Latest KFF Health News Stories
Editorial pages weigh in on covid, vaccines, mandates and masking.
Different Takes: Benefits Of The Build Back Better Plan; Should Abortion Pill Be OTC?
Opinion writers delve into home care, abortion and more public health issues.
Longer Looks: The 20th Anniversary Of The 9/11 Terrorist Attacks
Saturday marks two decades since terrorists hijacked four planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Thousands of survivors and first responders continue to suffer significant physical and mental health problems. And for all Americans, our grief is as fresh as the bright blue sky that belied that horrifying Tuesday.
Mississippi Reports Doubling Of Stillbirth Numbers During Covid
The 72 fetal deaths in unvaccinated pregnant women in Mississippi since the start of the pandemic — only those past 20 weeks of gestation — are twice the expected background rate. Period poverty, rapid covid tests, deaths prompted by Ida, drugmaker Endo and more are also in the news.
UNICEF Says US Is World’s Largest Covid Vaccine Donor
Meanwhile, a group of 112 African and 25 international organizations says the rapid proliferation of covid variants in poorly vaccinated African states is a serious risk for worsening the pandemic. Separately, the U.K.’s recent tax hike to improve health systems is only enough for two years’ support.
Delta Air Lines’ $200 Covid Insurance Employee Charge Worked
To push unvaccinated staff to get the vaccine, Delta imposed a monthly insurance fee of $200. It seems to have prompted 20% of the unvaccinated workforce to get the shot. Meanwhile, HCA Healthcare has said it won’t mandate vaccines for its 275,000 employees.
Biogen CEO Blames Confusion, Misinfo For Slow Alzheimer’s Drug Launch
Biogen CEO Michel Vounatsos said Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm has experienced a slower launch than anticipated because of the controversy surrounding whether it works and how it was approved. Hemophilia drugs, anti-covid drug lenzilumab, digital clinical trials and more are among other news.
You Thought This Summer Was Hot? NOAA Agrees: The Hottest On Record
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the average summer temperature was 74 degrees — beating an 85-year record, set during the Dust Bowl disaster. Covid deaths among black morticians, anti-vax books on Amazon, full stadiums at NFL games and more are also in public health news.
Los Angeles Is First Large School District To Require Student Vaccines
All children 12 and older must be fully vaccinated against covid by January. In Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis files an emergency appeal as his fight against mask mandates continues.
What’s Better Than A Covid Shot? How About One That Also Covers The Flu
Moderna said Thursday that it is developing a 2-in-1 booster jab that combines the covid and flu vaccines. In other news, BioNTech says it will file its paperwork on trial results for 5- to 11-year-olds “over the next few weeks.”
University Of Delaware, In Mid-Surge, Hushes Faculty From Alerting Students
The Washington Post reports the University of Delaware, with special accommodations for covid-positive students filling up, told staff members they can’t tell classes if a student has tested positive. Meanwhile Michigan University’s vaccine mandate is blocked for 16 athletes, and other colleges struggle with different covid issues.
Biden Administration Reveals Its Roadmap For Lowering Drug Prices
The 29-page plan developed by the Department of Health and Human Services backs congressional proposals to cut prescription drug costs — including allowing Medicare to negotiate prices — while adding on more detail about actions that federal agencies could also take to implement or build on those efforts.
Fauci Says US Is Lacking Control Needed To Suppress Covid
Dr. Anthony Fauci noted that the current covid situation, with around 160,000 daily cases, is clearly not where the nation wants to be, and he sketched a figure of around 10,000 as a potential end goal. But he also said the country is lacking “modestly good control” in moves to suppress the virus.
Across The US, Covid Is Surging Among Kids, Students
Nearly half of covid clusters in North Carolina middle and high schools have been in sports teams. Over a dozen schools in Maine have reported outbreaks in the first few weeks of the semester. Montana’s Yellowstone County case investigators are overwhelmed with youth cases. News outlets report on the surge among children.
Fines Could Reach $3,000 For Travelers Who Refuse To Mask
As part of the new covid measures, minimum TSA fines will double for air, train or bus travelers who refuse to wear a mask, starting at $500 and going up to $3,000 for repeat offenses. And in response to the increased reports of unruly fliers harassing air crews, President Joe Biden had some stern words: “Show some respect. The anger you see on television toward flight attendants and others doing their job is wrong. It’s ugly.”
FDA Ban Decision Sends Market For 950,000 Vape Products Up In Smoke
Nearly a million vape product applications were rejected by the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday, banning the sale of them in the U.S. Technically, the FDA missed a court-ordered deadline to decide on all e-cigarette sales and has pushed a decision on big brands like Juul into the future.
Department Of Justice Sues State Of Texas Over Abortion ‘Scheme’
Attorney General Merrick Garland called the recent Texas law “clearly unconstitutional.” Meanwhile, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer said the Supreme Court’s refusal to block it was “very, very, very wrong.” The New York Times notes access to abortion is expanding globally, even as it constricts in the U.S.
Republican Governors Plan ‘Pushback’ And To Fight Executive Orders In Court
Calling President Joe Biden’s actions “unconstitutional” and “overreaching,” many Republican governors, as well as the Republican National Committee, pledged to sue over the new federal measures.
Who Pays? Vax-Or-Test Order Raises Questions Over Implementation
Reactions among the private sector are mixed, with many business groups praising President Joe Biden’s actions while some unions vow to challenge them in court. But all want more details on how the orders will be carried out and what it’s going to cost.
Biden Aims A Shot At The Unvaxxed, Lays Blame For Ongoing Crisis
The Hill suggests President Joe Biden is done “pussy-footing around” ongoing covid vaccine hesitancy. Axios says “the enemy” is unvaccinated Americans. The AP, using familiar rhetoric, calls moves to mandate vaccines for 100 million people the latest in “Biden’s war on the virus.”