Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Firefighter Deaths From 9/11 Illnesses Nearly Equal Number Killed In Attack
New York Post: Total Number Of FDNY Members Who've Died From A 9/11-Related Illness Nearly Equals How Many Died At Ground Zero: Officials
A heartbreaking milestone haunts this year’s 9/11 anniversary — 341 FDNY members have now died of Ground Zero-related illnesses, nearly equaling the death toll for city smoke eaters that perished in the 2001 terror attack. (Andrews and Burke, 9/8)
Two more 9/11 victims are identified with help of advanced forensics —
Fox News: New York Announces Two 9/11 Victims Identified 22 Years After Attack
Two victims recovered from the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in 2001 have been identified 22 years after the deadly terrorist plot, New York officials said in a Friday release. The man and woman, whose names are being withheld at the request of their families, are the 1,648th and 1,649th victims to be identified, Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Jason Graham announced. The victims were identified using advanced DNA testing of their remains, including recently adopted next-generation sequencing technology, which has been used to identify missing U.S. service members and the victims of the Maui wildfires. (Stimson, 9/8)
AP: Authorities Identify Remains Of 2 Victims Killed In 9/11 Attack On World Trade Center
Despite forensic advancements, the effort to identify the remains of 9/11 victims has slowed in recent years. The two positive identifications are the first since September 2021, officials said. Before that, the last identification was made in 2019. More than 1,000 human remains from the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks have yet to be identified. They are currently being stored at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center site. Dr. Jason Graham, the city’s chief medical examiner, said officials were committed to fulfilling their “solemn pledge” to return the remains of all of the attack’s victims. (Offenhartz, 9/8)
Also —
NorthJersey.com: NJ Doctor Thinks Three Of His Myeloma Patients Are 9/11 Victims
Three weeks after the terrorist attacks on 9/11, Jerry Vanderberg returned to his brokerage firm across the street from the still-smoldering pile at Ground Zero and spent days sifting through office documents caked in the fine dust from the fallen Twin Towers. Nine years later, when he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a rare blood cancer. ... But Dr. David Siegel, a myeloma specialist at Hackensack University Medical Center, believes that exposure to 9/11 fumes and dust caused Vanderberg and two of his other patients to develop the disease. (Fallon, 9/11)
CBS News: They Responded To 9/11 As Officers, Now They Treat Those Who Stood Beside Them
Two retired NYPD sergeants, now health care providers, continue to see health challenges among first responders more than two decades after the terrorist attacks. (Zubrow, 9/10)
Fox News: On 9/11, Embrace Grief To Honor Loved Ones, Experts Suggest: ‘Grief Connects Us With All Of Humanity’
Mental health experts share insights and tips for handling grief — and shed new light on the "five stages of grief." (Sudhakar, 9/9)
