American Travelers 60 And Up Advised To Skip Chikungunya Vaccine

AP: US Health Officials Advise Older Travelers Not To Get A Chikungunya Vaccine
The U.S. government advised American travelers age 60 and older not get a chikungunya vaccine as it investigates possible side effects. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration posted notices late last week on the vaccine, Valneva’s Ixchiq. Chikungunya, spread by the bites of infected mosquitoes, is a debilitating tropical illness marked by fever and joint pain. About 100 to 200 cases are reported annually among U.S. travelers. (Stobbe, 5/12)

More news from the Trump administration —

NBC News: RFK Jr. Goes Swimming With Grandchildren In Contaminated DC Creek
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. posted photos of himself and his grandchildren swimming in waters known to be contaminated during a Mother’s Day hike in Rock Creek Park. In one of the photos from Sunday, Kennedy is seen fully submerged in the water, with his grandchildren swimming, in spite of an ongoing National Park Service advisory against coming in contact with the water in the Washington, D.C., park “due to high bacteria levels.” The same notice says swimming and wading are not permitted due to the health risks. (Richards, 5/13)

Military.Com: Trump Orders VA To Build Homeless Veterans Center On West LA Campus
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday that aims to create a center for homeless veterans in Los Angeles and to improve medical care across the Department of Veterans Affairs. The order calls for constructing a National Center for Warrior Independence on the campus of the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center that would provide housing and services to 3,000 homeless veterans currently in Los Angeles, with a goal to eventually home 6,000 veterans. (Kime, 5/12)

The Washington Post: 60,000 People Set To Prematurely Lose Federal Housing Assistance 
Nearly 60,000 people in the United States will lose their federal housing assistance years before they anticipated, placing them at imminent risk of eviction and potential homelessness. A sweeping effort launched in 2021 allocated $5 billion to rapidly house the most vulnerable people at the height of the coronavirus pandemic: those living on the streets, facing domestic violence or experiencing human trafficking. The emergency housing vouchers initiative — a beefed-up version of the longtime Section 8 program — was slated to last through 2030, granting recipients housing security through the decade with the expectation that they would have the time and resources to wean off the assistance. (Kaur, 5/13)

The Washington Post: Trump DEI Policies Threaten Millions In Scholarships Raised By Black Doctors
It took Kenneth Davis and his wife more than 20 years to raise the $1.4 million endowment they established for Black medical students entering the University of Cincinnati. Davis had spent 36 years as the only Black general surgeon in Cincinnati before retiring in 2020. Now, according to the Cincinnati Medical Association, which represents Black doctors in the city, there are none. The scholarship, Davis hoped, would help grow the minuscule ranks of Black doctors in the region. The endowment is now one of many across the country caught in the Trump administration’s campaign to dismantle federal diversity, equity and inclusion programs in Washington and pressuring corporations and universities to pull back from such efforts nationwide. (Felton, 5/13)

The New York Times: Not Just More Babies: These Republicans Want More Parents At Home
White House aides have discussed a variety of ideas in recent weeks intended to allow, and in some cases encourage, parents to spend more time at home with their children, according to three people who have been part of the conversations. Ideas under discussion include giving more money to families for each child they have, eliminating federal tax credits for day care and opening up federal lands for the construction of affordable single-family homes. If families can spend less on housing, advocates reason, then more families will be able to survive on only one income. The approach is reflected in legislation recently filed by Republicans in Congress. Senator Jim Banks of Indiana introduced a bill that would effectively pay stay-at-home parents for their labor. Other Republicans want to expand the child tax credit, an annual credit of $2,000 per child, in part by dismantling additional tax breaks reserved for working parents to use on day care. (Kitchener, 5/12)

In updates on former President Joe Biden —

The New York Times: Biden Is Being Evaluated For A ‘Small Nodule’ In His Prostate
Former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. spent last Friday at a hospital in Philadelphia after a “small nodule” was discovered on his prostate that required “further evaluation,” according to a spokesman. It is common for a man of Mr. Biden’s age — he is 82 — to experience prostate issues, and his spokesman declined to elaborate on any additional details about his care. (McCreesh and Pager, 5/12)