Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC Advises Upgraded Flu Shots For Seniors
AP: CDC Panel Recommends US Seniors Get Souped-Up Flu Vaccines
Americans 65 and older should get newer, souped-up flu vaccines because regular shots don’t provide them enough protection, a federal advisory panel said Wednesday. The panel unanimously recommended certain flu vaccines that might offer more or longer protection for seniors, whose weakened immune systems don’t respond as well to traditional shots. (Stobbe, 6/22)
In other health and wellness news —
ABC News: Dangerous Heat To Stretch Through The Week
Dangerously high temperatures are slamming the U.S., with heat alerts in effect across more than one dozen states from Texas to West Virginia. In the South, the heat index -- what temperature it feels like -- is forecast to skyrocket Wednesday to 104 degrees in New Orleans; 103 in Little Rock; 106 in Memphis; 101 in Tallahassee; 100 in Atlanta; 104 in Louisville; and 99 in Knoxville. The North is also in the danger zone, with the heat index set to reach 94 degrees in Pittsburgh and 97 in Columbus, Ohio. (Shapiro, Golembo and Peck, 6/22)
San Francisco Chronicle: Judge OK’s Refunds For Customers In Lawsuit Accusing Roundup Weedkiller Manufacturer Of Concealing Cancer Risks
Buyers of Roundup herbicide products in recent years would be eligible for 20% refunds under a proposed nationwide settlement, tentatively approved by a federal judge, of a suit accusing Monsanto Co. of false advertising for failing to warn customers the product could cause cancer. The settlement is separate from the tens of thousands of lawsuits filed against Monsanto and its parent company, Bayer, by people diagnosed with cancer after spraying Roundup, the world’s most widely used weed-killer, on their crops. Bay Area juries have awarded damages totaling $133 million in three of those cases, and on Tuesday the Supreme Court denied review of Monsanto’s appeal of a $25.2 million award to one of those plaintiffs, a former school groundskeeper in Benicia. (Egelko, 6/22)
The Washington Post: Daily Harvest Meal Service Enlists FDA After Recall And Illness Claims
Customers expressed frustration with the way the company handled the issue. Daily Harvest added updates to several promotional Instagram posts noting a link to “an important message regarding our French Lentil + Leek Crumbles.” Commenters complained that the company was not being more forthright about the potential problems and inundated its posts with barbs. (Heil, 6/22)
CNN: Social Stress Ages Your Immune System, Study Finds
Social stress such as discrimination and family problems, along with job and money problems, can contribute to premature aging of your immune system, a recent study found. That's a double whammy, as the immune system already deteriorates with age. Immune aging can lead to cancer, heart disease and other age-related health conditions and reduce the effectiveness of vaccines, such as Covid-19, said lead author Eric Klopack, a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Southern California's Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. (LaMotte, 6/23)
Stat: Ambitious New Study Of Pregnancy Aims To Prove Value Of Wearables
When Stephen Friend left Apple in 2017 after a stint helping to jumpstart its health efforts, the company’s marketing engine was already promoting a future that hadn’t arrived: Apple devices were going to help you live a healthier life. In reality, iPhones, Apple Watches, and competitor products were collecting a flurry of data about activity, heart rate, and sleep. But the evidence they could detect disease or actually improve health outcomes was nascent. Friend set out to change that. (Aguilar, 6/23)
