Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Different Takes: Congress Must Approve Covid Response Money; Are Vaccines For Kids Effective?
The New York Times: America’s Covid Response Needs More Congressional Funding
Over the last two years, the United States has made extraordinary progress in the fight against Covid-19. That progress is now threatened by Congress’s failure to fund the continuing Covid-19 response effort. The federal government is running out of funds to provide Americans, especially those who are uninsured, with Covid-19 vaccines, tests and treatments. Our efforts to sustain other critical elements of the public health response, from Covid-19 surveillance to the global vaccination campaign, are also now at risk. (Vivek H. Murthy and Davide A. Kessler, 3/29)
Chicago Tribune: There Is Much We Still Don’t Know About Giving 5- To 11-Year-Olds A COVID-19 Vaccine
Should children ages 5 to 11 receive the COVID-19 vaccine? This is a difficult question without an easy answer, something you wouldn’t know from the strident opinions of politicians and health experts. On one side are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics and Pfizer, which makes the only approved vaccine for children. They have all recommended vaccination for children ages 5 and older. (Cory Franklin and Robert A. Weinstein, 3/28)
Miami Herald: COVID Pandemic Exacerbated US Workers’ Mental Health Challenges
The pandemic has taken a significant toll on everyone’s mental health — and the research proves it. The majority of employees say their job is the main source of their mental-health challenges, and 65.9% reported higher levels of stress since the outbreak. Let that sink in. More than half of your colleagues or employees could be struggling with significant mental health issues as you read this. (Pat Geraghty, 3/28)
The Washington Post: The Health-Care System Is As Vulnerable To Covid As It Has Ever Been
We might be facing another surge of covid because of the omicron subvariant. Or we might be months away from another wave hitting. No matter the timing, our health-care system is not built to withstand continued bouts of covid hospitalizations. After five surges, and with vaccines and treatments widely available, it’s human nature to want to believe the job is done. In reality, our health-care system is in no better shape today than it was two years ago — and, in fact, it might be in worse condition. (Megan Ranney, 3/28)
Bloomberg: Shanghai Took A Gentler But Likely Wrong Approach To Covid-Zero Than Shenzhen
Shanghai is China’s most important financial hub as well as the regional headquarters of global brands such as Apple Inc., Tesla Inc. and LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE. Until recently, it also executed China’s “dynamic clearing” Covid policy better than the country’s other municipalities. With a staff of over 3,000 conducting contact tracing in the city of 25 million, Shanghai never had to undergo mass testing or district lockdowns. For two years, life was pretty much normal. It is thus a shock when Shanghai announced a lockdown to conduct mass testing over eight days. This is a sharp U-turn from an official stance that had ruled out such drastic measures. What went wrong? (Shuli Ren, 3/28)
