Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Dems On Zika Funding: 'We’re Not Going To Stop Talking About It Until We Get Some Money'
The Hill: Senate Dems To Force Vote On Zika Funding
Senate Democrats will try to force a vote next week on nearly $2 billion to bolster the national response to the Zika virus. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said at a press conference Thursday he will dig in on Zika funding as GOP leaders in both chambers work on hammering out a compromise. “We’re going to push forward next week and force the Republicans to vote again against full funding for Zika virus,” Reid said. (Ferris, 6/2)
The New York Times: Zika May Be Transmitted by Oral Sex, Scientists Find
Scientists raised the possibility that the Zika virus can be transmitted by oral sex — perhaps even by kissing — on Friday in a letter to The New England Journal of Medicine describing one such case in France. A single incident may seem trivial. But until early this year, there was only one known instance of sexual transmission of the Zika virus — a 2008 case in which a mosquito researcher just back from Africa infected his wife in Colorado. (McNeil, 6/2)
Stat: Surgeon General Vivek Murthy Talks Zika, Guns, And Why He Loves 'Love Actually'
Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy is, arguably, the most powerful physician in the United States. The 38-year-old Harvard-trained doctor is a year-and-a-half into a four-year term as the face of public health in the United States. He’s made emotional well-being, walkable communities, and preventive care a priority. Later this fall, he’ll release the first-ever Surgeon General’s Report on substance abuse. (6/3)
Chicago Tribune: U.S. Cyclist Withdraws From Rio Consideration Citing Zika
American cyclist Tejay van Garderen understands the chances that he might contract the Zika virus at the Rio Olympics are minimal, and that precautions could be taken to further reduce the threat. With a pregnant wife at home, not even the smallest risk was worth it. Van Garderen withdrew his name from consideration for the road cycling team Thursday, making him perhaps the first athlete to back out of the Summer Games because of the mosquito-borne illness blamed for causing birth defects including microcephaly, in which the baby's brain does not develop properly. (6/2)
Meanwhile, in the states —
The Texas Tribune: In Texas, State Offers Little Help With Zika Prevention
More rain is coming, and so are more mosquitoes. As parts of South and Southeast Texas enter peak season for Aedes aegypti, the species of mosquito apparently posing the greatest risk for transmitting the Zika virus, state health officials are ramping up a public awareness campaign urging people to protect themselves from insect bites. (Walters, 6/3)
Miami Herald: New Zika Cases In Florida, Including One In Miami-Dade, Two In Broward
Florida health officials confirmed three new Zika infections on Thursday, including one case in Miami-Dade and two in Broward, raising the statewide total to 165 people who have contracted the virus this year. As summer arrives, and Florida Gov. Rick Scott appealed to President Obama for help combating Zika, federal officials announced a new source of assistance for states: Medicaid dollars are available to prevent, detect and respond to the virus. (Chang, 6/2)
