Latest KFF Health News Content

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Stop Partying Or We’ll Shut Off Your Utilities, LA Mayor Warns

Morning Briefing

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti threatened to shut off power and water to residents who hold big parties. In other states, large gatherings continue to spread the coronavirus to large numbers of people. But in Fargo, N.D., an outdoor festival goes on.

Virginia Rolls Out First Contact Tracing App In US Using Apple-Google Tech

Morning Briefing

“No one is tracking you. None of your personal information is saved,” Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) said in a televised briefing. Across the country in California, a genetic testing company says it’s solved many of the hurdles holding back a simpler, faster COVID-19 test.

Moderna Floats COVID Vaccine Pricing

Morning Briefing

The vaccine maker’s CEO said it will use a tiered pricing system and charge less for high-volume buyers. In other vaccine news, Johnson & Johnson secures a $1 billion deal with the federal government.

Trump, Biden Weigh Location Options For Acceptance Speeches

Morning Briefing

With the pandemic keeping both presidential candidates away from their national convention sites, President Donald Trump and Vice President Joe Biden will likely deliver speeches closer to home. Other reports on how the epidemic is affecting the November election.

Facebook, Twitter Pull Trump Video For Spreading Bad COVID Information

Morning Briefing

President Donald Trump’s post linked to a Fox News interview in which he claims kids are “virtually immune” to the coronavirus. Facebook said that the “video includes false claims that a group of people is immune from COVID-19 which is a violation of our policies around harmful COVID misinformation.”

Birx Tells Local Officials In 9 Cities To ‘Get On Top’ Of Virus Surge Risk

Morning Briefing

Task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx cites coronavirus numbers ticking up in 9 cities and California’s Central Valley as areas for concern. Meanwhile, comments by Dr. Anthony Fauci and White House trade adviser Peter Navarro also make headlines.

America’s Obesity Epidemic Threatens Effectiveness of Any COVID Vaccine

KFF Health News Original

Vaccines engineered to protect the public from influenza, hepatitis B, tetanus and rabies are less effective for obese people, leaving them more vulnerable to serious illness. As scientists race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, experts say obesity could prove an impediment — a sobering prospect for a nation in which nearly half of all adults are obese.

With Caveats, Hopeful News for Preschools Planning Young Kids’ Return

KFF Health News Original

Hundreds of thousands of essential workers have kept their kids in day care during the pandemic out of necessity and, so far, these centers haven’t been big disease spreaders. But the evidence remains incomplete.