Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: No One Is Left To Protect The US From Biothreats; 'Alternative Facts' Are Destroying Public Health
The Atlantic: No One In The White House Knows How To Stop Ebola
As of last month, there is no one left in the White House whose sole job is to keep the nation safe from biological threats. The leader of the National Security Council’s biosecurity directorate recently resigned. His staff had been pushed out, and his unit is now defunct. The Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy, established by Congress in 2022, has dwindled from a staff of about 20 under President Joe Biden to a staff of zero. (Beth Cameron, Jon Finer, and Stephanie Psaki, 8/11)
Bloomberg: 'Alternative Facts' Aren't A Reason To Skip Vaccines
Trump’s health officials have been endorsing alternative facts in science to impose policies that contradict modern medical knowledge. (Elisabeth Rosenthal, 8/11)
The New York Times: A Dangerous Escalation Of The Science Wars
Covid vaccination has become tribal. On social media, one far-right American political activist claimed the Covid vaccines have “killed many, many people” and predicted more deaths to come. Pro-vaccine commenters have mocked and insulted vaccine-skeptical people, reinforcing the perception that the vaccine debate is as much about identity and status as it is about evidence or health. (Céline Gounder, 8/11)
Stat: How To Fix The Crisis In Community Pharmacy
Earlier this year, the second largest independent pharmacy chain in America, Rite-Aid, filed for bankruptcy. While many were caught off guard, I wasn’t. After 30 years in community pharmacy, I saw this coming. Financial pressure has been building for years. Burnout among pharmacists exploded during the pandemic. Now, access to care is deteriorating before our eyes. (Rick Gates, 8/12)
Stat: Randomized Controlled Trials Should Include Pregnant Women
“Well, we don’t have as much evidence as we would like on steroid use during pregnancy,” the obstetrician warned my co-author, Natalia Emanuel, as she wrote a prescription for inhaled corticosteroids to help treat a respiratory illness that was causing chronic shortness of breath. “But having difficulty breathing isn’t good for your baby either. It’s really up to you: You decide whether you feel you need the inhaler.” (Alyssa Bilinski, 8/12)
The New York Times: The Male Fertility Crisis Is Environmental
Mounting evidence suggests that exposure to so-called endocrine-disrupting chemicals present in many products, from food and beverage containers to furniture and agricultural pesticides, may affect male potency from the very beginning of life. (Jessica Grose, 8/12)
