Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
RFK Jr. Broadening Reach Of His MAHA Message With A Health Policy Podcast
AP: RFK Jr. Is Launching His Own Health Podcast
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is launching a new podcast that he says will begin “a new era of radical transparency in government,” according to a teaser video first obtained by The Associated Press. The show, titled “The Secretary Kennedy Podcast,” will launch next week and feature Kennedy, a longtime anti-vaccine crusader who has reshaped the country’s health policy, in conversation with doctors, scientists and agency staff, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services officials told the AP ahead of the launch. (Swenson, 4/8)
In related news about vaccine skepticism —
The Washington Post: CDC Delays Report Showing Covid Vaccine Benefits, Scientists Say
The acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has delayed publication of a CDC report showing the covid-19 vaccine cut the likelihood of emergency department visits and hospitalizations for healthy adults last winter by about half, according to two scientists familiar with the decision. The scientists spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. The move has raised concerns among current and former officials that information about the vaccine’s benefits are being downplayed because they conflict with the views of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been an outspoken critic of the shots. (Sun, 4/9)
On vaccines for yellow fever and hookworm —
MedPage Today: Next-Gen Yellow Fever Vaccine Hits The Mark In Mid-Stage Trial
An investigational yellow fever vaccine (vYF) that could help avoid shortages matched the immunogenicity and safety profile of the FDA-approved shot (YF-VAX), according to a phase II trial. (Rudd, 4/8)
CIDRAP: Watch Out, Hookworms: An Effective Vaccine Might Be On The Horizon
Promising results from an experimental hookworm vaccine trial offer hope for the more than 400 million who contract the parasitic infection every year. (Boden, 4/8)
More health threats —
CIDRAP: South Carolina Sees No New Measles Activity As Utah Becomes Epicenter Of US Outbreaks
Yesterday the South Carolina Department of Public Health once again reported no new measles cases, as the state marches toward an official end of the largest US measles outbreak in recent history with 997 cases. (Soucheray, 4/8)
Modern Healthcare: Epic Systems Launches Health Alerts To Track Conditions
Epic Systems’ research division has launched a monitoring system to track health conditions by county across the U.S. Health Alerts will publish website and email alerts when a higher-than-usual rate of an illness is diagnosed in a county, the electronic health record vendor team said Wednesday. (DeSilva, 4/8)
The Hill: Respiratory Viruses Lingering Longer Than Usual This Year
While spring has officially begun, concerns about respiratory viruses are lingering longer than usual, with cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cropping up later than expected and a new COVID-19 variant spreading across much of the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a recent update that RSV had started later than expected throughout most of the U.S. (Choi, 4/8)
