Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Supreme Court Should Not Undermine FDA Medication Approval; How Covid Shots Affected Menstruation
The Washington Post: The Supreme Court Should Be Wary Of Revoking An Abortion Medication
The Supreme Court on Wednesday is expected to decide whether to grant a stay of a lower-court ruling that would revoke approval for the abortion medication mifepristone. If it fails to do so, it would betray not only decades of science supporting the safety of the drug but also the broader authority of the Food and Drug Administration. (Leana S. Wen, 4/18)
The Washington Post: Why Reports Of Period Weirdness After Covid Shots Were Ignored
One day in early 2021, Katie Lee, a former student of mine who is now a professor at Tulane University, sent a message asking if I’d heard anything about heavier or breakthrough bleeding with the coronavirus vaccines. I hadn’t, and put her message out of my mind. Two weeks later, I received my first dose, and soon afterward I got my period. I bled so heavily that I was swapping out overnight-strength pads every hour. (Kate Clancy, 4/18)
The New York Times: When TikTok Says You’re Autistic
Few, if any, psychologists would say that a preference for natural lighting, doodling in class, or even identifying as L.G.B.T.Q. is a sign of A.D.H.D. or autism. (Emma Camp, 4/19)
New England Journal of Medicine: The Dobbs Decision — Exacerbating U.S. Health Inequity
n June 24, 2022, reproductive health care in the United States was dealt a major blow when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision and removed federal protection for abortion. Now states have the power to ban abortion outright, which will increase inequities that already plague the health care system and our society. (S. Marie Harvey, Dr.P.H., Annie E. Larson, Ph.D, M.P.H., and Jocelyn T. Warren, Ph.D., M.P.H, 4/15)
New England Journal of Medicine: Breast Or Bottle — The Illusion Of Choice
The question was always posed to me in a hurried manner, an item on a long checklist that the obstetrician, labor and delivery nurse, and pediatrician all needed to get through: “Will you breast or bottle feed?” (Amy J. Kennedy, M.D., 4/15)
New England Journal of Medicine: Mainstreaming Wastewater Surveillance For Infectious Disease
During the Covid-19 pandemic, valuable intelligence on trends in the infection rates, variants, and distribution of SARS-CoV-2 in the United States was obtained from the humblest of assets: the country’s sewage. Analyzing fragments of viral RNA shed into sewers, organizations including universities and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) used wastewater to understand disease dynamics. This information became especially important as new variants emerged and use of home antigen testing exacerbated the reporting bias present in traditional testing systems. (Michelle M. Mello, J.D., Ph.D., John S. Meschke, J.D., Ph.D., and Guy H. Palmer, D.V.M., Ph.D., 4/15)
