Viewpoints: We Must Engage Anti-Vaccine Rhetoric With Compassion; FDA Cuts Will Increase Drug Prices

Stat: Five Steps To Beating State-Level Anti-Vaccine Bills 
We defeated expanding vaccine exemptions and reducing mandates in North Dakota by sitting down and listening. (Josh Gryniewicz and Sandy Tibke, 5/29)

Stat: Gutting Of FDA’s Generic Drug Policy Office Will Raise Prices 
President Trump often touted during his first term that his administration had “approved more affordable generic drugs than any administration in history.” He had good reason to highlight these accomplishments. Over the first two years of his presidency, the Food and Drug Administration made significant investments in staffing and policies for reviewing and approving generic drugs with an explicit goal: ensuring that once valid patents on expensive branded medications expired, these products would promptly encounter vigorous competition from lower-cost generics. (Scott Gottlieb, 5/28)

The CT Mirror: Now Is Not The Time For Government-Controlled Health Care
After years of feeling like Connecticut was falling behind, our economy finally found the momentum needed to mount a major comeback in recent years. Our state rebounded faster than our peers from the COVID-19 pandemic, with employers across a variety of sectors, including manufacturing, leading the way. (Katie D'Agostino, 5/29)

The Baltimore Sun: How We Can Fix The Nursing Shortage Crisis
The heartwarming commercials paint a picture of nursing as a profession built on compassion, patience, strength and unwavering dedication. But behind the scenes, the reality is far more daunting. Imagine walking into a shift where supplies are scarce, rooms are dirty, trash is overflowing, staffing is minimal and you’re responsible for ensuring the safety and care of 10 patients simultaneously. (Julie Irvine, 5/28)

Stat: Doctors Are Too Fixated On ‘Normal’ Numbers 
A few months ago, Americans went to sleep thinking it was just an ordinary night. But the next morning, 30 million people woke up to a new a diagnosis of hypertension. We had a blood pressure epidemic on our hands. The newspapers were full of front-page stories alerting Americans to this new threat. The most erudite and well-respected physicians implored us all to get checked and treated immediately lest we suffer heart attacks, strokes — even death. Welcome to the world of numerical epidemics. Once we base our definition of disease on numerical abnormalities, we can change the numbers in a way that expands those who have the disease. (Andy Lazris and Alan Roth, 5/29)

Bloomberg: 'Organs-On-A-Chip' Is One Of Many Alternatives To Animal Testing
The new leaders of both the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration have said they plan to reduce their use in federally funded research, continuing an effort started in the Biden administration. (F.D. Flam, 5/28)