Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
US Troops Restricted To Base After Spreading Omicron In Japan
Bloomberg: U.S. Agrees To Restrict Troops To Base After Japan Outbreaks
The U.S. agreed to limit military personnel’s movements off base in Japan, after regional governors blamed American troops for helping to introduce the omicron variant of Covid. For two weeks starting Monday, U.S. Forces Japan personnel will only be allowed outside military facilities for activities deemed essential, the two sides announced in a statement late Sunday. The U.S. said it had also required mask-wearing for all personnel when outside of their homes and would maintain pre-departure and post-arrival testing requirements. (Reynolds, 1/9)
In more global news about the coronavirus —
The New York Times: Novak Djokovic Can Remain In Australia, Judge Rules
Novak Djokovic, the Serbian tennis star, moved one step closer to competing for his record 21st Grand Slam title after an Australian judge ordered his release from immigration detention on Monday, ending a five-day saga over his refusal to be vaccinated for Covid-19. (Cave and Futterman, 1/9)
The Washington Post: Threat Of Omicron Keeps China Walled Off, As Scientists Search For More-Effective Coronavirus Vaccines
A year ago, Chinese health experts had hoped the country could safely reopen to the world by now, as it attained herd immunity against the coronavirus. China achieved last month the herculean goal of vaccinating more than 80 percent of its 1.4 billion people with two doses. But far from reopening, the country has returned to its harshest controls in two years, as it seeks to contain the highly contagious omicron variant. (Dou and Li, 1/10)
AP: U.K. Gov't Advisers Recommend Against 4th Vaccine Dose
U.K. government advisers have recommended against giving a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine to nursing home residents and people over 80 because data shows that a third shot offers lasting protection against admission to the hospital. For people over 65, protection against hospitalization remains at about 90% three months after the third dose, according to data compiled by the U.K. Health Security Agency. (Kirka, 1/8)
In other news —
The Washington Post: Colombian Woman Dies By Euthanasia After Historic Legal Fight
A 51-year-old Colombian woman died by euthanasia on Saturday after a historic legal battle to exercise the right in this majority-Catholic country. The case of Martha Sepúlveda drew international attention last year when she planned to become the first person in Colombia without a terminal prognosis to die by legally authorized euthanasia. But less than two days before she planned to die in October, a medical committee determined she no longer met the conditions and canceled the procedure. A judge eventually cleared the way for Sepúlveda to move forward. (Schmidt and Duran, 1/8)
Stat: Pharma Donations To Patient Groups In Canada Are Shrouded In Mystery
Donation data reported on websites by drug makers and patient advocacy groups in Canada that receive industry funding is “haphazard, inconsistent and incomplete,” underscoring the difficulties in deciphering the influence these companies may have on patient interests, a new analysis finds. Specifically, information about the value of donations made by drug companies, the years in which contributions were given, and the percent of income the money represented for patient groups was limited. Consequently, donations made and received often could not be matched, according to the analysis in the International Journal of Health Policy and Management. (Silverman, 1/7)
