Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
New York Lets People Select 'X' As Gender On Driver's Licenses
The Hill: New York Adds Third Gender Option To Birth Certificates, Licenses
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on Thursday signed a law that will add a third gender option to birth certificates and licenses in the state. The Gender Recognition Act allows nonbinary individuals to select “X” for their gender on driver’s licenses and there will be an option on birth certificates to select “parent” instead of mother or father, a press release by the governor states. (Lonas, 6/24)
AP: Most Nevada Workplaces Can Relax Sanitation Procedures
The state agency that oversees workplace safety is relaxing guidelines for businesses, allowing them to wipe down most surfaces with soap or detergent, rather than disinfectants that kill the coronavirus. “When no people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 are known to have been in a space, cleaning once a day is usually enough to sufficiently remove viruses that may be on surfaces and help maintain a healthy facility,” according to guidance published Thursday by Nevada’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (6/24)
New Orleans Times-Picayune: Poverty, Air Pollution Cause Cancer Spike In Louisiana Industrial Areas, Tulane Study Says
The combination of air pollution and poverty is triggering higher rates of cancer in Louisiana, according to a new study led by the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic. Released this week, the study indicates low-income communities with high levels of toxic air pollution had average cancer rates of about 515 cases per 100,000 residents. That’s statistically higher than the 482-case average statewide and the 487-case average for low-income areas with less air pollution. (Baurick, 6/24)
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: Court Favors Mom In Girl's Inoculations
In a 4-3 ruling, the Arkansas Supreme Court on Thursday overturned a circuit judge's denial of a mother's request to stop the state Department of Human Services from immunizing her daughter, who was in foster care. The state's divided high court sent the case back to Pulaski County Circuit Judge Patricia James for further proceedings consistent with the court's ruling. Alexius Macklin appealed an order of the Pulaski County Circuit Court regarding her 1-year-old daughter, M.S., who was neglected, according to the Arkansas Supreme Court. Macklin didn't challenge the adjudication itself, but challenged the circuit court's denial of her motion to bar the department from immunizing M.S. over Macklin's objection. (Wickline, 6/25)
WMFE: As Pandemic Wanes, Syphilis Numbers On The Rise In Leon County
The number of syphilis cases in Leon County is up sharply from last year. State and local health officials are looking to launch an aggressive campaign to reduce the numbers. The nearly two dozen people on Wednesday’s Syphilis Prevention Coalition Zoom call heard sobering numbers from Leon County Health Department program manager Dale Harrison. “We have 129 cases of syphilis right now compared to 86 cases last year,” Harrison says. (6/24)
Georgia Health News: Respiratory Infection RSV Surges In South As Mask Use, Distancing Decline
Doctors in Georgia and other Southern states have seen since April an unusual surge of a common respiratory virus that affects children and older adults. The spike in cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) at this time of year is linked, at least in part, to children and others no longer widely wearing masks or social distancing to prevent COVID-19 infection, experts say. When masks began coming off, “we knew we’d see a really bad RSV season,’’ said Dr. Stephen Thacker, a pediatric infectious disease specialist in Savannah. “Kids are getting infected at the same time.’’ (Miller, 6/24)
Louisville Courier-Journal: CDC Says Kentucky Among States With Salmonella Cases Linked To Poultry
Kentucky is among the states where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found Salmonella cases, with at least 17 sick people in the commonwealth. One person has died in neighboring Indiana from the disease, according to the CDC, and the multistate outbreaks have been linked to backyard poultry. In total, the CDC discovered 474 infections in 46 states, though not all cases will be caught or reported. A third of sick people are children younger than 5. There have been 103 hospitalizations and one death. (Ladd, 6/24)
ABC News: Discord Over Whether To Halt South Carolina Abortion Case
The parties involved in a lawsuit over South Carolina’s new ban on almost all abortions disagree about how the case should be handled while the U.S. Supreme Court considers similar litigation from Mississippi. Those supporting the restrictions argue they should be allowed to collect information for their defense in the coming months. (Kinnard, 6/24)
