Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Florida Governor Could Pass New Vaccine Rules Before He Leaves Office In January
Florida Phoenix: ‘Ambitious’ Timeline Means DeSantis Could Pass New Vax Rules Before He Leaves Office
Gov. Ron DeSantis’s efforts to pare back the number of vaccines children must receive to enter school or daycare could pay off for him before he leaves office on Jan. 5 in light of a state administrative judge’ agreement Thursday to expedite a hearing on challenges to them. (Sexton, 10/30)
Military Times: Air Force Again Requires Flu Vaccine For Select Personnel
The Air Force restored the annual influenza vaccine mandate for select personnel once again, following the service’s exception request from the Pentagon’s optional policy. ... Effective immediately, recruits, healthcare and child center personnel are required to be vaccinated, while deploying forces will adhere to pre-deployment timelines, per the guidance. Other personnel included in the policy must be vaccinated no later than Dec. 15 annually. (Stassis, 10/29)
On dengue in Florida —
The New York Times: How A Tax Cut Could Threaten A Florida Necessity: Mosquito Control
As Florida fights a dengue outbreak, a ballot proposal to cut property taxes has raised concerns about local governments’ ability to pay for sufficient mosquito control. (Ovalle, 11/2)
Tampa Bay Times: Amid Dengue Outbreak, St. Pete Residents Wonder: Is A Tire Shop Spreading It?
The city of St. Petersburg filed an injunction against a local tire shop this week, arguing that it is a public health hazard amid the rise of dengue, a mosquito-borne illness, and citing multiple confirmed cases within a few blocks. (Mulligan, 10/30)
On the spread of measles —
CIDRAP: US Measles Cases Top 4,800 As The Disease Surges In Multiple States
It used to be that 200-plus US measles cases would reflect the total for the year or even for two years, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today confirmed 264 new cases in just the past seven days, raising the country’s total to 4,852 cases, by far the highest yearly total in 35 years. (Wappes, 10/30)
CIDRAP: 7% Of Measles Cases Misdiagnosed, Study Finds, Raising Concerns About Disease Spread
Measles is highly contagious, and quickly identifying who is infected is critical from a public health perspective: Delays lead to additional cases since patients, caregivers, and clinicians won't know to take precautions to prevent viral spread. Yet an estimated 6.9% of patients with measles who sought medical care were misdiagnosed at least once in the two weeks before an accurate diagnosis, according to a study published this week in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology. (Boden, 10/30)
On bird flu and Zika —
The Colorado Sun: Avian Flu Found Again In A Weld County Dairy
Avian flu has been detected at a Weld County dairy, the first time in more than two years that a case of the flu spread by birds has been found at a dairy in Colorado. (Brown, 10/30)
CIDRAP: 60% Of Kids With Zika-Related Microcephaly Hospitalized By Age 5, Data Reveal
Nearly 60% of children with Zika-related microcephaly were hospitalized during their first five years of life, with many experiencing respiratory problems, difficulty swallowing, and seizures, according to a study published yesterday in Pediatrics. The findings highlight the severity of Zika-related microcephaly, a neurologic condition marked by an abnormally small head and undersized brain. (Bergeson, 10/30)
