Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Afghan Refugees At Wisconsin Army Base Embracing Covid Shots
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Nearly All Afghan Refugees At Fort McCoy Accepting COVID Vaccinations
Nearly all the Afghans at Fort McCoy are accepting COVID-19 vaccines and the first refugees will likely leave the military base this weekend, according to Democrats in Wisconsin's congressional delegation who toured the facility Tuesday. Rep. Mark Pocan of Dane County said just one person at Fort McCoy had refused the coronavirus vaccine. "I wish we had anything like that in our country right now," Pocan said, alluding to the large numbers of Americans who have declined to get vaccinated. (Marley, 9/7)
Fox News: Fort McCoy Hit By Case Of Measles Amid Afghan Refugee Resettlement Effort
Fort McCoy Army Base in Wisconsin identified a case of the measles this week as it brings in thousands of Afghan refugees as part of the mass evacuation effort in the wake of the Taliban takeover of Kabul. An internal government email, viewed by Fox News, said that the base confirmed a case of the measles on Sunday. "All those who had been in contact with the infected person at base have been isolated, and post-exposure prophylaxis and inoculations are in process," the notice said. Separately, a senior U.S. government official confirmed to Fox News that officials identified a single measles case as part of what they called a robust health screening process. (Shaw and Griffin, 9/7)
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The Washington Post: Afghan Crisis Wreaked Havoc On Northern Virginia Hospitals Due To Lack Of Federal Planning, Local Officials Say
The mass arrival of Afghan evacuees last month, many in need of medical care, wreaked havoc on Northern Virginia’s hospital system — prompting a regional emergency response group to assume oversight after one hospital became overwhelmed with patients and federal officials lost track of where some Afghans were hospitalized, officials said. Area leaders have been asking the Biden administration to pay for the mounting cost of keeping track of the hospitalized evacuees and for giving them rides back to the Dulles Expo Center — where they have been temporarily housed — after a federal contractor took hours to retrieve some of the evacuees who were ready to be discharged. (Olivo, 9/7)
NPR: Biden Asks Congress For $30 Billion To Help Disaster Relief And Afghan Evacuees
President Biden is asking Congress for billions in additional funding to help with natural disasters and aid for Afghan evacuees. Biden administration officials are asking for $6.4 billion to help with resettling vulnerable Afghans in the United States. ... Shalanda Young, acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, said in a blog post that aid would be used for security screenings as well as humanitarian assistance to Afghans through the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development. It would also include funding for public health screenings and vaccinations. (Ordonez, 9/7)
