Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Is Chemo Always Essential In Treating Cancer?; Florida Is Fumbling The Measles Outbreak
USA Today: Is Chemo Necessary? Cancer Patients Need To Consider Quality Of Life
Chemotherapy has long been a cornerstone of treatment when it comes to fighting cancer. Although it has proven efficacy in fighting the disease, its toll on patients both mentally and physically remains profound. While the physical effects of treatment often subside, the mental strain can persist long after. (Dr. Robert Den, 3/21)
Scientific American: Florida’s Surgeon General Shows The Danger Of Politicizing Medicine
As a measles outbreak tears though Florida, the state’s surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, is openly rejecting long-proven public health practices. He is not urging vaccination against this preventable, highly contagious, dangerous disease, and he advises parents to decide whether to keep unvaccinated kids at home. This is just the latest episode in a COVID-era pattern of peddling medical misinformation and unevidenced positions. (David Robert Grimes, /19)
The Washington Post: Congress Should Remember The Baby Formula Crisis And Pass This Bill
More than two years after safety concerns at a major infant formula manufacturing plant sparked a nationwide shortage, two Democratic lawmakers are introducing a bill aimed at creating a more competitive, stable market for this essential product. (Alyssa Rosenberg, 3/20)
USA Today: IVF Limits And Abortion Bans Hinder My Chances To Be A Mother
Right now in Iowa, abortion is legal until about 20 weeks with very limited exceptions, including not just the life but also the health of the mother. If the six-week abortion ban being considered again by the Iowa Supreme Court goes into effect, I'm not sure what we're going to do. (Sarah Fleming, 3/21)
The New York Times: Oprah, Ozempic And Us
From the special’s outset, Oprah made the story about GLP-1 receptor agonists — Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro — a retelling of her own struggle with weight. Of course the public noticed last year when a remarkably thin Oprah emerged on red carpets. There was rampant speculation that she was on Ozempic. While Oprah never names which brand of GLP-1 she is taking, she confirmed again in this show that she is on a weight-loss drug. (Tressie McMillan Cottom, 3/20)
