivery bag next to the doormat. Closing the car door, she stared ahead and took a breath. Medulan, 20, didn’t know the woman’s real name. It had been converted into a moniker by another volunteer operating the hotline. (Varney, 4/28)

KHN: Sen. Orrin Hatch’s Legacy Tracks The GOP’s Evolution On Health 
When it comes to health policy, former Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch, who died April 23 at age 88, leaves a complex legacy of major legislative achievements, changing positions, compromises, and fierce opposition. In many ways, though, Hatch’s evolution and leadership on health policy during his four decades in the U.S. Senate mirror that of the Republican Party. When he came to Washington as a neophyte politician after an upset victory in 1976, Hatch was a conservative firebrand, one of the early leaders of the “New Right” bent on dismantling the federal welfare state and banning abortion. A former trial lawyer, the new senator had never before held public office. (Rovner, 4/28)

The New York Times: Fauci Clarifies That The Pandemic Isn’t Over, After Saying The U.S. Is Out Of The ‘Pandemic Phase.’ 
Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, said on Wednesday that the pandemic was not yet over, after telling the “PBS NewsHour” on Tuesday that the United States was “out of the pandemic phase.” He offered clarification on NPR’s “1A” on Wednesday, saying: “I want to clarify one thing. I probably should have said the acute component of the pandemic phase. And I understand how that can lead to some misinterpretation.” (Lukpat, 4/27)

CNN: The US Is In 'Transition Phase' Of Pandemic, Fauci Says 
On Wednesday, Fauci told CNN that his comments had been mischaracterized by some to mean that the pandemic is over, "which is not what I said." "We're not over the pandemic. Don't let anybody get the misinterpretation that the pandemic is over, but what we are in is a different phase of the pandemic," he said. "A phase that's a transition phase, hopefully headed toward more of a control where you can actually get back to some form of normality without total disruption of society, economically, socially, school-wise, etc." (Thomas and Goodman, 4/27)

The Wall Street Journal: Biden Blocked By Judge From Winding Down Title 42 Border Policy
A federal judge in Louisiana has issued a temporary restraining order against the Biden administration forbidding it from moving ahead with its plan to end Title 42, the pandemic-era border policy. Judge Robert R. Summerhays, of the Western District of Louisiana, issued a temporary restraining order against the Biden administration on Wednesday after signaling his intention to do so two days earlier. (Hackman, 4/27)

Politico: Moderna To Ask FDA To Authorize Covid-19 Vaccine For Young Kids 
Moderna on Thursday is expected to formally ask the Food and Drug Administration to authorize its Covid-19 vaccine for children under the age of 6, three people with knowledge of the matter told POLITICO. The request comes a month after the drug company signaled its two-dose regimen generated immune protection in the youngest children comparable to young adults, and amid growing impatience from lawmakers and parents for the administration to greenlight a vaccine for the nation’s youngest children. (Cancryn, Owermohle, Lim and Foley, 4/27)

Stat: Covid’s Circling The White House. What Are The Risks To Someone Like Biden?
For weeks, the coronavirus has been closing in on the Oval Office. In late March, White House press secretary Jen Psaki tested positive for the virus, her second breakthrough infection. A few weeks later, an outbreak at the annual Gridiron Club dinner seeded infections among House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and three members of President Biden’s cabinet. And on Tuesday, Vice President Kamala Harris tested positive at the White House and had to cancel a meeting with Biden. Yet on Saturday, Biden is planning to step into a tuxedo and into a cavernous underground ballroom for the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, the first time a sitting president has attended since 2016. (Molteni, 4/27)

NBC News: White House Eyes More Public Events Under New Covid Calculus
President Joe Biden is gearing up for a summer of socializing as the White House looks to restore traditional events put on hold by the pandemic — including more working meals with elected officials and the possibility of hosting his first state dinner, several Biden administration officials said. The discussions are preliminary, and no decisions have been made, the officials said. An official said July has been discussed as the likely timing for the first state dinner should Biden decide to move forward with one. (Lederman and Lee, 4/27)

The Washington Post: A Fight Over Coronavirus Safety At Journalists’ Gala Event 
More than 2,000 journalists, celebrities and politicians, including President Biden, are set to descend on the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner this weekend in what is shaping up to be a major test of whether large gatherings can be safely held at this stage of the pandemic. (Diamond and Farhi, 4/27)

NBC News: Fauci Backs Out Of White House Correspondents' Dinner Over Covid Risk
Dr. Anthony Fauci has decided not to attend the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Saturday amid concerns about Covid, a senior administration official confirmed to NBC News. Fauci, 81, President Joe Biden's top Covid adviser and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told The New York Times on Tuesday that he decided not to go to the dinner "because of my individual assessment of my personal risk." His decision was first reported by CNN. (Welker and Shabad, 4/27)

The Washington Post: Another Rare Virus Puzzle: They Got Sick, Got Treated, Got Covid Again 
Shortly after he served on a jury in March, Gregg Crumley developed a sore throat and congestion. The retired molecular biologist took a rapid test on a Saturday and saw a dark, thick line materialize — “wildly positive” for the coronavirus. Crumley, 71, contacted his doctor two days later. By the afternoon, friends had dropped off a course of Paxlovid, a five-day regimen of antiviral pills that aims to keep people from becoming seriously ill. (Johnson, 4/27)

NBC News: Covid Symptoms May Return After Taking Paxlovid Antiviral Pills, In Rare Cases
With mostly just anecdotal reports coming out, questions remain as to whether people whose Covid symptoms return shortly after they take Paxlovid are contagious and should keep isolating to avoid passing the virus to others. For those who do experience a second round of symptoms, the sudden shift can also leave them anxious about whether they should seek further treatment. (Ryan, 4/27)

The Wall Street Journal: You Can Get Covid Twice, But What Are The Odds?
There’s a good chance you’ll get Covid more than once. Covid-19 reinfections are more common and can happen within a shorter window of time than doctors previously thought possible, recent research suggests. ... Data from the U.K. government found that reinfections were 10 times higher during the recent Omicron outbreak compared with the earlier Delta outbreak between May and December last year. People who were unvaccinated, younger and lived in areas the study described as more deprived were more likely to be reinfected between July 2020 and March 2022. (Reddy, 4/27)

Politico: ‘It's Insanity’: Providers End Covid Care For Uninsured In The Wake Of Congressional Inaction 
Community Health Development, a Texas clinic, announced it is cutting back Covid-19 care for uninsured patients after federal pandemic funding for testing, treatment and vaccines ran out in recent weeks. The health center in Uvalde, about 60 miles from the Mexican border, serves a population that is majority Hispanic and uninsured. It now offers free Covid-19 vaccines one day a week instead of six. It has restricted testing and may have to eliminate services, increase patient fees or even lay off staff if Congress doesn’t soon approve additional Covid money. (Messerly and Mahr, 4/27)

AP: Hawaii Shifts From Treating COVID Pandemic Like An Emergency
Hawaii’s top public health officials said Wednesday that the COVID-19 pandemic is still active but is moving into a new phase of the disease, in which people can test themselves at home and ideally avoid serious illness thanks to vaccination and the use of therapeutic treatments. Gov. David Ige described the change as a transition from “emergency response” to “public health management.” He said at a news conference that state officials would be handling COVID-19 more similarly to how it copes with other diseases. (McAvoy, 4/28)

The Boston Globe: Boston Had Right To Impose Vaccine Mandate For City Workers, State Labor Department Finds
The decision marks a partial victory for the city, but does not carry immediate practical impact: Mayor Michelle Wu’s vaccine mandate for city workers remains on hold pending separate legal proceedings. “The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, with new variants and rising cases, coupled with the City’s interest in protecting the wellbeing of its employees and the public with whom they interact, and ensuring that there is sufficient staff to provide vital public safety services, exempts the City from having to negotiate with the Union over the decision to require vaccinations,” Gail Sorokoff, an investigator with the labor department, wrote Tuesday. “The City has established that exigent circumstances permitted it to implement the revised policy in January, 2022, even though the parties had not completed impact negotiations.” (Platoff, 4/27)

The Washington Post: Flight Attendants Relieved To See Mask Mandate Drop
Sharmy Aldama has spent the majority of her career enforcing mask rules on airplanes. The Miami-based flight attendant, who works for a budget carrier and spoke on the condition that her employer not be named so she could comment freely, started the job in late 2018. After the pandemic began, getting passengers to follow masking rules became an everyday struggle. But since a federal judge struck down the mask mandate for planes and other transportation settings last week, she has noticed a lighter mood among passengers and crew and has felt a personal sense of relief. “Being able to just show up [to work] and give people what they need and not have to be on guard all the time has been so refreshing,” she said. (Diller, 4/27)

AP: New York Teacher Charged With Submitting Fake Vaccine Card
A high school teacher in suburban New York was charged Wednesday with submitting a forged COVID-19 vaccination card in an effort to get around the school district’s rule mandating either vaccination or weekly testing for the coronavirus. Tricia Manno, a teacher at Sewanhaka High School on Long Island, was arraigned on charges including criminal possession of a forged instrument and offering a false instrument for filing, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly announced. (4/27)

Houston Chronicle: Houston ER Doctors Say They Were Urged To Work Through Illness And Avoid COVID Testing In New Lawsuit
Several Houston emergency room doctors say representatives for their employer compelled them to work through illnesses and discouraged them from testing for COVID-19 during the most recent surge, according to a lawsuit filed last month in Harris County. American Physician Partners, a Tennessee-based hospital management company, independently staffs and manages emergency room doctors at 15 Houston Methodist facilities through a contract with the hospital system. The petition in the 113th District Court centers on a financial dispute between APP and eight doctors, who allege the organization violated its contract, in part, by underpaying them to save money. (Gill, 4/27)

The Washington Post: Princess Cruise Ship Under CDC Investigation For Coronavirus Outbreaks 
A Princess Cruises ship that reported two recent coronavirus outbreaks had passengers test positive again while it docked in San Francisco last week. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, the public health agency is investigating the Ruby Princess and placed the ship under observation. (Diller, 4/27)

San Francisco Chronicle: As COVID Cases ‘Swell’ In The Bay Area, This Time It’s On You To Weigh The Risks
Coronavirus cases are ticking up again across the Bay Area as the region enters a fifth “swell” of the pandemic, but this wave will likely look very different from earlier surges, with far fewer people seriously ill and needing hospital care, health officials say. It also will play out differently in other remarkable ways: Though no one yet knows how high cases will climb before this wave crests, health officials don’t expect to have to put back in place mask mandates and other broad mitigation measures. That shifts the burden of responsible pandemic behavior squarely onto individuals’ shoulders. (Allday, 4/27)

Anchorage Daily News: Alaska Reports An Increase In COVID-19 Cases And Rising Hospitalizations
The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services on Wednesday reported 1,479 cases of COVID-19 in Alaska over a seven-day period. That averages around 211 cases per day. This data does not include at-home tests, which do not get reported to the state and have grown in popularity this year. By Wednesday, there were 32 COVID-positive patients hospitalized statewide, 12 more than last week. Less than 3% of Alaska’s hospital patients were COVID-positive, including one person on a ventilator. (4/27)

Las Vegas Review-Journal: COVID-19 Case Rate Ticks Up In Las Vegas Area, As Hospitalizations Decline
New COVID-19 metrics released Wednesday showed Clark County’s case rate increasing, but hospitalizations continued to drop throughout the state and county. The county’s 14-day moving average of daily new cases stood at 145 on Wednesday, a notable increase from last week’s mark of 98. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also showed an increase in an important tracking metric, the case rate per 100,000 people. That number increased to 44.38, about seven higher than this time last week. (Dylan, 4/27)

Des Moines Register: COVID-19 Cases, Hospitalizations Up In Iowa In Weekly Update
New reported COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations both went up in Wednesday's data update from the Iowa Department of Public Health and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. There were 84 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Iowa on Wednesday, up from 63 last week and the most since mid-March, according the health and human services department. Of those, six patients required intensive care for COVID-19 complications. That's up from just two last week, but remains about as low as that number has been since the start of the pandemic. (Webber, 4/27)

AP: Once Dead, Twice Billed: GAO Questions COVID Funeral Awards 
The Federal Emergency Management Agency may have been double-billed for the funerals of hundreds of people who died of COVID-19, the Government Accountability Office said in a new report Wednesday. The GAO identified 374 people who died and were listed on more than one application that received an award from the COVID-19 Funeral Assistance fund. That amounts to about $4.8 million in assistance that could have been improper or potentially fraudulent payments, the report said. (McDermott, 4/28)

Los Angeles Times: More Kids Hit By Upper Airway Infections During Omicron Surge
During the winter Omicron surge, hospitalized coronavirus-positive children were more likely to be hit with COVID-related upper airway infections than at other times of the pandemic, putting them at greater risk of severe disease, new data suggest. One study found that the rate of upper airway infections — such as a type of bronchitis known as croup — among hospitalized coronavirus-infected children nearly tripled during the Omicron era. (Lin II and Money, 4/27)

CIDRAP: European Studies Shed Light On Long COVID Risk And Recovery 
Researchers from the Luxembourg Institute of Health surveyed 289 people about whether they had any of 64 common long COVID symptoms 1 year after they tested positive. Patients were also asked about their sleep quality and the effect of respiratory symptoms such as shortness of breath on quality of life. Average patient age was 40.2 years, and 50.2% were women. The researchers found that 6 in 10 patients (59.5%) had at least one COVID-19 symptom, and that symptoms that don't resolve by 15 weeks are likely to persist for at least a year. One in seven participants (14.2%) indicated that they couldn't fathom coping with their symptoms long term. The most common symptoms were fatigue, shortness of breath, and irritability. (Van Beusekom, 4/27)

The Hill: Climate Change Could Spark Next Pandemic, Study Finds 
As the global climate continues to warm, wild animals may be forced to relocate to areas with large human populations — increasing the likelihood of a “viral jump” that could cause the next pandemic, a new study has found. Different mammals will encounter one another for the first time during these journeys — called “geographic range shifts” — and in doing so, they will also share thousands of viruses, according to the study, published on Thursday in Nature. (Udasin, 4/28)

CNN: Ban On Menthol Cigarettes And Flavored Cigars Could Save Hundreds Of Thousands Of Lives, Experts Say 
The US Food and Drug Administration is expected to announce a proposed rule this week to ban menthol from cigarettes, as well as to ban flavored cigars. It's a step that public health officials say is essential to protect public health. "I'm really excited about the possibility. At our foundation, we've cared about issues of smoking and preventable deaths for so long," said Dr. Richard Besser, a former director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who now serves as the president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a public health advocacy organization. (Christensen, 4/27)

The Hill: Biden’s Planned Ban On Menthol Cigarettes Divides Black Americans
The Biden administration’s move to ban menthol cigarettes has the Black community split, with the ban’s supporters arguing it promotes a healthier lifestyle and its critics arguing it unfairly targets Black Americans and could lead to injustices and policing issues.  ... While its proponents say the ban will save lives, opponents warn of its potential impact on Black smokers who overwhelmingly prefer menthol cigarettes and include law enforcement members who warn it could put undue pressure on police grappling with higher crime rates. (Gangitano and Manchester, 4/28)

Fox News: FDA Moves To Limit Lead Content In Juices
In an effort to reduce children’s exposure to lead, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued draft action levels for lead in ready to drink (single-strength) apple juice and other ready-to-drink juices and juice blends. "Exposure of our most vulnerable populations, especially children, to elevated levels of toxic elements from foods is unacceptable," FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D. said in a news release provided by the health agency. Califf also stated, "This action to limit lead in juice represents an important step forward in advancing FDA’s Closer to Zero action plan, which we are confident will have a lasting public health impact on current and future generations." (McGorry, 4/27)

The New York Times: Lawmakers Dismiss McKinsey’s Apology On Opioid Crisis As ‘Empty’
The top executive at McKinsey & Company, appearing on Wednesday for the first time before Congress to answer for the consulting firm’s role in fanning the opioid crisis, came under sharp criticism from Democratic lawmakers. One likened the firm’s earnings from advising Purdue Pharma and other pharmaceutical companies to “blood money” from drug traffickers. Bob Sternfels, McKinsey’s managing partner, testifying remotely to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, apologized for McKinsey’s work in helping drive sales at opioid makers. He said the firm “failed to recognize the broader context of what was going on in society around us.” (Forsythe, Bogdanich and Hamby, 4/27)

The Boston Globe: Healey Blasts McKinsey’s Opioid ‘Schemes’ In House Hearing
Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey brought her campaign against the McKinsey consulting firm’s opioid dealings to Washington on Wednesday, blasting the company’s “schemes” to get more Americans hooked on the deadly painkillers in front of the House Oversight Committee. Healey, a Democrat who is running for governor of Massachusetts, won a $13 million settlement for the state from McKinsey in 2021, after lawsuits revealed the firm meticulously designed strategies to help Purdue Pharma “turbocharge” the sale of OxyContin — even as overdoses skyrocketed. (Baskar, 4/27)

AP: Lawmakers Scrutinize McKinsey's Opioid, FDA Consulting Work 
House Democrats vowed to continue investigating consulting giant McKinsey’s work with opioid drugmakers after a Wednesday hearing detailed how the firm had advised companies pushing painkillers as well as U.S. health regulators. The hearing before a House committee is part of an ongoing probe into McKinsey’s role in the U.S. opioid crisis that has been linked to over 500,000 overdose deaths from both prescription pain medications and illicit drugs like fentanyl. (Perrone, 4/27)

CNN: Wisconsin Investigating 4 Cases Of Unusual Hepatitis In Children, Including One Death 
Health officials in Wisconsin are investigating four cases of children with significant unexplained liver damage, including one child who needed a liver transplant and one who died. If the death is confirmed to be linked to the illness, it would be the first reported in the US. In a health alert issued Wednesday, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services asked the state's doctors to be on the lookout for these unusual cases and report them. (4/27)

AP: California To Increase Awards In Medical Malpractice Cases 
People who get hurt because of a doctor’s negligence in California could soon get a lot more money in malpractice lawsuits under an agreement reached Wednesday that — if approved by the state Legislature — would avoid a costly fight at the ballot box this November while resolving one of the state’s longest-running political battles. California does not limit how much money patients can win in malpractice cases for economic damages, which include things that can be counted such as medical expenses and lost wages. But since 1975, state law has limited how much money patients can win for things that can’t be counted — such as pain and suffering — to $250,000. (Beam, 4/27)

Philadelphia Inquirer: Ala Stanford Appointed By President Biden To Be Regional Director Of Health And Human Services
President Joe Biden on Tuesday appointed Ala Stanford, the Montgomery County physician who founded the nationally acclaimed Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium during the earliest days of the pandemic, as a regional director for the Department of Health and Human Services. Stanford will serve as the director of Region 3, which serves Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. She was one of three new regional directors announced Tuesday by the White House. (Moran, 4/27)

Crain's Chicago Business: Illinois Regulators Approve Controversial Hospital Project
A controversial proposal for a new hospital in downstate Quincy was approved by the Illinois Health Facilities & Services Review Board on Tuesday. The board is allowing Quincy Medical Group to move forward with building a “small format” not-for-profit hospital, which the owners say will provide more innovative care and services not currently offered in the rural area. The facility will have 28 beds and cost about $61 million to build, according to board documents. It is expected to be completed in April 2026. The board also approved a separate $2 million, three-room, free-standing birthing center that QMG also proposed in Quincy. Both facilities will be built on the campus of the Quincy Town Center, which already houses the QMG Surgery Center and Cancer Institute. (Davis, 4/27)

AP: Reeves Vetoes $50M For Improvements To UMMC Adult Hospital
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves has vetoed part of a budget bill for the University of Mississippi Medical Center, saying he objects to spending $50 million for improvements to the adult hospital in Jackson. The Republican governor issued the partial veto of Senate Bill 3010 on Tuesday. Legislators specified the $50 million would come from Mississippi’s pandemic recovery money from the federal government. (4/27)

Columbus Dispatch: New Health Plans For Ohio Medicaid Won't Start Until End Of Year
The projected launch date of Ohio's revamped and reformed Medicaid managed care system will still be July – except this month, given a potential crisis where many may be kicked off Medicaid, the state pushed back most of the reforms to the end of this year. "It seems like this new phased approach still allows them to move forward with everything, but in a way that is manageable...to maybe take smaller bites of the apple," said Loren Anthes, who chairs Community Solutions’ Center for Medicaid Policy. (Wu, 4/27)

AP: Collection Sites Set For West Virginia Drug Take Back Event
The public can drop off unused, expired or unwanted prescription drugs at dozens of collection sites across West Virginia this weekend. Law enforcement officials are participating in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Drug Take Back Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The collection sites include community police, sheriff and state police offices, fire departments, and pharmacies and grocery stores. Specific sites can be found on the U.S. Department of Justice website. (4/28)

The Wall Street Journal: Fentanyl Kills So Fast That Aid Groups Are Rethinking How To Fight Overdoses 
As the Biden administration calls for overdose antidotes to be distributed closer to where illicit drugs are consumed, groups working with users say affordable versions of the drugs remain in chronic shortage. Harm-reduction organizations that give clean needles and medical care to drug users say they need cheap reversal treatments in greater quantities and closer to where drugs are taken as the synthetic opioid fentanyl permeates the U.S. drug supply and overdose deaths reach new records. (Wernau, 4/27)

NBC News: RSV Vaccination During Pregnancy Protects Newborns, Too, Study Suggests
Pregnant women who received an experimental vaccine from Pfizer for a respiratory virus called RSV passed their protective antibodies on to their newborns, according to research published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. What's more, Pfizer's researchers found that those antibodies appeared to provide the infants with a high level of protection against severe illness from the virus, according to an analysis conducted after a portion of the company's clinical trial was completed. (Lovelace, 4/28)

USA Today: As STD Rates Rise In United States, Doctors Emphasize Messaging
We spent the past two years focused on improving hygiene and healthy habits in just about every aspect of daily life. But that didn't necessarily extend to our sex lives. Reported cases of sexually transmitted diseases reached an all-time high for the sixth consecutive year in 2019 and though those numbers appeared to decline a bit in 2020, public health experts believe the pandemic helped obscure some of that total. With STD rates climbing, the country needs to take the STD crisis seriously and change its approach to reverse the trend, said David C. Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors. (Pérez Pintado, 4/27)

AP: Older People Fret Less About Aging In Place: AP-NORC Poll
The older you are, the less you fret about aging in your own home or community. That’s a key insight from a new Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll, which found that U.S. adults ages 65 or older feel much better prepared to “age in place” than those 50-64, who are mostly still in the final stretches of their working years. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 4/27)

Reuters: EU Estimates Up To 80% Of Population Has Had COVID
The European Commission said that between 60% and 80% of the EU population was estimated to have been infected with COVID-19, as the bloc enters a post-emergency phase in which mass reporting of cases was no longer necessary. In preparing for this less acute phase, European Union governments should ramp up COVID-19 immunisations of children, the bloc's executive body said, signallingit was considering plans to develop antivirals. (Guarascio, 4/27)

Bloomberg: EU Covid Cases Won't All Be Counted In Move To Embrace New Pandemic Phase
The European Union acknowledged that the pandemic is moving into a new phase in which governments no longer need to count every case but shift toward a sustainable approach that tracks variants and bolsters vaccine-production capacity. The bloc plans to conduct more limited testing intended to keep tabs on the virus and its variants, the European Union said Wednesday. (Hernanz Lizarraga, 4/27)

NPR: Death Rate Of Children After Hospitalization Called 'Astronomically High'
Around the world, the death rate of children has been dropping dramatically. Where 1 in 11 children under 5 years old died in 1990, it was 1 in 27 children in 2020. The total number was 12.6 million in 1990 and 6 million in 2020, according to the World Health Organization. But a new study in The Lancet Global Health points out an underlying tragedy among the childhood deaths that do occur today. Too many are coming after children have been treated and often discharged from hospitals. (Silberner, 4/27)

CNN: 'Perfect Storm' Of Disease Ahead With Vaccines Delayed And Measles Cases Up, WHO And UNICEF Say
The World Health Organization and the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund warned of an increased risk of measles spread, with worldwide cases up nearly 80% so far in 2022 compared with 2021. "Almost 17,338 measles cases were reported worldwide in January and February 2022, compared to 9,665 during the first two months of 2021," the organizations said in a news release on Wednesday, noting there were 21 "large and disruptive" outbreaks, many in Africa and the East Mediterranean region. (Langmaid, 4/27)

CIDRAP: WHO: Worldwide Measles Cases Up 79% In 2022
The WHO today is warning of a perfect storm for measles resurgence, due to a 79% increase in the first 2 months of 2022 and pandemic-related disruptions in routine childhood vaccination. In addition to pandemic-related disruptions, the WHO said millions of displaced people due to conflicts and crises in Ukraine, Ethiopia, Somalia and Afghanistan, could also result in a significant increase in measles cases. (4/27)