Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Kentucky Reports Third Infant Death From Pertussis Amid Nationwide Surge
Kentucky Lantern: Third Unvaccinated Kentucky Baby Dies Of Whooping Cough
A third unvaccinated infant in Kentucky has died of pertussis as public health officials urge Kentuckians to get vaccinated against the highly contagious disease also known as whooping cough. Kentucky’s three infant deaths from whooping cough over the past 12 months are the state’s first reported since 2018. None of the infants or their mothers had been vaccinated against the respiratory disease, the Kentucky Department of Public Health confirmed. (11/25)
In other outbreaks and health threats —
ABC News: US Cases Of Norovirus On The Rise With Double The Rate Of Positive Tests Since August
Cases of norovirus are rising across the United States, doubling over the last few months, according to updated data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Nearly 14% of tests came back positive for norovirus during the most recent week ending Nov. 15, compared to roughly 7% about three months ago. Test positivity is a metric used to identify how many people are confirmed to have norovirus after an illness is suspected. (Benadjaoud, 11/25)
KFF Health News: South Carolina’s Measles Outbreak Shows Chilling Effect Of Vaccine Misinformation
Near the back corner of the local library’s parking lot, largely out of view from the main road, the South Carolina Department of Public Health opened a pop-up clinic in early November, offering free measles vaccines to adults and children. Spartanburg County, in South Carolina’s Upstate region, has been fighting a measles outbreak since early October, with more than 50 cases identified. Health officials have encouraged people who are unvaccinated to get a shot by visiting its mobile vaccine clinic at any of its several stops throughout the county. But on a Monday afternoon in Boiling Springs, only one person showed up. (Sausser, 11/26)
MedPage Today: Some Older Adults Could Use An RSV Booster Shot, Study Suggests
Real-world effectiveness with the recommended single dose of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination dipped in older adults over the first 18 months, a finding that could support boosters for high-risk groups such as the immunocompromised, according to researchers. (Rudd, 11/25)
CIDRAP: Estimate: US City-Level COVID Indoor Vaccine Mandates Had Uneven, Marginal Effects
An analysis published in Contemporary Economic Policy suggests that COVID-19 indoor vaccine mandates in major US cities didn't increase weekly vaccination rates or reduce infections and deaths in adults or children, despite their success in countries such as Canada and France. (Van Beusekom, 11/25)
The New York Times: Is It Cold, Flu Or Covid? What To Know About Symptoms And Testing.
With similar symptoms, it can be difficult to tell which illness is which. Here’s what to know. (Blum, 11/25)
KFF Health News: Listen To The Latest 'KFF Health News Minute'
Sam Whitehead reads the week’s news: Some American cities such as L.A. and Houston have more traffic fatalities than homicides, and though most children and adults would benefit from annual covid shots, few are getting them. (11/25)
