Latest KFF Health News Stories
Perspectives: Palliative Care Isn’t Profitable; Is Estrogen Deficiency A Real Issue?
Opinion writers focus on these topics and more.
New York Reopens High Schools, But Most Students Will Learn From Home
The vast majority of students in New York City high schools will remain learning from home, even as the city reopens campuses for the first time since November. Meanwhile, the new CDC 3-foot safety guideline will not affect Orange County, Florida, schools, who are choosing to keep spacing at 6 feet.
Global Covid Deaths Slightly Up After A Six-Week Fall, WHO Reports
Elsewhere around the world, Sinovac’s vaccine is declared safe for children as young as 3, and concerns deepen that the pandemic will linger if some nations take years to vaccinate.
Viewpoints: Can Employers Mandate Vaccinations?; In-Home Shots for High-Risk Patients Needed
Editorial pages tackle news about the covid vaccine and more.
10 Days In Lockdown Equals A Half-Pound Weight Gain, Says New Study
UCSF researchers have connected lockdowns with steady increases in weight among American citizens. In other research news, vitamin D is again linked to reduced covid risk–especially in Black patients. And distorted smell is being recognized as a symptom of long covid, even as scientists struggle to understand long haulers.
Arkansas Governor: New Abortion Law Was Designed To Be Unconstitutional
Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Sunday that the near-total abortion ban was meant to be bait for the U.S. Supreme Court. In other news from Arkansas, the legislature voted Monday to require a woman undergoing an abortion to first view an ultrasound.
Vaccine Rollout Failing People With Visual Impairment, The Homebound
Even as covid vaccine eligibility expands, reports suggest the entire process is a struggle for visually impaired and homebound Americans. Meanwhile structural language issues built into the process are said to impact many non-English speakers seeking shots.
Health Care CEOs Hit Pay Dirt In 2020
Axios reports that Sam Hazen of HCA Healthcare made $84 million, four times as much as 2019; David Cordani of Cigna made $79 million, six times as much as 2019; and Dave Ricks of Eli Lilly made $68 million, twice as much as 2019.
Regeneron’s Antibody Cocktail Shows Promise In Covid Patient Trials
A mixed shot of casirivimab and imdevimab, covid antibody products developed by Regeneron and Roche, is shown to reduce hospitalizations and deaths by 70% in a new study.
White House Worries J&J Supply, Hesitancy May Hamper Vaccine Goals
Maintaining a steady supply of vaccine to the states and overcoming resistance from different groups of Americans are key to reaching the Biden administration’s mass vaccination targets.
Covid Vaccines For All Over-16s Coming To More States, Soon
States from West Virginia to Arizona have announced plans to dramatically expand vaccine eligibility. In other state news: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis dismisses the idea of vaccine passports, an Arizona man was arrested after holding a covid vaccine supply hostage at gunpoint and more.
Covid Cases Rising In 27 States
Even as the pace of vaccinations picks up, so does the U.S. seven-day average of daily new coronavirus cases. Increases of at least 5% are now reported in over half the states.
Drugmakers Wary Of Plan To Limit Drug Prices In Infrastructure Bill
Meanwhile, lawmakers move to close a bankruptcy loophole that the Sackler family could have used to escape paying opioid settlements.
SNAP To Get $3.5B Increase As More Americans Go Hungry
The Department of Agriculture announced a 15% bump in funding through September to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. “We cannot sit by and watch food insecurity grow in the United States,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement.
Trump Slams Fauci, Says He Was ‘Wrong So Much’
Meanwhile, Dr. Anthony Fauci —the infectious-disease expert who has advised seven presidents and became a household name during the pandemic — will be featured in a new children’s book.
US Safety Board Asks If AstraZeneca Used ‘Outdated Information’ On Vaccine Results
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases overnight issued an unusual statement raising concerns from an independent safety committee that AstraZeneca included outdated or incomplete data in recently announced covid vaccine trial results. The company told AP it is “looking into it.”
Over 200,000 Sign Up For ACA Plans As Biden’s Moves Bolster Health Law
As the Affordable Care Act approaches its 11th anniversary — a mark many thought it would never reach — news outlets look back at Republicans’ efforts to repeal it and the steps President Joe Biden is taking to shore up the law.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Ya te has vacunado contra covid. ¿Y ahora qué?
Más y más personas se vacunan cada día, justo cuando comienza la primavera. Pero, ¿están totalmente protegidos? Todavía hay preguntas por contestar y reglas que cumplir.
Opinion writers weigh in on mental health, vaccine inequity and more.