Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: FDA Results Create Cyclosporiasis Confusion; State Lines Shouldn't Restrict Medical Care
Bloomberg: Explosive Diarrhea Outbreak Is A Master Class In Miscommunication
Over the weekend, the Food and Drug Administration sent Americans trying to navigate the cyclospora outbreak into a tailspin. A day after Taylor Farms announced a voluntary recall of iceberg lettuce in 27 states — generating one set of alarming headlines — the FDA said that a test linking the company’s lettuce to the parasite had been wrong, leading to seemingly contradictory coverage. (Lisa Jarvis, 7/21)
Los Angeles Times: The Doctor Who Helped Save Her Is In Another State, And Telemedicine Follow-Up Is Prohibited
"Thousands of cases" highlight barriers to interstate telemedicine care. (Steve Lopez, 7/18)
Stat: The Wrong Lessons About Masks And Other Covid Interventions
Covid fatigue is real, but policymakers and policy influencers need to wake up to something important: Post-pandemic polarization threatens to lock our memories into attractive, untrue conclusions that will leave us unprotected next time. (Marc Lipsitch and Sara Cody, 7/21)
Stat: Proposed Grant Review Rule Could Have Unexpected Consequence
The Trump administration is centralizing and politicizing science grantmaking to an unprecedented degree. Most recently, the Office of Management and Budget proposed a rule to require political appointees to review grants and ensure the projects they fund “demonstrably advance the President’s policy priorities” and do not “facilitate” any “initiatives that … promote anti-American values.” If the new rule takes effect, the government will be able to terminate a grant if it no longer “effectuate[s] … the national interest” — in other words, if it’s no longer to the president’s liking. (Doni Bloomfield, 7/21)
The Washington Post: Tylenol Lawsuits Are Asking The Wrong Question About Use In Pregnancy
Science still points to acetaminophen as the safest choice for pain and fever during pregnancy. (Leana S. Wen, 7/21)
