Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
In Vaccine Mandate Vs. Religious Freedom Case, High Court Rejects Mom's Plea For Exemption
The Washington Post: Supreme Court Declines Catholic Mother’s Bid For Son’s Vaccine Exemption In N.Y.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday denied a New York woman’s bid to send her son to kindergarten without receiving state-required vaccines, in a case that highlights the limits of the court’s push to expand religious rights. In a one-line order, the high court effectively sided with state and local officials, who argued that a religious exemption would undermine their attempts to prevent the spread of disease among children and the general public. (Mark, 9/8)
The 19th: Health Misinformation Could Bring New Risks For Families Going Back To School
All summer, Dr. Marvia Jones worried over the data. Jones, director of the Kansas City Health Department in Missouri, read reports showing that not enough public school students were up-to-date with their vaccinations in time for back to school. She knew kids risked being sent home when classes resumed in late August — a scenario that would disrupt not just their learning but create a logistical nightmare for working families. (Rodriguez, 9/8)
More on vaccines and covid —
CIDRAP: Mom’s Tdap Vaccination Doesn’t Affect Baby’s Growth, Analysis Finds
Babies grow at the same rate regardless of whether their pregnant or breastfeeding mom gets the tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) vaccine, according to new research published this week in the journal Vaccine. The findings, which analyzed 42,758 electronic health records, are reassuring, write the authors, as they provide real-world evidence that maternal Tdap vaccination is safe for babies. The authors say the results can help parents decide whether to get a vaccine that protects against three potentially deadly bacterial infections. (Boden, 9/8)
CIDRAP: Some Adult Vaccines Are Linked To Lower Dementia Risk. Can They Promote Brain Health?
About seven years ago, Paul Schultz, MD, a professor and neurologist at UTHealth Houston, met with the biomedical informatics team he regularly collaborates with as they investigate risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease. Someone made a comment that piqued his interest. “My colleagues who were looking through the databases said, ‘Hey, we found a signal that the influenza vaccine seems to be associated with less Alzheimer’s. Is that something you know already?’” Schultz told CIDRAP News. “I was like, ‘Oh my God; that’s totally unexpected.’” (Holohan, 9/8)
CIDRAP: Lingering Respiratory Virus Symptoms Aren’t Limited To COVID, New Review Shows
For many people who contract COVID-19, the initial infection comes with a set of worrisome symptoms, from muscle aches and fatigue to trouble breathing—and for a subset of those people, symptoms persist beyond the acute infection phase. Long COVID has become a well-known post-viral condition that can take a significant toll on health and quality of life. But SARS-CoV-2 isn’t the only virus that can have lingering aftereffects. Other respiratory viral infections (RVIs), which affect millions of people every year, can trigger persistent physical, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms. (Bergeson, 9/8)
The latest on the Ebola outbreak in Africa —
NBC News: Ebola Outbreak Outpaces Containment Despite Influx Of Money And Supplies
Personal protective equipment is no longer in short supply. Humanitarian funding has poured in. New health centers are up and running, and vaccine trials are underway. Yet in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ebola continues to outpace all efforts to contain it, and the deaths keep mounting. (Bendix and Williams, 9/8)
Bloomberg: IMF Weighs Pandemic Preparedness Reforms For Congo As Ebola Outbreak Spreads
The International Monetary Fund is considering making pandemic preparedness reforms part of its financing program for the Democratic Republic of Congo, as the country’s worsening Ebola epidemic exposes weaknesses in how it funds and responds to health emergencies. Congo is working with the World Health Organization and World Bank on measures that could be incorporated into the IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability Facility at a future review, according to a report it released Tuesday. Discussions have focused on developing a strategy for financing pandemic prevention and response. (Gale, 9/9)
In other public health threats —
CIDRAP: Bacteria In Classroom Dust May Contribute To Slightly Lower Lung Function In Kids
A new study underscores the importance of indoor air quality at schools, with the suggestion that children exposed to classroom dust with higher levels of two common bacterial pathogens have slightly impaired lung function. (Van Beusekom, 9/8)
The Hill: Drug-Resistant Ringworm Cases Triple As Fungus Spreads Globally: CDC
A skin fungus that causes ringworm and does not respond to standard treatment is spreading to more countries each year, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Ringworm is a common fungal infection that causes an itchy, scaly, circular rash on the skin. The fungi that cause ringworm can also lead to infections such as athlete’s foot. It spreads through skin-to-skin contact and through contaminated items such as towels, clothing, bedding and hairbrushes. (Fischels, 9/8)
