Latest KFF Health News Stories
Editorial writers delve into these public health topics.
Opinion writers discuss covid and Dr. Fauci.
Across US, Thousands Of Inmates Live In Dangerously Hot Prisons
In Texas, where temperatures regularly climb into the triple digits, two-thirds of the state’s prisons don’t have air conditioning in living areas, The Texas Tribune reports. Inmates in Missouri and Kansas also must cope with scorching heat.
Perspectives: The Inflation Reduction Act Promotes Pharmacoequity; PBMs Create Unnecessary Burden
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
Future Of AstraZeneca Not In Vaccines, CEO Says
Read about the biggest pharmaceutical developments and pricing stories from the past week in KHN’s Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
Study Links Having A Chronic Condition With Later Money Issues
Axios says the study “cements the connection” between being healthy and financial stability, with financial hardship like medical debts following diagnoses of serious illnesses. Other medical debt news is reported alongside health industry matters.
Biden Administration May Extend Baby Formula Help For WIC Recipients
The current program to aid access to baby formula for low-income parents is due to expire Sept. 30. In other news, experts are pushing the White House to work on lowering policing risks for racial minorities if the Food and Drug Administration bans menthol cigarettes.
Monkeypox Antiviral Drug Tpoxx To Enter Human Testing
The drug has been shown to fight monkeypox, but mainly in animal studies. Now, University of Oxford scientists are planning human trials. CIDRAP notes U.S. officials are involved in trials, too. Meanwhile, USA Today explains the Jynneos vaccine side effects.
More Young People Use Weed Than Ever; Some Opioid Abuse Fell Last Year
Media outlets cover a new study that shows consumption of marijuana and some hallucinogenic drugs hit records in 2021, while narcotic use other than heroin, Vicodin, and OxyContin were all at record low levels among young adults in 2021.
Republicans Try To Get Suit Opposing Wisconsin Abortion Ban Thrown Out
The ban is based on a 173-year-old law, but a lawsuit has challenged it on the grounds it violates a 1985 law permitting abortions before a fetus is viable outside the womb. Other abortion-related news comes from Texas, Indiana, and North Carolina.
Abortion Issue Helps Democrat Win NY Special House Election
Reproductive rights were a campaign issue leading up to the Tuesday vote. The outcome from an evenly divided Upstate New York district was watched closely by political experts, looking for signs about how the November elections may play out.
Pfizer’s Covid Shot Shown To Be 73% Effective For The Under-5s
Vaccines for younger children began in June, and new data from the makers shows that it is proving effective at preventing covid in this age group, particularly so for babies ages 6 months to 23 months.
Data Shine Light On Hospitalization, Long Covid Risk In Adolescents
CIDRAP notes that the condition is “relatively rare” in children and teens. But the Washington Post says about 10% of this age group who were hospitalized with covid were experiencing long covid symptoms three months later. Separately, BA.5 and BA.4.6 are expanding across the U.S.
Next-Gen Covid Booster Shots Expected In September
According to reporting from NBC News and other outlets, the FDA plans to authorize boosters from both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna around Labor Day. The Washington Post also reports on how prior infections may impact booster shots.
Moderna Asks FDA To Authorize Its Updated Covid Shot
Moderna is ready, it says, to ship the new version of its vaccine in September, hence it’s seeking official authorization for the shots, which will target BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants. The FDA request is based on data from a booster targeting an earlier omicron variant rather than new human trials.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: OTC Hearing Aids Will Have Unexpected Benefits; Who Is At Risk For Monkeypox?
Editorial writers examine these public health topics.
Different Takes: The Consequences Of Overturning Roe Are Here, And They Are Terrifying
Opinion writers discuss these abortion rights issues.
Researchers Use AI To Spot Early Parkinson’s Signs In Breath Patterns
Though the research is in early stages, it builds on work by James Parkinson, whose name is now linked to the disease. Separately, Stat reports a surprising advance made in ALS research using spinal fluid in mice. Electrical-stimulation memory boosting and kidney disease are also in the news.
Study Hints Heart Health Issues Linked To Early Brain Aging
A study reported by the Press Association connects poor cardiovascular health at age 36, among other risk factors, to a prematurely aged brain later in life. Other media outlets report on heart health news, including links between energy drink use and heart problems.
