Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: GLP-1's Can Tackle Much More Than Obesity; H5N1 Doesn't Have To Turn Into The Next Covid
Bloomberg: Wegovy Should Be Treating More Than Obesity
A new analysis found that the profound benefits of Novo Nordisk’s obesity drug Wegovy for people at risk of heart attacks or strokes don’t depend on the number of the scale—cardiovascular health improves whether people lose a lot or even very little weight. (Lisa Jarvis, 5/17)
Stat: Bird Flu: Don't Repeat Covid's 'Health Versus The Economy' Framing
The Biden administration announced new programs on May 10 to incentivize dairy farmers and workers to collaborate with public health efforts to investigate and mitigate the H5N1 avian influenza outbreak among dairy cattle. Farmers and agriculture officials have called such testing “overreach,” telling public health officials to “back off.” But the Biden administration’s new programs are a first step toward creating trust and collaboration between public health and industry. (Celine Gounder, 5/17)
The New York Times: Is There A Constitutional Right To Talk About Abortion?
Federal District Courts in Indiana and Alabama both ruled this month that while states in the wake of Roe v. Wade’s demise can ban abortion, they cannot make it illegal to give abortion-related advice, including advice to minors seeking abortions without parental consent. (Linda Greenhouse, 5/17)
Stat: Helping Hospitals And Community Health Centers Plan For Resilience
Extreme weather fueled by accelerating climate change puts patients, providers, and health care facilities at severe risk, jeopardizing lives. Unpredictable shifts in weather patterns are creating new regional extremes, and communities have to adjust to survive. (Marquisha Johns, 5/17)
