Morning Breakouts

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Next Round Of Pfizer Doses Won’t Free Up Until Summer; Did White House Turn Down Chance For More?

Morning Briefing

The Trump administration officials deny a New York Times report that they passed up on an offer from Pfizer to secure additional doses of its coronavirus vaccine when buying an initial batch of 100 million. Meanwhile, Pfizer tells the U.S. government that more vaccine won’t be available until June or July because of contract obligations to other nations.

Trump To Issue ‘America First’ Vaccine Executive Order

Morning Briefing

President Donald Trump will sign the directive to federal agencies during a vaccine summit Tuesday, though it is unclear why an executive order would be needed to ensure that vaccines are first distributed domestically.

In Step Toward Approval, FDA Confirms Efficacy And Safety Of Pfizer’s Vaccine

Morning Briefing

The Food and Drug Administration’s independent review of clinical trial data for Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine upholds findings about its protection against COVID-19 as well as safety, according to briefing documents written up for Thursday’s advisory panel meeting.

States Renew Struggle Against COVID

Morning Briefing

With a populace tired of COVID restrictions — “pandemic fatigue” they call it — many state and local health officials press on. Though in Wyoming, comments about the pandemic from a pubic health officials are raising concerns.

From Apps To Testing, Pandemic Innovations Deliver Mixed Results

Morning Briefing

Technology experts and public health officials have scrambled over the last few months to deliver tools that could help detect and combat the virus spread, but some are more successful than others.

Many Hospitals Continue Elective Surgeries

Morning Briefing

Hospitals say they won’t halt elective surgeries even in the face of the surging COVID cases. In other health industry news, the medical license of an Oregon doctor who derided masks as “masks of shame” and said his staff didn’t wear them was suspended.

Fauci And Birx Continue To Plea For Mask Wearing

Morning Briefing

Dr. Deborah Birx says it is frustrating to hear false claims about COVID — coming from the public. Dr. Anthony Fauci repeats his prediction that things won’t get better until the third quarter of 2021.

Giuliani Contracts COVID

Morning Briefing

Rudy Giuliani, President Trump’s personal lawyer, is being treated at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington for COVID-19. Two chambers of the Arizona state legislature will suspend their work this week because of close contact with Giuliani.