Latest KFF Health News Stories
FDA May Reform Abortion Provision By Allowing More Pills By Mail
Reports suggest the Food and Drug Administration is poised to make it permanently easier to access abortion medication by mail. Separately, the Houston Chronicle says Harris County will be allowed to spend public money to counter Texas’ strict anti-abortion laws, including direct funding of care.
CDC Panel Could Recommend Halting J&J Shot As Blood Clot Issues Continue
Advisers will meet today to review updated data from the Johnson & Johnson single-dose covid vaccine. The panel is expected to vote on whether to update its recommendation for the vaccine’s use, which could mean continuing to administer it to anyone 18 or older or even to “get rid of it, or only use it in certain populations,” said one clinician familiar with the agenda.
Biden’s Health Worker Vax Mandate Partly Revived By Appeals Court
And a case over the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for large private companies has been punted to a smaller three judge panel. Meanwhile, the Navy is now dismissing sailors who refused to get shots, with about 5,700 active-duty service members currently unvaxxed.
More Colleges Close As Students Catch Covid At Alarming Rates
News outlets report shuttering of in-person classes across the U.S. as covid outbreaks affect the student body. Meanwhile, a lawsuit is trying to prevent an employee vaccine and test mandate in schools in Las Vegas, and lawmakers in Louisiana are pushing against vaccine mandates for students.
Moderna Vaccine Protection Is Lower Against Omicron; Booster Helps, Study Finds
Like the Pfizer mRNA shot, a preliminary study finds that the initial two-dose protocol of Moderna’s covid vaccine does not hold up against the omicron variant. But a booster dose can restore some of that effectiveness.
Most States Becoming Engulfed In A Triple Whammy Of Delta, Omicron, Flu
In the first week of December, 841 people were admitted to U.S. hospitals with influenza, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s up from the prior week, when there were 496 new flu admissions.
CDC Investigation Finds Its Own Early Covid Tests Had Design Flaw
The Wall Street Journal reports on the findings of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigation into its initial batch of covid PCR tests in 2020, and how they impacted early pandemic responses. Politico reports on worries that omicron covid will stretch supplies of current covid tests.
Why Is Omicron A Superspreader? New Data Offers Clues
The omicron variant has been found to infect 70 times faster than the delta or original covid strain — but causes less severe disease — in a study from the University of Hong Kong. Why? Researchers observed that the virus takes stronger hold in the airways rather than the lungs.
Keeping Up With Omicron Will Be Tough On Labs, Hospitals
The “double surge” of omicron and delta infections will stretch the ability of the U.S. health care system to research, test for and treat covid this winter.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial pages tackle changing viability and mental health issues.
West Virginians Rally For Joe Manchin To Vote For Build Back Better Act
Read about the biggest pharmaceutical developments and pricing stories from the past week in KHN’s Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
Perspectives: In Battle Against Opioids, It’s Critical To Pass The NOPAIN Act
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
Eye Drops That Can Replace Reading Glasses Arrive By Prescription
The New York Times reports that Vuity, a once-a-day eye drop treatment that can help users see close-by objects without making their vision short-sighted, is now available. Other news outlets report on forever chemical contaminations, Lyme disease, CTE in a shooting case and more.
San Francisco First US City To Mandate Paid Sick Leave For Nannies, Cleaners
The city’s board of supervisors passed the regulation Tuesday, assuring around 10,000 domestic workers would have paid sick leave. State child care issues in Rhode Island, debate over Georgia’s health proposals, a dangerous synthetic marijuana in Florida and more are also in the news.
Omicron Spreads Globally, Expected To Be Dominant In EU In A Month
As omicron covid has spread to at least 77 countries and 35 U.S. states, the European Commission president said it was expected to dominate the area by mid-January. The CDC added Italy to the level 4 travel list, and German officials said the nation was tackling a vaccine supply problem.
San Francisco Exempts Gyms, Offices From California’s New Mask Rule
Meanwhile, Amtrak paused a vaccine mandate for employees over worries of service cuts if it had to terminate about 500 unvaxxed employees. Some Dallas hospitals are backing off vaccine mandates too. Kroger, on the other hand, is cutting some benefits for unvaccinated employees.
In New Abortion Plea To High Court, Arizona Seeks To Reinstate Penalties
Arizona’s law would impose criminal penalties on anyone performing an abortion because of genetic abnormalities in the fetus. Meanwhile, Wisconsin’s attorney general says if the Supreme Court overturns federal protections for the right to an abortion, he won’t prosecute under a state ban that would take effect.
Califf Garners Bipartisan Support During Senate Confirmation Hearing
Facing questions regarding opioids, abortion and drug pricing, Robert Califf testified before senators on his record and plans for the Food and Drug Administration. His nomination to head that agency is viewed to be on track after the two-hour session.
Pfizer’s Covid Pill Nearly 90% Effective Against Severe Illness
Media outlets cover news from Pfizer about final clinical trials of its covid treatment Paxlovid: the drug was 89% effective at preventing hospitalization and death. President Joe Biden has ordered enough of the pills to treat 10 million people.