Scarcity Of Covid Shots For Young Kids In Florida Blamed On DeSantis
People are complaining it's hard to find vaccines for children under 5 in Florida, and anecdotally the governor is blamed, the Washington Post says. Meanwhile, although the giant convention Comic-Con is returning to San Diego for the first time since covid began, masks are required.
The Washington Post:
Kids’ Coronavirus Vaccines Are Hard To Find In Fla. Many Blame DeSantis
“We heard that [the vaccine] was coming, and we were super excited. We saw a chance for some normalcy,” said Tampa mom Ashley Comegys, whose 1-year-old and 4-year-old sons are on a waitlist for the vaccines at their pediatrician’s office, which is likely to take about three weeks. But even that timing is uncertain. After nearly a month, more retail outlets around the state began to offer the vaccines this past week, but many parents who want their child’s doctor to give the shot have long waits ahead. (Rozsa, 7/17)
The New York Times:
Comic-Con International Returns To San Diego With A Mask Mandate
Comic-Con International, which considers itself the oldest pop-culture convention in the world, is returning to San Diego for its first major in-person event since before the coronavirus pandemic began, and masks will be mandatory. (Albeck-Ripka, 7/15)
In other, non-covid news from across the states —
Newsweek:
Doctor Ordering 'Unnecessary Brain Scans' Received Kickbacks: Officials
A doctor from Connecticut pleaded guilty to ordering hundreds of "unnecessary brain scans" in order to receive kickbacks in federal court on July 14. According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in the District of Massachusetts, the doctor, Donald Salzberg, 67, appeared before U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock and plead guilty to "one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to receive kickbacks." (Impelli, 7/15)
Dallas Morning News:
Dallas-Fort Worth To Start Week Off Under Excessive-Heat Warning
The Dallas-Fort Worth area will be under an excessive heat warning Sunday and Monday, the National Weather Services in Fort Worth said Saturday. Temperatures are expected to climb to 105 to 108 degrees in counties where the warning is issued. (Jones, 7/16)
Stateline:
More States May Legalize Psychedelic Mushrooms
Alex Jones says a trip in Jamaica saved her life. Not a trip to Jamaica: a hallucinogenic trip in Jamaica. (Ollove, 7/15)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Missouri’s Top Mental Health Official Balked At New Homeless Law. The Governor Signed It Anyway.
Gov. Mike Parson ignored the concerns of one of his cabinet members about a new law targeting Missouri’s homeless population. (Erickson, 7/16)
New Hampshire Public Radio:
N.H. Is Changing How It Handles Mental Health Emergencies
Those gaps in New Hampshire's mental health system have also led many hospital emergency rooms to serve as the first line of treatment for people who end up waiting days or weeks for more appropriate care. At the start of this year, though, New Hampshire began to radically reshape how it handles these kinds of emergency calls — with the goal of making it easier for people in crisis to get the help they need. (Fam, 7/15)
Carolina Public Press:
Sexual Assault Nurse Training Program May Get Boost From Budget
The state’s nearly $28 billion budget for the new fiscal year includes $1.5 million to boost Fayetteville State University’s fledgling training program for sexual assault nurse examiners, or SANE nurses. (Martin, 7/17)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Wisconsin Dentist Who Broke Patients' Teeth Sentenced To Prison
A Grafton dentist who intentionally damaged patients' teeth to aid a fraud scheme was sentenced Friday to four-and-a-half years in prison. (Byron, 7/15)
