Latest KFF Health News Stories
Vaccine Hesitancy Has Waned, Poll Suggests
Even so, reaching holdouts — especially teens — has become tougher and tougher. In other news, a new vaccine patch developed at UNC Chapel Hill could change everything about how vaccines are administered, ABC11 reports.
Biden Slams Unvaxxed Americans, Says He’ll Push Mandates ‘Wherever I Can’
During a national address Friday, President Joe Biden criticized the more than 70 million people who haven’t started the vaccination process. “And to make matters worse, there are elected officials actively working to undermine with false information the fight against covid-19. This is totally unacceptable.”
Confusion Swirls Over Who May Get A Vaccine Booster
Doctors report a flood of questions from patients about who is eligible for another covid vaccine dose and whether they “may” or “should” get one. Dr. Rochelle Walensky acknowledges that a lot of the disarray stems from early White House messaging that boosters would be available to all — only to be followed by much more limited approval by the FDA and CDC last week.
NY May Turn To National Guard To Bridge Looming Health Worker Gaps
State officials are anticipating that thousands of health care workers could lose their jobs when a vaccination mandate goes into effect today. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul says that the National Guard or out-of-state medical workers could be used to plug the shortages.
More Kids Get Covid At Schools Without Mask Mandate: CDC Studies
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released two new studies that both show greater protections against covid for students and staff at schools where face coverings are required. Other covid development impacting children’s health is also in the news.
House Passes Abortion Rights Measure In Largely Symbolic Vote
The Women’s Health Protection Act was approved in a 218-211 vote Friday night, with one Democrat crossing party lines. With little chance of getting past a filibuster, the bill is viewed as dead on arrival in the Senate.
Get Ready: Critical Week On Hill Will Shape Fiscal Future, Biden’s Agenda
Amid shaky support within its own caucus, House Democratic leaders are continuing to move forward on dual tracks with the massive social spending package and a Thursday vote on the infrastructure bill. Also in the mix is the debt limit and partial government shutdown threats.
Life Expectancy For US Men Drops 2.2 Years Due To Covid
That’s the most of anywhere in the study, which shows the impact of the pandemic on the U.S., most of Europe and Chile. Life expectancy for U.S. women dipped 1.65 years. The declines were bigger for men than women in most of the 29 countries analyzed.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial writers examine these public health topics.
Viewpoints: Overwhelmed Hospitals Triggering CSCs; Why Is Covid Deadliest Pandemic In US History?
Opinion writers tackle these covid and vaccine issues.
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
Each week, KHN finds longer stories for you to enjoy. This week’s selections include stories about tech advances for people who are blind, World Alzheimer’s Day, unclaimed bodies at funeral homes, Tammy Faye Bakker, the cult of virginity and more.
‘No One Is Safe Unless We Are All Safe’: Africa Pleads For More Covid Jabs
Other global news is from the United Kingdom, Canada and elsewhere.
Death Toll Doubles To 15 At Louisiana Nursing Home That Evacuated For Ida
The residents had been moved to a warehouse where conditions were found too squalid for safety. However, some deaths may be unrelated to the storm or conditions in the warehouse, AP reports.
Study: US Latinos More Likely To Have Potentially Preventable Cancers Than Non-Hispanic Whites
The report noted that Latinos as a group have the highest percentage of people without health insurance than any other ethnicity in the United States, Axios reported.
Pentagon Relies Too Much On Foreign Pharma Suppliers, Watchdog Finds
The Department of Defense is potentially putting national security at risk and also hasn’t developed strategies to mitigate disruptions, a report from the Office of the Inspector General says.
Task Force Says Race Shouldn’t Be Considered In Kidney Function Tests
As Stat reports, many have argued that the separate racial thresholds for classifying kidney disease underestimate the extent of disease in Black patients, leaving them less likely to receive the care they need or to be placed on waitlists for transplants.
Acetaminophen May Harm Fetuses; 3M Baby Cushions Recalled After 8 Deaths
About 100 doctors and scientists issued a statement Thursday warning of possible links between the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy and developmental problems in children.
Washington State Offers Eviction Help; California’s Jobless Claims Soar
Americans’ economic worries show no signs of abating as the pandemic drags on.
House On Track For Infrastructure Bill Vote Despite Rocky Democratic Support
The pair of intertwined spending bills continues to tangle up Capitol Hill as a group of progressive Democrats say they will vote against the infrastructure bill if it comes to the floor — as scheduled on Sept. 27 — before the budget reconciliation package. And even as Democratic leaders announce a “framework” for the latter, some Democrats are not impressed.
