Latest KFF Health News Stories
In Step Toward Approval, FDA Confirms Efficacy And Safety Of Pfizer’s Vaccine
The Food and Drug Administration’s independent review of clinical trial data for Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine upholds findings about its protection against COVID-19 as well as safety, according to briefing documents written up for Thursday’s advisory panel meeting.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Tracking COVID’s Spread Inside a Tight-Knit Latino Community
Contact tracing for COVID-19 in a Latino immigrant community has some unique challenges. But as public health officials in Telluride, Colorado, are showing, using resources from inside those communities can help track and contain the coronavirus.
Viewpoints: Lessons On Rushed Vaccines (Remember Polio) And Compromising To Bring Fast Relief
Opinion writers weigh in on these pandemic topics and others as well.
States Renew Struggle Against COVID
With a populace tired of COVID restrictions — “pandemic fatigue” they call it — many state and local health officials press on. Though in Wyoming, comments about the pandemic from a pubic health officials are raising concerns.
Editorial pages focus on these public health issues.
From Apps To Testing, Pandemic Innovations Deliver Mixed Results
Technology experts and public health officials have scrambled over the last few months to deliver tools that could help detect and combat the virus spread, but some are more successful than others.
NYC Again Reopens Some Public School Classrooms
Schools news is from New York and Texas. News is also on a children’s hospital, sports for children, college campuses and more.
Police Catch Up With Positive-Testing Child Right Before Airline Flight
Just 30 minutes before departure, Maryland police found the mother and child in a Baltimore airport. Other reports on break-room safety, pro athletes’ health, avocado consumption and more.
Gene-Editing Technology Shows Promise For Blood Disorders
Patients with sickle-cell disease and beta-thalassemia who were treated with a CRISPR-based gene-editing therapy showed promising positive results.
Many Hospitals Continue Elective Surgeries
Hospitals say they won’t halt elective surgeries even in the face of the surging COVID cases. In other health industry news, the medical license of an Oregon doctor who derided masks as “masks of shame” and said his staff didn’t wear them was suspended.
Hopes Rise For Relief Deal As Details Of Bill Set To Be Released
A group of senators voiced optimism over the weekend for their skinnier stimulus package. More details of the plan are expected to be unveiled Monday.
Rudy Giuliani, President Trump’s personal lawyer, is being treated at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington for COVID-19. Two chambers of the Arizona state legislature will suspend their work this week because of close contact with Giuliani.
Fauci And Birx Continue To Plea For Mask Wearing
Dr. Deborah Birx says it is frustrating to hear false claims about COVID — coming from the public. Dr. Anthony Fauci repeats his prediction that things won’t get better until the third quarter of 2021.
Legal Challenges Ahead For Medicaid Work Rules, Medicare Drug Pricing
The Supreme Court agreed to hear the Trump administration’s case on work requirements, but the issue may be moot because the Biden administration is expected to eliminate the rules.
‘Never Too Late’: Trump’s Vaccine Czar Supports Biden’s 100-Day Mask Plea
Operation Warp Speed’s scientific chief, Moncef Slaoui, told CNN that he thinks President-elect Joe Biden’s plan to ask all Americans to wear masks for 100 days is “a good idea.”
Vaccine Czar Makes A Host Of Promises
Moncef Slaoui, President Trump’s vaccine chief adviser, said Sunday there would likely be fewer elderly deaths by the end of January, a return to normalcy no later than May and more.
Winter’s Coronavirus Deluge Already Straining Health Systems To Breaking Point
From new infections to hospitalizations to deaths, the U.S. COVID trends all continue to rapidly spiral up and experts say the worst is yet to come. “This is going to be the biggest stress test of American health care in history,” a doctor tells NPR.
Britain Set To Become First Western Nation To Start Inoculating Against COVID
The first COVID-19 vaccine shots are expected to be administered in Britain on Tuesday.
States Expecting Fewer Vaccine Doses
As health officials expect demand for the COVID vaccines will be high, state officials are expecting fewer doses than promised. They also ask for federal money for distribution.