ABC News: Biden Administration To Begin Rolling Out Booster Shots The Week Of Sept. 20
The Biden administration is prepared to begin rolling out booster shots for many Americans the week of Sept. 20, the nation's top health officials announced Wednesday, citing data that show the effectiveness of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines against COVID-19 diminishes over time. "Having reviewed the most current data, it is now our clinical judgment that the time to lay out a plan for COVID-19 boosters is now," U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said at a White House briefing. (Flaherty, Haslett and Salzman, 8/18)

NPR: COVID-19 Booster Shots Will Roll Out In September In The U.S.
COVID-19 booster shots of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are set to become available for all U.S. adults beginning next month, the country's top health officials announced Wednesday. "We know that even highly effective vaccines become less effective over time," Dr. Vivek Murthy, the surgeon general, said at a White House briefing. "It is now our clinical judgment that the time to lay out a plan for COVID boosters is now." He added, "This includes our most vulnerable populations, like our health care providers, nursing home residents and other seniors. We will also begin delivering booster shots directly to residents of long-term care facilities." (Neuman, 8/18)

CNBC: Biden Administration’s Booster Shot Guidance ‘Prudent Thing To Do To Stay Ahead Of This Virus,’ Says U.S. Surgeon General
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy told CNBC that the Biden administration is recommending Covid booster shots for most vaccinated Americans beginning on Sept. 20 in order to stay ahead of the virus. “We put our heads together, the top public health and medical officials in the Department of Health and Human Services, and came to the judgement that starting booster shots at that eight month mark would be the prudent thing to do to stay ahead of this virus, and make sure people have and continue to have the protection from the vaccines that they’ve had over the last few months,” said Murthy. (DeCiccio, 8/18)

What if you got the Johnson & Johnson shot? —

Axios: WH Tells Americans With J&J Told To Sit Tight Regarding Boosters 
The 14 million people who received a Johnson & Johnson shot are going to have to wait a few more weeks for answers on boosters due to lack of data, federal health officials said Wednesday. The CDC currently advises people to stay with the shot they had initially. The effects of mixing doses are still unclear, but "it is anticipated that vaccine boosters will likely be needed," the White House tweeted. (Fernandez, 8/19)

The New York Times: What To Know About Boosters If You Got The Johnson & Johnson Vaccine 
“For people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, we anticipate vaccine boosters will likely be needed,” Dr. Vivek Murthy, the surgeon general, said at a White House news briefing on Wednesday. He added: “We expect more data on J.&J. in the coming weeks. With those data in hand, we will keep the public informed of a timely plan for J.&J. booster shots.” (Anthes, 8/18)

More details about the plan for booster shots —

The Washington Post: What To Know About Covid Vaccine Booster Shots 
The Biden administration said it plans to make booster shots available to Americans starting the week of Sept. 20, pending reviews by federal health agencies. Officials said those who received the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines can receive a booster shot eight months after the date when they got their second vaccine dose. Officials said they are waiting for additional data before setting a plan for people who received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Here’s what you need to know about booster shots and the United States’ plans. (Knowles, Guarino and McGinley, 8/18)

AP: What Do We Know About Booster Shots For COVID-19?
It’s common for protection from vaccines to decrease over time. A tetanus booster, for example, is recommended every 10 years. Researchers and health officials have been monitoring the real-world performance of the COVID-19 vaccines to see how long protection lasts among vaccinated people. The vaccines authorized in the U.S. continue to offer very strong protection against severe disease and death. But their ability to prevent infection is dropping markedly during the delta surge among nursing home patients and others, according to studies the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released in making the announcement Wednesday. (Johnson, 8/19)

The Hill: Questions And Answers On Biden's New Booster Shot Plan
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky pointed to a range of new studies, including data from New York showing vaccine effectiveness against infection declined from 92 to 80 percent from May to July. Data from nursing homes showed a decline from 75 to 53 percent from March to July. And data from the Mayo Clinic showed a drop to as low as 42 percent for the Pfizer vaccine from January to July. While the exact percentages differ from study to study, Walensky said the trend overall is vaccine effectiveness against getting sick with COVID-19 declines over time. (Sullivan, 8/18)

Detroit Free Press: Michigan To Use Existing Vaccine Providers If COVID-19 Boosters OK'd
Michigan will use its existing network of vaccine providers to issue third doses of COVID-19 vaccines if the booster shots are approved by federal regulators. Federal public health officials announced Wednesday they are recommending a COVID-19 booster shot for all Americans age 18 and older eight months after their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. (Hall, 8/18)

Bay Area News Group: New Data Shows Waning COVID-19 Vaccine Efficacy, Building Case For Boosters
COVID-19 vaccines are losing their effectiveness against infection over time and might become less protective in preventing severe illness and death, the nation’s top health officials said Wednesday. These new medical findings, announced at a White House press briefing, are spurring the campaign to boost Americans’ immunity by administering a third dose of the vaccine. “You don’t want to find yourself behind, playing catch up,” said Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “Better to stay ahead of it than chasing after it.” (Krieger, 8/18)

The Washington Post: Vaccines Show Declining Effectiveness Against Infection Overall But Strong Protection Against Hospitalization Amid Delta Variant 
Three studies published Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that protection against the coronavirus given by vaccines declined in the midsummer months when the more contagious delta variant rose to dominance in the United States. At the same time, protection against hospitalization was strong for weeks after vaccination, indicating the shots will generate immune fighters that stave off the worst effects of the virus and its current variations. (Guarino and McGinley, 8/18)

CIDRAP: Studies: COVID Vaccine Protection Waning Against Infection But Not Hospitalization
A trio of new real-world US studies examine the ongoing effectiveness of two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna mRNA vaccines against COVID-19, one finding significantly ebbing efficacy against infection in nursing home residents and two showing sustained protection against coronavirus-related hospitalizations but declining coverage against new adult cases. (Van Beusekom, 8/18)

Fox News: Data Behind US COVID-19 Booster Plan Shows Waning Vaccine Effectiveness
The data behind health officials’ plan to offer COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to fully vaccinated Americans showed waning effectiveness against infection for both authorized mRNA jabs. The studies, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday and discussed during a White House COVID-19 response briefing, involved data collected in New York, U.S. nursing homes and hospitals. The study out of New York, which focused on new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations among adults between May 3 and July 25, found the age-adjusted vaccine effectiveness against diagnoses declined from 92% to 80% over time. (Hein, 8/18)

Bloomberg: Covid Shots Are Less Effective Against Delta In U.K. Study
Covid-19 vaccines are less effective against the delta variant, according to results in the U.K. from one of the largest real-world studies into the efficacy of the shots. Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE’s messenger RNA vaccine lost effectiveness in the first 90 days after full vaccination, though that shot and the one made by AstraZeneca Plc still staved off a majority of Covid infections. When vaccinated people did get infected with delta, they were shown to have similar levels of virus in their bodies as those who hadn’t had shots. This suggests that vaccinating large portions of a population might not protect those who don’t get inoculated, casting doubt on the idea of achieving herd immunity. (Kresge, 8/19)

In related news about vaccine efficacy —

The New York Times: Israel, Once The Model For Beating Covid, Faces New Surge Of Infections 
Last spring, Israel’s remarkably swift vaccination campaign was seen as a global model. Coronavirus infections plummeted, an electronic pass allowed the vaccinated to attend indoor concerts and sporting events, and distancing rules and mask mandates were eventually scrapped. Israel offered the world a hopeful glimpse of the way out of the pandemic. No longer. A fourth wave of infections is rapidly approaching the levels of Israel’s worst days of the pandemic last winter. The daily rate of confirmed new virus cases has more than doubled in the last two weeks, making Israel a rising hot spot on the international charts. (Kershner, 8/18)

The Wall Street Journal: Pfizer’s Covid-19 Booster Shot Improves Immunity, Israeli Study Suggests
Early data from Israel suggests a booster shot of Pfizer Inc.’s Covid-19 vaccine can significantly improve immunity in those aged 60 and above, as the U.S. and other countries plan additional doses to increase protection against the highly infectious Delta variant. Israel was one of the first countries late last month to authorize a third Pfizer dose for the elderly who were fully vaccinated with the recommended two shots, after indications that vaccine protection against severe illness has waned. (Lieber, 8/18)

The Washington Post: CDC’s Failure To Share Real-Time Information On Delta Variant Stymied U.S. Response 
When Pfizer representatives met with senior U.S. government health officials on July 12, they laid out why they thought booster shots would soon be necessary in the United States. Data from Israel showed the vaccine’s effectiveness waned over time, especially in older and immunocompromised people. But officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention disagreed, saying their own data showed something quite different, according to four people with direct knowledge of the meeting who spoke on the condition of anonymity. (Abutaleb and Sun, 8/18)

Stat: U.S. Officials' Decision On Covid-19 Booster Shots Baffles Some Scientists
The Biden administration’s decision to start authorizing third doses of Covid-19 vaccine in September is being met with bafflement, concern, and even anger from a number of immunologists, vaccinologists, and people steeped in the normal way such decisions are made. Many flat-out challenged the need for booster doses at this time. Others questioned the morality of administering third shots to Americans when most people on the planet haven’t received one. And some worried that a decision had been made before the Food and Drug Administration had ruled on the need for a booster or a key vaccine advisory committee had evaluated the data — typically the way vaccine policy is set. (Branswell, 8/18)

NBC News: As U.S. Promotes Booster Shots Against Covid, Moral Questions Arise Over Vaccine Equity
As the Biden administration formally released its plan, officials and scientists with the World Health Organization and other international public health experts forcefully pushed back at it as "immoral" and "unconscionable." "We're planning to hand out extra life jackets to people who already have life jackets, while we're leaving other people to drown without a single life jacket," Dr. Michael Ryan, the emergencies chief at WHO, told reporters. (Ortiz, 8/18)

Bloomberg: Biden’s Covid Booster Shot Push Raises Concerns Among Health Experts 
“Endorsing boosters before FDA changes the EUA or grants full approval is actually endorsing something that is not currently permissible under the law,” said Holly Fernandez Lynch, a University of Pennsylvania bioethicist. “Any use beyond the specific terms of the EUA would be unauthorized.” It would be very strange for the Biden administration to be the one calling the shots on boosters, according to Dorit Reiss, a professor who studies vaccine policy at the University of California Hastings College of the Law. “This is not something that’s generally done by the administration or by political actors,” Reiss said. “If they are going to circumvent the process, then I’m very concerned.” (Rutherford, 8/18)

Axios: Biden's Booster Plan Receives Criticism At Home And Abroad 
Wednesday's announcement that all Americans will be eligible for COVID-19 boosters eight months after their second dose was met with skepticism at home and opposition abroad. Many public health experts criticized the decision as premature or even unethical, and that eight months is too long — vulnerability can return as soon as five months after the second dose. (Rothschild, 8/18)

Politico: The U.S. Plans To Offer Booster Shots Next Month. Some Health Experts Are Wary.
The booster policy has also sparked tensions inside and outside the administration, with some health experts arguing that available data does not show a clear-cut need to give additional doses to all adults — especially when large portions of the globe remain unvaccinated. (Banco and Cancryn, 8/18)

NBC News: Biden Says His Administration Will Take On GOP Governors Blocking Masks In Schools
President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that he was directing the Education Department to use its legal authority against Republican governors who are trying to block local school officials from requiring students to wear masks to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Speaking at the White House, Biden said some politicians are trying to turn public safety measures into "political disputes for their own political gain" and warned that they are "setting a dangerous tone." Biden said he had directed Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to wield his oversight authority and take legal action "if appropriate." (Pettypiece, Egan and Alba, 8/18)

The Washington Post: Biden Orders Education Department To Move Against Governors Banning School Mask Mandates 
President Biden ordered Education Secretary Miguel Cardona on Wednesday to take action against governors who have banned universal masking in public schools, taking a tough stand against those who he said are trying to “block and intimidate” local schools officials. At a news conference, Biden said his administration would not “stand by” and allow governors to prevent local districts from “keeping students safe” with masking mandates for the new academic year as cases from the delta variant of the coronavirus are skyrocketing. (Strauss, 8/18)

Politico: Biden Hits Governors Who 'Intimidate Educators' On Mask Mandates  
President Joe Biden escalated a confrontation with Republican governors over school mask mandates Wednesday, directing the Education Department to “use all available tools” to aid local governments trying to institute the measures. ... "We're not going to sit by as governors try to block and intimidate educators protecting our children," Biden said during an address on Wednesday. ... Biden, in a memo sent Wednesday to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, said the Education Department must take action to ensure governors and other officials are allowing a safe return to classrooms and “not standing in the way of local leaders making such preparations.” (Quilantan, 8/18)

AP: States Banning Mask Mandates Could Face Civil Rights Probes
In an escalating battle with Republican governors, President Joe Biden on Wednesday ordered his Education secretary to explore possible legal action against states that have blocked school mask mandates and other public health measures meant to protect students against COVID-19. In response, the Education Department raised the possibility of using its civil rights arm to fight policies in Florida, Texas, Iowa and other Republican-led states that have barred public schools from requiring masks in the classroom. (Binkley, 8/18)

AP: Big Florida School Districts Defy Governor Over Mask Mandate
Hillsborough and Miami-Dade counties became the third and fourth school districts in Florida to adopt stricter mask mandates Wednesday, a day after school boards in Broward and Alachua counties faced threats of severe penalties for defying Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration. The Hillsborough County school board, which oversees the state’s third-largest district with more than 206,000 students in the Tampa area, voted 5-2 to adopt a 30-day mask mandate with a medical opt-out for students, teachers and staff. Most school districts have adopted optional mask policies or given options to parents to easily opt out of requirements. The new policy takes effect Thursday. (Frisaro and Licon, 8/18)

Politico: Miami, Tampa Schools Defy DeSantis On Masks Despite Threats
Two of the largest school districts in Florida and the nation on Wednesday bucked the DeSantis administration by passing mask mandates for all students just one day after other school districts in the state were put on notice for taking similar action. By requiring masks, the school districts encompassing Miami and the Tampa area are violating emergency rules from Gov. Ron DeSantis and state agencies meant to thwart local Covid-19 mandates. The Republican governor has shown no desire to turn down the heat on defiant school districts, leaving them open to dire sanctions like officials being ousted from office. (Atterbury, 8/18)

And in news from Texas —

Dallas Morning News: Abbott Takes To Twitter To Attack Biden, House Dems — But Is Mum On Health After COVID-19 Diagnosis
Gov. Greg Abbott, who on Tuesday announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19, provided no update on his health Wednesday but was active on Twitter, where he remarked on various political issues. In a video message posted to social media several hours after his diagnosis was announced, the governor appeared healthy and indicated he was feeling fine. “Also, [I] want you to know that I have received the COVID-19 vaccine, and that may be one reason why I’m really not feeling any symptoms right now,” he said in the video. “I have no fever, no aches and pains, no other types of symptoms.” (Choi, 8/18)

The Washington Post: ‘It’s The Height Of Hypocrisy’: After Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Contracts Covid-19, Democrats Ramp Up Calls For Mask Mandates
The news that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has tested positive for the coronavirus has prompted well-wishes from members of both parties — but also calls from some Democrats for Abbott to drop his opposition to mask and vaccination mandates for schools and businesses in his state. ... “I wish Governor Abbott well — no one deserves to be sick or to suffer from this unyielding virus,” Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa said in a statement Wednesday. “My hope is that the governor will realize how vulnerable we are in the face of this health crisis, stop playing politics, and do what is necessary for the health of all Texans.” (Sonmez and Moravec, 8/18)

Houston Chronicle: Texas School Districts Grapple With How To Enforce Mask Mandates
As students return to campus across Texas, some school districts are requiring masks in defiance of Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on such orders — with little consensus about how to ensure students and staff comply. Houston ISD is among those taking a hardline approach to enforcing their mask mandates, with threats of being sent home and disciplinary action for students who refuse to cover their faces. Other districts said they have no such plans and are hopeful that all students and staff members will abide by the face covering requirement without stirring up drama. (Scherer, 8/18)

Houston Chronicle: Experts Predict Texas COVID Deaths Will Peak In Coming Weeks
As the delta variant of the coronavirus infects more than 10,000 Texans a day and strains the resources of hospitals, state officials must now look toward the final stage of the third COVID wave: fatalities. While hospitalization numbers are nearing the heights they reached during the state’s most fatal surge in January, public health projections indicate that the latest wave will result in fewer deaths — mostly because senior citizens are widely vaccinated and hospital patients are now much younger. Still, state health officials are preparing for the worst, preemptively ordering a fleet of five mortuary trailers from the federal government in case infections spiral. (Harris, 8/18)

USA Today: Washington State Implements Strict Teacher Vaccine Mandate
Washington state is expanding its COVID-19 vaccine mandate to include all public, charter and private school teachers and staff — plus those working at the state's colleges and universities. Those who are not fully vaccinated by Oct. 18 risk losing their jobs, Gov. Jay Inslee announced Wednesday. The policy is the strictest vaccine mandate announced to date for teachers. In other sectors, San Francisco, New York and New Orleans are all requiring vaccines to get into venues. (Aspegren, 8/19)

In other news about school mandates in New York, Tennessee and Louisiana —

AP: New York Can Require Masks In School, Says Lt. Gov. Hochul
Lieutenant Gov. Kathy Hochul said Wednesday the state has the authority to mandate masks at schools. Hochul, a Democrat, is set to take office as New York’s first female governor on Aug. 24, when Gov. Andrew Cuomo will resign in the wake of an independent investigation that found he sexually harassed at least 11 women. Her assertion about masks in schools is in contrast to guidance from Cuomo, who earlier this month said he lacks the legal authority to impose mask mandates on his own. (Villeneuve, 8/18)

AP: Tennessee's Most Populous County Renews Mask Mandate
The health department in Tennessee’s most populous county reinstituted a face mask requirement Wednesday for indoor public places such as restaurants, bars and other businesses as a surge in COVID-19 cases strains hospital resources and causes concern in schools. A news release from the health department in Shelby County, which includes Memphis, said the mask requirement begins Friday and also applies to gyms, event venues and common areas of hotels and multi-residential buildings. The order also includes businesses such as retail shops, grocery stores and laundries, Shelby County Health Department spokeswoman Joan Carr said. (Sainz and Mattise, 8/18)

The Advocate: After Maskless Protesters Derail Meeting On Masks In Schools, Mandate Will Remain In Louisiana
A rowdy, chaotic meeting of Louisiana's top school board ended abruptly Wednesday when opponents of face masks for public school students refused repeated pleas to put on masks as required in public buildings. The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted 8-2 to adjourn, which derailed a planned debate on who has the final say on school safety mandates that critics of the masks were hoping for. It also means the mandate that public school students wear face masks indoors remains intact. (Sentell, 8/18)

Also —

The Advocate: As School Starts, More Students Have COVID In Louisiana Schools Than Last Year, New Data Shows
More Louisiana schoolchildren reported testing positive for the deadly coronavirus last week than during any week last school year, which ended in May. It’s yet another indicator of the alarming prevalence of the virus, particularly the more infectious delta variant that has come to dominate the state. The Louisiana Department of Health released this information Wednesday in a weekly report on COVID-19 cases in K-12 schools. That reporting was suspended over the summer but has resumed with the start of the 2021-22 school year. (Lussier, 8/18)

Axios: Tens Of Thousands Of U.S. Students Quarantining Or Isolating Due To COVID 
The school year has just started, and already tens of thousands of students and school staff members across the U.S. are isolating or quarantining after testing positive or possibly being exposed to COVID-19, school districts and other officials said this week. The announcements come as health officials report an alarming number of children hospitalized with COVID-19 and amid tense debates over whether masks should be mandated for students and teachers. (Reyes, 8/18)

The Wall Street Journal: Parents Face Fresh Covid-19 Stress As Schools Start And The Delta Variant Spreads
Many parents who couldn’t wait to send their children back to the classroom are watching Covid-19 cases and wondering: Do we need a backup plan? The rapid rise of the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus that causes Covid-19 is injecting uncertainty into annual back-to-school rituals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said earlier this month that young children are at risk of becoming severely ill and that rates of Covid-19-associated hospitalizations in children under age 5 had tripled in the first half of July. (Morris, 8/17)

Roll Call: Biden Ties Federal Funds To Nursing Home Vaccine Mandates 
President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that nursing homes must require their workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to continue receiving Medicare and Medicaid funds. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is expected to release an emergency rule in September affecting 1.3 million staffers in roughly 15,000 nursing homes. Federal data shows that around 60 percent of nursing home staff are currently vaccinated, although that falls as low as 44 percent in some states. (Clason, 8/18)

CNBC: Covid Vaccine: U.S. To Require Nursing Homes Staff Get Shots Or Lose Federal Funding
President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced his administration will require all employees in nursing homes to get vaccinated for Covid-19, the latest effort to protect Americans as the delta variant spreads. “Today I’m announcing a new step,” Biden said in a speech at the White House. “If you work in a nursing home and serve people on Medicare or Medicaid, you will also be required to get vaccinated.” (Lovelace Jr., 8/18)

AP: Biden To Require COVID Vaccines For Nursing Home Staff
President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced that his administration will require that nursing home staff be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition for those facilities to continue receiving federal Medicare and Medicaid funding. Biden unveiled the new policy Wednesday afternoon in a White House address as the administration continues to look for ways to use mandates to encourage vaccine holdouts to get shots. “If you visit, live or work in a nursing home, you should not be at a high risk for contracting COVID from unvaccinated employees,” Biden said. (Miller, 8/19)

Modern Healthcare: Biden To Require Nursing Home Staff Get COVID-19 Vaccine
The Biden administration on Wednesday unveiled plans requiring nursing home staff to get vaccinated against COVID-19, but that directive is already sparking worry in the industry. The federal government tied nursing home facilities' Medicare and Medicaid funding to staff vaccinations, which the White House said will "ensure consistent and equitable standards across the country." California, New York, New Mexico and Maryland have already mandated healthcare staff be vaccinated. But the requirement could worsen an already precarious workforce crisis and affect facilities' ability to care for residents. (Christ, 8/18)

And reaction to the announcement —

Indianapolis Star: Biden's Nursing Home Vaccine Order Will Cause Workers To 'Flee,' Indiana Group Says
President Joe Biden’s call for nursing homes to require COVID-19 vaccines for employees will add to staffing problems, Indiana's largest association of nursing homes said Wednesday. The Indiana Health Care Association and Indiana Center for Assisted Living, which represent 460 assisted living providers in the state, say Biden's latest COVID-19 mandate will cause some nursing home workers to leave and go to health care facilities that do not require vaccines. The groups said the directive should apply to health care workers in every setting. (Nelson, 8/18)

Georgia Recorder: Biden Vaccine Mandate For Senior Homes Prompts Warnings Of 'Dire' Georgia Nurse Shortage
East Cobb Republican state Rep. Sharon Cooper, a nurse who chairs the House Health and Human Services Committee, said she appreciates the Biden administration’s goal of protecting seniors. But she worries about unintended consequences. “The nursing homes are desperate to find people to take care of our seniors in these facilities,” she said. “There is a huge shortage of certified nursing assistants and (licensed practical nurses). They’re having to supplement and hire part-time people to help, and that’s even just barely covering it. “So if they require it and all of a sudden we have a huge number of nursing staff that quits, there isn’t going to be anybody to take care of the people in the nursing homes and assisted living facilities. It’s that dire.” (Williams and Olson, 8/19)

The Morning Call: With Federal Government Mandating Vaccine For Nursing Home Staff, Northampton County Will End Bonus Incentivizing Shots
With President Joe Biden on Wednesday announcing that his administration will require that nursing home staff be vaccinated against COVID-19, Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure said employees have a limited window to get a $750 bonus for taking the shots. ... With the federal mandate, McClure said he would move to take away the bonus incentive in the near future. “Are you taking notes?” McClure asked a Morning Call reporter Wednesday. “Because if I were a Gracedale employee, I would go get jabbed and make 750 bucks.” (Shortell, 8/18)

Also —

The Baltimore Sun: Maryland To Require Hospital, Nursing Home Staff To Get COVID Vaccine 
People who work in Maryland’s hospitals and nursing homes will be required to get the coronavirus vaccine or submit to regular testing, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Wednesday. Workers at hospitals and nursing homes must get their first dose of the vaccine by Sept. 1, Hogan said. The mandate applies to not only health care workers, but everyone who works in those facilities, including administrative staff. (Wood and Miller, 8/18)

Louisville Courier Journal: Nursing Home Residents First In Line For COVID-19 Boosters In Kentucky
Kentuckians vaccinated for COVID-19 could soon be eligible for a booster shot, starting in September, with approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. That group of more than 2 million people would join more than 27,000 nursing home and senior living residents already eligible for a booster shot in Kentucky because they are considered to have low immunity. (Yetter, 8/18)

Georgia Health News: Hospitals Uniting In COVID Crisis Message; Nursing Homes Face Vaccination Pressure 
Metro Atlanta hospital systems are uniting to deliver a public message about the increasingly grim picture on the COVID front lines. Representatives from the Wellstar, Piedmont, Emory and Grady systems – often competitors in non-pandemic times  – along with those from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Gainesville-based Northeast Georgia Health System, will address the media Thursday morning on the crisis surrounding the latest surge. (Miller, 8/18)

AP: Sheriff: New Vegas Police Hires Have To Get COVID-19 Vaccine
New Las Vegas police employees are being required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo told a newspaper. The elected head of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and Republican candidate for governor told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in an interview that it was his duty to protect new hires by ensuring they’re inoculated against the coronavirus. (8/19)

New York Post: Unvaccinated NYPD Officers Will Be Disciplined For Not Wearing Masks
The NYPD will discipline unvaccinated cops who don’t mask up while on the job — regardless if they are indoors or outdoors — as city officials try to prevent a surge of serious coronavirus cases in response to the highly infectious Delta variant, The Post has learned. The department’s new guidance for masking was shared with the entire police force Tuesday evening in an administrative bulletin that spelled out instructions for officers to provide proof of the vaccination with the NYPD’s Medical Division, according to a copy of the bulletin obtained by The Post. (McCarthy, 8/18)

Axios: New York City Vaccine Mandate: Businesses Sue NYC 
A group of Staten Island small businesses is suing New York City over its mandate requiring people show proof of COVID-19 vaccination to participate in indoor activities. Staten Island reported 237.53 coronavirus cases per 100,000 people as of the week ending on Aug. 15 — the most per capita of any New York City borough, according to government data. The group argues that Mayor Bill de Blasio's executive order will "severely impact" their "business, life savings and livelihood," according to the lawsuit. (Gonzalez, 8/18)

Modern Healthcare: Nurses Are Pro-COVID-19 Vaccines And Boosters, Survey Finds
The vast majority of nurses not only support COVID-19 vaccines, but most also back healthcare worker vaccine mandates, according to the findings of a new survey conducted by the American Nurses Association (ANA). The ANA poll, part of its COVID Vaccine Facts for Nurses education campaign, found that 88% of the 4,900 nurses surveyed were vaccinated or planned to get vaccinated and that 79% felt comfortable discussing vaccines and educating patients. According to the survey, 59% of nurses support vaccines mandates in the workplace, while another 12% are in favor of vaccinate mandates for customer-facing employees only. (Christ, 8/18)

CNN: Fox News Mandates That Its Employees Disclose Vaccination Status, Contradicting Rhetoric From Its Top Stars 
The right-wing channel Fox News, whose top personalities have for months assailed the concept of vaccine passports and argued that asking about vaccine status amounts to a major intrusion of privacy, told employees this week that they must disclose their vaccination status to the company. In a Tuesday memo updating staff on Covid-19 procedures, Fox News Media chief executive Suzanne Scott said that the company has "asked all employees — whether on site as part of our essential workforce or working remotely — to upload their vaccination status" into an internal database. (Darcy, 8/18)

KHN: If The Unvaccinated Want To Work, They Face A Series Of Hurdles 
With the delta variant surging, a growing number of employers are tiring of merely cajoling workers to get vaccinated against covid-19 and are following President Joe Biden’s protocol for federal workers: Either show proof of vaccination, or mask up and get regular testing if you want to work on-site. The federal government — the nation’s largest employer — will require unvaccinated employees to wear masks while working, get regular testing and take other precautions, like maintaining physical distance from co-workers and restricting work travel. Several states, including California, Hawaii, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, also say unvaccinated state workers must get regular tests. (Appleby, 8/19)

Crain's Detroit Business: Insurers To End No-Fee Programs For COVID-19 Treatment On Oct. 1
With the current COVID-19 surge not expected to peak until mid-October, treatments for the deadly virus are set to cost much more for those infected. Michigan's large health insurers—including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Priority Health—are sunsetting their programs that waived all costs to patients treated for COVID-19. The waiving of cost-sharing for patients expires on Sept. 30 for the two insurers. More than 2 million Americans have checked into hospitals to get treated for severe cases of COVID-19 and many, thanks to insurers and government programs, have received no bills in the mail. (8/18)

Axios: Health Care System Is Ready To Bill For Third Vaccine Shots 
The American Medical Association has created new billing codes so insurance programs can pay doctors, hospitals and others to administer a third dose of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. America's medical billing systems are ready to go even though the federal policy on widespread booster doses still requires a thumbs-up from the FDA and the CDC's expert vaccine panel. (Herman, 8/19)

On unexpected covid vaccine bills —

Philadelphia Inquirer: COVID-19 Vaccine Is Free, But Medical Bills Or Fear Of Cost A Barrier To Vaccination For Some
Martin Gola knew the COVID-19 vaccine was supposed to be free. So he was surprised when, in July, he received a $32 bill from Nazareth Hospital in Northeast Philadelphia, where he’d gotten the two-dose Moderna vaccine. A few days later came another bill, this one for $79. The 59-year-old Philadelphia resident ignored the bills, but he got worried when weeks later Trinity Health, which owns Nazareth, called to collect on his overdue account. “I said: ‘It’s for COVID, it’s a free shot. I’m not paying that bill.’ They didn’t say anything and we hung up,” Gola recalled. (Gantz, 8/18)

CNN: Regeneron: Covid-19 Antibody Treatments Work, But They're 'Not The Path Out Of This Pandemic'
When Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday that had tested postiive for Covid-19, his office shared that he was treated with a therapy not yet approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, but one of the few shown to be effective against the virus: monoclonal antibodies. Monoclonal antibodies such as those made by Regeneron and GlaxoSmithKline won't work for every Covid-19 patient; mAbs, as they are known, are only available for people age 12 and older and who aren't hospitalized or severely ill. (Christensen, 8/18)

The Wall Street Journal: As Delta Variant Spreads, A Covid-19 Treatment Is In Short Supply 
An anti-inflammatory drug used to treat severe cases of Covid-19 is in short supply globally as infections and hospitalizations surge due to the highly transmissible Delta variant. Genentech, a U.S. subsidiary of Roche Holding AG said this week that two dosage strengths of the drug, called tocilizumab, were already out of stock across the U.S., with a lower strength form likely to run out by the end of the week. The Food and Drug Administration added tocilizumab, which is sold in the U.S. under the brand name Actemra, to its drug shortages list on Tuesday. (Roland and Walker, 8/18)

Stat: WHO Urges Roche To Ensure Equitable Access Of Covid-19 Treatment
The World Health Organization and Unitaid called on Roche (RHHBY) to ensure that existing doses of its Actemra medicine, which is being used to treat Covid-19 patients, are equally available to low and middle-income countries in the face of a global shortage. In a joint statement, the global health agencies praised the drug maker for addressing the shortage by working with contract manufacturers and distributors to manage production and supplies. But the agencies want the company to transfer technology, as well as share know-how and data, to increase the number of qualified manufacturers. The WHO is soliciting interest from other companies. (Silverman, 8/18)

On innovation in covid drug delivery —

Sacramento Bee: A Pill For COVID-19? UCSD Scientists Say They’re Able To Deliver Remdesivir In A Capsule
Scientists at University of California, San Diego, have developed a way to put remdesivir and other intravenous COVID-19 treatments into a capsule that patients could safely take orally at home, according to a paper in an online issue of Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. Since the pandemic began, scientists worldwide have been seeking a treatment that people infected with COVID-19 can take before they are so severely ill that they have to go to a hospital, and the need for it remains pressing as many people are opting not to get the vaccine and are falling ill with variants of the respiratory illness. (Anderson, 8/17)

Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Over 1,000 Mississippi Hospital Beds Not In Use Due To Worker Shortage
If Mississippi's hospitals were adequately staffed amid the current COVID-19 resurgence, they could open over 1,000 additional beds statewide, health officials said Wednesday. Seventy-three Mississippi hospitals have collectively asked the state for roughly 1,450 health care workers, said Jim Craig, senior deputy and director of health protection for the Mississippi State Department of Health. Because of staff shortages in the state, he noted, 771 medical-surgical and 235 intensive care unit beds are unused. "The pressure on the health care system is terrifying and unnecessary," Craig said. "The governor's office and MEMA working to contract additional health care resources to assist in those staffing projects." (Haselhorst, 8/18)

CBS News: "We're All Drowning": What Louisiana Ambulance Workers Are Seeing As COVID Surges 
The pandemic has created grim realities for patients, loved ones, doctors and nurses, but what about the emergency medical workers who see patients before they get to the hospital? With the recent surge in COVID infections, CBS News correspondent David Begnaud rode along with an ambulance company in Louisiana to see what they're up against. His crew was there when 48-year-old Julia Clay was loaded into an Acadian Ambulance and taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center in Lafayette, Louisiana. At Our Lady of Lourdes, 59% of the beds are filled with COVID patients and 93% of those patients are unvaccinated. Clay is now one of them. (8/18)

The Baltimore Sun: Maryland Hospital Beds For Kids Are Filling Up With COVID And Other Virus Cases. When School Starts, Doctors Say It Could Get Worse. 
Maryland hospital beds designated for children are filling up, with COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses largely to blame. As schools reopen with mask requirements that vary from county to county, the situation could escalate and cripple the health care system, hospital officials and medical professionals say. (Miller, 8/18)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Growing Cases Of Kids With COVID-19, Other Viruses, Are Straining Georgia Hospitals
The soaring number of children contracting COVID-19 is straining Georgia’s pediatric health care system. More kids than ever before are suffering from coronavirus cases so severe that they need to be hospitalized, filling pediatric wards at a time when physicians are also contending with an unseasonable surge of other respiratory viruses. Many area children’s hospitals are reporting that more than three-quarters of their ICU beds are occupied — in some places, it’s closer to 90%. (Hallerman, 8/18)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Reports Consecutive Days Of Double-Digit COVID-19 Deaths
The state Department of Health Services reported 16 new COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday — the highest mark since February. State officials said many of the deaths were reported in Milwaukee County. The county recorded two new deaths on Wednesday and four on Tuesday, so there may be a lag in how the state records the deaths. But COVID-related deaths are rising in Milwaukee County, after a period of weeks over the summer when no deaths would be reported for days at a time, according to the county’s online COVID-19 dashboard. (Bentley and Dirr, 8/18)

USA Today: Native American COVID-19 Death Rates Could Be 'Much, Much Higher'
Abigail Echo-Hawk, a member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, has lost six fellow Native loved ones to COVID-19. She is not alone. Throughout the pandemic, Indigenous people were the most likely group to be hospitalized and die of the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, followed by Hispanic and Black people. But data from states, tribal health centers and federal sources are often inconsistent. American Indian and Alaska Native people have long been misclassified in death records, marked white or Hispanic. A 2016 CDC report found incorrect death certificate classification among American Indian and Alaska Native deaths was as high as 40%. (Hassanein, 8/18)

In updates from Alabama —

AP: Gulf Coast's Beloved 'Redneck Riviera' Now A Virus Hotspot
Tourists and servers alike dance atop tables and in the aisles at one restaurant on the “Redneck Riviera,” a beloved stretch of towns along the northern Gulf Coast where beaches, bars and stores are packed. Yet just a few miles away, a hospital is running out of critical care beds, its rooms full of unvaccinated people fighting for their lives. On maps that show virus “hot spots” in red, this part of the U.S. coast is glowing like a bad sunburn. And a summer of booming tourism that followed the lockdowns and travel restrictions of 2020 is making the turn toward fall with only a few signs of slowing down. (Reeves, 8/19)

AP: 191 Inmates Test Positive For COVID At Alabama Prison
Nearly 200 inmates tested positive for COVID-19 at a state prison after officials implemented mass testing in the wake of an outbreak at the facility. The Alabama Department of Corrections said in a news release that all Elmore Correctional Facility inmates not currently exhibiting symptoms were tested last week. Out of the 960 asymptomatic inmates, 191 tested positive for COVID-19. Elmore is a medium-security prison that houses about 1,000 inmates. (8/19)

The Washington Post: An Alabama Doctor Watched Patients Reject The Coronavirus Vaccine. Now He’s Refusing To Treat Them.
In Alabama, where the nation’s lowest vaccination rate has helped push the state closer to a record number of hospitalizations, a physician has sent a clear message to his patients: Don’t come in for medical treatment if you are unvaccinated. Jason Valentine, a physician at Diagnostic and Medical Clinic Infirmary Health in Mobile, Ala., posted a photo on Facebook this week of him pointing to a sign taped to a door informing patients of his new policy coming Oct. 1.“Dr. Valentine will no longer see patients that are not vaccinated against covid-19,” the sign reads. (Bella, 8/18)

Axios: Facebook Says It Sees Signs That COVID Vaccine Hesitancy Is Declining 
Facebook said Wednesday it's seeing signs that resistance to the COVID-19 vaccine is weakening both in the United States and abroad, though it acknowledged it still doesn't have hard numbers on how frequently misinformation is being shared on its platforms. Facebook touts a survey showing improved attitudes toward the vaccines, but that survey finding raises questions, as other polling has shown significant and entrenched hesitancy, especially in the U.S. It also doesn't show that Facebook or other social media can be credited for any shift. (Fried, 8/18)

NBC News: Proof Of Vaccination In A Tap? Smartphone Developers Want To Make It That Easy
Smartphone developers are gearing up for a world where users can store their Covid vaccination proof in their phones’ digital wallets, making it easy to simply tap their phones when they enter new buildings. ... Google, Apple and Samsung have all recently announced plans to offer a feature that readily calls up a QR code that can be scanned to quickly verify a user’s vaccination status. (Collier, 8/18)

KHN: To Stoke Rural Vaccination Rates, Trusted Farmers Are Asked To Spread Word 
When he became eligible for the coronavirus vaccine in Illinois, Tom Arnold, 68, said he didn’t need any convincing. He raises cattle, hogs and chickens in Elizabeth, a small town in the state’s northwestern corner. After all, who better to understand why herd immunity matters than a herdsman? “Being a livestock producer, I’m well aware of vaccinations and vaccines,” he said. “That’s how we develop immunity in our animals. We’re always vaccinating the breeding stock to pass on immunity to the little ones.” (Herman, 8/19)

And in other news about stopping the spread of the coronavirus —

Bloomberg: NYC Was Unprepared For Pandemic, Lacked Plans, Equipment: Comptroller Stringer
New York City was unprepared to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic and was hampered by a lack of planning and coordination, according to a report issued Wednesday by the city Comptroller. “The failure of the city to better prepare and plan for a pandemic inevitably impacted its ability to respond to Covid-19,” said Comptroller Scott Stringer in the report. Stringer, the city’s chief financial officer, ran unsuccessfully in the June Democratic primary for mayor to replace Bill de Blasio, who is term limited and will leave office at the end of the year. (Wahid, 8/18)

KHN: Covid Politics And Fatigue Work Against Contact-Tracing Foot Soldiers
Health departments nationwide scaled back their contact tracing in late spring or early summer when covid-19 cases started to decrease as vaccination efforts took center stage. Then delta hit. Now state and local health departments are trying to build back operations with depleted resources, as covid fatigue among their workers and the public alike complicate those efforts. (Gomez, 8/19)

The Washington Post: Airbnb Will Block Some Halloween Reservations To Stave Off Parties 
Airbnb will block some people from making one and two-night reservations for Halloween weekend in the United States and Canada for the second year in a row, after it introduced stricter anti-party policies as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Users who don’t have “a history of positive reviews” will be prohibited from booking one-night reservations for entire properties during Halloween weekend, meaning that one-night stays at “shared” accommodations won’t be impacted. (Pietsch, 8/18)

CNN: Garth Brooks Cancels Tour Dates Due To Delta Variant 
Garth Brooks is putting his live music party on hold. The country superstar on Wednesday said he's canceling the next five stops on his tour, the last of which was supposed to take place on October 9. "In July, I sincerely thought the pandemic was falling behind us. Now, watching this new wave, I realize we are still in the fight and I must do my part," Brooks said in a statement. (Gonzalez, 8/18)

The Washington Post: It's Not Hard To Imagine A Worse Pandemic, Tom Frieden Says 
We might have gotten lucky with the coronavirus pandemic. So says Tom Frieden, the former director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Frieden now serves as chief executive of Resolve to Save Lives, a global health initiative that recently released a report on some of the world’s near misses with potentially devastating epidemics. He told The Health 202 that the world needs to be on its guard for the next pandemic, which could be even worse than the one caused by SARS-CoV-2.Pandemics can be prevented, Frieden argues, but it’s going to take serious investment. (Ellerbeck and Cunningham, 8/18)

AP: Ex-Chair Of Purdue Denies Responsibility For Opioid Crisis
The former president and board chair of the company that makes OxyContin told a court Wednesday that he, his family and the company did not cause the opioid crisis in the United States. Richard Sackler, a member of the family that owns Purdue Pharma, was asked under oath during a federal bankruptcy hearing whether he, his kin or the company bear responsibility. For each, Sackler answered simply: “No.” (Mulvihill, 8/18)

The New York Times: Richard Sackler Says Family And Purdue Bear No Responsibility For Opioid Crisis 
Deep into the third hour of testimony in federal bankruptcy court by Dr. Richard Sackler, a former president and co-chairman of the board of directors of Purdue Pharma, a prescription opioid manufacturer founded by Sackler family members, a lawyer posed a chain of questions: “Do you have any responsibility for the opioid crisis in the United States?” “No,” Dr. Sackler, 76, replied faintly. “Does the Sackler family have any responsibility for the opioid crisis in the United States?” Again, “No.” And finally: “Does Purdue Pharma have any responsibility for the opioid crisis in the United States?” More firmly: “No.” (Hoffman, 8/18)

Stat: Sackler Refuses To Pay Opioid Settlement Without Immunity
Amid a contentious bankruptcy court trial, a member of the Sackler family that owns Purdue Pharma said they would not proceed with plans to contribute more than $4.3 billion to settle massive litigation over the opioid crisis unless they are granted immunity from all existing and future legal claims. David Sackler, 41, who is a former Purdue board member and grandson of one of the founders of the drug maker, acknowledged the family has a “moral responsibility to try and help, and that’s what this settlement is designed to do.” But he also maintained that without receiving a global release from legal liability, the carefully crafted settlement would fall apart. (Silverman, 8/18)

In the ongoing opioid settlement drama —

Reuters: U.S. States Rush To Meet Deadline To Join $26 Billion Opioid Settlement
U.S. states are racing to meet a deadline to commit to a $26 billion opioid settlement with three drug distributors and the drugmaker Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N), as some grapple with local resistance and concerns the amount isn't big enough to address the damage done by an epidemic of addiction. Fourteen state attorneys general unveiled the proposed settlement with McKesson Corp (MCK.N), AmerisourceBergen Corp (ABC.N), Cardinal Health Inc (CAH.N) and J&J on July 21, kicking off a months-long process for states, counties and cities to sign on. (Raymond, 8/19)

In the fight against substance abuse in West Virginia —

AP: 3 WVa Health Facilities Get Funding To Fight Substance Abuse
Three health care facilities in West Virginia will receive $1 million apiece to treat and prevent substance use disorders in rural communities. Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito announced the funding Wednesday from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. The funding will go to the Wirt County Health Service Association, One Voice Inc. based in the Wyoming County community of Oceana and the Prestera Center for Mental Health Services based in Huntington. (8/19)

The New York Times: E.P.A. to Block Pesticide Tied to Neurological Harm in Children
The Biden administration announced on Wednesday that it is banning a common pesticide, widely used since 1965 on fruits and vegetables, from use on food crops because it has been linked to neurological damage in children. The Environmental Protection Agency said this week it would publish a regulation to block the use of chlorpyrifos on food. One of the most widely used pesticides, chlorpyrifos is commonly applied to corn, soybeans, apples, broccoli, asparagus and other produce. (Davenport, 8/18)

CNN: Chlorpyrifos: EPA To Ban Pesticide Tied To Children's Health Problems, Reversing Trump-Era Decision 
A widely used pesticide that could cause potential health issues in children will no longer be used on food in the US, the Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday, reversing a Trump-era decision not to ban the controversial chemical. "Today EPA is taking an overdue step to protect public health. Ending the use of chlorpyrifos on food will help to ensure children, farmworkers, and all people are protected from the potentially dangerous consequences of this pesticide," EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement. (Cole and Stark, 8/18)

The Hill: EPA Bans Use Of Pesticide Linked To Developmental Problems In Children
The Trump administration had sought to continue the use of chlorpyrifos, issuing a proposal to do so in December. That proposal was never finalized, though, as it was issued shortly before the Biden administration took over. In its announcement on Wednesday, the EPA indicated that it would continue to review non-food uses of chlorpyrifos. The latest move follows a court order earlier this year that gave the agency limited time to either find uses for the pesticide that are safe or outlaw it. (Frazin, 8/18)

Roll Call: EPA Bans All Food Uses For The Pesticide Chlorpyrifos 
The EPA said in light of the decision it determined that current aggregate exposures from the use of chlorpyrifos do not meet the legally required standards “that there is a reasonable certainty that no harm will result from such exposures.” Environmental groups and those representing farmworkers, including the Natural Resources Defense Council, United Farm Workers and the League of United Latin American Citizens, were represented by Earthjustice in the lawsuit. “It took far too long, but children will no longer be eating food tainted with a pesticide that causes intellectual learning disabilities. Chlorpyrifos will finally be out of our fruits and vegetables,” Earthjustice attorney Patti Goldman said in a statement. (Jordan, 8/18)

The New York Times: Texas Can Ban Common Form Of Second-Trimester Abortion, Appeals Court Rules 
A federal appeals court on Wednesday upheld a Texas law banning the most common form of second-trimester abortion, ruling that a lower court had erred in finding that the law imposed “an undue burden on a large fraction of women.” At issue is a Texas law that was passed in 2017 but has not yet been in effect because of legal battles. The law, known as Senate Bill 8, prohibits a dilation-and-evacuation abortion method and requires doctors to use alternative abortion methods, according to Wednesday’s decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. (Paybarah, 8/18)

AP: Appeals Court Upholds Texas Law To Ban Abortion Procedure
A Texas law outlawing an abortion method commonly used to end second-trimester pregnancies was upheld Wednesday by a federal appeals court in New Orleans. The 2017 law in question has never been enforced. It seeks to prohibit the use of forceps to remove a fetus from the womb — what supporters of the law call a “dismemberment abortion” — without first using an injected drug or a suction procedure to ensure the fetus is dead. (McGill, 8/19)

The Hill: Federal Appeals Court Upholds Texas Ban On Standard Abortion Procedure 
Abortion advocates have argued that dilation and evacuation is one of the safest abortion methods in the second trimester of pregnancy, and that fetuses are not able to feel pain during the pregnancy period specified in the Texas law. Amy Hagstrom Miller, president of Whole Woman’s Health, which is one of the plaintiffs in the case, on Wednesday argued that the Texas ban “is about cutting off abortion access, and nothing else.” “In no other area of medicine would politicians consider preventing doctors from using a standard procedure,” she said in a statement. “It should never be a crime for doctors to use their best medical judgment and follow the most current science.” (Castronuovo, 8/18)

Modern Healthcare: Enlisting Medical Teams For Dental Care
As patients continue to put off dental care during the COVID-19 pandemic, some health systems are rolling it into their medical appointments in hopes of getting more teeth checked and cavities filled. The movement toward medical-dental integration is hardly new, but providers on both sides said it's gained particular importance at a time when people continue to put off care amid the most recent COVID-19 wave. Dental care was the most skipped type of care in a new Robert Wood Johnson Foundation survey that found 11% of adults had delayed or forgone care in the past 30 days over coronavirus concerns. (Bannow, 8/19)

Modern Healthcare: SSM Health And Medica Enter Partnership To Improve Patient Care 
SSM Health will partner with fellow not-for-profit Medica, which offers individual health and dental plans, to create products for their members in the midwest. Medica plans to invest in Dean Health Plan of Madison, Wisconsin, a subsidiary of SSM Health, and work to improve the patient experience through its operations, technology and value-based care enablement, the companies announced in a press release. The strategic agreement is expected to be finalized toward the end of 2021, pending regulatory approvals. (Devereaux, 8/18)

And in pharmaceutical and biotech news —

Modern Healthcare: J&J Partners With AI Startup To Identify Early Lung Cancer Cases
A Johnson & Johnson division focused on developing tools to combat lung cancer is partnering with a clinical decision-support startup that recently achieved regulatory clearance for an early detection tool, the companies announced Wednesday. The Lung Cancer Initiative, a program that cuts across Johnson & Johnson's consumer, diagnostic, medical device and pharmaceutical businesses, has entered into an agreement with Optellum, a startup that uses artificial intelligence to flag patients with early-stage lung cancer, so that clinicians can intervene with treatments sooner. (Kim Cohen, 8/18)

Stat: Startup Spotlight: Vigil Neuroscience Hopes To Take On Rare Disease ALSP
Vigil Neuroscience has revealed the first condition that it will target: a rare, genetic neurodegenerative disorder called ALSP, or adult-onset leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids and pigmented glia. The Cambridge, Mass.-based company, which bought the rights to all its current drug candidates from Amgen, also announced a $90 million series B financing round on Wednesday. (Sheridan, 8/18)

Stat: Illumina Purchases Grail Without Clearance From FTC Or European Union 
Illumina, the DNA sequencing giant, said Wednesday it has closed its $8 billion purchase of Grail, a cancer diagnostics firm, even though the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has sued to block the deal and the European Union is investigating it. Grail is developing blood tests that aim to detect multiple types of cancer early, before they become deadly. Illumina is the leading maker of the basic technology on which such tests, which are being developed by multiple firms, are based. (Herper, 8/18)

Bay Area News Group: California Expands Vaccine Proof, COVID Test Order For Indoor Events
California health officials Wednesday said they will expand the requirement for vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test for those attending large indoor events as the state continues to battle rising infections from the highly contagious delta variant of the virus. The state had already required either vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours to attend events of 5,000 people or more. Wednesday’s order which takes effect Sept. 20 expands that to gatherings of 1,000 people or more, and requires proof of full vaccination rather than the “self attestation” of having been vaccinated that had been allowed. (Woolfolk, 8/18)

San Francisco Chronicle: S.F. Is Closing Its Homeless Hotels. But With More Federal Funding On Tap, Advocates Are Pushing Back
The Biden administration is expected to announce Tuesday that it will fully reimburse states for certain COVID-19 expenses through the end of 2021, which means emergency shelter — like San Francisco’s homeless hotel program — will continue to be completely covered, an administration official confirmed to The Chronicle. The decision comes at a critical time for San Francisco, which recently began winding down its hotel program that sheltered thousands during the pandemic. Federal officials originally planned to yank emergency funding Sept. 30, but the administration decided to extend that deadline amid a troubling surge in delta variant cases across the country. (Thadani and Kopan, 8/17)

On lead risk for children —

San Francisco Chronicle: Santa Clara County Wants To Close Airport Tied To High Lead In Kids. Will FAA Let It?
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday night to speed up the closure of Reid-Hillview Airport in East San Jose following a study that found high levels of lead in thousands of children living near the airport. But county officials will need the federal government’s permission to do so.“ This is about environmental justice, public health and equity for ... residents living around Reid-Hillview Airport,” Supervisor Cindy Chavez said in a statement. (Narayan, 8/18)

In other news from Nevada, Montana and Oklahoma —

AP: Nevada Senator Seeks New Ideas To Address Wildfire Smoke
Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto is urging firefighters, scientists, teachers and moms to help form new strategies to deal with increasingly unhealthy air quality in Nevada caused by wildfires that continue to worsen and no relief in sight in the years ahead. “This is something that’s happening all the time now,” the Nevada Democrat said at a roundtable gathering in Reno Wednesday with experts who shared their challenges and frustrations on numerous fronts. (Sonner, 8/19)

Bozeman Daily Chronicle: Nurses Union Wants Higher Pay In New Contract With Bozeman
Unionized nurses negotiating a new contract with Bozeman Health have reached an impasse over pay, saying the hospital’s final offer is not commensurate with Bozeman’s cost of living. (Sukut, 8/12)

Oklahoman: Oklahoma Names Its Fourth Medical Marijuana Director In Three Years
Adria Berry is being named the new director of the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority. She will be the agency's fourth director in less than three years. Berry is replacing Kelly Williams, who worked as director for nearly a year. Berry, who most recently worked for the Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma, will begin as OMMA director on Aug. 30, she said. Berry, an attorney, also advised Gov. Kevin Stitt on marijuana policy during her time as a counselor to the Oklahoma Secretary of State. As OMMA director, Berry said she wants to provide clear direction for the organization, and help make sure that direction is communicated to Oklahomans across the state. (Dishman and Denwalt, 8/18)

Bloomberg: Deaths Data Shows 80% Of South Africans May Have Had Covid
As many as four out of five South Africans may have contracted the coronavirus, indicating that the country may be one of the world’s hardest-hit nations by the disease, the chief actuary at Africa’s biggest health insurer said. Emile Stipp, the actuary at Discovery Health, based his calculations on the country’s case-fatality rate and excess deaths, a measure of the number of fatalities compared with an historical average. They are thought to provide a more accurate picture of the impact of the pandemic than the official toll. (Sguazzin, 8/18)

AP: US Urges Over 150 World Leaders Not To Come To UN Over COVID
The United States is urging the more than 150 countries planning to send their leader or a government minister to New York to speak in person at the U.N. General Assembly next month to consider giving a video address instead to prevent the annual high-level week from becoming “a super-spreader event.” A note from the U.S. Mission sent to the 192 other U.N. member nations also called for all other U.N.-hosted meetings and side events to be virtual, saying these parallel meetings that draw travelers to New York “needlessly increase risk to our community, New Yorkers and the other travelers.” (Lederer, 8/19)

Axios: COVID Evacuation Flights Help Overseas Travelers Get Back Home 
There's a lot of pent-up demand for overseas travel, but one thing holding Americans back is the worry that they'll be stranded in a foreign country if they contract COVID-19 while traveling. The U.S. requires all arriving air passengers — vaccinated or not, including Americans returning home — to test negative for COVID-19 no more than three days before their trip. (Muller, 8/19)

Axios: New Zealand's PM Says Scientists Have Solved COVID Outbreak "Puzzle" 
New Zealand scientists linked the country's growing COVID-19 cluster to the Delta outbreak that began in Sydney, Australia — and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Thursday they're "fairly certain" they've found the source. Since the country entered its highest pandemic restrictions just before midnight Tuesday over one positive local test result, scientists have uncovered links to a traveler who arrived in NZ from Sydney on Aug. 7. (Falconer, 8/19)

AP: Latvians Protest Mandatory Vaccination
Thousands of people took to the streets of Latvia’s capital of Riga late Wednesday to protest mandatory COVID-19 vaccination. The Baltic News Service, the region’s main news agency, said the number of people exceeded the maximum allowed for public protests, people did not observe distance, and many didn’t wear face masks. (8/19)

Bloomberg: Mexico Covid Cases Rise By Record 28,953 Amid Third Wave
Mexico reported a record daily rise in Covid-19 cases with 28,953, bringing the total to 3,152,205, the Health Ministry said in its daily report Wednesday. The ministry reported 940 new Covid-19 deaths for a total of 250,469. Mexico had vaccinated 61% of adults as of Aug. 16 with at least one dose, a little more than half having received complete vaccination, Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell said on Twitter on Tuesday. Of Mexico’s Covid-19 deaths in 2021, 95.5% were unvaccinated people, 2.5% were partially vaccinated and 2% vaccinated, Lopez-Gatell said. (Orozco, 8/18)

The Washington Post: Nicole Kidman Exempt From Hong Kong’s Tough Quarantine Rule, Sparking Backlash
Olympic medalists, the heads of global banks and every other Hong Kong resident must go through between 14 and 21 days of mandatory quarantine, among the world’s strictest border control rules. But not Nicole Kidman, who was spotted shopping in the city just two days after her arrival. The Daily Mail Australia first reported that Kidman boarded a private plane in Sydney headed for Hong Kong, where she is shooting a television series about expatriates in the city. (Mahtani, 8/19)

Bloomberg: Singapore To Deport Briton Who Refused To Wear Mask, Reports Say
Singapore will deport a U.K. national who repeatedly refused to wear a mask in defiance of the Asian city-state’s strict social distancing rules, CNA reported. Photos of Benjamin Glynn not wearing a mask on a train in Singapore’s central business district went viral, and he was charged for that violation as well as subsequently showing up for a court appearance without a mask. According to the Straits Times, Glynn during the court trial said he was a “sovereign” to whom the charges didn’t apply, an argument the Singaporean court rejected. Police officers testified Glynn had told them Covid-19 was a “hoax” and that vaccines were bad for human health, the newspaper reported. (Wallbank, 8/19)

On Havana syndrome —

The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Officials In Germany Hit By Havana Syndrome 
At least two U.S. officials stationed in Germany sought medical treatment after developing symptoms of the mysterious health complaint known as Havana Syndrome, U.S. diplomats said. The symptoms, which included nausea, severe headaches, ear pain, fatigue, insomnia and sluggishness, began to emerge in recent months and some victims were left unable to work, the diplomats said. They are the first cases to be reported in a NATO country that hosts U.S. troops and nuclear weapons. (Pancevski, 8/18)

Also —

CIDRAP: World Flu Activity Stays Sporadic; Flu B More Common Than Flu A
Global flu activity remained at very low levels, as it has for much of the COVID-19 pandemic, with influenza B the most commonly detected strain, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its latest update, which covers the last half of July. Flu is still at interseasonal levels in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Sporadic detections were reported in some parts of the world, including western and eastern Africa and in some South Asian countries, including India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. (8/18)

AP: 'WeThe15' Stresses Rights Of 1.2 Billion With Disabilities
The opening next week of the Paralympic Games in Tokyo is being used as a stage to launch a human-rights movement aimed at the world’s 1.2 billion people with disabilities. The campaign is called “WeThe15”and gets its name from World Health Organization estimates that persons with disabilities represent 15% of the global population. The campaign is being spearheaded by the International Paralympic Committee, UN Human Rights, the International Disability Alliance, and others. (Wade, 8/19)

The Washington Post: Polish Olympian Auctions Off Silver Medal To Help Pay For Infant’s Surgery
For Maria Andrejczyk, something mattered more than the silver medal she won in the javelin during the Tokyo Olympics. So the bone cancer survivor decided to auction her medal to raise money to help pay for surgery for an 8-month-old baby with a heart defect. ... On Monday, she wrote that a $125,000 bid from Zabka, a Polish convenience store chain, was the winner, with funds set to help the child have surgery at Stanford University Medical Center. (Boren, 8/18)

New England Journal of Medicine: Effectiveness Of Covid-19 Vaccines Against The B.1.617.2 (Delta) Variant
Only modest differences in vaccine effectiveness were noted with the delta variant as compared with the alpha variant after the receipt of two vaccine doses. Absolute differences in vaccine effectiveness were more marked after the receipt of the first dose. This finding would support efforts to maximize vaccine uptake with two doses among vulnerable populations. (Bernal et al, 8/12)

New England Journal of Medicine: Clinical Features Of Vaccine-Induced Immune Thrombocytopenia And Thrombosis
Vaccine-induced immune thrombocytopenia and thrombosis (VITT) is a new syndrome associated with the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 adenoviral vector vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Data are lacking on the clinical features of and the prognostic criteria for this disorder. (Pavord et al, 8/11)

New England Journal of Medicine: Abelacimab For Prevention Of Venous Thromboembolism
This trial showed that factor XI is important for the development of postoperative venous thromboembolism. Factor XI inhibition with a single intravenous dose of abelacimab after total knee arthroplasty was effective for the prevention of venous thromboembolism and was associated with a low risk of bleeding. (Verhamme et al, 8/12)

JAMA Network: Association Between Prenatal Exposure To Antipsychotics And Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Preterm Birth, And Small For Gestational Age
Does prenatal exposure to antipsychotics increase the risk of preterm birth, small for gestational age, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or autism spectrum disorder (ASD)? In this cohort study of 411 251 mother-child pairs, there was not an increased risk of ADHD, ASD, preterm birth, and small for gestational age with prenatal use of antipsychotics. Maternal psychiatric disorders were associated with a significantly increased risk of ADHD and ASD, but not with preterm birth or small for gestational age in neonates. (Wang et al, 8/16)

The Lancet: Development And Validation Of Deep Learning Classifiers To Detect Epstein-Barr Virus And Microsatellite Instability Status In Gastric Cancer
Response to immunotherapy in gastric cancer is associated with microsatellite instability (or mismatch repair deficiency) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) positivity. We therefore aimed to develop and validate deep learning-based classifiers to detect microsatellite instability and EBV status from routine histology slides. (Muti et al, 8/17)

USA Today: Prisons Were COVID Hot Spot. As Rates Rise, Mandate Vaccine For Staff.
In early July, Julie Anderson got up at 3 a.m. to make the long drive from suburban Chicago to a central Illinois prison to see her son, who is serving a 60-year sentence. When she got there, she offered the guard at the front desk her vaccine card, assuming there was a need for proof of vaccination to enter the visiting room. The guard seemed  surprised, Anderson stated during an interview. As she recalled, it was as if the prison official was seeing a visitor vaccination card for the first time. (Amanda Klonsky and Erika Tyagi, 8/18)

Los Angeles Times: The NFL Discovers How To Trounce Vaccine Hesitancy
As of Aug. 11, according to figures the league released through NFL.com, nearly 92% of all players have received at least one vaccine dose, and 15 teams have 95% or more of their players vaccinated. ... What happened? And what are the lessons for the rest of us? The short answer to the first question is that the league put its foot down, hard, on any resistance to getting vaccinated against COVID-19. The league made its views known in a July 22 memo delineating the consequences to any of the 32 teams that experienced a viral outbreak traceable to unvaccinated staff or players. (Michael Hiltzik, 8/17)

The New York Times: The Truth About Long Covid Is Complicated. Better Treatment Isn’t. 
The Delta wave has intensified the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States just as children were preparing to return to school and adults were hoping for something like a return to their normal lives. Along with fears about rising hospitalizations and deaths, there are growing worries about another potential outcome of infection: long Covid for children and vaccinated adults who get mild breakthrough infections. Reports of long Covid are everywhere, and they are alarming. However, understanding what the evidence really shows about the relationship between the Covid virus, SARS-CoV-2, and this syndrome may alleviate some fears. (Adam Gaffney and Zackary Berger, 8/18)

Stat: To Vaccinate More Americans, Lean Into Outbreaks 
As the Delta variant surges across almost all states in the U.S. causing local outbreaks, getting more people vaccinated against the virus that causes Covid-19 should be the country’s key goal. Even though 72% of Americans age 18 and older have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine — one of the highest vaccination rates in the world — it isn’t enough. (K.J. Seung and Natalie Dean, 8/19)

Kansas City Star: Unvaccinated COVID Cases Inundating Kansas City Hospitals 
Over the last few weeks, we’ve heard reports from medical professionals across the country about the increasing numbers of patients severely affected by COVID-19, as well as dwindling resources to care for them. The Kansas City area is no exception, and the current surge of delta variant cases is beginning to impact our abilities to care for patients across all levels of the health care system. This is not a partisan issue. Unless we all act together to fight this pandemic, the darkest days still lie ahead. (Emily M. Williams, 8/19)

Los Angeles Times: A Warning To Doctors — Spreading COVID Misinformation Could Cost You Your License
On the list of things that doctors shouldn’t need to be told, one would expect that promoting bogus COVID-19 remedies would rank pretty high. The top of the list, in fact. But no. The problem has become so acute that the Federation of State Medical Boards recently felt compelled to issue a stark warning to medical professionals: “Physicians who generate and spread COVID-19 vaccine misinformation or disinformation are risking disciplinary action by state medical boards, including the suspension or revocation of their medical license.” (Michael Hiltzik, 8/16)

Stat: Booster Shots Alone Won't Protect Immunocompromised People 
Covid-19 taught me something about second chances: In March 2020, I fought the virus and won. Barely. But my gratitude for the chance to live, to continue to be a husband and father, and to work in the hospital again doesn’t translate into an optimistic perspective on the latest deadly phase of the pandemic. Collectively, we may be running out of second chances. (Matthew Harris, 8/18)

Stat: ALS Patient Who Died Should Force Companies To Anticipate Access Issues
It’s been two weeks since Lisa Stockman Mauriello passed away and a lingering question, in my mind, is whether she died in vain. I’d like to think not. During her final months, the 52-year-old former public relations executive battled Biogen, one of the world’s largest biotech companies, for access to an experimental treatment for ALS, a fatal neurological disease that gradually causes muscle weakness and paralysis. (Ed Silverman, 8/19)

Stat: A Synthetic Pandemic Could Be Far, Far Worse Than Covid-19 
In 1988, as Russian scientist Nikolai Ustinov worked in the VECTOR lab, part of a Russian program to develop viral weapons, he accidentally infected himself with the Marburg virus, a deadly pathogen related to Ebola. He died weeks later. During his autopsy, a pathologist accidentally stuck himself with a needle and died as well. At its peak, the VECTOR lab was thought to be able to produce two tons of Variola virus (the microbe that causes smallpox) per year. The lab was eventually transitioned into a research institute after the Cold War and recently helped develop the Russian Covid-19 vaccine, Sputnik V. It currently holds one of the world’s two official repositories of smallpox. (Abraar Karan and Stephen Luby, 8/19)

Georgia Health News: Don’t Delay! Ban Menthol Cigarettes 
Race has long been a key determinant of public health in this country, and as U.S. Surgeon General under President Bill Clinton, I saw those disparities – and worse outcomes for Black Americans – every day. In 1998, I released the first Surgeon General’s report on “Tobacco Use Among U.S. Racial/Ethnic Minority Groups,” detailing how every one of our country’s major racial and ethnic minority groups were using tobacco at alarming rates, impacting their long-term health. At the time, I wrote, “African-Americans currently bear the greatest health burden” from cigarette smoking. Unfortunately, African-Americans today continue to die at high rates from tobacco-related diseases like lung cancer, heart disease and stroke. (Dr. David Satcher, 8/18)