Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Different Takes: Safer Covid Pills Are On The Horizon; Is It Time To Relax Covid Restrictions?
Bloomberg: New Covid Pills Are Needed As Much As Ever
Even as omicron infection rates plummet, preparations must be made for whatever Covid-19 throws at us next. The best-case scenario is that we live with an endemic virus that causes only mild infections in most people who are vaccinated. But the possibility remains that new variants will arise. A good way to prepare for any eventuality is to develop new antivirals — ones that can be used more easily than the two existing Covid pills. A new wave of pills advancing into human studies this year could help build out the medicine cabinet. (Lisa Jarvis, 2/17)
The New York Times: What Would It Mean To End The Covid State Of Emergency?
As the Omicron wave recedes from the United States, a new politics of pandemic resignation is setting in. Pundits on late-night television talk of being “done with Covid.” High-profile governors in big blue states — California, New York and New Jersey among them — are lifting indoor mask mandates. And according to a recent poll, 70 percent of Americans agree that “it’s time we accept that Covid is here to stay and we just need to get on with our lives.” (Spencer Bokat-Lindell, 2/17)
The Washington Post: Why The FDA Was Wrong To Delay Authorization Of Vaccines For Kids Under 5
The Food and Drug Administration made the wrong call when it announced last week that it will delay authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children under 5. The move is likely to leave young children without access to the shots for two months or more. The FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should be removing roadblocks to vaccinating young children, not erecting them. (Govind Persad, Alyssa Burgart and Emily Largent, 2/17)
Miami Herald: DeSantis Supports District Cuts. Miami Lawmakers Must Stop Them
It’s payback season in Tallahassee. Petty politics were on full display Wednesday when the Florida House approved financial penalties against school districts that defied state orders and followed public-health advice on masks last year. In their quest for revenge against school officials who dared to protect their students, the Republican-led House signed off on a proposal to strip $200 million in the state budget from Miami-Dade County Public Schools and 11 other districts that had mask mandates despite a ban from Gov. Ron DeSantis. It’s juvenile and vindictive. Welcome to Florida. (2/17)
