First Edition: February 24, 2022

KHN: Why Pregnant People Were Left Behind While Vaccines Moved At ‘Warp Speed’ To Help The Masses
Kia Slade was seven months pregnant, unvaccinated, and fighting for breath, her oxygen levels plummeting, when her son came into the world last May. A severe case of covid pneumonia had left Slade delirious. When the intensive care team tried to place an oxygen mask on her face, she snatched it away, she recalled. Her baby’s heart rate began to drop. Slade’s doctor performed an emergency cesarean section at her bedside in the intensive care unit, delivering baby Tristan 10 weeks early. He weighed just 2 pounds, 14 ounces, about half the size of small full-term baby. (Szabo, 2/24)

KHN: Covid Aid To Protect Montana Prisons And Jails Sits Unused
Last summer, Montana created a list of more than a dozen upgrades for its state prison facilities to protect inmates and staffers from covid-19 infections, all of which would be paid for with nearly $2.5 million in federal covid relief money. But the money, part of $700 million in aid to states to detect and mitigate covid’s spread in prisons, jails, and other confinement facilities, sat untouched as of mid-February. Not a single project has begun despite the omicron surge that led to a new outbreak of covid cases among Montana State Prison inmates in January. That delay has left weak points within Montana’s secure facilities. (Houghton, 2/24)

KHN: Watch: Seniors Share How They’ve Made It Through The Pandemic
Too often the voices of older people are not heard. Judith Graham, KHN’s Navigating Aging columnist, invited nine seniors from across the country to talk candidly about their highs and lows as they enter Year 3 of the pandemic, with lives reordered by risk and restriction. How have people handled persistent stress? How have their lives changed? What are their most significant challenges? What needs are not being met? What sources of strength and comfort help sustain them? What are their hopes for the year ahead?Graham moderated a live event on Feb. 23, hosted by KHN and The John A. Hartford Foundation. (2/24)

KHN: Readers And Tweeters Have Mental Health Care On Their Minds
KHN gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories. (2/24)

The New York Times: A New Covid Vaccine Shows 100 Percent Efficacy Against Severe Disease And Hospitalizations, Its Makers Say
Two doses of a new Covid vaccine that is based on a conventional approach achieved 100 percent efficacy against severe disease and hospitalizations, and it could be an effective booster after other Covid shots, the vaccine’s manufacturers announced on Wednesday. The vaccine, made by the Europe-based pharmaceutical companies Sanofi and GSK, is one of four candidates that received billions of dollars for development from Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration’s program to accelerate vaccines. (Mandavilli, 2/23)

AP: Sanofi, GSK To Seek Authorization For COVID-19 Vaccine
Drugmakers Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline said Wednesday they will seek regulatory approval for a new COVID-19 vaccine after human trials showed it provided a high level of protection against the disease. Late-stage trials found that two doses of the vaccine were about 58% effective in preventing infection and 75% effective in preventing moderate to severe disease, the companies said in a statement. A separate study on the vaccine’s use as a booster showed that it “induced a significant increase in neutralizing antibodies,” they said. (Kirka, 2/23)

The Wall Street Journal: Sanofi, Glaxo Seek Covid-19 Vaccine Approval In Crowded Market
Sanofi SA and GlaxoSmithKline GSK 1.02% PLC said they would seek authorization for their Covid-19 vaccine, a sign that pharmaceutical companies still see an opportunity for new shots despite ebbing demand in the West. While vaccine uptake across the West has slowed significantly after a big push by governments to inoculate their populations, some companies say new vaccines could be used as boosters, or in low- and middle-income countries. Novavax Inc., another latecomer, recently sought emergency approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its shot, which has already been authorized in the European Union. (Roland, 2/23)

Reuters: U.S. FDA Limits Use Of GlaxoSmithKline-Vir COVID-19 Drug
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday GlaxoSmithKline (GSK.L) and Vir Biotech's (VIR.O) COVID-19 antibody treatment should not be used in places with circulation of variants that are not susceptible to the drug. Vir has said the drug, sotrovimab, retains neutralizing activity against the emerging BA.2 form of the Omicron coronavirus variant. However, other recent research suggests that the variant showed resistance to nearly all of the monoclonal antibodies they tested, including sotrovimab. (2/23)

AP: CDC: Some People Should Wait Longer For 2nd COVID Shot
Some people getting Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines should consider waiting up to eight weeks between the first and second doses, instead of the three or four weeks previously recommended, U.S. health officials said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday quietly changed its advice on spacing the shots. CDC officials said they were reacting to research showing that the longer interval can provide more enduring protection against the coronavirus. Research suggests that 12- to 64-year-olds — especially males ages 12 to 39 — can benefit from the longer spacing, the CDC said. (Stobbe, 2/23)

The Hill: CDC Updates Guidance For Intervals Between COVID-19 Vaccine Doses
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday issued new COVID-19 mRNA vaccine guidance, expanding the recommended time between the initial two vaccine doses to eight weeks for some people over the age of 12, particularly young men. The prior recommended interval between initial doses was three weeks for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and four weeks for the Moderna vaccine. This timeline is still recommended by the CDC for individuals who are immunocompromised, over 65 years old or in need of rapid protection against the coronavirus. (Choi, 2/23)

AP: US Vaccination Drive Is Bottoming Out As Omicron Subsides
The vaccination drive in the U.S. is grinding to a halt, and demand has all but collapsed in places like this deeply conservative manufacturing town where many weren’t interested in the shots to begin with. The average number of Americans getting their first shot is down to about 90,000 a day, the lowest point since the first few days of the U.S. vaccination campaign, in December 2020. And hopes of any substantial improvement in the immediate future have largely evaporated. (Reeves and Stobbe, 2/23)

Bloomberg: Fauci Says Vaccines, New Drugs Put U.S. In Position To Ease Covid Restrictions
Covid-19 vaccines, drugs and tests are putting the U.S. in an improved position to pull back on restrictions such as masking that were enacted to limit the spread of the virus, White House medical adviser Anthony Fauci said. Covid drugs like Pfizer Inc.’s Paxlovid that keep high-risk patients from hospitalization and death are becoming plentiful as production ramps up, Fauci said in an interview on Bloomberg Television’s “The Close.” (Rutherford, 2/23)

The New York Times: The U.S. Mask Mandate For Air Travel Is Due To Expire In March, But Some Flight Attendants Say That’s Too Soon
With federal in-flight and airport mask mandates scheduled to expire next month, a flight attendants’ union is pushing the Biden administration to extend the mask requirement until more people are vaccinated against the coronavirus. In a statement, the Association of Flight Attendants-C.W.A. said that allowing the mask requirement to lapse on March 18 would endanger medically vulnerable travelers as well as passengers under 5, who are not yet eligible for a vaccine in the United States. “The layered approach to safety and security includes masks,” the union, which represents 50,000 flight attendants at 20 airlines, said in a statement on Tuesday. (Lukpat, 2/23)

AP: Los Angeles County Eases COVID-19 Indoor Mask Mandate
Los Angeles County will began allowing people to remove their masks while indoors if they are vaccinated as the omicron winter surge continues to ease, officials announced Thursday. California’s largest county will relax its public health order on Friday to allow unmasking indoors at restaurants, bars and other businesses for people who show proof of vaccination. Employees also can permit their workers to remove their masks if they are vaccinated. (2/24)

Los Angeles Times: L.A. County To Relax Mask Rules At Locations With Vaccine Proof
Fully vaccinated individuals will soon be able to shed their masks indoors at Los Angeles County establishments that screen the inoculation status of visitors and patrons, health officials said Wednesday. While not a complete easing, the revised rules — which take effect at 12:01 a.m. Friday — represent a significant relaxation of the county’s universal indoor mask mandate, which has been in place since July. And depending on how many businesses elect to take advantage, the impact could be both widespread and widely apparent, especially in places like offices, gyms, restaurants, bars and hair salons. (Money and Lin II, 2/23)

Bloomberg: Texas Sues Dallas Suburb That Wants To Keep Mask Mandate
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton continued his crackdown on mask mandates with a lawsuit against a city north of Dallas that still requires face coverings among its employees. Paxton said Wednesday that he is suing Denton, home of the University of North Texas, a day after the city sued him to preserve its mask rule for municipal employees. Stuart Birdseye, a spokesman, said the city had no comment on Paxton’s suit. (Hagan, 2/23)

Bloomberg: Denver To Lift Its Covid Vaccine Requirement For Municipal Workers
Denver is lifting a public health order requiring Covid-19 vaccines for municipal employees and contractors, effective March 4, officials announced Wednesday. Bob McDonald, executive director of the city’s Department of Public Health & Environment, thanked vaccinated workers for keeping “our hospital system from collapsing.” The order also applied to workers in high-risk settings, such as homeless shelters and schools. (Del Giudice, 2/23)

AP: Arbitrator Upholds Chicago's Vaccine Mandate For Police
An arbitrator has upheld the city of Chicago’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for police officers, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Wednesday, saying she hopes it is a call to action for those who aren’t yet vaccinated. The Fraternal Order of Police had vigorously fought the city’s rules, which resulted in lawsuits, and urged members not to comply. The union wanted the matter heard before an arbitrator. (2/24)

Bloomberg: New York City Mayor Wants To End Vaccine Rule For Restaurants And Bars
New York Mayor Eric Adams said he wants the city to move in the next few weeks toward phasing out its proof-of-vaccination requirement for patrons of restaurants, bars and other indoor spaces. The city began the vaccine policy, also known as “Key to NYC,” last fall, requiring residents to show proof of at least one Covid-19 vaccination for most indoor activities. (Diaz and Krader, 2/23)

The Wall Street Journal: Fast-Spreading Covid-19 Omicron Type Revives Questions About Opening Up
Health authorities are examining whether the subvariant of Omicron, known as BA.2, could extend the length of Covid-19 waves that have peaked recently in Europe, Japan and some other places. “We’re looking not only at how quickly those peaks go up, but how they come down,” World Health Organization epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove said. “And as the decline in cases occurs…we also need to look at: Is there a slowing of that decline? Or will we start to see an increase again?” (Landers and Inada, 2/23)

The New York Times: A Class-Action Lawsuit Claims CareCube Charged New Yorkers For Virus Tests They Thought Were Free
A Brooklyn-based physicians group is facing a class-action lawsuit accusing it of charging hundreds of dollars for coronavirus tests to New Yorkers who thought they were getting them for free. The lawsuit, filed last week by two Bronx residents, Sabine Schumacher and Linda Cunningham, seeks more than $10 million in damages for the couple and for any New Yorkers who say they were overcharged by the company, CareCube. The complaint claims CareCube illegally charged the couple $450 for two tests taken last June. (Wong, 2/23)

Bloomberg: Trucker Convoy DC: National Guard To Bolster Cops As Buzz Builds
The Pentagon is making as many as 700 National Guard troops available to Washington law enforcement to keep traffic flowing if a threatened protest convoy of trucks clogs the already congested Beltway in coming days. Social media users opposed to vaccine mandates have posted frequently about the so-called People’s Convoy, inspired by recent protests in Canada. But there is no official organization sponsoring it, and the viability of an 11 day cross-country convoy is unclear and proposals for it have varied. The most prevalent suggests it would arrive near the nation’s capital March 5. (Kopit, 2/23)

AP: Florida Surgeon General Confirmed Despite Controversy
Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo was confirmed to his position Wednesday, as Senate Republicans approved the nomination of the state’s top doctor over criticism that his opposition to coronavirus mandates is too aligned to the politics of Gov. Ron DeSantis. Ladapo, who was appointed by DeSantis in September, has drawn intense scrutiny over his shared resistance with the governor to COVID-19 mandates for vaccines and masks and other health policies endorsed by the federal government. (Izaguirre, 2/23)

Politico: Florida Senate Approves DeSantis' Controversial Pick For Surgeon General
Ladapo, 43, and DeSantis share many views on Covid-19, including that face masks don’t prevent spread and that governments should not require vaccines, in part because he said they have not been proven to prevent transmission. Ladapo also stood behind DeSantis as the Republican governor hammered President Joe Biden’s rollout of federal vaccine mandates in December and supported DeSantis’ criticism of the Biden administration for limiting the nationwide distribution of monoclonal antibody treatments. Those treatments were found to be less effective at treating the Omicron variant. (Sarkissian, 2/23)

The Hill: Judge Strikes Down Part Of Biden Surprise Billing Rules In Win For Doctors
The ruling leaves in place the protections for patients against getting bills for thousands of dollars in situations such as going to the emergency room and later finding out one of the doctors was not covered by their insurance. But it strikes down part of the regulations that govern how much insurers will pay doctors once the patient is taken out of the middle. The ruling, from Judge Jeremy Kernodle, an appointee of former President Trump, is the latest in a long-running fight over the details of the rules. (Sullivan, 2/23)

Stat: Federal Court Strikes Down Part Of HHS Surprise Billing Rule 
A federal court on Wednesday struck down the Biden administration’s interpretation of a controversial part of the federal law banning surprise medical bills. Health care providers have filed several lawsuits challenging how the Department of Health and Human Services created a mediation process for hospitals and doctors and insurers to settle disputes over out-of-network medical bills. A federal court judge in Texas sided with Texas Medical Association, a trade association representing more than 55,000 physicians, and decided that HHS was mistaken in its decision to instruct mediators to give rates insurers and providers contracted with in the past extra weight compared with other factors. (Cohrs, 2/23)

The Wall Street Journal: Medicare Proposal On Alzheimer’s Drug Draws Criticism From Drugmakers
Drugmakers and patient advocacy groups are pushing back against a federal proposal to cut off most Medicare payments for Biogen Inc.’s new Alzheimer’s drug, contending the healthcare agency is overstepping the bounds of its expertise. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed last month to limit coverage of Biogen’s drug Aduhelm to patients enrolled in clinical trials sanctioned by the agency. The proposal would also apply to similar drugs still in development and not yet approved, including those from Eisai Co. , Eli Lilly & Co., and Roche Holding AG , that work by reducing amyloid protein, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s, in the brain. (Walker, 2/23)

Politico: The Pentagon Is Working On An Algorithm To Detect Covid Early
What if a fitness tracker could predict that the wearer was Covid-positive hours or even days before they start noticing symptoms? To answer the question, the Pentagon has spent the past two years experimenting with “predictive bio-wearables” technology — in this case, a wristwatch and a ring on the user’s finger. The idea is to wear the combo daily just like a fitness tracker, and once users notice a change, they get tested for Covid-19. (Hudson, 2/23)

Bloomberg: Video Game Addiction Recognized By World Health Organization
Arcadia Kim devoted her career to video games, until one hit her in the face. The incident happened several years ago when Kim, a former studio operating chief at Electronic Arts Inc., was trying to peel away her then 10-year-old son from a game of Minecraft. He threw the iPad at her in frustration. Kim, 48, said the experience inspired her to start a business in 2019 advising parents on forming healthy relationships between their kids and their screens. The work took on greater urgency this year when the World Health Organization began formally recognizing video game addiction as an illness for the first time. (McBride, 2/23)

Bloomberg: Extreme Wildfire Impacts To Rise Dramatically By 2100, UN Says
The United Nations for the first time has assessed the global risk of catastrophic wildfires, finding that as climate change accelerates more of the world will burn, with disastrous consequences for human health, the economy and biodiversity. “The heating of the planet is turning landscapes into tinderboxes, while more extreme weather means stronger, hotter, drier winds to fan the flames,” wrote the authors of the report, released on Wednesday by the UN Environment Programme and the nonprofit GRID-Arendal. “Too often, our response is tardy, costly, and after the fact, with many countries suffering from a chronic lack of investment in planning and prevention.” (Woody, 2/23)

The New York Times: F.D.A. Grants The First Condom Approval For Anal Sex
For the first time, U.S. regulators have officially authorized a condom to be used for anal sex, not just vaginal sex. The decision, announced by the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday, has long been sought by sexual health experts, who said it could encourage more people who engage in anal sex to use condoms to protect themselves against H.I.V. and other sexually transmitted infections. The risk of sexually transmitted diseases is “significantly higher” during anal sex than vaginal sex, an F.D.A. official said Wednesday. But until now, there has not been enough data to show that condoms are safe and effective during anal sex. (Belluck, 2/23)

AP: Alabama Committee Advances Ban On Abortion Pill
An Alabama legislative committee on Wednesday advanced legislation seeking to outlaw the use of abortion pills to end unwanted pregnancies. The House Judiciary Committee approved the bill that would make it a felony to prescribe or dispense the medications, such as RU-486, to induce an abortion. The bill now moves to the full House of Representatives. Abortion pills are an increasingly common method of terminating early pregnancies. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that 42.3% of all abortions in 2019 were done by using medications. (2/24)

Politico: Abbott Orders Texas Probe Of Medical Procedures For Transgender Children
Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott this week ordered the state’s youth protection agency to investigate the use of gender-transition procedures on children, in a directive that included calls to launch inquiries into parents and medical providers who allegedly violate the law. Such procedures, the state’s conservative attorney general declared earlier this month, amount to child abuse under Texas law. “Because the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) is responsible for protecting children from abuse, I hereby direct your agency to conduct a prompt and thorough investigation of any reported instances of these abusive procedures in the State of Texas,” Abbott wrote in a Feb. 22 memo to agency Commissioner Jaime Masters. (Perez Jr., 2/23)

AP: Alabama Bill Seeks To Ban Hormone Treatments For Trans Youth
The Alabama Senate on Wednesday approved legislation that would prohibit transgender minors from being given puberty-blockers, hormones or surgeries to affirm their gender identity — treatments that the legislative sponsor equated to child abuse. Senators voted 24-6 for the legislation that now moves to the Alabama House of Representatives. The bill, sponsored by Republican Sen. Shay Shelnutt of Trussville, would make it a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, for a doctor to prescribe puberty-blockers or hormones or perform surgery to aid in the gender transition of people 18 years old or younger. (Chandler, 2/24)

AP: Missouri Senate Tries Again To 'Defund' Planned Parenthood
The GOP-led Missouri Senate on Wednesday passed a stopgap budget that attempts to strip funding for Planned Parenthood while paying for Medicaid health care for newly eligible patients and pumping billions of dollars in federal funding to schools. Senators voted 25-7 to pass the legislation, which budgets extra funding for state services through the end of the state fiscal year in June. Because senators amended the plan, it needs another vote of approval in the House before it can go to Republican Gov. Mike Parson’s desk. (Ballentine, 2/24)

AP: San Francisco Police Stop Using Rape Victims' DNA To Investigate Other Crimes
The San Francisco Police Department is no longer using DNA from sexual assault survivors and other victims to investigate unrelated crimes, officials said Wednesday. The department’s crime lab stopped the practice shortly after receiving a complaint from the district attorney’s office and formally changed its operating procedure Friday, said Matt Dorsey, spokesman for San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott. (2/23)

The Washington Post: D.C. Traffic Deaths At 14-Year High With Low-Income Areas Hardest Hit
Lower-income neighborhoods in the District recorded eight times more traffic fatalities in recent years than the city’s wealthiest area, an analysis shows, as residents call for more enforcement and road improvements following the deadliest year on city streets in more than a decade. The 40 traffic fatalities in the nation’s capital last year were the most since 2007, fueled by what authorities say is a proliferation of unsafe driving during the coronavirus pandemic that reflects an alarming rise in traffic deaths nationwide. The toll has fallen disproportionately on the city’s two poorest wards, which contain less than one-quarter of Washington’s population but nearly half of its road deaths. (Lazo, Jayaraman and Moriarty, 2/23)

The Hill: Firearm Deaths Become Leading Cause Of Trauma-Related Death: Study
Firearms are now the leading cause of trauma-related deaths in the U.S., according to a study published on Tuesday, overtaking motor vehicle crashes as the top cause of years of potential life lost. Researchers at the Westchester Medical Center reached the finding after reviewing data from recent years in National Vital Statistics Reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC calculates years of potential life lost by subtracting an individual's age when they died from the standard year of 80, which is roughly the U.S. life expectancy. The agency then sums the number of years lost across different causes of death. (Choi, 2/23)

AP: Child Poverty Jumps One Month After Tax Credit Expires, Study Says
The number of children in America living in poverty jumped dramatically after just one month without the expanded child tax credit payments, according to a new study. Advocates fear the lapse in payments could unravel what they say were landmark achievements in poverty reduction. Columbia University’s Center on Poverty and Social Policy estimates 3.7 million more children were living in poverty by January — a 41% increase from December, when families received their last check. The federal aid started in July but ended after President Biden’s Build Back Better bill stalled in the sharply divided Congress. Payments of up to $300 per child were delivered directly to bank accounts on the 15th of each month, and last week marked the second missed deposit of the year. (Khalil, 2/23)

CIDRAP: MIS-C Rare In COVID-Vaccinated Teens, Study Finds
Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is rare among 12- to 20-year-olds who have received COVID-19 vaccination, a study yesterday in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health suggests. The study was based on 9 months of follow-up data on US children and young adults ages 12 to 20 who had received at least one dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine from Dec 14, 2020, to Aug 31, 2021. Only 21 cases out of more than 21 million vaccinated adolescents developed the rare disorder, which mimics Kawasaki's, during the follow-up period. Fifteen of the 21 were diagnosed as having COVID-19 despite vaccination, while 6 developed MIS-C for unknown reasons. (Soucheray, 2/23)

CIDRAP: Study Finds Increased Risk Of C Difficile From Contaminated Hospital Rooms
A study conducted at five acute care hospitals adds further evidence of the role the hospital environment plays in Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), researchers reported today in the American Journal of Infection Control. An estimated 236,000 healthcare-associated CDI cases occur each year in the United States, and even with thorough cleaning efforts, C difficile spores can persist in hospital rooms for months, posing colonization and infection risks to patients. To examine the risk posed by a previous room occupant with CDI on subsequent room occupants, a team led by researchers from Johns Hopkins University examined all adult inpatients admitted to five acute care hospitals in Maryland and Washington, DC, from July 2016 through December 2018. (2/23)

CIDRAP: ECDC Reports Increase In Extensively Drug-Resistant Shigella In UK, Europe
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is reporting an increase in extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Shigella sonnei infections in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Europe. In a rapid risk assessment published today, the ECDC said the increase was first noted by the UK Health Security Agency in late January, when it reported 47 cases of XDR S sonnei from September 2021 through Jan 10, 2022—up from 16 in the previous 4-month period. The UK outbreak strain showed non-susceptibility to penicillins, third-generation cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, tetracyclines, sulfonamide, quinolones, and azithromycin. (2/23)

Stat: Regulatory Warnings About Drugs Are Tied To Modest Drops In Prescribing
Drug safety advisories issued by regulators regularly led to reduced prescribing by physicians by an average of nearly 6%, lowering the potential for patients to encounter potentially harmful or fatal reactions, a new study finds. After examining two dozen advisories issued in Canada, Denmark, the U.S., and the U.K. between 2009 and 2015, researchers found that on average, prescribing for the drugs — mainly used in primary care — declined by 5.8%. These advisories did not include specific dosage information. For the four advisories with dosage advice, the average decline was 1.9%, which was not statistically significant or considered conclusive, given the small number. (Silverman, 2/23)

Stat: Despite Lack Of Progress On Health Equity, These Leaders Forged Ahead
When Quinn Capers IV took over as associate dean of admissions at the Ohio State University College of Medicine in 2009, just 13% of the entering class came from racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in medicine. A Black cardiologist, he thought the school could do better. Capers launched a series of changes, starting with testing the 140 members of the admissions committee (like the faculty, largely white) for implicit racial or gender biases that might make them judge some applicants more harshly. The study found up to 70% of the committee held such biases, and its members — who read applications, decide whom to interview, and choose which candidates to admit — then underwent training to mitigate those biases. (McFarling, 2/24)

Bloomberg: Philip Morris Eyes Smaller Deals Amid Push Into Wellness Field
Philip Morris International Inc. may make smaller deals to help build a multibillion-dollar health and wellness business by 2030 as global cigarette demand weakens. The company will invest as much as $200 million annually over the next three years to develop a pipeline of health and wellness products, Chief Executive Officer Jacek Olczak said Wednesday in an online presentation at the Consumer Analyst Group of New York conference. (Gretler, 2/23)

Courier Journal: Goodwill, Norton Healthcare To Bring Hospital To Louisville West End
Opportunity is coming to the West End, Louisville leaders announced Wednesday, in the form of a $100 million investment from two major local employers and the first hospital to be built west of Ninth Street in more than 150 years. The “opportunity campus,” as it was called by speakers at a press conference announcing the move, will include a new $30 million headquarters for Goodwill Industries of Kentucky as well as a $70 million hospital from Norton Healthcare. Other local social service organizations will have a space at the 20-acre complex at Broadway and 28th Street, officials said, including Big Brothers Big Sisters and KentuckianaWorks. (Aulbach and Tobin, 2/23)

Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Board Closes Most Complaints It Reopened After Strauss Scandal
The State Medical Board of Ohio will not take any action in a majority of sexual misconduct complaints against physicians and other licensed medical professionals it reopened last year in the wake of the Dr. Richard Strauss scandal at Ohio State University. The board has nearly finished a review of complaints it reopened last March following recommendations from expert reviewers and a Strauss working group convened by Gov. Mike DeWine. As of Feb. 18, the medical board decided to take no further action with 72 of the initial 91 complaints reopened, meaning nearly 80% were closed again, according to a memorandum created in response to The Dispatch asking the board for an update. (Filby, 2/23)

Billings Gazette: Report Details Deficiencies Tied To 4 Deaths At Montana State Hospital
Kathy Toavs, a dementia patient at the Montana State Hospital, fell 13 times in less than two months before the last fall claimed her life. The series of preventable incidents was noted by federal inspectors this month. The inspection, conducted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, identified four patient deaths attributable to the hospital's noncompliance with federal rules. (Larson, 2/23)

The Hill: California Adopts First-In-Nation Microplastics Reduction Policy
Far from “only a marine pollution problem,” microplastics have also been found in human placenta, stool samples and lung tissue, entering the food web through seafood consumption and exposing humans to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, the state strategy explained. The strategy provides a multiyear roadmap that incorporates a two-track approach toward managing California’s microplastic pollution. The first of the two tracks contains 22 immediate steps that include both “no regrets” actions and multi-benefit solutions for microplastic reduction and management. (Udasin, 2/23)

AP: South Dakota Senate Passes Bill To Legalize Recreational Pot
The South Dakota Senate on Wednesday passed a proposal to legalize recreational marijuana, as Republicans reasoned they should jump ahead of a campaign to legalize it on the November ballot. The bill passed by a single vote in the Republican-controlled Senate, showing just how divided lawmakers are on pot legalization. The proposal will next head to the House, where Republicans have pushed tighter restrictions on medical marijuana. (Groves, 2/24)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Natural Resources Board Advances Some PFAS Water Standards
A sometimes tense session Wednesday to advance standards for "forever chemicals" in Wisconsin water produced mixed results, with a state policy-setting board adopting some standards, weakening others and leaving a broad category  — groundwater sources — unregulated. The compounds have been found in more than 50 sites around the state, the latest being the City of Wausau, which discovered levels above the proposed standards in all its drinking water wells. (Schulte, 2/23)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Lawmakers Abandon Legalizing Kratom
Assembly lawmakers on Wednesday abandoned a scheduled vote on a bill that would legalize an herbal supplement after objections from law enforcement officials and medical doctors. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, who supports the legislation, said Wednesday he didn't agree with their concerns but acknowledged it was in limbo and may not have enough votes to pass before taking it off the calendar permanently. (Beck, 2/23)

Albuquerque Journal: NM Supreme Court Clears Way For Medical Cannabis Producers To Claim Tax Refunds
New Mexico’s tax agency could be on the hook for more than $24 million in reimbursement payments to medical cannabis producers, after the state Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an appeal of a lower court ruling. At issue in the long-running case is whether medical cannabis producers can claim a state gross receipts tax deduction for prescription medication. (Boyd, 2/23)

Bloomberg: LA Paying $600,000 Apiece For Units To House Homeless People
Rising costs are hindering a solution for one of Los Angeles’s biggest problems: housing the homeless. Five years after LA voters approved a $1.2 billion bond for tackling homelessness, only 14% of the 10,000 planned income-restricted supportive housing units have been built, according to a report by Controller Ron Galperin. Such projects combine subsidized housing with physical- and mental-health services, drug treatment and job training. (Chua, 2/23)

AP: Mississippi Reports 2nd Pediatric Flu Death This Season
Mississippi’s health department has reported this flu season’s second flu death of a child or teenager. The first was reported in December. Pediatric flu deaths have been steady, with a total of 24 reported over 14 seasons including the current one, Mississippi Department of Health spokeswoman Liz Sharlot said Wednesday. The state began requiring the reports for the 2008-2009 flu season. There were no pediatric flu deaths last season and the highest total ever was three, Sharlot said. The latest death was reported Tuesday on Twitter. (2/23)

Courier Journal: Outdoor Preschools In Kentucky Gain Popularity Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
On a sunny February afternoon at the top of a hillside covered in mud, a boy wearing a Spiderman hat and a dirty red snow jacket decided that rolling his body down the slick slope would be easier than walking to the bottom. And you know what — he was right. It's this type of problem-solving that young kids enrolled in forest preschools around the Louisville area are learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, often while their pint-sized friends, in traditional preschools and daycares, may have been stuck in the house behind computers screens. (Adams, 2/23)

Reuters: COVID Surges In New Zealand, Protesters Against Mandates Chase Away Ardern
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was rushed out of a school event in Christchurch on Thursday after protesters opposed to COVID restrictive measures thronged the venue and chased her car, while daily infection numbers hit record levels. New Zealand reported over 6,000 new cases of COVID-19, with 250 hospitalisations, and the government expects the outbreak to peak in mid-March. Having been lauded earlier for her success in keeping the country COVID-free, Ardern has been fiercely criticised recently for the slow unlocking of restrictive measures. (2/24)

The New York Times: Lagging Vaccine Campaigns Are Leaving Caribbean Nations Imperiled, W.H.O. Officials Say
Though new coronavirus cases and deaths are declining across the Americas, the Caribbean remains particularly vulnerable to the virus, in part because of vaccination struggles, World Health Organization officials warned on Wednesday. “Out of 13 countries and territories in the Americas that have not yet reached W.H.O.’s goal of 40 percent coverage, 10 are in the Caribbean,” Dr. Carissa Etienne, director of the Pan American Health Organization, said at a news conference, referring to shares of their populations that have been vaccinated. The organization Dr. Etienne heads is a regional arm of the W.H.O. (Politi, 2/23)

Press Association: Covid Vaccine Still Avoided By Most Pregnant Women In U.K., Study Shows
Most women are still shunning Covid-19 vaccines in pregnancy despite an increased chance of stillbirth, premature birth and risks to their own health, analysis shows. Data from the Nuffield Department of Population Health at the University of Oxford shows 73% of Asian women, 86% of black women and 65% of white women were unvaccinated at the time of giving birth in October 2021. (2/24)