Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
FDA Panel Will Meet In January To Discuss Modifying Covid Vaccines
Axios: FDA Expert Panel To Discuss The Future Of COVID Vaccines
Food and Drug Administration advisers will hold a key meeting next month to discuss the state of the pandemic and whether COVID vaccines need to be modified again to better limit the fast-changing virus. Health experts say the Jan. 26 meeting, announced on Friday, will sketch out a long-term strategy that responds to new strains and shifting threats. (Gonzalez, 12/19)
San Francisco Chronicle: FDA Eyes Updating Vaccines To Better Attack Virus
Federal regulators are considering whether today's COVID-19 vaccines are sufficiently protective or may need updating to fight emerging generations of the coronavirus. (Beamish, 12/19)
In other vaccine news —
Reuters: Appeals Court Says U.S. Cannot Mandate Federal Contractor COVID Vaccines
A U.S. appeals court on Monday said the White House could not require federal contractors to ensure that their workers are vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of government contracts. The U.S. government has contracts with thousands of companies, and courts have said the issue could affect up to 20% of U.S. workers. (Shepardson, 12/19)
AP: Probation For Ex-Teacher In NY Who Gave Teen Vaccine Dose
A former Long Island high school teacher accused of injecting a teen with a COVID-19 vaccine at her home without his parents’ knowledge pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and was sentenced to community service and probation, avoiding a felony charge that could have sent her to prison. Laura Parker Russo, 55, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of attempting the unauthorized practice of medicine when she appeared in a courtroom in Mineola, New York, on Friday. She also pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct. (12/17)
San Francisco Chronicle: Dr. Wachter Cites “Confusion & Misinformation” On Myriad COVID Topics
UCSF’s Dr. Bob Wachter, one of the Bay Area’s most prominent voices on COVID-19, says COVID confusion and misinformation abound, and he is seeing a lot of it around the basic topics of masks, vaccines, and home tests. In a lengthy thread, he told his many Twitter followersover the past couple of days that these “correct” statements are the starting point: “Wearing the wrong mask, or wearing a mask incorrectly, doesn’t work. (Beamish, 12/19)
