Latest KFF Health News Stories
Editorial pages focus on these pandemic topics and others.
Research Roundup: Flu Vaccines; Covid; Smoking; Delirium
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Spanish Court Requires Incapacitated Woman to Get Vaccination
The case appears to be the first time a court in Europe required someone to get a vaccination against family wishes. News reports are on India’s decision to move ahead despite concerns about one of its vaccines, China’s barring of two WHO investigators and more.
Neglect Charges Against Ex-Governor May Not Be Enough For Flint Residents
Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder was charged with two misdemeanor counts of willful neglect of duty. He could face imprisonment of up to one year. Flint residents welcomed the news, but one doctor who helped call attention to the city’s contaminated water said, “Restoring trust will take decades.”
Trial Shows A Drug Combination Can Help People With Meth Addiction
Addiction experts hailed the results of the study as offering hope for a disorder that is hard to treat and deadly. News reports are on a rise in highway fatalities, skeptics of systemic racism in health care, and more.
Mark Cuban Starts Generic-Drug Firm; Therapy App Talkspace Going Public
Other names in health industry news include Esperion, Walgreens and Sana Biotechnology. Also, updates on CES and the FDA’s five-pronged plan for regulating medical software.
Coca-Cola Ends Relationship With Powerful Pro-Sugar Group ILSI
The International Life Sciences Institute promotes the sugar industry-friendly idea that physical exercise, not diet, is how to combat obesity, according to a 2015 New York Times report. Coca-Cola joins other companies such as Mars and Nestle in cutting ties.
J&J Forecasts March Approval For Its Single-Dose Vaccine
While Johnson & Johnson expects to release trial results in the next two weeks, the vaccine maker also says that it is behind in its promised production schedule.
Dollar General Is First Company To Reward Employees Who Get Vaccinated
The retailer will offer its workers four hours of pay. The Washington Post reports on steps other companies may take to encourage vaccinations.
Mass Vaccinations And Massive Surge Place Dueling Pressures On Hospitals
Millions of vaccine doses sit on shelves at many U.S. hospitals that are overwhelmed by the escalating covid crisis, Roll Call reports.
Scientists Identify How Damaging Covid Pneumonia Spreads, Lasts Longer
The virus hijacks the lungs immune cells and uses them to spread across the lungs, according to research published in Nature. Scientists plan trials to dampen the inflammatory response of the cells. Research news is on immunity and a post-covid world.
Biden To Outline Covid Action Plan While Adjusting To Variants, Vaccines
Vaccination campaigns, renewed commitments to masks and physical distancing and increased funding for pandemic response efforts form the backbone of the plan President-elect Joe Biden will detail Thursday.
CDC Suggests Transmission Risk Lower At Elementaries Than High Schools
A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that in-person classes at K-12 schools didn’t appear to lead to spikes in covid cases compared to online-only learning. The study also found that transmission rates by age group increased as the school level increased.
Variants ‘Barely Getting Started’ To Spread, Could Explode By March
Scientists fear that the progression of coronavirus mutations is only beginning to take hold and outbreaks will surge even further in the coming months, particularly in the U.S.
Likely Homegrown Virus Strains Identified In Ohio
Like other global mutations, the two variants that likely originated in the U.S. are more contagious than the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. One of those strains, discovered by Ohio State University researchers, has become the dominant spreader in the Columbus, Ohio area.
If Vaccinations Pick Up, US Could Reach Herd Immunity By Summer
Vaccine makers Pfizer and Moderna hope that 70% of Americans can be inoculated by July. The immediate future looks far more dire though, with the rate of covid deaths continuing to increase and looking to get worse.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Different Takes: China Needs To Cooperate With WHO Probe; Maskless GOP Lawmakers Don’t Get It
Editorial pages express views about these pandemic topics and other public health issues.
Viewpoints: Lessons On Improving Vaccine Distribution
Opinion writers weigh in on best ways to increase vaccine supply and get it to the most vulnerable.
Verve Therapeutics says its one-time treatment significantly reduced LDL cholesterol for six months. The company hopes to begin clinical trials next year on people born with HeFH, a genetic heart disease that causes lifelong, high LDL levels. Other news is on Intarcia Therapeutics and AI tools.
