Latest KFF Health News Stories
Crippling Storms Delay Vaccine Shipments
The Biden administration anticipates “widespread” disruptions to covid vaccine shipping due to a series of winter weather events.
UK To Fund Research Project That Will Infect Healthy Volunteers With Covid
About 90 people ages 18-30 are expected to participate in a “human challenge” that will take place in a hospital isolation unit in London, according to the Lancet. An ethics committee still needs to approve the trial. Other global news is from the E.U., France, Japan and Canada.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Lessons On Getting The Vaccine, Heading To Mask-Less Times
Editorial writers weigh in on these pandemic topics and others.
Lauded For ‘Courageously Defending Science,’ Fauci Wins $1M Israeli Prize
The Dan David Foundation also honored Americans Carl June and Steven Rosenberg for their work in cancer research. Other global developments are from the World Health Organization, China, North Korea, Singapore and Guinea.
Cuomo: Lack Of Transparency About Nursing Homes Covid Deaths Was A Mistake
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo acknowledged some fault in nursing home deaths. Other news of a strained public health system includes a top Florida official resigns, Alaska’s troubles, meat-packing probe and South Dakota governor’s dubious claims.
Multistate Listeria Outbreak Linked To Cheese
News reports also look at a slowdown in children’s dental visits and in cases of the flu, and more.
Michael Jordan Donates $10 Million To North Carolina Clinics
In other industry news, Trinity Health’s plan to shut down a Southside Chicago hospital is criticized by top state officials and yet another medical data breach.
Makers of Plavix Ordered To Pay $834 Million For Misleading Marketing
A judge in Hawaii orders Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi to pay the state more than $834 million for illegally marketing the blood-thinning drug Plavix.
More People Died Of Drug Overdoses Last Year Than Ever Before In US
The data for the 12-month period ending last June showed 81,003 deaths, a 20% increase over the previous year. Separate research found that weekly counts of all drug overdoses were up to 45% higher in 2020 than in 2019.
Zinc, Vitamin C Don’t Help Fight Covid
The new study looks at two supplements, also taken by many to fight common colds, that started disappearing from market shelves. Other news reports look at blood thinner benefits, new research centers at Tulane and more.
Most Communities Miss The Marks Set In CDC School Reopening Guidelines
The long-anticipated guidance released Friday sets standards for community spread that few places in the U.S. currently fall under, disappointing many eager for school to quickly reopen in-person learning.
Enrollment Opens Again On ACA Marketplaces
Federal health insurance markets opened Monday for a special three-month enrollment period due to the pandemic.
Supplies Of Tests, Masks Strained
Americans can’t get covid tests and N95 masks one year into the pandemic. Even hospitals have trouble finding masks. And yet they are being exported.
New Covid Infections In US Back Down To Pre-Holiday Levels
As new daily cases fall below the 90,000 mark, infectious disease experts explore the reasons for the drop over the last four weeks and try to predict the future trajectory of the virus.
Sanofi Won’t Have A Covid Vaccine In 2021
In other vaccine news: The University of Oxford begins testing the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine on young children; the FDA struggles to track vaccine reactions; and there’s positive new data from Israel on the Pfizer vaccine.
More Evidence Backs Worries That Variant Identified In UK Is Deadlier
The latest research by British scientists confirms preliminary findings that the B.1.1.7 variant of the coronavirus does cause more severe cases of covid-19 and can lead to more deaths.
States Struggle With Vaccine Distribution
Various reports from across the country as states expand and contract eligibility to get the covid vaccine. Also, stories directly from people in search of a shot.
Governors Complain About Federal Vaccine Coordination
And in other vaccine news: Pfizer assures the public it can deliver 2 billion vaccine doses; the Pentagon approves more military help to administer vaccines; and an effort to speed vaccines to nursing home residents and staff won’t be completed until late next month.
Winter Storms Disrupt Vaccinations, Leave Millions In Dangerous Cold
Two massive storm systems knocked out power across large swaths of the U.S., driving many to emergency heating centers during the pandemic. The ice and snow also forced many vaccination sites to close.
