Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Feds Update Strategy, Set New Goals In Fight Against AIDS
The Associated Press: Feds Release Updated Strategy Against AIDS In America
U.S. health officials have updated their strategic plan for fighting AIDS, setting new goals for reducing infections and deaths. The new document "seizes on the rapid shifts in science as we've learned more about this disease," said President Barack Obama, in a statement. The plan unveiled Thursday updates one issued five years ago. Developments since then include new diagnostic tests, a daily pill for infection prevention and the implementation of the Affordable Care Act — increasing the number of people with health insurance. (Stobbe, 7/30)
Reuters: HPV Vaccinations For U.S. Teens Rise Slightly - CDC
The percentage of U.S. teenagers vaccinated against the human papillomavirus increased slightly in 2014, but the rate lags behind other immunizations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday. The HPV vaccine, sold as Gardasil by Merck & Co and Cervarix by GlaxoSmithKline, protects against the most common sexually transmitted infection. Each year, 27,000 people nationwide are diagnosed with a cancer caused by the virus, including cancers of the cervix, penis, anus and throat. (Gumpert, 7/30)
NPR: Low-Income Teens Are Better At Getting The HPV Vaccine
When it comes to getting the HPV vaccine to protect against cervical cancer, teens below the poverty line are doing better than the rest. Among teenage girls ages 13 to 17 whose total family income was less than the federal poverty level for their family size, 67.2 percent have received the first dose of the human papillomavirus vaccine, compared to 57.7 percent for those at or above the poverty line. For teen boys, it's 51.6 percent compared to 39.5 percent. (Yang, 7/30)
