Viewpoints: Is Trump’s Nominee To Lead The FDA, Dr. Marty Makary, Up To The Job?
Opinion writers tackle these public health issues.
The New York Times:
The F.D.A’.s New Boss Will Face An Age-Old Dilemma
Dr. Marty Makary, President Trump’s nominee to lead the F.D.A., would step into a role increasingly defined by the tension between fostering lifesaving innovation and ensuring that the public is protected from unsafe or ineffective drugs. (Daniela J. Lamas, 3/6)
The Washington Post:
RFK Jr’s Botched Message On Measles
Nine states have now reported measles cases this year. The worst outbreak is in Texas, where low vaccination rates have resulted in more than 100 confirmed infections and the death of a child — the first measles death in 10 years. Public health officials fear that this could become a nationwide crisis given that rates of inoculation have been steadily falling across the country. (3/4)
Stat:
The Trauma Of Being An Incarcerated Nursing Assistant During Covid
I doubt people outside prison walls give a thought to what happens when one gets sick or old behind bars. Do they wonder who nurses the sick and the injured, who holds the hands of the critically ill and dying in prisons? In Connecticut state prisons, much of that work falls to certified nursing assistants who are incarcerated themselves. I was one of them: While incarcerated at Connecticut’s maximum security prison, MacDougall-Walker, I trained, and became, a CNA. For two of my 19 years in prison, I was a caregiver inside the prison infirmary. (Abraham Santiago, 3/6)
The CT Mirror:
There's Still Time To Talk About Reasonable Medicaid Rates
The relationship between Connecticut hospitals and the Connecticut Medicaid program can sometimes sound like a bad marriage – “Can’t live with ‘em but can’t live without ‘em either!” The rhetoric can be heated at times, with alleged Medicaid underpayment being blamed for a myriad of problems in the healthcare system. But this rhetoric can obscure the facts, especially when it comes to Medicaid hospital payments. (Andrea Barton Reeves and Deidre S. Gifford, MD, 3/5)
Stat:
Migrants At The U.S.-Mexico Border Are Not An Infectious Disease Threat
The Trump administration is reportedly planning to reinstate a pandemic-era border policy known as Title 42, which would permit the swift expulsion of migrants at the border on the grounds that they might spread dangerous infectious disease. This policy prevents migrants from exercising their right to seek asylum. (Amesh A. Adalja and Agustina Vergara Cid, 3/6)
