Latest KFF Health News Stories
Research Roundup: Covid; Eczema; Circadian Rhythm; Chernobyl; More
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Viewpoints: Unmasking Is Proving More Complex; Are Dollar Store Vaccine Sites On The Horizon?
Opinion writers tackle masks, vaccines and variants.
Perspectives: Health Care Worker Burnout Is Concerning; Young People Struggling With Mental Health
Editorial pages delve into these public health issues.
Canada First To OK Pfizer Vaccine For Kids Ages 12-15
Meanwhile, Bloomberg reports on Canadian shortages of AstraZeneca and Moderna shots, and the AP covers Native American efforts to help.
India Covid Surge Hits 412,000 New Cases Per Day; Nepal’s Worsens Too
India’s ongoing covid crisis continues to break records, as Bloomberg reports on worries about the nation’s ability to track covid variants, and CNBC notes the impact it could have on global pandemic efforts.
Peloton Recalls, Halts Sales Of Treadmills Linked To Injuries
In other news, six children are hospitalized for E. coli in Washington state; North Carolina saw an HIV surge in 2020; a study identifies higher risk of heart disease in young, Black women; and the opioid trial continues in West Virginia.
Idaho Governor Expected To Sign Bill Curbing His Office’s Emergency Powers
And in Florida, the Department of Education tells schools that Gov. Ron DeSantis’ orders aimed at rolling back local coronavirus protections don’t apply to them.
Scripps Health Struggles After Hacking Attack; Some Patient Care Impacted
The San Diego-based provider was hit with a cyberattack May 1, forcing its patient portal offline. Big Tech’s role in California’s health system, the Theranos trial and a link between hospital doctors and low-value care are also in the news.
Drug Plant FDA Inspections Hit By Pandemic, Delaying Some New Drugs
At least 68 applications for approval to market new products were affected by inspections being delayed during the pandemic, according to the FDA, including seven that represented a medical advancement.
Health Care Workers Demand Better Workplace Safety
In other health care news on National Nurses Day: the AMA reports that for the first time most physicians work outside of private practices; a former Ohio health director is honored for covid work; and a traveling doctor in a Winnebago makes the news.
CDC’s Federal Eviction Moratorium Struck Down By Federal Judge
U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich ruled that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lacks the legal authority to impose a nationwide ban on evictions for renters. The Biden administration plans to appeal and Friedrich placed a temporary hold on her decision.
Medicaid Rolls Grow By 5 Million In First 6 Months Of Covid Pandemic
Enrollment increased from March 2020 — when the numbers were flat — to September 2020, according to data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Cruise Ships Will Go On Test Runs
Each practice cruise will operate in U.S. waters and last two to seven days. In other travel news: Scammers at an Indonesian airport reused coronavirus testing swabs on as many as 9,000 people.
Covid Infections Fall On Average, But Parts Of Alaska, Nevada Are Surging
Even as the infection rate is at a seven-month low, Nevada and Fairbanks, Alaska, are reporting worrying spikes in numbers. Meanwhile, scientists looking into neurological effects have discovered the virus can infect two types of brain cells.
CDC Says Covid Could Be Under Control By July — But It Comes With A Big ‘If’
That’s only if the pace of vaccinations doesn’t decline, health experts say.
NFL, MLB Up The Ante For Sports Fans As Vaccinations Slow By 37%
The NFL is giving away 50 free tickets to Super Bowl LVI in a lottery open to those who are vaccinated. And the Yankees and Mets will give free admission to anyone who gets vaccinated at a mobile site at their respective stadiums.
Summer Camps: CDC Eases Mask Rules For Vaccinated Youths
Adolescents who have been vaccinated by the time camp starts can remove their masks outside, Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Wednesday.
US Supports Temporary Waiver Of Vaccine Intellectual Property Rights
To speed up urgently needed global vaccinations, World Trade Organization is working on a proposal that would waive vaccine makers’ patents, industrial designs and copyrights for a period of time. Despite opposition from the pharmaceutical industry, the Biden administration came out in support of the effort.
Boosters, Mismatched Doses: Vaccine Innovations May Up Protections
New studies look at the effectiveness of current vaccines, as well as potential booster shots, against coronavirus variants. Researchers are also looking at whether mixing shots from different vaccine makers may increase efficacy as well.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.