Latest KFF Health News Stories
Oklahoma Supreme Court Reverses $465M Opioid Ruling Against J&J
In a 5-1 ruling, the Oklahoma Supreme Court justices overturned a lower court’s ruling that Johnson & Johnson had violated the state’s public nuisance statute — an argument on which thousands of opioid cases against drugmakers hinges.
Moderna And NIH Tussle Over mRNA Vaccine Patents
Also, the U.S. government buys another $1 billion work of anti-covid pills from Merck. Astra-Zeneca attempts to get its vaccine development operations in order.
FDA To Weigh Allowing Pfizer Boosters For Anyone 18 Or Over
Pfizer and BioNTech asked Monday for authorization to start administering additional covid vaccine doses to any adult in the U.S. The companies submitted new study data on efficacy that was not available when a similar request was denied in September. The New York Times reports that the Food and Drug Administration is expected to grant the request.
First Edition: November 10, 2021
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial writers tackle these public health issues.
Viewpoints: Vaccine Mandates Are Working; Compassion Fatigue Among Medical Field Is At All Time High
Opinion writers weigh in on these covid topics.
Singaporeans ‘Unvaccinated By Choice’ Won’t Get Free Covid Care
The government in Singapore has decided it will no longer support payment of covid medical bills for people who remain unvaccinated after Dec. 8. Meanwhile, in the face of anti-vax threats, Israeli lawmakers will decide on covid shots for young children in private.
IVF Fetus Mix-Up Results In Birth Of ‘Wrong Baby’, Lawsuit In California
News outlets report that two families gave birth to each other’s babies after a mistake at a fertility clinic in Los Angeles. The mix-up has resulted in a lawsuit. Meanwhile, legal moves over covid vaccines, mandates happen around the country. And a “mental health day” for school kids is rejected.
Cerner’s CEO Learns To Battle Epic
Cerner’s CEO, David Feinberg, is friends with Judy Faulkner of Epic. But he must battle her. In other news, major hospitals pull more money from cash-paying customers and insurance companies and Blue Cross Blue Shield gets tough with some licensees.
If You Try To Drive Drunk In A 2026 Car, Congress Wants It To Stop You
Congress aims to tackle drunk driving with a requirement for car makers: From as soon as 2026, new cars should be able to detect if drivers are under the influence of alcohol, and stop them. Climate change and girls’ health, overdose deaths, and mental health issues are also in the news.
Stroke Risk Reduced With Vegetable Fat Consumption
Vegetable fat in place of animal fat reduces stroke risk, a new study says. Other research is on sepsis reduction, the best sleep time and racial disparities in organ transplants.
Regeneron Says Antibody Treatment Protects Against Covid
Regeneron said its antibody treatments reduced the risk of contracting covid by 81.6% in a late-stage trial. In other news, the Texas health department issues a study showing unvaccinated people are 20 times more likely to die of covid.
Covid Deaths Skew Higher Than Ever In Red States
The New York Times reports on disparities in covid deaths — with the gap between highly-vaccinated states (which tend to be Democratic) versus less-vaccinated states (which tend to be Republican) growing faster than ever over the last month. Vaccination exemptions and hesitancy are also in the news.
70% Of American Adults Now Vaccinated Against Covid
That translates to 432 million doses. Meanwhile, a survey in Texas suggests that the majority of residents support vaccinations and mask wearing.
Vaccination Misinformation Takes More Strange Turns
The battle over vaccination information and misinformation has put the focus on Sesame Street’s Big Bird and quarterback Aaron Rodgers. In other news, a lot of people believe some false information.
Fed: Public Health Failures Will Threaten The U.S. Economy
The Federal Reserve warns that public health worsening is a threat to the U.S. economy. In other news, emails reveal what J&J did to limit information about talc and cancer and the role Nancy Pelosi played in preventing the drug pricing legislation from moving forward.
Halting Vaccine Mandate Will ‘Cost Lives,’ Biden Officials Tells Court
The Biden administration responded to a federal appeals court’s stay on the federal covid vaccine mandate, arguing that stopping the OSHA rules “would endanger many thousands of people.” Meanwhile, the White House is urging businesses that would be covered by the order not to wait until the legal challenges finish to make implementation plans.
Child Vaccination Programs Rolled Out Quickly
360,000 children under the age of 12 have gotten covid shots, while school districts are urged by the White House to provide covid shots.
Pfizer Asks FDA To Authorize Its Booster For All Adults
Pfizer and BioNTech applied to the Food and Drug Administration to allow an additional covid vaccine dose to any American 18 and older.
First Edition: November 9, 2021
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
