Latest KFF Health News Stories
First Vaccine Dispatch Of 6.4M Doses To Be Sent To States As Soon As FDA OKs
Operation Warp Speed officials outlined what the first 24 hours of their vaccine distribution plan will look like, once a COVID-19 vaccine is granted FDA authorization. That milestone is expected in the second week of December. Meanwhile, CDC advisers recommend warning Americans about potential side effects they should expect.
Some States Get Serious About Thanksgiving Travelers
Several states and cities are cracking down on the movement of Thanksgiving travelers as a survey shows a lot of people are disregarding warnings about COVID transmission during the holiday.
Super-Spreader Holiday? Thanksgiving COVID Warnings Abound
The White House coronavirus task force is stressing that the new surge in infections can only be minimized through the “significant behavior change of all Americans.”
Deaths Reported In Single Day Climb To Highest Point In Six Months
First it was a surge in infections. Then hospitalizations. And now, as experts warned, deaths due to COVID-19 are rising in the U.S. back to peak-levels of the spring. There were 2,100 COVID deaths on Tuesday.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Note to readers: KHN’s Morning Briefing is off for the rest of the week. Check for it next in your inbox on Nov. 30.
Editorial pages focus on these pandemic topics and other public health issues.
Kremlin Says Until Vaccine Is Certified Safe, Putin Will Wait To Take It
News reports are from Russia, England, Mexico, Serbia and Spain.
When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently asked young adults if they had thought about killing themselves in the past 30 days, 1 of 4 said they had.
Workers Ask Large Retailers To Boost Pay, Safety During Shopping Season
In other news, people again are panic-buying toilet paper, fans are off limits at a South Dakota basketball tournament, recovery groups go online and more.
FDA Approves Drug To Slow Progeria
The drug, Zokinvy, appears to increase the average lifespan of children with the rapid-aging disorder by more than two years.
Hospitals Take Practical Steps To Survive COVID Crisis
At New York City Health and Hospitals, some of the protective measures include equipping patient rooms with cameras and microphones to enable more remote monitoring, purchasing additional ventilators and dialysis machines, establishing hot (COVID) and cold (non-COVID) areas in hospitals and training some existing nurses for ICU work.
People Over 45 Warned About Greater Risk Of STIs
Among those at risk are people entering new relationships, often post-menopause, when they’re less likely to follow safe sex measures because pregnancy is no longer a consideration.
CDC Issues New Guidelines For Contact Tracers; Minnesota Urges App Use
In other news: The Strategic National Stockpile still lacks supplies, Clorox can’t keep up, Sen. Susan Collins lands a hefty testing swab contract for a Maine company, and more.
Study: COVID Largely Spares Kids, Yet Is More Severe In Children Of Color
The study, led by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and published Monday in JAMA Pediatrics, looked at almost 136,000 pediatric patients — only 4% of those tested positive for the virus. Other research news touches on sense of smell, lung capacity and bloodstream infections.
Essential Workers Might Get Vaccine Before High-Risk People, Elderly
Members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a group of outside experts that makes recommendations to the CDC on use of vaccines, met Monday.
Medicaid Expansion Credited For Improved Colon Cancer Care
A study found that patients in the first three stages of colon cancer who were in expansion states were more likely to receive primarily surgical treatment within 30 days than those in non-expansion states.
States Anticipate Biden Will Bolster Health Exchanges, Medicaid
Stateline examines how the incoming Biden administration could deliver increased support and funding for state health care services.
COVID Planning At Top Of Biden’s To-Do List As Transition Officially Starts
With access to funds and federal officials no longer blocked, getting up to speed on the government’s pandemic response and vaccine distributions plans is the top priority for President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team.
Delivery Begins Of Regeneron’s Antibody Treatment After FDA OK
The Trump administration says it will start today distributing the COVID-19 therapy, just approved for emergency use by the FDA. Meanwhile a former FDA chief warns about the virus’ long-term effects.
Texas, Louisiana Can Halt Medicaid Funding To Planned Parenthood, Appeals Court Rules
Reversing a lower court’s ruling, a federal appeals court ruled that the states can cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood clinics. The case is expected to reach the Supreme Court.
