Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Longer Looks: The Immigration Effect; Illegal Abortions; And Replacing The Health Law
The Atlantic: How Donald Trump's Immigration Crackdown Affects Health
In her pediatrics practice in Winston Salem, North Carolina, Julie Linton has seen several young patients who she believes are psychologically suffering from President Donald Trump’s tough stance on immigrants.One 9-year-old boy came in with headaches, which Linton said started when “he was being told in school that his parents would be sent back to their country of origin.” Another patient, a 15-year-old girl, began experiencing panic attacks in crowds because she feared she would be separated from her parents. (Olga Khazan, 1/27)
BuzzFeed: 9 Stories About What It's Like To Get An Illegal Abortion
Six countries completely ban abortion, even when it’s necessary to save a pregnant woman’s life. Dozens more have very limited exceptions that make most abortions illegal. As abortion access continues to be threatened, discussed and hotly debated around the globe, there’s one perspective we don’t often hear enough of: people who have actually had an abortion. (Susie Armitage, 1/26)
The Economist: The Pitfalls Of Replacing Obamacare
As Republicans seek to carry out their promise to repeal the Affordable Care Act, they must keep an eye on their own political health. “Obamacare” may be unpopular, but its components are not. (1/28)
Vox: Trump's Immigration Ban Is Already Having A Chilling Effect On Science
Maryam Saeedi, an assistant professor of economics at Carnegie Mellon, is effectively trapped inside the US.Under Trump’s immigration ban, which, among other things, restricts immigrants and visa holders from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the US for 90 days, she and her husband — both Iranian academics and green card holders — have learned they may not be able to reenter the US if they leave. (Julia Belluz, 1/30)
WIRED: A Clue To The Mystery Of Colombia’s Missing Zika Cases
In Brazil, more than 2,300 Zika-infected babies have been born with microcephaly since 2015. In Colombia, the world’s second largest outbreak has produced far fewer: only 82. Taking total population into account, that’s still more than an order of magnitude less. The disparity has bewildered public health officials, and caused many to question the link between the birth defect and Zika. (Megan Molteni, 1/31)
Vox: Peter Thiel Vs. The FDA
Since the election of Donald Trump, there’s been a lot of discussion in medical circles about bringing a Silicon Valley ethos to drug innovation in America.This idea is embodied in Peter Thiel, the billionaire founder of PayPal, who has reportedly been helping the president vet a pool of candidates to lead the Food and Drug Administration. (Julia Belluz, 1/31)
