Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Life Before The Measles Vaccine; Cruise Ship Outbreak Proves We Learned Nothing From Covid
The Atlantic: I Remember America Before The Measles Vaccine
I myself was blessed with exceptionally good health, but my friends, family, and community were regularly struck with childhood diseases. (Fran Moreland Johns, 5/11)
The Boston Globe: The System Didn't Catch The Hantavirus Threat. Biology Saved Us.
The cruise ship outbreak reveals how vulnerable the United States remains to infectious diseases despite lessons from COVID. (Nikki Romanik and Ashish Jha, 5/11)
The New York Times: We’re Thinking About Mental Health Diagnoses All Wrong
Neither genetics nor brain scans can distinguish a person with depression, A.D.H.D. or autism from one without. (Awais Aftab, 5/11)
The Boston Globe: The Mental Health System Needs More Money — But From Where?
With low reimbursements, too few providers accept insurance. (5/11)
Stat: U.S. Biotech Companies Are Growing Too Dependent On China
In early 2025, biotech experienced a “DeepSeek moment” when biotech and pharma leaders alike realized how quickly China was gaining ground with innovation, speed of drug development, and share of licensing deals. In 2020, global pharmaceutical companies spent about $9 billion on licensed drug assets from China. In 2025, that number shot to more than $137 billion. (Olivia Kosloff, 5/12)
