Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Harvey Brings Myriad Of Health Problems, Both Immediate and Long-Term
The Washington Post: The Health Dangers From Hurricane Harvey’s Floods
The flooding from Hurricane Harvey, which has wreaked havoc in Texas, is both catastrophic and historic. The reported death toll rose to at least 16 Tuesday, and officials were projecting that as many as 30,000 people will ultimately be evacuated from flooded homes in Houston and other cities and towns in the state. Though the storm will pass and waters eventually recede, the danger from floodwaters will linger. “I distill it down to short term, long term and big picture,” said Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Houston's Baylor College of Medicine. (Guarino, 8/29)
NPR: Harvey Evacuees Need Medical Attention And Mental Health Care
As floodwaters continue to rise in parts of Houston, health workers are trying to keep people safe and well, though that challenge is escalating. "The first and foremost thing that everybody's concerned about is just getting folks out of harm's way with the flooded waters," says Dr. Umair Shah, Executive Director of Harris County Public Health, whose own home came under mandatory evacuation Tuesday morning. (Hsu and Penaloza, 8/29)
Stat: Calls For Tetanus Shots Amid Houston Flooding Are Misguided, Experts Say
People caught up in the tragedy of Hurricane Harvey face uncertainty and stress. But one thing most of them don’t have to worry about right now is whether they need a tetanus shot. Scattered social media posts from Texas have invoked the importance of tetanus shots for those who have been wading through floodwaters; a U.S. congressman urged residents to start considering whether they needed to get booster shots. (Branswell, 8/29)
The Washington Post: Houston’s Polluted Superfund Sites Threaten To Contaminate Floodwaters
As rain poured and floodwaters inched toward his house in south Houston, Wes Highfield set out on a risky mission in his Jeep Cherokee. He drove in several directions to reach a nearby creek to collect water samples, but each time he was turned back when water washed against his floorboard. “Yesterday as these large retention ponds filled up, eight feet deep in places, kids were swimming in them, and that’s not good,” said Highfield, a scientist at Texas A&M University’s Galveston campus. The Brio Refining toxic Superfund site, where ethylbenzene, chlorinated hydrocarbons and other chemical compounds were once pooled in pits before the Environmental Protection Agency removed them, sits “just up the road, and it drains into our watershed,” he said. (Fears and Dennis, 8/29)
Politico: Harvey Triggers Spike In Hazardous Chemical Releases
Hobbled oil refineries and damaged fuel facilities along the Gulf Coast of Texas from Tropical storm Harvey have released more than two million pounds of dangerous chemicals into the air this week, adding new health threats to Houston’s already considerable woes. The big spike in releases, which include carcinogenic benzene and nitrogen oxide, will add an environmental and long-term health risk to the region that's struggling with the massive flooding that Harvey has brought to the country’s energy capital, according to environmental watchdogs. (Lefebvre, 8/29)
