Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
The Guardian: How Can RFK Jr ‘Make America Healthy Again’? He Is Ignoring The Two Biggest Killers Of American Children
"Make America healthy again”. We can all get behind this slogan and agree that much more could be done to improve the health of people living in the US. Robert F Kennedy Jr, the US health and human services secretary, recently released a report detailing the challenge of the US’s health. About 90% of it outlines the high rates of obesity, mental health issues and chronic disease, 10% covers vaccine skepticism, and 0% looks at solutions or any discussions of the systemic social and economic issues that drive much of the US’s health problems. (Devi Sridhar, 6/24)
Stat: How We Know Kids Don’t Get Too Many Vaccines Too Soon
In 1986, a typical child was recommended to receive 11 vaccine doses — seven injections and four oral. Today, that number has risen to 50 to 54 doses by age 18, depending on whether one or two flu shots are given in the first eligible year, and on a few product- and age-specific factors that determine whether a child receives two or three HPV doses, three or four Hib doses, or two or three rotavirus doses. That’s a substantial increase in the number of shots, which is why some are alarmed by the idea of “too many, too soon.” But the science should offer worried parents a great deal of comfort. (Jake Scott, 6/24)
Chicago Tribune: What Do We Have A Right To Know Regarding President's Health?
There has been a lot of brouhaha in the news media and on social media about the alleged cover-up of former President Joe Biden’s health status, with a emphasis on his cognitive frailties and performance. (Dr. Anand Kumar, 6/23)
Stat: Senate Version Of Big Beautiful Bill Threatens Safety-Net Hospitals
We appreciate President Trump’s steadfast commitment to protecting Medicare and Medicaid and his leadership in standing with America’s working families, seniors, and veterans. As leaders of urban health systems that serve our nation’s most vulnerable — low-income workers, children, and the elderly — we are writing with both deep appreciation and growing concern to urge that the president and Congress protect the safety-net hospitals that provide essential care to the Americans who need it most. (Esmaeil Porsa and Christine Alexander, 6/23)
Stat: U.S. May Lose Measles Elimination Status This Year
With each week’s Centers for Disease Control update of measles case numbers, the United States creeps closer to a grim, now seemingly inevitable milestone. Driven by a months-long, multistate outbreak centered in West Texas, this year’s total — now more than 1,200 cases, including three deaths — will soon be the highest in more than 30 years. We will have surpassed even the banner year of 2019, when measles dominated the news, strained public health systems, and prompted emergency declarations and school closures — a prelude to Covid. (Adam Ratner, 6/24)
