Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Prior Myocarditis Not A Problem For Pfizer Covid Shot: Study
NBC News: Pfizer's Covid Vaccine Safe In People With Prior Myocarditis, Study Says
The Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine appears to be safe in people previously diagnosed with myocarditis, according to a small study presented Thursday at a European medical conference. The findings, experts say, should help reassure people who previously experienced myocarditis that Covid vaccination is safe. (Lovelace Jr., 3/17)
More on the vaccine rollout —
AP: NH To Close State-Managed COVID-19 Vaccination Sites
New Hampshire is going to close its state-managed COVID-19 vaccination sites and demobilize most of its mobile vaccination teams on March 31. “The effort over the last one and a half years to get our residents vaccinated has been an immense success,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in a statement Wednesday. (3/16)
Philadelphia Inquirer: In Third Gaffe Of The Pandemic, Philly Health Department Says Its Own Mistake Led To Inflated Kids' COVID Vaccine Rate
Philadelphia’s child vaccination rates were wrongly inflated for weeks because the city’s health department counted thousands of vaccinated children twice, the city’s health commissioner said. The Philadelphia Department of Public Health was wrong last week, Health Commissioner Cheryl Bettigole said Tuesday, when it blamed the error on merging data from Pennsylvania’s health department into its own records. It is the latest in a series of embarrassing gaffes plaguing the department since the start of the pandemic two years ago. (Laughlin, 3/16)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin's Black COVID Vaccine Rate Just Barely Trails The U.S.
In a country where roughly 17 million Black Americans — 41% of the Black population — are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, Wisconsin's Black vaccine rate slightly trails the U.S. A high-ranking Black health official with the state’s health department hasn’t given up hope. Jasmine Zapata grew up in Milwaukee, in the 53224 ZIP code, to be exact. In her nine years working in the medical field, she's seen how a variety of factors, including misinformation and historical factors, can breed apathy in the Black community when it comes to health care. (Bentley, 3/16)
Axios: The Coronavirus Vaccine Booster Debate Is Back In The U.S.
Pfizer says that at least some Americans will soon need a fourth shot of its coronavirus vaccine. The problem is that, if true, that may raise questions about the utility of the vaccine in the long run. Regulators want to see more data before they're convinced another booster is necessary. If the data does show the third shot's ability to ward off severe disease drops after a few months, that may suggest Americans need a better booster. (Owens, 3/17)
KHN: Covid’s ‘Silver Lining’: Research Breakthroughs For Chronic Disease, Cancer, And The Common Flu
The billions of dollars invested in covid vaccines and covid-19 research so far are expected to yield medical and scientific dividends for decades, helping doctors battle influenza, cancer, cystic fibrosis, and far more diseases. “This is just the start,” said Dr. Judith James, vice president of clinical affairs for the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. “We won’t see these dividends in their full glory for years.” (Szabo, 3/17)
