Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Thank Anti-Vaxxers For Polio Reemergence; Why Are So Few Missourians Vaccinated Against Covid?
Houston Chronicle: America Banished Polio. Anti-Vaxxers Brought It Back
In the San Diego suburb of La Jolla, on the edge of a high coastal bluff overlooking the Pacific, two mirror-image rectangular buildings frame a spectacular view of the sky and the endless sea. In the courtyard between the stark, concrete buildings, a narrow “river of life” streams toward the edge of infinity. Designed by legendary architect Louis Kahn, the buildings are the public face of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, founded in 1960 by the pioneering scientist and medical researcher who developed a vaccine to conquer one of the most lethal of epidemic diseases, paralytic poliomyelitis. (9/4)
Kansas City Star: Missouri Has One Of The Lowest COVID Vaccination Rates. Get Booster Shot, Kansas City
On Wednesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized two new COVID-19 boosters, available as early as this week. With children back in school, workers back on site and a broad loosening of pandemic protections everywhere, those who can get the vaccines should. (9/6)
Modern Healthcare: Caring For The Nurses Of Tomorrow-And Today
It’s September, and that means around the country, schools are welcoming first-year nursing students and greeting those who have returned. Most of us probably know someone headed down this career path. (Mary Ellen Podmolik, 9/6)
Newsweek: Our Health Care System Is Facing Massive Staffing Shortages. A Crisis Is Looming
My home state of Florida, like many other states across the country, is facing a monumental workplace issue in one of our most important industries: health care. As a registered nurse working in a Miami hospital for 10 years, including the last three on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, I know that my field is much more than an economic sector; it's a core system to protect the well-being of our society. (Rublas Ruiz, 9/1)
The Star Tribune: Congress Should Protect Access To Home Health Care
Throughout the pandemic, Minnesota's home health care agencies and clinicians have had to navigate a series of setbacks and challenges that have made it more difficult to meet the increased demand for in-home care. Those challenges, including rising labor and still-high fuel costs, as well as record inflation, have worsened an already notable workforce crisis within the home health community, leaving an increasing number of at-risk patients without care. (Kathy Messerli, 9/5)
Stat: Open Access To Research Can Close Gaps For People With Disabilities
In a long-overdue move, the federal Office of Science and Technology Policy has issued guidance on making federally supported research and publications available to all without delay or embargo. This remarkable announcement about open access has the potential to remove information barriers that have long held back social and scientific progress. (Bonnielin Swenor and JR Rizzo, 9/6)
Dallas Morning News: After My Wife Died, She Continued To Help Others Through Organ Donation
More than 10,000 Texans — including many here in Dallas — are waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant, more than half of which are from multicultural communities. According to the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network, a quarter of people waiting are Black, and 43% are Latino. While, statistically, people of color are more likely to need a transplant, they’re also less likely to register as organ donors. (Alfonso Solis, 9/6)
