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Elsewhere in Montana, the public health officer in Blaine County is resigning because of the “constant negativity, pushback, disregard and lack of support” throughout the pandemic, AP reports.
Chief Executive Stéphane Bancel told a Swiss newspaper that vaccine makers will produce enough doses in that time to inoculate "everyone on earth." But it's going to bee an uphill climb: only 16 nations so far have hit a 70% vaccination rate.
In Alaska — the state with the current highest covid rate — health workers face anger and threats while coping with limited resources, the Anchorage Daily News reports. Troubles in Kentucky, Nebraska and Arizona are also in the news.
The Buckeye State is on CNN's list of the 18 states that have yet to fully vaccinate at least half of its eligible residents. Is your state on the list?
In the final stage of the regulatory process, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky signed off on third doses for frontline and high-risk workers. That decision was unusual as it aligned with FDA approval criteria but overruled the guidance reached by a CDC advisory panel yesterday. The Pfizer covid vaccine booster is also available for anyone 65 or older starting Friday.
Also in education news, money flows from the Biden administration to a Florida school district penalized by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration over a mask mandate; regular testing at schools in Omaha, Nebraska, doubles covid detection; and more.
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
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Opinion writers weigh in on these covid and vaccine issues.
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Calling air pollution one of the "biggest environmental threats to human health," the World Health Organization lowered recommended exposure levels to pollutants including ozone and carbon monoxide. In other news, U.S. Olympians must be vaccinated for the Beijing Winter Olympics.
From 2015 to 2019, the number of overall deaths in the U.S. linked to methamphetamines rose about 180%. As NPR reports, researchers also found another worrisome trend: the rapid transition of casual and recreational meth use into full-blown addiction for many people.
Meanwhile in Georgia, enrollment on the health exchange hit a record level during the special signup period. Other news is on lead pipes in Chicago, the death of an elderly Colorado woman who was left outside in the heat and Florida's new surgeon general.
The new Texas abortion restriction that bans the procedure after 6 weeks — before most women even know they are pregnant — is driving some patients to travel to Louisiana, Oklahoma and other states. Other fallout from the restrictive law include a new crop of bounty hunters, threats against lawmakers and private-sector objections.
A Wednesday report from the HHS's Office of Inspector General said the 20 accounted for more than half of the $9.2 billion the federal government paid for care that beneficiaries may not have needed or received in 2016, Modern Healthcare reports.
In other pharmaceutical industry news, the Theranos trial heated up Wednesday as former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis testified that he and other board members were blindsided when they discovered the company wasn't conducting all of its blood tests using its proprietary technology.
The latest example comes from a video message, obtained by Politico, in which Pfizer's CEO urges employees to speak out against efforts to allow Medicare to more broadly negotiate prescription prices. Meanwhile, that measure continues to tangle up Democrats and the $350-trillion spending bill, prompting a series of meetings with President Joe Biden to try to smooth a path forward.
House members are slated to vote Friday on the Women's Health Protection Act, through which Democrats aim to codify Roe v. Wade. Even if it passes, the bill is considered "dead on arrival" in the Senate — especially after Sen. Susan Collins said she would vote "no." Elsewhere, a Florida lawmaker introduced a bill similar to the restrictive Texas law. And abortion news is also reported from California and Arizona.
In Florida, asymptomatic children exposed to covid in classrooms can now be sent back to school by their parents. Meanwhile in Kansas, a middle school student has died of covid, becoming the first victim in the state between the ages of 10 and 17.
Vice President Kamala Harris announced that the U.S. will kick off a new global health security fund with a $250 million donation. The effort aims to raise $10 million to prepare for emerging health emergencies. Other administration news reports on covid testing and a suggested use for the U.S. Postal Service.
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