Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Admin Requests $1.4B For Ebola Quarantine Unit, Health Security Funds, Diplomatic Efforts
Reuters: Trump Seeks More Than $1.4 Billion In Ebola Funding From Congress
The White House is seeking more than $1.4 billion in new funds from Congress to address the widening Ebola virus outbreak, including $800 million for humanitarian crisis response, according to a Trump administration official. The move is part of a larger supplemental funding request made by the White House on Wednesday in a letter to Congress. It includes $800 million for a quarantine center in Kenya for Americans exposed to the virus, supplies, treatment, contact tracing, a regional logistics network and infection-control practices, the official said. (Hunnicutt and Steenhuysen, 6/24)
Stat: WHO Will Test Two American Drugs Against African Ebola Outbreak
A clinical trial testing two drugs against the Bundibugyo ebolavirus, which is driving a fast-moving outbreak in Central Africa, is set to begin next week, World Health Organization officials said Wednesday. (Branswell, 6/24)
Bloomberg: Ebola Scientists Lack Virus Samples Needed To Test Vaccine In Congo Outbreak
Scientists racing to develop potential vaccines and treatments against a deadly Ebola outbreak are having to do so without a viable sample of the virus, highlighting growing disputes over pathogen sharing and the difficulty of moving infectious materials across borders for research. (Furlong and Gale, 6/25)
The New York Times: The Ebola Outbreak’s Central Mystery: Where Did This Virus Come From?
Since April, an outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo has ballooned to 1,114 confirmed cases and 279 deaths, already the third-largest such epidemic since the disease was identified 50 years ago. Despite its worrying size, this outbreak is threaded with mystery — particularly regarding its origins. (Zimmer, 6/24)
On hantavirus and vaccines —
The Hill: CDC Ends US Response To Hantavirus Outbreak
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officially ended its Hantavirus response Wednesday, more than a month after the first Americans were evacuated following an outbreak aboard a cruise ship in the North Atlantic. The wind-down comes after the final 42-day quarantine period for the Americans who were exposed to the virus ended earlier this week. (Weixel, 6/24)
CIDRAP: International Public Health Response Helped Contain Andes Hantavirus Outbreak On Dutch Cruise Ship
When an outbreak of Andes hantavirus on a Dutch cruise ship sickened 13 passengers and crew members and caused three deaths this spring, a coordinated, multinational public health response helped contain the outbreak and kept the risk to the general population low. A report compiled by researchers from the Centre for Infectious Disease Control in the Netherlands and other international agencies details the public health response involving medical evacuations, international contact tracing, quarantine, and laboratory monitoring across several continents. (Bergeson, 6/24)
CIDRAP: Vaccine Integrity Project, The Evidence Collective Announce Projects To Improve Vaccine Policy, Restore Trust
To bolster the US government’s vaccine policymaking process and restore trust in immunization, the Vaccine Integrity Project (VIP) at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) and The Evidence Collective today announced new research efforts. (Holohan, 6/24)
