Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Puerto Rico Mandates Boosters For All Students Over 12
Axios: Puerto Rico Expands Booster Shot Requirements
Puerto Rico will require booster shots for all public school students over the age of 12, as well as people working in entertainment and tourism, Gov. Pedro Pierluisi announced in a series of tweets Thursday. Puerto Rico is facing a surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the Omicron variant. While the island had a positivity rate below 5% at the end of 2021, it has spiked to 36% in the new year, AP reported. (Saric, 1/13)
Meanwhile, in news from overseas --
Bloomberg: Africa's Weekly Covid Vaccinations Need To Rise Sixfold, WHO Says
The number of Africans being inoculated against Covid-19 needs to climb to 34 million people a week, from 6 million currently, if the least vaccinated continent is to reach the World Health Organization’s target of 70% of its people fully covered by mid-year. While vaccine supplies to the continent have improved recently, slow rollouts are hindering efforts to reach this goal, Alain Poy, head of the WHO’s vaccine preventable disease program in Africa said in a briefing Thursday. The organization has prepared teams to aid countries that are struggling to get shots in arms, he said. (Kew and Bonorchis, 1/13)
The New York Times: Australia’s Immigration Minister Revoked Djokovic’s Visa On ‘Health And Good Order’ Grounds
Novak Djokovic, the Serbian tennis star, had his visa revoked for a second time by the Australian authorities on Friday, the latest dizzying volley in a drawn-out drama over his refusal to be vaccinated for Covid-19. (Cave, Clarey and Zhuang, 1/14)
CBS News/AFP: Judge Halts Father's Visitation Rights With Child For His Refusal Of COVID-19 Vaccine
A Canadian father, unvaccinated against COVID-19 and "opposed to health measures," lost the right to visit his 12-year-old child after a Quebec judge ruled his visits would not be in the child's "best interest." The decision, initially reported by Quebec newspaper Le Devoir and consulted by AFP, was rendered on December 23 and suspends the father's visitation rights until February, unless he decides to get vaccinated. (1/13)
Bloomberg: China’s Bid To Punish Hospitals Over Covid Prompts New Confusion
Residents of a Chinese city locked down for three weeks are voicing concern about health risks after two hospitals were closed because their strict enforcement of virus rules led to patient deaths. Guo Shuzhong, a doctor at Xi’an International Medical Center Hospital, wrote Thursday on his verified Weibo account that he’d “never felt so anxious” because 117 patients -- mostly children -- had ear surgery delayed. That raised the risk of infection that could lead to permanent damage, he said. (1/14)
In other global news —
Stat: FDA Warns Chinese Manufacturer For Problems With Eye Drops
When it comes to making eye drops, one Chinese manufacturer failed to clearly see the rules for sterile manufacturing, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Hubei Kangzheng was admonished by the regulator for a host of production lapses that could have led to microbial contamination in its Pi Yen Chin drops, according to a Nov. 23, 2021, warning letter that was posted on the agency web site this week. A key issue was that the company also made non-sterile nasal drops and wrongfully believed its manufacturing standards did not need to comply with procedures for sterile ophthalmic drops, which are sold over-the-counter. The FDA referred to this argument as a “misguided notion.” (Silverman, 1/13)
USA Today: Doctor Who Branded His Initials On Livers Loses Ability To Practice
Dr. Simon Bramhall, a British surgeon who branded his initials on patients' livers, has been struck off the medical register as of Monday, according to a report by BBC News. According to the U.K. General Medical Council, that means he can no longer work as a doctor in the U.K. The branding occurred in February and August of 2013, and Bramhall received two convictions for common assault in December 2017, according to records from the Medical Practitioners Tribunal. (Shen, 1/12)
