Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
More Meningitis Vaccines Ordered For Florida Outbreak
Health News Florida: Orange County Health Care Providers Order More Meningitis Vaccine Amid Outbreak
Orange County clinics that cater to the LGBTQ community are stocking up on meningitis vaccines due to an outbreak that’s only been detected so far in men who have sex with men. The CDC says the best prevention against meningitis is getting vaccinated. Hope & Help’s Medical Director Dr. Trey Vanderburg says that’s why his Winter Park clinic, which usually provides HIV, STI and hepatitis C testing, has ordered the meningitis vaccine. “We are currently out of the vaccine right now. And we have contacted the health department and we are in the process of getting more vaccines delivered to our facility.” (Prieur, 4/14)
Tallahassee Democrat: Newest Outbreak In Florida: Meningitis Spread By Close Contact, Including Kissing, Shared Drinks
How do you catch meningococcal disease? These bacteria are not as contagious as germs that cause the common cold or flu. People do not catch the bacteria through casual contact or by breathing air where someone with meningococcal disease has been, according to both the CDC and Department of Health. It requires close contact over a period of time, or direct contact such as kissing or sharing drinks. (McCloud, 4/13)
And meningitis vaccines might prevent gonorrhea —
CIDRAP: Studies Highlight Meningitis Vaccine's Potential Against Gonorrhea
A trio of papers published this week in The Lancet Infectious Diseases make the case that meningitis vaccines could play a role in preventing gonorrhea infections. ... While no gonorrhea-specific vaccines are currently available, two of the studies published in The Lancet found that the four-component serogroup B meningococcal (4CMenB) vaccine, designed against Neisseria meningitidis, showed some cross-protection against N gonorrhoeae. And a third study suggests that the use of the 4CMenB vaccine in those at greatest risk of infection could be the most impactful and cost-effective method of averting gonorrhea. (Dall, 4/14)
In other public health news —
NPR: The Military Might Be Creating 'A Perfect Storm' For Eating Disorders
Marine veteran Chandler Rand has struggled with various eating disorders since she was a child. Though she says she's healthy now, she describes her recovery as an ongoing process. She still has to fight off negative thoughts about her body image and weight. "It's basically like walking a tightrope," Rand says. In 2016, Rand was a Marine. She was successfully treated for anorexia as a teenager, but after boot camp, she began to binge eat and became bulimic. "I don't think I saw that as part of my eating disorder at the time," Rand says. "I think I just saw it as part of being a good Marine." (D'Iorio, 4/15)
CNBC: Here’s Why Health Savings Accounts May Contribute To Inequality
A popular way to save for out-of-pocket medical expenses might be contributing to health-care inequality, new research suggests. Health savings accounts are tax-advantaged accounts available to Americans with high-deductible health insurance policies. Federal law established them in 2003. Since then, HSAs have grown quickly as employers have adopted high-deductible plans for their workforces to save money. HSAs offer a three-tiered break on income taxes: contributions are tax-free, as are investment earnings and withdrawals for eligible medical expenses. (Iacurci, 4/14)
Bloomberg: Drug And Alcohol Abuse Is Slowing Labor Force Recovery, Fed Finds
Federal Reserve policy makers and researchers who have been puzzled by the slow return of U.S. workers to the labor force during the Covid-19 pandemic may have found a new explanation: alcohol and drug abuse. Increased substance abuse accounts for between 9% and 26% of the decline in prime-age labor-force participation between February 2020 and June 2021, according to a new study by Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta researcher Karen Kopecky, Jeremy Greenwood of the University of Pennsylvania and Nezih Guner of the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona. (Matthews, 4/14)
And now for some good news —
CNN: It Doesn't Take A Lot Of Exercise To Fight Depression, Study Says
Get up and move -- even small doses of physical activity, such as brisk walking, may substantially lower the risk of depression, according to a new data analysis. "Most benefits are realized when moving from no activity to at least some," the study authors wrote. Recommended levels of exercise in the United States, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, include aerobic activity at moderate levels (such as a brisk walk) for 2.5 hours a week, along with a workout of all major muscle groups twice a week. Alternatively, a person can choose a vigorous aerobic exercise, such as running, for 1.25 hours each week, along with the same amount of strength training. (LaMotte, 4/14)
Bronx News 12: 'It’s Quite An Amazing Feeling.' Marine Veteran Donates Part Of Liver To Save 8-Month-Old Girl's Life
A piece of Marine veteran John Rubino is keeping 8-month-old Ariany alive. ... Ariany was suffering for months from a potentially deadly and very rare disease, Biliary Atresia. It is a blockage in the tubes (ducts) that carry bile from the liver to the gallbladder. Ariany needed an implant right away, so Dr. Nadia Orchinsky got her on the national donor waitlist immediately, but there was no match. This is Rubino’s second time giving someone a second chance. The first was a kidney given to a woman named Jessica in Connecticut. (4/1)
NPR: Researchers Explore An Unlikely Treatment For Cognitive Disorders: Video Games
The neurologist said Pam Stevens' cognitive impairment couldn't be treated. After suffering a stroke in 2014, the 85-year-old wasn't responding to medication. She and her husband, Pete Stevens, were told to give up hope. "On two separate occasions, over a two-year period, the neurologist said there was nothing we could do," said Pete Stevens. "He said 'just take her home and be prepared that she's gonna die.'" But he refused to accept that grim prognosis. He was willing to try anything — including an experimental video game therapy — to restore Pam's brain. (Gordon, 4/15)
North Carolina Health News: Decreasing Sex Crimes With Therapy, Friendship
Most of society shuns registered sex offenders, but Drew Doll has a different solution — befriending people convicted of high-risk sex crimes. “By forming friendships … we get to know people really well,” said Doll, who is the reentry and reconciliation coordinator at the Religious Coalition for a Nonviolent Durham. “We hold them close.” The Religious Coalition for a Nonviolent Durham is one of several groups in North Carolina exploring ways to reduce sex crimes independent of the sex offender registry, through methods ranging from restorative justice practices to cognitive behavioral therapy. (Thompson, 4/15)
