Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
HPV Vaccination Campaigns Are Effective: Study
CIDRAP: HPV Vaccination Programs Tied To Direct And Herd Protection In US
An analysis of US data shows the increasing impact of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination efforts that started more than a decade ago, suggesting direct protection as well as herd effects, according to a study in Annals of Internal Medicine. ... Overall, compared to pre-vaccination years, HPV prevalence decreased by 85% for females in the United States, and by 90% among vaccinated females in 2015 to 2018. Among unvaccinated females, HPV prevalence dropped 75% compared with pre-vaccination years. (5/17)
FiercePharma: Gardasil Vaccine Maker Merck Appeals To Parents Of 9-Year-Olds In Latest HPV Awareness Ad
It’s unlikely parents of 9-year-olds are thinking much about their child contracting HPV. But a new unbranded TV ad from Merck reminds them that this is precisely the age when they can start immunizing their children against the human papilloma virus to prevent future cancers. While the Gardasil vaccine maker's past HPV awareness ads targeted parents of adolescents, this one aims slightly younger, appealing to moms and dads of the older elementary school set. (Missakian, 5/17)
In other public health news —
Axios: Spanish-Language Mental Health Services Falling Amid Population Surge
The availability of Spanish-language mental health services is shrinking even as the U.S. Latino population continues to grow, according to a recent study. Spanish is the second-most spoken language in the U.S., and the number of Latinos who speak Spanish at home has grown from 24.6 million in 2000 to 39.1 million in 2019, according to the Pew Research Center. Between 2014 and 2019, the proportion of facilities offering mental health treatment in Spanish declined by nearly 18%, according to a study published last week in the journal Psychiatric Services. (Contreras, 5/17)
Fox News: Netflix Host Emily Calandrelli Demands Clearer TSA Breastfeeding Policies After Security Delay
Emily Calandrelli, host of 2020 "Emily’s Wonder Lab" on Netflix, wants clearer breastfeeding policies from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) so nursing mothers can travel with breastfeeding equipment without being delayed by security, according to multiple reports. "Here’s what happened. Yesterday was my 1st trip away from my 10 [week] old son, who I’m currently breastfeeding. I’m going through security at LAX. I brought my pump and 2 ice packs - only 1 of which was cold (I won’t need the other until I come home, when I’ll have more milk)," the 34-year-old wrote on Twitter on May 10. (Sudhakar, 5/17)
Axios: NASA Will Test Female Dummies In Space
NASA's Artemis missions, which aim to send a human crew — including a woman and a person of color — to the moon by 2025, will shoot female dummies into space first to test the effects of radiation on them. Artemis is a prelude to sending human astronauts to Mars, NASA says, and "women appear to be at a greater risk of suffering from the harmful effects of space radiation" than men, Gizmodo reports. (Kingson, 5/18)
