Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Michigan Study Finds Manufacturing Jobs Linked To ALS Risks
Detroit Free Press: Study: Michigan's Manufacturing Base Increases Worker Risk For ALS
If you’re a welder, work on a production line or have job that involves exposure to metals, solvents or pesticides, you could be at higher risk for developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the deadly neurological disease also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, according to research from the University of Michigan. (Jordan Shamus, 10/19)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
USA Today: Seattle Air Quality Ranks Worst In The World Due To Wildfire Smoke
The air quality in Seattle was ranked worst worldwide as of 5 p.m. PST, according to IQAir, a Swiss air quality technology company that monitors real-time air quality. Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, British Columbia, also ranked among the 10 worst locations for much of Wednesday, alongside cities in Pakistan, China and India. (Nguyen, 10/19)
CNN: Boy Dies From Rare Brain-Eating Amoeba That May Have Been Contracted At Lake Mead
A boy has died after being infected by a rare brain-eating amoeba, which officials believe he may have been exposed to at Lake Mead, the Southern Nevada Health District announced Wednesday. The juvenile may have encountered the organism, called Naegleria fowleri, in the park’s Kingman Wash area, located on the Arizona side of the lake near Hoover Dam, the Lake Mead National Recreation Area said in a release. (Wolfe, 10/19)
Billings Gazette: Military Members Could Lose Access To Local Pharmacies, MT Officials Call For Reversal
Active and retired Montana military members could face hours of windshield time to secure life-saving medications because of a reduction of local pharmacies covered by their health insurance, state and federal officials have warned. (Larson, 10/19)
On abortion in Montana and Texas —
KHN: 5 Things To Know About Montana’s ‘Born Alive’ Ballot Initiative
Montana voters will decide Nov. 8 whether to approve a ballot initiative declaring that an embryo or fetus is a legal person with a right to medical care if it survives an abortion or delivery. The measure would impose severe penalties on health workers who don’t provide that care. Legislative Referendum 131 was approved for next month’s election by state lawmakers in 2021, more than a year before the U.S. Supreme Court removed federal protections for abortion in June. (Volz, 10/20)
Dallas Morning News: Texas Woman Nearly Died From Infection Because Doctors Could Not Perform Legal Abortion
A Texas woman said she nearly died from a bacterial infection because doctors could not legally perform an abortion even though the fetus was no longer viable. Amanda Zurawski was 18 weeks pregnant when she felt abnormal discharge and “what felt like water running down my leg,” People magazine reported. (Bahari, 10/19)
