Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Watch Out For Mosquitoes Carrying EEE; Vaccine Against Fentanyl Offers Hope
The Boston Globe: Don’t Panic Over EEE. But Be Cautious.
The tragic death of New Hampshire resident Steven Perry is raising awareness — and concern — about the dangers of eastern equine encephalitis, a rare mosquito-borne disease. Perry was a healthy 41-year-old who worked as the director of a nursing agency and loved Boston sports, according to his family. He contracted EEE, was hospitalized, and died within a week, relatives told the Globe. (9/4)
Dallas Morning News: Will A Fentanyl Vaccine Turn The Tide In The War Against Opioids?
As law enforcement officials wage war against the fentanyl trade, we are encouraged by an announcement from Texas scientists that they are developing a vaccine against the opioid. Researchers at the University of Houston said a fentanyl vaccine they created will start clinical trials next year. (9/5)
Chicago Tribune: We Must Give Students A Mental Health Lifeline
The reality is stark: Youth suicide rates have risen steadily over the last 15 years and are currently the second leading cause of death for children ages 10 to 14 and the third for those ages 15 to 24. These statistics are more than just numbers — they’re deeply personal to me. (Alison Malmon, 9/5)
Stat: Anti-Fluoridation Activists Are Wrong About This New Study
Fluoride is having a rough day in the court of public opinion. The National Toxicology Program (NTP), part of the Department of Health and Human Services, has released a comprehensive study titled “Monograph on the State of Science Concerning Fluoride Exposure and Neurodevelopment and Cognition,” and longtime fluoride foes argue that it includes a supposed bombshell finding: It linked high levels of fluoride with lower IQs in children. (Jess Steier, 9/5)
Mountain Times: Celebrating 60 Years Of The Food Stamp Act: Why SNAP Must Be Protected For Future Generations
Instead of a reauthorization, Congress passed a one-year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill, which ensured that funding for SNAP and other federal nutrition programs would not lapse. This year, the House and Senate agriculture committees finally took up the Farm Bill, resulting in two dangerously different visions for the future of food security and agriculture policies. (Ivy Enoch, 9/4)
