Latest KFF Health News Stories
Africa Suffered More In Pandemic Than Was Thought
New studies suggest both infection counts and death figures have been undermeasured across Africa, leading to the impression the continent was doing better against covid than it really was. To support vaccinations in Africa, the U.S. is spending $250 million to help poorer nations.
Toxic Forever Chemicals Found In Neighbors Of Delaware Air Base
Samples from residents near to the Air National Guard base have significantly higher than average levels of toxic PFAS chemicals. School water supplies in Philadelphia, meanwhile, tested positive for lead contamination, with nearly 2 in 3 water outlets in 65 schools showing high levels.
Military Academy Sexual Assaults Reported Sharply Up In 2021
In other news, to beat a storm, Southwest Airlines recently flew a pair of donor lungs to St. Louis; Sure and Brut deodorant sprays are being recalled due to benzene contamination; worries about the CoolSculpting beauty procedure; and a fatal police shooting of a man in mental health crisis.
Controversial PBM Practices Will Go Unprobed By FTC
The Federal Trade Commission had been planning a study to see if pharmacy benefit managers’ work poorly affects independent and specialty pharmacies, but ultimately voted to not investigate. BestCo, Agios’ anemia drug, the Purdue Pharma opioid settlement and more are also in pharmaceutical news.
Ukraine Tension Prompts Warnings Of Cyberattacks Against US Hospitals
The alerts came from federal officials, covering other sectors as well as health care — but the strain of the pandemic may mean hospitals are particularly vulnerable. Separately, Stat reports that health tech companies are joining a call for nationwide patient data privacy standards.
UK Studies Show Vaccines Protect Against Long Covid
A separate pair of studies from Israel also showed that one or more Pfizer/BioNTech covid shots offer durable protection against recurring infection. Media outlets report on the ongoing vaccine rollout across the states, and both Pfizer and Merck’s covid pills are in the news again.
One Of Life’s Little Annoyances Solved: iPhones Will Recognize You In A Mask
The updated Face ID feature, part of iOS 15.4, is expected to be released in early March, Bloomberg and other news outlets reported. Meanwhile, states, cities and schools across the U.S. continue to lift mask mandates, and big companies are reconsidering their vaccine mandates.
‘Stealth’ Omicron Could Be Nasty — But Will Anyone Listen?
New research suggests that the omicron subvariant may cause more severe illness than its parent and more along the lines of the delta variant. Even so, many Americans are moving on, virus or not, and are shutting their ears to anyone who says different.
Endemic Vs. Pandemic: California Is First State To Shift Its Approach
Going forward, California’s covid policy measures will move more toward prevention and outbreak response, instead of requirements around masks and shutdowns, Gov. Gavin Newsom says: “We are moving past the crisis phase into a phase where we will work to live with this virus.”
White House Has Earmarked All Covid Funds, Will Need More For Future Response
HHS documents obtained by Bloomberg reveal that all approved funding has already been allocated to combat the covid pandemic, leaving nothing to protect against future developments like new variants or vaccine stockpiling. But congressional lawmakers may not have the appetite to appropriate much more, Politico reports.
6.7M Children Could Lose Medicaid Or CHIP Coverage In July
A congressional provision prevents states from disenrolling children during a public health emergency. That emergency declaration could be revoked by July, although the Department of Health and Human Services has promised to give states 60 days notice, CNN reports.
FDA Probes Recalled Formulas After Infants Fall Sick And 1 Dies
The FDA is investigating the cases of four babies hospitalized with bacterial infections. One of the children died. The agency is warning parents against using three powdered infant formulas produced by Abbott at a Michigan plant. The company has voluntarily recalled the products.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations. Note to readers: KHN’s First Edition will not be published Monday, Feb. 21, in celebration of Presidents Day. See you Tuesday!
Viewpoints: UK’s NHS Has Massive Backlog; Covid-Style Partnership Needed For New Cancer Drugs
Opinion writers tackle these public health issues.
Different Takes: Show Covid’s Lung Damage To The Vaccine-Hesitant; Is It Time To Unmask?
Editorial pages discuss these covid topics.
BioNTech’s Modular African Vax Factory Plan Gets Mixed Reaction
Stat says BioNTech’s plan for making covid and other shots in Africa, shipping preconstructed factory elements in shipping containers, snubs efforts by the World Health Organization. Meanwhile, the WHO is also cautioning that a global slide in covid cases may be linked to lower testing rates.
Florida Moves Ahead With 15-Week Abortion Bill
The Florida House vote approving an abortion ban was achieved along party lines, driven by Republican lawmakers. Next it will go before the state Senate. But in Arkansas, efforts to pass a Texas-style abortion ban seem to have been stymied, at least for this year’s Senate session.
Research Roundup: Covid; Gene Editing; Alzheimer’s
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
2021 Saw Record Organ Transplants In US: Over 41,000
This was the first year the U.S. ever exceeded 40,000 transplants. Researchers, separately, found altering the blood type of lungs could lead to universal transplants. And Axios reports on the awful situation where “bionic” eye transplants go obsolete as the company behind them faltered.
Share Of US Adults Identifying As LGBTQ+ Rises To 7.1%
The record figure is double that reported by Gallup in 2012, and up on 2021’s 5.6% figure. The opioid epidemic in North Carolina, mild flu season in Dallas County, a study linking being attractive and a better immune system, and a Victoria’s Secret model with Down syndrome are also in the news.
