Latest KFF Health News Stories
Worries Rise About Complicated US Covid Booster Program
Stat says the “new heights of complexity” caused by the rollout of bivalent boosters is fueling concerns over errors in administering the shots. PBS NewsHour tries to break through the clutter with a guide on if, how, and why people should get a new shot.
Neurological Complications Reported In 2 US Monkeypox Cases
Bloomberg and CIDRAP say encephalomyelitis has been seen in two cases of monkeypox in the U.S., both in otherwise healthy men in their 30s, warranting further study. Meanwhile, a health care worker in L.A. County has reportedly been infected while at work, the first such case.
Covid Aid Drove Down Uninsured And Poverty Rates To New Lows
The Census Bureau reports that 8.3% of Americans were not covered by some form of health insurance in 2021. Federal pandemic policies that eased Medicaid eligibility and subsidized ACA premiums were largely responsible. The poverty rate also dropped, especially among kids, thanks largely to the child tax credit. The improvements may be temporary, though, when aid programs expire.
West Virginia Passes Abortion Ban, Is Second State To Do So Since Roe’s Fall
Gov. Jim Justice, a Republican, is expected to sign the bill after calling for the special legislative session to “clarify” abortion law in the state. The bill has exceptions for rape, incest, and medical emergencies. Meanwhile, an abortion ban in Indiana — the first state to pass a new law this summer — will take effect Thursday.
Sen. Graham Introduces Bill To Ban Abortion Nationwide After 15 Weeks
The proposed legislation from Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, would prohibit all abortions in the U.S. after 15 weeks except in cases of rape or incest or to protect the life of a mother. It’s a move predicted to further inflame abortion politics ahead of the November midterm elections, and not one all Republicans immediately embraced.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Different Takes: Should Doctors Face Consequences For Providing Misinformation?
Editorial writers tackle these public health topics.
Opinion writers examine covid, polio and abortion.
Judge Dismisses Opioid Discrimination Lawsuit Against Walgreens
A proposed class action suit accused the pharmacy of discriminating against people with disabilities when being asked to fill high-dose opioid prescriptions. In other news, five doctors pled guilty in a pain pill scheme in West Virginia.
US Shareholder Case Over AstraZeneca Covid Shot Research Dismissed
The lawsuit had claimed the drugmaker had concealed problems during development of its covid vaccine. Separately, in Europe, regulators have cleared Pfizer’s updated booster shots targeting later covid variants, amid news 17 million Europeans got long covid early in the pandemic.
Oregon Is 1st To Get Mental Health Aid From Biden’s American Rescue Plan
The federal government will give financial support for mobile crisis intervention teams that help when police aren’t needed. Meanwhile, health officials have confirmed that a California resident died from monkeypox.
Wars, Pandemic Darken The News In Gates Foundation Annual Report
GeekWire says the annual Goalkeepers Report is typically upbeat, but this year’s report covering efforts to reach six of the UN Sustainable Development Goals is grim reading. AP notes Bill Gates says technological progress could help solve world hunger, where food aid can no longer help.
Patent Battle Over Generic Versions Of Gilead HIV Drug Settled
Five drugmakers had proposed generic versions of Gilead’s HIV and hepatitis B drugs and are now licensed to sell them from around 2031 onward. Also in the news: Medicare advantage star ratings, and more.
Getting Bivalent Jab By Halloween Will Protect You For Thanksgiving, Jha Says
“You don’t want to be the person who gives it to your grandma,” White House covid czar Ashish Jha said. In other news, U.S. researchers have found an antibody that neutralizes all variants of covid. The results are similar to research reported last week from Israel’s Tel Aviv University.
FDA Will Discuss OTC Birth Control Pill Sales In November
The application from pharma firm Perrigo will be discussed Nov. 18, and could lead to the nation’s first over-the-counter birth control pill sales. Contrastingly, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham says he plans to introduce legislation to ban abortion on a national level.
In Study, Cancer Drug Outperforms Chemotherapy
Patients taking Amgen’s Lumakras went 5.6 months without their cancers getting worse, compared with 4.5 months for patients taking the chemotherapy docetaxel, the Wall Street Journal reported, and 25% of patients who took Lumakras lived for at least one year without their cancers getting worse, compared with 10% of those using docetaxel.
Biden Moves To Boost Domestic Biomanufacturing, Re-Energize Cancer Moonshot
President Joe Biden issued an executive order Monday to encourage biotech production and research in the U.S. as part of a strategy to compete with China in this space. Afterwards, speaking at the John F. Kennedy library in Boston, the president urged the nation to redouble efforts to eradicate cancer — a goal he called “bold, ambitious, and I might add, completely doable.”
Staffing And Pay Disputes Drive 15,000 Minn. Nurses To Picket Lines
The three-day work stoppage impacting 15 hospitals in the Minneapolis and Duluth areas is the largest private-sector nurses strike in U.S. history. Workers want a 30% pay increase and bolstered staffing. Hospital executives say those demands are too expensive and unrealistic.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial writers weigh in on these public health topics.