Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Child Welfare Safety Net Suffers In Pandemic; Summer Camps May Be On
AP: AP Exclusive: Pandemic Means Far Fewer Eyes On Kids' Welfare
An Associated Press analysis of state data reveals that the coronavirus pandemic has ripped away several systemic safety nets for millions of Americans — many of them children like Ava. It found that child abuse reports, investigations, substantiated allegations and interventions have dropped at a staggering rate, increasing risks for the most vulnerable of families in the U.S. In the AP’s analysis, it found more than 400,000 fewer child welfare concerns reported during the pandemic and 200,000 fewer child abuse and neglect investigations and assessments compared with the same time period of 2019. That represents a national total decrease of 18% in both total reports and investigations. (Ho and Fassett, 3/29)
CNN: Conceivable That Unvaccinated Children Could Go To Camp Or Playgrounds This Summer, Fauci Says
Children may not need to be vaccinated for Covid-19 for parents to send them to camps or playgrounds this summer, the nation's top infectious disease expert told CBS News on Sunday. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has previously said that elementary school-aged kids won't likely be vaccinated until the first quarter of 2022, as vaccine developers continued to study their effects in children. But asked by "Face the Nation" host Margaret Brennan whether parents can send their kids to summer camp without vaccines, Fauci said, "It is conceivable that that will be possible." (Thomas and Andone, 3/28)
Axios: Study Will Track COVID Transmission Among Vaccinated College Students
Scientists launched a National Institutes of Health-backed study with thousands of college students to determine whether Moderna's COVID vaccine can prevent asymptomatic spread of the virus. The results of the trial could provide vaccinated individuals insight on how careful they really need to be when in close contact with others. (Fernandez, 3/26)
Axios: The Key To Opening Schools: Better Air Flow
Getting kids back to in-person learning could hinge on upgrading the ventilation systems in school buildings. This is a massive undertaking in the U.S., where school maintenance has been neglected and the average school building is 44 years old. Significant stimulus funds can be funneled to installing new A/C systems, but it may not happen by fall. (Hart, 3/28)
The Wall Street Journal: New Jersey Parents Sue To Reopen Schools After Covid-19 Closures
Parents say their lawsuits against three New Jersey school districts helped pressure them to bring students back for some in-person classes, or at least get on that path. Now these plaintiffs, who sued in the Montclair, Scotch Plains-Fanwood and South Orange-Maplewood districts, say families from around the state, plus some from as far as California, have reached out for advice on taking legal action. (Brody, 3/27)
