Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: CDC Nominee's Confirmation Hearing Inspired Little Confidence; Weed Might Be Legal Where You Live, But It Doesn't Mean It's Safe
The Washington Post: Erica Schwartz's Confirmation Hearing Shows Her Impossible Task At CDC
Erica Schwartz, the nominee to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was asked on Wednesday whether she supports the Trump administration’s cancellation of mRNA vaccine research. “This is the first time I’m actually hearing about this,” she said. “As a private citizen, I certainly was not following that.” (7/16)
The CT Mirror: Legal Weed Doesn't Mean Harmless
As cannabis has become more widely available and socially accepted, many adolescents and their parents view it as relatively harmless. In fact, high schoolers in 2024 perceived regular cannabis use as less risky than high schoolers in the year 2000. But how harmless is it? (Annina Beus, MD, 7/15)
Kansas City Star: Hegseth Touts Testosterone To Fix Our Girly-Men In Uniform
It wasn’t that long ago, 2020 in fact, that eight Sedgwick County Jail employees were suspended for trafficking testosterone supplements and steroids among themselves, to get that muscular “swole” look to impress the guys they guarded. It turns out their mistake wasn’t the drug ring, it was their choice of career. (Dion Lefler, 7/16)
Stat: MAHA’S Mental Health Rhetoric Masks An Alarming Agenda
At a May MAHA Institute summit organized around the theme of “overmedicalization,” the health secretary announced an action plan to promote psychiatric deprescribing. At first look, it seemed innocuous. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) would study prescribing trends and publish fact sheets. Medicare would clarify how clinicians can be paid for the attentive work of tapering a patient off of a medication (which is already a part of routine clinical care). Webinars would teach prevention and “holistic” care. A technical expert panel would convene over the summer to make further recommendations. (Sunny Patel, 7/17)
The Washington Post: The Hantavirus Cruise Ship Outbreak Has Ended. Here Are 5 Lessons.
The World Health Organization declared this month that the cruise ship hantavirus outbreak has ended. That closes a three-month international saga that left scores of people stranded aboard the ship for weeks and spawned a complex multinational effort to repatriate the passengers, including one of the largest quarantine operations in recent memory. In total, 13 people became ill and three died. Looking back, here are five important lessons for health officials, clinicians and the public. (Leana S. Wen, 7/16)
