NBC News: Pfizer Asks For FDA Authorization For Booster For Everyone 18 And Up
Pfizer-BioNTech asked the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday for emergency use authorization for its Covid-19 booster shot for all adults ages 18 and up, a move the company has been angling for over the past several months. Pfizer’s request will now be considered by the FDA, which will make a final decision in the coming weeks. It’s unclear whether the agency will ask its independent advisory group, called the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, to offer guidance on authorizing the booster. (Miller, 11/9)

CNN: Pfizer And BioNTech Seek FDA Authorization For Covid-19 Vaccine Booster For All Adults
The companies said the submission is based on results of a Phase 3 trial involving more than 10,000 participants; it found boosters were safe and had an efficacy of 95% against symptomatic Covid-19 compared with the two-dose vaccine schedule in the period when the highly transmissible Delta was the dominant strain. Pfizer released the booster efficacy data last month; it has not yet been peer-reviewed or published. (Sealy and Gumbrecht, 11/9)

In related news —

FiveThirtyEight: The U.S. Is Relying On Other Countries’ Data To Make Its Booster Shot Decisions
One Thursday in October, the Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine advisory committee gathered to discuss booster shots for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccines. Yet one of the first presentations wasn’t given by Americans — it featured scientists from Israel’s Ministry of Health and Weizmann Institute. And the presentation wasn’t about Moderna or Johnson & Johnson’s vaccines — the Israelis shared their findings from the country’s Pfizer booster shot campaign. This was less than ideal. Not only did the presentation focus on a different vaccine from the two up for discussion, it also centered around a population that’s much smaller and more homogenous than America’s. Plus, Israel’s vaccine rollout happened earlier and faster than the U.S.’s — meaning that the population had more vaccine-induced immunity but was potentially more vulnerable to the impacts of waning protection. (Ladyzhets, 11/9)

AP: Feds Urge Schools To Provide COVID-19 Shots, Info For Kids
The Biden administration is encouraging local school districts to host clinics to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to kids and information to parents on the benefits of the shots as the White House looks to speedily provide vaccines to those ages 5 to 11. First lady Jill Biden and Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy visited the Franklin Sherman Elementary School in McLean, Virginia, on Monday to launch a nationwide campaign to promote child vaccinations. The school was the first to administer the polio vaccine in 1954. The visit came just days after federal regulators recommended the COVID-19 vaccine for the age group. The White House says the first lady will visit pediatric vaccination clinics across the country over the coming weeks to encourage the shots. (Miller, 11/8)

The Washington Post: CDC Data Shows 360,000 Children Under 12 Got At Least One Vaccine Dose
More than 360,000 children under 12 in the United States have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Food and Drug Administration authorized the emergency use of Pfizer-BioNTech’s pediatric coronavirus vaccine in 5-to-11-year-olds on Oct. 29 and the CDC recommended its use on Nov. 2. (Jeong and Timsit, 11/9)

In New York —

The New York Times: N.Y.C. Public Schools Open Vaccination Sites For 5- To 11-Year-Olds
P.S. 40, in the Gramercy neighborhood, was one of a dozen New York City schools swamped with demand Monday morning as the city rolled out its weeklong effort to bring a half-day vaccine clinic to each of its more than 1,000 schools that serve elementary aged students. City officials acknowledged that they were caught off-guard by the demand at those schools, which far exceeded the interest last spring at school-based vaccine clinics for teenagers. They pledged to return to any school where children were turned away for lack of supply. (Otterman and Wong, 11/8)

Bloomberg: NYC Gives City Workers Sick Leave To Get Kids Vaccinated
New York City is extending additional paid sick leave to city workers and contractors so they can get their children vaccinated, Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a briefing Monday. He said workers would get four extra hours per child for each shot their children receive. (Chen, 11/8)

Doctors and health experts explain vaccines for kids —

NBC News: What Pediatricians Want Parents To Know About The Covid Vaccine For Kids
As the Covid-19 vaccine has been rolling out for children ages 5 to 11, questions for pediatricians have been rolling in. Many parents are simply wondering where they can find the long-awaited vaccine locally — and fast. Plenty other questions are from parents with a range of concerns about safety and effectiveness in kids. (Stenson, 11/8)

Austin American-Statesman: What's The Truth About Kids, COVID Vaccine Side Effects And Fertility?
One of the most common misconceptions, which doctors heard when teens became eligible as well, has to do with the effect the vaccine might have on future fertility. It's a myth, says Dr. Elizabeth Knapp, a pediatrician with Austin Regional Clinic. "Of course, for any new medicine, any new vaccine, we have questions," she said. "Could there be side effects? That's a very rational thought." Knapp explained that the building blocks of mRNA vaccines such as the Pfizer COVID-19 shot for kids are not new. (Villalpando, 11/8)

The Atlantic: Will A COVID Vaccine Make My Kid Immune By Thanksgiving?
A first COVID shot will give kids some protection, but none of them will be fully vaccinated until the beginning of December. (Wu, 11/8)

Thus far, the initiative seems to be accepted —

Axios: Axios-Ipsos Poll: No Widespread COVID School Backlash 
Most Americans — including more than two-thirds of Republicans — give their local schools good marks for balancing public health and safety with other priorities, according to the latest installment of the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index. Other findings from our national survey suggest Americans are less worried about COVID risks and largely feel the Delta variant is behind them. That's a potential path to redemption for President Biden after months of sinking approval numbers. (Talev, 11/9)

Politico: Biden Administration: Blocking Vaccine Mandate Could Cost ‘Hundreds Of Lives Per Day’
The Biden administration told a federal court Monday that a stay of its vaccinate-or-test requirement for private employers "would likely cost dozens or even hundreds of lives per day." Responding to a temporary stay imposed by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on Saturday, the administration argued that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was well within its authority to issue the requirements calling for employees at large businesses to be vaccinated against Covid-19 or tested weekly. (Rainey, 11/8)

NPR: Blocked For Now, Biden's Vaccine-Or-Test Rule For Workers Faces Uncertain Future
"With the reopening of workplaces and the emergence of the highly transmissible Delta variant, the threat to workers is ongoing and overwhelming," the administration argued, while dismissing the legal objections that led to the stay as lacking merit. "Defending a policy is not a new thing," said White House Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre earlier on Monday. "The administration clearly has the authority to protect workers, and actions announced by the President are designed to save lives and stop the spread of COVID-19." (Hsu, 11/8)

CNBC: White House Tells Businesses To Proceed With Vaccine Mandate Despite Court-Ordered Pause
The White House on Monday said businesses should move forward with President Joe Biden’s vaccine and testing requirements for private businesses, despite a federal appeals court ordering a temporary halt to the rules. “People should not wait,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters during a briefing. “They should continue to move forward and make sure they’re getting their workplace vaccinated.” (Kimball, 11/8)

In other news on challenges to the mandates —

The Hill: Republican Says GOP Should Block Government Funding Over Vaccine Mandates
Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) called on Republicans in Congress to attempt to block government funding legislation next month in response to the Biden administration’s vaccinate-or-test requirements that he labeled as “unconstitutional.” The Texan requested his fellow Republicans to “stand up” and prevent the government from passing a continuing resolution to extend funding beyond Dec. 3 as long as the federal vaccine mandates are in effect. (Coleman, 11/8)

Bloomberg Law: Health Worker Vaccine Mandate Expected To Withstand Challenges
The Biden administration’s mandate that health-care workers at facilities paid by Medicare and Medicare get a Covid-19 vaccination is likely to hold up against future court challenges, putting it on firmer ground than the vaccine-or-test rule for large companies that has already been halted, legal observers said. The two rules released Nov. 4 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration represent a significant flex of federal muscle, testing the liberties and limits of the agencies. (Reed, 11/9)

The Wall Street Journal: Fed Says U.S. Public Health Among Biggest Near-Term Risks To Financial System
The potential for U.S. public health to worsen as the Covid-19 pandemic continues is one of the greatest near-term risks to the financial system, the Federal Reserve said, while noting that asset prices are susceptible to large declines should investor sentiment shift. Any deterioration in the public-health situation could slow the recent economic recovery, particularly if widespread business closures returned and supply chains were further disrupted, the Fed said. The number of new Covid-19 cases has fallen in recent months, but a resurgence this summer, tied to the Delta variant, coincided with a slowdown in hiring and economic growth. (Ackerman, 11/8)

Stat: How Nancy Pelosi Almost Killed Drug Pricing Reform 
The White House stunned health care experts last month when it declared it was abandoning its efforts to reform drug pricing in the major domestic spending package moving through Congress, a seeming death knell for what had long been a major priority for Democrats. But unlike earlier in the negotiations, moderate Democrats weren’t the holdouts. This time, it was Speaker Nancy Pelosi who dealt the blow, late the night before, to the latest deal on offer, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. (Cohrs, 11/9)

Modern Healthcare: Supreme Court To Review Federal Laws Around Dialysis Coverage
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review federal laws outlining how employee health plans must treat patients with end-stage renal disease. The nation's highest court granted a petition to review regulations on Friday, after the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that an Ohio hospital's health plan violated the federal Medicare Secondary Payer Act and the Employer Retirement Income Security Act when it categorized all dialysis providers as out of network. The decision also conflicted with an earlier ruling from the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. (Topper, 11/8)

Bloomberg: Unsealed Emails Show How J&J Shaped Report on Talc's Links to Cancer
Unsealed emails reveal the role baby-powder maker Johnson & Johnson played in a report that an industry group submitted to U.S. regulators deciding whether to keep warnings off talc-based products linked to cancer. The emails -- unsealed in the state of Mississippi’s lawsuit against J&J over its refusal to add a safety warning -- show J&J and its talc supplier chose the scientists hired by their trade association, the Personal Care Products Council, to write the 2009 report assessing talc-based powders’ health risks. They also show the researchers changed the final version of their report at the companies’ behest. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it relied in part on the report in its decision to forgo a warning for the product. (Feeley and Edney, 11/8)

The US joins nations trying to cut emissions from the health industry —

The New York Times: More Than 40 Nations Pledge To Cut Emissions From Their Health Industries
More than 40 countries have pledged to cut greenhouse-gas emissions across their health systems, World Health Organization officials said late Monday, representing the largest global effort to date to try to reduce contributions by the world’s hospitals and health care industry to global warming. “This announcement is huge,” said Josh Karliner, the international director of program and strategy at Health Care Without Harm, a nonprofit that has worked to reduce the environmental impact of the health care sector. It is designed to put the industry on a path toward “net zero” emissions of greenhouse gases, he said, and “what it implies is that the way health care is provided is going to be fundamentally transformed.” (Choi-Schagrin, 11/8)

Fauci speaks about covid again —

NPR: What Dr. Fauci Sees Coming For The COVID Pandemic This Winter
The United States has seen a decline in cases and hospitalizations since the summer's delta surge — but the decline is declining. COVID-19 is still killing more than 1,000 people in the U.S. every day. New cases still hover around 72,000 per day — and infections are actually trending up in some pockets of the country, including parts of the Mountain West and the Northeast. (Jarenwattananon, Intagliata, and Morell, 11/8)

Also —

KHN: Medicare Enrollment Blitz Doesn’t Include Options To Move Into Medigap
Medicare’s annual open-enrollment season is here and millions of beneficiaries — prompted by a massive advertising campaign and aided by a detailed federal website — will choose a private Medicare Advantage plan. But those who have instead opted for traditional Medicare face a critical decision about private insurance. Too often the import of that choice is not well communicated. (Meyer, 11/9)

The New York Times: Scientists Fight A New Source Of Vaccine Misinformation: Aaron Rodgers
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is not just the N.F.L.’s reigning most valuable player, he’s a celebrity who transcends the nation’s most popular sport, a household name on par with Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes. So when news broke that he tested positive for the coronavirus last week and was unvaccinated, Rodgers justified his decision to not get vaccinated by speaking out against the highly effective vaccines and spewing a stream of misinformation and junk science. Medical professionals were disheartened not just because it will make it harder for them to persuade adults to get vaccinated, but because they are also starting to vaccinate 5- to 11-year-olds. (Belson and Anthes, 11/8)

The Wall Street Journal: Aaron Rodgers’ State Farm TV Ads Cut Back After Vaccine Comments
State Farm aired far fewer commercials that featured Aaron Rodgers over the weekend after the NFL star recently divulged he was unvaccinated against Covid-19 and questioned vaccine effectiveness. About 1.5% of the nearly 400 State Farm television advertisements aired on Sunday through 8 p.m. ET included Mr. Rodgers, compared with more than 20% the two Sundays prior, according to Apex Marketing Group, a Michigan-based ad tracking and consulting firm. (Abdel-Bacqui, 11/8)

The Hill: Poll Shows Just How Far COVID-19 Misinformation Has Traveled
Almost 8 in 10 U.S. adults believe or are unsure of at least one false statement about COVID-19, according to polling data published Monday. The poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) found that 78 percent of U.S. adults surveyed said they believe or were unsure of at least one of eight false COVID-19 statements that the organization tested. That includes 38 percent who believe the government is exaggerating the number of COVID-19 deaths, 17 percent who believe pregnant women should not get the vaccine and 18 percent who believe deaths caused by the vaccine are being hidden by the government. (Sullivan, 11/8)

CNN: Covid Vaccine Debate's Strange Turn 
The Covid-19 vaccine debate is getting weird. On Twitter, Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz accused Big Bird of pushing "Government propaganda...for your 5 year old!" after the Muppet tweeted about getting the shot in his wing. CNN aired a special on Saturday with "Sesame Street" to explain the vaccine to children ages 5-11, who are now eligible to get the shot. (Wolf, 11/9)

Delta is done, many think —

Axios: Axios-Ipsos Poll: Americans Are So Over Delta 
Americans are increasingly likely to believe returning to normal life is only a low to moderate risk as Delta cases plummet, according to the latest installment of the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index. "Delta's over in the popular imagination," said Ipsos pollster and senior vice president Chris Jackson. "People are starting to re-engage with their regular activities. They're not as worried about getting COVID," Jackson said. (Reed, 11/9)

But the science shows vaccines definitely work —

Bloomberg: Vaccinated 16 Times Less Likely To Die From Covid, Study Shows
People who are fully vaccinated are 16 times less likely to end up in intensive care or to die from Covid-19 than those who aren’t immunized, an Australian government study found. Nearly 16 out of 100,000 people who had yet to receive a Covid vaccine landed in intensive care or died after contracting the virus, compared to fewer than one in every 100,000 who were fully vaccinated, according to data compiled by health authorities in New South Wales, Australia’s most populous state. The country has rolled out highly potent mRNA vaccines co-developed by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, a similar one from Moderna Inc., and a viral vector shot from the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca Plc. (11/9)

Reuters: U.S. Administers 432 Mln COVID-19 Vaccine Doses, 70% Adults Fully Vaccinated - CDC
The United States has administered 432,111,860 doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the country as of Monday morning, with over 70% of adults fully vaccinated, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The agency said the country has distributed 534,086,695 doses. The figures were up from the 430,927,624 vaccine doses, the CDC said it had administered by Nov. 7 out of 534,081,335 doses delivered. (11/8)

Meanwhile, around the country —

San Francisco Chronicle: California Health Officials Urge COVID Booster Shots Ahead Of The Holidays
Hoping to avoid another surge of COVID-19 cases this winter, California public health officials on Monday urged residents to get booster shots and vaccinate their newly eligible younger children. With the combination of people gathering indoors due to colder weather and waning vaccine immunity, the health department said it sees a concerning rise of new cases, hospitalizations and deaths across the state. (Vaziri, 11/8)

Chicago Tribune: Pritkzer Signs Measure Intended To Close Loophole On Vaccine Mandates 
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday signed a controversial measure aimed at preventing people from using a decades-old law to avoid COVID-19 vaccination mandates by citing moral or religious objections. The change to the state’s Health Care Right of Conscience Act comes as lawsuits have challenged vaccination requirements from the government and private employers by referencing a law that was intended to protect doctors and other health care workers from having to provide abortions or other reproductive services that go against their beliefs. (Gorner, 11/8)

The Texas Tribune: Majority Of Texans Support COVID-19 Vaccine And Mask Mandates, Poll Says 
A majority of Texas voters support requiring masks at schools and indoor public places and allowing businesses to require their employees to be vaccinated, according to a new University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll. This comes as Gov. Greg Abbott has banned vaccine requirements by all Texas entities, including private businesses and health care facilities, and mask mandates by local government and state agencies. (Irvine, 11/9)

The New York Times: U.S. Covid Deaths Get Even Redder
The brief version: The gap in Covid’s death toll between red and blue America has grown faster over the past month than at any previous point. In October, 25 out of every 100,000 residents of heavily Trump counties died from Covid, more than three times higher than the rate in heavily Biden counties (7.8 per 100,000). October was the fifth consecutive month that the percentage gap between the death rates in Trump counties and Biden counties widened. Some conservative writers have tried to claim that the gap may stem from regional differences in weather or age, but those arguments fall apart under scrutiny. (If weather or age were a major reason, the pattern would have begun to appear last year.) The true explanation is straightforward: The vaccines are remarkably effective at preventing severe Covid, and almost 40 percent of Republican adults remain unvaccinated, compared with about 10 percent of Democratic adults. (Leonhardt, 11/8)

The Guardian: New Vaccine Campaigns Target Rural Americans To Address Disparities 
In the United States, there is a renewed campaign to vaccinate rural Americans due to the stark difference in Covid-19 cases and deaths among those living in less-populated areas compared with towns and cities.Rural residents are now twice as likely to die from Covid-19 as Americans in metropolitan areas. Yet rural areas tend to lag at least 10% behind metropolitan areas when it comes to vaccination – and this hesitancy is exacerbating already existing health issues. (Schreiber, 11/9)

Groups still push for vaccine exemptions, resist getting shots —

AP: Railroads Fight With Unions In Court Over Vaccine Mandates
Another major railroad has gone to court to determine whether it has the authority to require all its employees to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. BNSF railroad filed a lawsuit Sunday against its major unions over its mandate. It joins Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific, which both filed similar lawsuits against the unions last month. The unions, which have filed some of their own lawsuits in response, argue that the railroads should have negotiated with them before imposing their mandates. (Funk, 11/8)

Reuters: EXCLUSIVE Boeing U.S. Worker Vaccine Exemption Requests Top 11,000 - Sources
The number of Boeing Co employees seeking a vaccine exemption on religious or medical grounds has reached more than 11,000 - or nearly 9% of its U.S. workforce - a level many times higher than executives initially estimated, people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The widespread reluctance has left executives scrambling for a strategy that keeps employees safe and complies with President Joe Biden's vaccine mandate for federal contractors, but avoids an exodus of engineering and factory labor, the people said. (Johnson, 11/9)

CBS News: COVID-19 Is Nation's Biggest Cop Killer, Yet Many Officers Are Vaccine Resistant
A Homeland Security officer in Georgia and a deputy sheriff in Kentucky are among the nearly two dozen law enforcement officers who died last month of COVID-19, now the leading cause of job-related deaths among U.S. police professionals. Yet even as COVID-19 kills far more cops than gunfire, those whose duty it is to serve and protect the public are among the most resistant to getting vaccinated. From California to New York, unions representing law enforcement are fighting requirements that members get immunized against the coronavirus, which has killed more than 500 officers since the pandemic began. While law enforcement officers were among the first front-line workers to be offered coronavirus vaccines, their vaccination rates by most accounts remain at or below the public at large. (Gibson, 11/8)

San Francisco Chronicle: San Francisco Police Officer Dies Battling COVID-19 After Failing To Meet Deadline For Vaccination
A San Francisco police officer died battling COVID-19 after missing the city’s deadline to be inoculated and being placed on leave for failing to follow the health safety rules. Officer Jack Nyce, 46, a 17-year-veteran of the department, died Saturday after testing positive for the coronavirus last Tuesday, his wife Melissa Nyce said. By Saturday, his symptoms had become so severe that his wife called an ambulance to transport her husband to a Kaiser hospital in Manteca, where the couple lived. She was by his side when he died that day, she said. (Swan, 11/8)

Deaths are rising in some places, cases fall elsewhere —

AP: Kentucky Surpasses 10,000 Coronavirus-Related Deaths
Kentucky surpassed 10,000 coronavirus-related deaths Monday, the latest grim milestone in the ongoing fight against the global pandemic, Gov. Andy Beshear said. The state’s rising death toll from COVID-19 reached at least 10,019, the governor said, calling it “nothing short of tragic.” In another sign of the virus’ deadly impact, COVID-19 ranked as the Bluegrass State’s third-leading cause of death last year and again so far this year, he said. (Schreiner, 11/9)

AP: Oregon COVID Cases Fall To Lowest Levels Since Early August
Weekly COVID-19 cases in Oregon have fallen to the lowest levels since early August. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the Oregon Health Authority recorded 6,643 cases in the past week, down 16% from a week earlier. That includes 2,125 cases announced Monday for the previous three days. Oregon averaged 949 cases per day in the past week, dipping below 1,000 daily cases for the first time since early August. (11/9)

With Thanksgiving approaching, parties, group meetings are in focus —

The New York Times: A Vermont College Blames Halloween Parties For A Covid Outbreak
Officials at a college in Colchester, Vt., are blaming Halloween parties for a Covid outbreak, which comes as the state of Vermont has reported a record number of coronavirus cases over the past week. The virus is surging in Vermont as more people gather inside to avoid the cold weather. Experts warn that holiday gatherings could lead to more cases this winter. (Lukpat, 11/9)

Dallas Morning News: Study: March Madness Played A Role In COVID-19 Transmission Upticks
After March Madness had to be canceled in 2020, fans were undoubtedly excited to see its return in 2021, just a few months after the first COVID-19 vaccines had become available. But the vaccines weren’t available to everyone by March 2021, so venues hosting the NCAA men’s basketball tournament games required masks, encouraged social distancing, and capped attendance at lower limits to reduce the risk of COVID transmission. (Haelle, 11/8)

The New York Times: Thanksgiving 2021: How To Host Holiday With Unvaccinated Friends, Family
In addition to the big, juicy turkey on the table, there’s also an elephant lurking in the room this Thanksgiving: the vaccination status of your guests. It’s a tricky thing to talk about. Do you ask your aunt if she received the COVID vaccine after she RSVPs? What if she says no? Do you endure another scaled-back celebration, like last year? Or should you serve up a bunch of precautions? (Caron, 11/8)

Reuters: Regeneron's Antibody Drug Shows Protection Against Covid For Up To 8 Months
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals said on Monday a single dose of its antibody cocktail reduced the risk of contracting Covid-19 by 81.6 percent in a late-stage trial, in the two to eight months period following the drug's administration. The data is expected to support the ongoing regulatory review to extend the antibody therapy's use in preventing Covid in people who are not exposed to the virus. (11/8)

AP: EU Drug Agency Looking At Data On Merck's COVID-19 Pill
The European Union’s medicines agency on Monday began reviewing Merck’s COVID-19 treatment pill so that it can swiftly advise national drug authorities in the 27-nation bloc that want to begin using it before it gets official approval. The European Medicines Agency said in a statement that it will give “EU-wide recommendations in the shortest possible timeframe to help national authorities decide on possible early use of the medicine, for example, in emergency use settings.” The Amsterdam-based agency will give the recommendations while a comprehensive review of molnupiravir continues ahead of a possible application to market the drug. (11/8)

On risks —

Dallas Morning News: Unvaccinated People 20 Times More Likely To Die From COVID-19 Than Vaccinated, New Texas Data Shows
During the month of September, Texans not vaccinated against COVID-19 were 20 times more likely to die from COVID-19-related complications and 13 times more likely to test positive than people who were fully vaccinated, according to a new study by the Texas Department of State Health Services. The protective effect of vaccination was most pronounced among younger people. From Sept. 4 to Oct. 1, the risk of COVID-19 death was 23 times higher in unvaccinated people in their 30s and 55 times higher for people in their 40s, when compared with their vaccinated peers, the study found. (Huang, 11/8)

CIDRAP: COVID Patients In Poor Areas At High Risk For Death, Heart Events
US residents of low-income, crowded, and racially diverse communities had outsized rates of death, heart attack, stroke, and new-onset heart failure when hospitalized for treatment of COVID-19, according to an abstract on preliminary study results to be presented at the virtual American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions Nov 13 to 15. A team led by Emory University researchers used the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) to identify US poor and diverse US communities. The index ranks communities based on socioeconomic status, household composition and disability status, racial group and primary language, and housing type and transportation resources. (Van Beusekom, 11/8)

On persistent symptoms —

CIDRAP: Half Of Rheumatology Patients Report Persistent Symptoms After COVID-19
Over half of adults diagnosed as having a rheumatologic disease reported persistent COVID-19 symptoms at least a month after recovery from their infection, according to survey results presented late last week at the virtual American College of Rheumatology annual meeting. A news release from the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City described the study, in which researchers emailed surveys to 7,505 men and women 18 years and older who had been treated for rheumatologic conditions at the hospital from 2018 to 2020. (11/8)

San Francisco Chronicle: So You've Got Long COVID? Here Are 5 Things You Should Know
Four years ago, I developed a debilitating illness that disrupts multiple bodily systems called myalgic encephalomyelitis, or chronic fatigue syndrome (otherwise known as ME/CFS). I’d been a strategy consultant for tech startups for years. Suddenly, I was too sick to work full-time. I went from being an avid salsa dancer to needing a wheelchair to walk more than a block. I went from being healthy to disabled in the blink of an eye. But I’m not here to share my sob story. Instead, I want to show you the future. (Seiberg, 11/8)

Also —

Axios: Cue Health Unveils Its At-Home COVID-19 Test 
San Diego-based Cue Health, which went public in September and is best known for providing COVID-19 tests to Google, the Defense Department and the NBA, is now debuting a consumer version of its product, available for purchase on Nov. 15. With experts predicting that the virus will be with us for at least a few years in some form, at-home testing is likely to become a growing need for many people. Cue Health’s system includes individually wrapped cartridge packs that also include a nasal swab, and a small square device that processes the test and connects to a mobile device via Bluetooth. (Kokalitcheva, 11/9)

The Hill: Study Links Particular Kind Of Fat, Not Amount, To Higher Stroke Risk
A new study finds that eating more animal fat is linked to a higher risk of stroke but the risk is significantly reduced if people get their fat from vegetable sources, even in larger amounts, NBC News reported on Monday. People who consumed mostly vegetable and polyunsaturated fats, such olive oil, were 12 percent less likely to have an ischemic stroke compared with those who ate a minimum amount of vegetable fats. (Rai, 11/8)

In news about drugs —

Stat: Mirati KRAS Combination Shows Promising Results In Lung Cancer Study
Mirati Therapeutics said Monday that more than 60% of patients with lung cancer showed confirmed tumor responses when its experimental KRAS-blocking drug was added to Merck’s Keytruda immunotherapy. While the study results are preliminary and derived from only eight patients, Mirati is hoping that a promising combination therapy in lung cancer will help narrow the competitive gap with its biggest rival, Amgen. (Feuerstein, 11/8)

Stat: Drug To Prevent Premature Births Tied To Higher Cancer Risk, Study Finds
The key ingredient in a controversial medicine used to prevent premature births is associated with a higher risk of cancer in people that were exposed to the treatment in utero, according to a new study. Specifically, those exposed to 17-OHPC had nearly double the risk of any cancer compared to those not exposed, although the risk appeared to vary depending on the cancer. For instance, children exposed to 17-OHPC had more than 34 times greater risk of brain cancer, and as adults had more than five times greater risk of colorectal and prostate cancers. (Silverman, 11/9)

CIDRAP: Mandated Sepsis Bundle Tied To Increased Antibiotic Use, Fewer Deaths
A series of measures mandated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to improve sepsis care in US hospitals was associated with increased sepsis diagnosis and antibiotic use, but also with reduced mortality, researchers reported late last week in Clinical Infectious Diseases. In their analysis of the Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock: Management Bundle (SEP-1) Core Measure, required at all US hospitals that receive CMS compensation as of October 2015, the researchers looked at antibiotic use among adult patients at 26 hospitals during the year before and the year after implementation (October 2014 through October 2016). (11/8)

Axios: Organ Donation Recovery Rates Worse For People Of Color, Data Show 
Organ donation success rates for people of color, especially for Black Americans, vary widely across the U.S. compared to white people, even in neighboring cities, according to an analysis of recently released 2019 CMS data. Fewer Black donors correlates to fewer Black recipients, which has led to more Black people dying on the organ transplant waitlist. (Fernandez, 11/9)

Politico: VA Rejects Cannabis Research As Veterans Plead For Medical Pot
Millions of veterans are self-medicating their war-caused ailments with marijuana, and they are frustrated the VA continues to dismiss the drug's possible benefits. The VA will not expand the piecemeal cannabis research it is undertaking, despite recent bipartisan calls from Congress, doctors and veterans. And without that research, the VA continues to deny cannabis recommendations to veterans in 36 states that allow medical marijuana. Veterans say that has forced many to suffer, while some researchers suggest the VA also may be ignoring potential ill effects when used inappropriately. (Fertig, 11/8)

NBC News: Falling Asleep At This Time May Be Safest For Your Heart, New Study Shows
The time you go to bed may affect your risk for heart disease. In fact, researchers say, there is a heart health sweet spot for falling asleep: from 10 to 11 p.m. An analysis of data from more than 88,000 adults tracked for around six years revealed a 12 percent greater risk among those who dropped off from 11 to 11:59 p.m. and a 25 percent higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease among people who fell asleep at midnight or later. Falling asleep earlier than 10 p.m. was associated with a 24 percent increase in risk, according to a report published Monday in the European Heart Journal—Digital Health. (Carroll, 11/9)

CBS News: Researchers Trying To Help Patients "Unlearn" Back Pain
Millions of adults are coping with chronic back pain, which can significantly limit their ability to work and do other daily activities. But researchers in Colorado are studying a unique non-drug treatment to eliminate that pain. Daniel Waldrip suffered with chronic back pain for 20 years, and doctors could never find the source. "I made the decision that I was gonna keep running and trying to play golf and skiing. I was just gonna do it and pay the price," Waldrip said. (Ruchim, 11/8)

On cervical cancer prevention —

Stat: As The U.K. Nears Elimination Of Cervical Cancer, The U.S. Isn't Close 
A decade ago, a London cancer prevention researcher predicted that the United Kingdom’s national HPV vaccination campaign would take more than 15 years to prevent a majority of cervical cancers. So when he analyzed the data this year, he was stunned to find that the vaccine may already have nearly eliminated cervical cancer in the U.K. among young women. “If this is right,” Peter Sasieni of King’s College London said of his findings, cervical cancers “could be reduced to about 50 – just 50 cancers in the whole of the U.K. for women under 30. It’s really quite exciting to see that day come – excitement and just joy.” (Chen, 11/9)

AP: Congress Mandates New Car Technology To Stop Drunken Driving
Congress has created a new requirement for automakers: Find a high-tech way to keep drunken people from driving cars. It’s one of the mandates along with a burst of new spending aimed at improving auto safety amid escalating road fatalities in the $1 trillion infrastructure package that President Joe Biden is expected to sign soon. Under the legislation, monitoring systems to stop intoxicated drivers would roll out in all new vehicles as early as 2026, after the Transportation Department assesses the best form of technology to install in millions of vehicles and automakers are given time to comply. (Yen and Krisher, 11/8)

The impact of extreme weather on girls —

The Washington Post: COP26 Panel Discusses How Girls Are Disproportionately Affected By Climate Change
Across the world, many types of extreme weather are becoming more frequent and intense. In low- to lower-middle-income countries, these events are disproportionately affecting girls and young women. Often, they must drop out of school after infrastructure is damaged or skip school to help recoup losses at their homes or fields that were affected. “We cannot hope to build resilience for the decades ahead unless we educate all children. This especially is true for girls,” said Nobel Peace Prize laureate and education activist Malala Yousafzai, via video conference at the panel. “Education prepares women to develop climate solutions, secure green jobs and address issues at the heart of this crisis.” (Patel, 11/8)

Also —

KHN: As Overdose Deaths Soar, DEA-Wary Pharmacies Shy From Dispensing Addiction Medication
When Martin Njoku saw opioid addiction devastate his West Virginia community, he felt compelled to help. This was the place he’d called home for three decades, where he’d raised his two girls and turned his dream of owning a pharmacy into reality. In 2016, after flooding displaced people in nearby counties, Njoku began dispensing buprenorphine to them and to local customers at his Oak Hill Hometown Pharmacy in Fayette County. (Pattani, 11/9)

In mental health news —

The Philadelphia Inquirer: After A Student Death, Rowan Student Group Calls For More Mental Health Services
A group of Rowan University students on Monday called for the school to offer more mental health services following the death of a student last week near campus. University officials haven’t released information about the death, other than to acknowledge a student had passed away. Neither have Glassboro police, who said they are investigating. But the student apparently died by suicide at the same four-story parking garage where another student died two years ago, and word of the death has spread among the 19,000-member student body. (Snyder, 11/8)

KHN: A Judge Takes His Mental Health Struggles Public
In 1972, just 18 days after he was selected to run for vice president with Democratic Sen. George McGovern, Thomas Eagleton was forced off the ticket. The issue? Years earlier, Eagleton had been hospitalized and treated with electroshock therapy for depression. The disclosure of his mental health history was a blow from which the Missouri senator could not recover. Eagleton’s torpedoed candidacy has been a cautionary tale for elected officials ever since, says California Superior Court Judge Tim Fall, who serves in Yolo County. But rather than remain quiet as he approached his own reelection season last year, Fall came out with a book that detailed his decades-long struggles with anxiety and depression. (Kreidler, 11/9)

Stat: Can David Feinberg Fix Cerner? The CEO Of EHR Giant Faces New Threats
In many ways, David Feinberg was an unconventional choice to lead Cerner, one of the nation’s largest vendors of electronic health records. As a prior CEO of health systems, he was a prominent customer of Epic, the company’s arch rival, and a longtime friend of its founder and CEO, Judy Faulkner. At a recent gathering of hospital informatics executives in California, where one might expect the competitors to be working the room, Feinberg and Faulkner instead gravitated toward each other, chatting easily about the future of their work. Feinberg even snapped a selfie of the smiling CEOs and tweeted it. (Ross, 11/9)

Stat: Hospitals Charge Insurers More Than What Medicare Pays For Infused Drugs
Nearly a dozen of the highest-rated hospitals in the U.S. charged commercial health insurers and cash-paying patients significantly more than what Medicare has recently paid for 10 infused medicines on which the government spends the most money, according to a new analysis. Median prices exceeded the Medicare Part B payment limit by a low of 169% at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, while the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix exceeded the payment limit by 344%. Among cash-paying customers, the prices ranged from 149% of the Medicare payment limit at Rush to 306% at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, both based in Boston. (Silverman, 11/8)

Axios: Blue Cross Blue Shield Association Can Impose Fees On Some Mergers 
Health insurance companies that are licensed by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association face steep financial penalties from that organization if they merge with a competitor that doesn't sell BCBS insurance. Blue Cross Blue Shield is one of the most recognizable health insurance names in the country, and the powerful association behind that brand wants to keep its dominance in local markets. (Herman, 11/9)

Crain's New York Business: The Big Business Of Blood
The advertisements beckon: "Just one pint of your healthy blood can save up to three lives." "An hour of your time can mean a lifetime for someone else." "If you're looking for a sign, this is it! There's a CRITICAL NEED for blood and platelets." The pleas make blood shortages out to be a constant crisis, made even worse during the COVID-19 pandemic. Blood and its derivatives—namely red blood cells, platelets and plasma—indeed are essential to modern medicine. And hospital consolidations and cost-cutting measures have largely left the jobs of collecting, processing and distributing the precious resource to not-for-profit blood centers. (Kaufman, 11/8)

In industry news —

Axios: Nue Life Health Builds Telemedicine Platform For Psychedelic Medicine 
The Miami-based telemedicine startup NUE Life Health is aiming to become an early leader in combining digital mental health therapy with psychedelics and other mind-altering compounds." Drugs like ketamine and psilocybin — the active ingredient in magic mushrooms — are showing real promise in addressing mental health disorders. Access to the compounds and the specialized therapy and monitoring they require is a challenge, but using telemedicine could help. (Walsh, 11/8)

Modern Healthcare: Tenet To Buy $1.2 Billion Stake In 92 More Ambulatory Surgery Centers
Tenet Healthcare will pay $1.2 billion to acquire SurgCenter Development in a deal that will add 92 ambulatory surgical centers to the for-profit health system, the company announced Monday. The transaction includes a five-year partnership and development agreement between Dallas-based Tenet's ambulatory surgery subsidiary, United Surgical Partners International, and SurgCenter Development's principals to provide continuity and support for the facilities and their physician partners. After the deal closes, Tenet will own at least part of more than 440 ambulatory surgical centers in 35 states. (Bannow, 11/8)

Los Angeles Times: Couple Gives Birth To Wrong Baby In ‘Nightmare’ IVF Mix-Up
“The heartbreak and confusion cannot be understated,” a teary Daphna Cardinale said during a news conference Monday, shortly after the couple filed a lawsuit against their Los Angeles-based fertility clinic, California Center for Reproductive Health, and its medical director, Dr. Eliran Mor. Also named in the suit are In VitroTech Labs, a third-party embryology center, and its parent company, Beverly Sunset Surgical Associates, both owned by Mor. The couple are alleging breach of contract, medical malpractice, negligence, infliction of emotional distress and the knowing misuse of their embryo, among other infractions, and are seeking punitive and compensatory damages. (Smith, 11/8)

AP: California Parents Sue After Getting Another Couple's Embryo
Two California couples gave birth to each others’ babies after a mix-up at a fertility clinic and spent months raising children that weren’t theirs before swapping the infants, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in Los Angeles. Daphna Cardinale said she and her husband, Alexander, had immediate suspicions that the girl she gave birth to in late 2019 wasn’t theirs because the child had a darker complexion than they do. They suppressed their doubts because they fell in love with the baby and trusted the in vitro fertilization process and their doctors, Daphna said. Learning months later that she had been pregnant with another couple’s baby, and that another woman had been carrying her child, caused enduring trauma, she said. (Weber, 11/9)

Meanwhile, in covid news around the country —

AP: Pritzker Signs COVID-19 Amendment To Illinois Conscience Law
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday signed into law a change to the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act that would allow those who refuse the COVID-19 vaccine to potentially face repercussions. The law was adopted in 1978 to protect physicians from penalty or discipline for refusing to perform abortions because of a religious or moral objection. Democratic Attorney General Kwame Raoul asked Pritzker to encourage legislation to make clear the law was not intended to cover a contagious and deadly pandemic. “Masks, vaccines, and testing requirements are life-saving measures that keep our workplaces and communities safe,” said Pritzker, who thanked lawmakers for ensuring the law “is no longer wrongly used against institutions who are putting safety and science first.” (O'Connor, 11/9)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Additional Doses Allow St. Louis County To Continue Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccinations 
Additional pediatric doses of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine have arrived, a county health official confirmed, so walk-ins and appointments for youth vaccinations are resuming this week. St. Louis County preordered 3,600 doses, but by Friday had received just 300, and halted walk-ins and new appointments. The pediatric doses of the COVID-19 vaccination are for children ages 5 to 11. (11/8)

AP: North Dakota Lawmakers Advance Ban On Vaccine Mandates
Bills to prevent vaccine mandates and the teaching of certain concepts of race and racism were among a handful of measures approved for advancement Monday during the opening day of the North Dakota Legislature’s special session. More than two dozen bills were submitted ahead of the session but had to win the endorsement of the House or Senate’s delayed-bills committee. The bipartisan panels both have five members and are controlled by the Legislature’s GOP leadership. (MacPherson, 11/8)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Mayor Bottoms Lifts Indoor Mask Mandate In Atlanta
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has lifted the public indoor mask mandate for the city, she announced on Twitter Monday evening. She said Atlanta is officially in the “green zone” for COVID-19 amid declining case numbers. “While it makes me personally anxious, I’ve always said we’d follow the science. Thus, we are lifting the city-wide mask mandate,” Bottoms said in a tweet. (Capelouto, 11/8)

The Philadelphia Inquirer: Pa. Mask Mandate For Public And Private Schools Expected To End In January, Wolf Says
A statewide order mandating students, staff, and visitors to public and private K-12 schools to wear a mask while indoors is expected to be lifted Jan. 17, Gov. Tom Wolf announced Monday. At that point, local school officials will be allowed to decide what mitigation efforts to implement. (Martines, 11/8)

The Advocate: Louisiana Has A Hotline To Track Adverse COVID Vaccine Reactions. Critics Say It Isn't Reliable.
Back in December 2020, when COVID vaccines first became available to the public, the Louisiana Department of Health sent an urgent directive to health care providers across the state: immediately tell us about any serious side effects. “Severe adverse events are rare, but could happen,” read the message. “Healthcare providers should report all severe reactions 24/7 to [the Office of Public Health] at 800-256-2748.” (Paterson, 11/8)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: With $875 Million Available, Georgians Ask For $14.6 Billion In COVID-19 Relief
An Atlanta mobile bartending service, incorporated in June 2020, requested $165,000 in federal COVID-19 relief funding. A tourist train line in rural South Georgia asked for $947,000, or it may have to shut down. A group supporting small-town hospitals wants $260 million, another promoting the hotel industry $267 million, and nursing homes $347 million. (Salzer, 11/8)

Also —

San Diego Union Tribune: Parents Balk At Mental Health Day Off For San Diego Students
After springing an announcement on parents late last week that schools would be closed Friday for a mental health day, the San Diego Unified School District abruptly changed plans, making school attendance optional that day while also allowing anyone who wants to take a mental health day to do so. The news came one day after interim Supt. Lamont Jackson said district staff was planning to ask the Board of Education at its upcoming meeting to approve this Friday as a day off. The news prompted a wave of concern and criticism from parents, some of whom said finding affordable last-minute child care would do more harm than good for their family’s mental health. (Cook, 11/8)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Nursing Home Workers Strike As Union Calls For Investigation Of St. Louis Facility 
A union representing nursing home workers is calling for a government investigation into the operator of a 90-bed facility in the Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhood. The union, Service Employees International Union Healthcare Missouri, has been locked in contract negotiations for over a year with the owners of Blue Circle Rehab and Nursing, located at 2939 Magazine Street in St. Louis. The facility is licensed for 90 beds, and had 60 residents, as of Oct. 24, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (Merrilees, 11/8)

Dallas Morning News: Less Than 20 Miles Separate Dallas Communities With The Lowest And Highest Life Expectancy
Under the shadow of downtown Dallas’ skyscrapers and a few feet away from the Trinity River and Interstate 35E are the 10th Street Historic District and The Bottom neighborhoods, the census tract with the lowest life expectancy in Dallas County. A resident here can expect to live just 64.2 years on average, according to the Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation’s analysis based on census data. (García, 11/8)

The Wall Street Journal: Probe Of Travis Scott Astroworld Concert Disaster Explores Role Of Illegal Drugs
Investigators probing the tragedy at the Travis Scott concert are looking at whether a bad batch of illegal drugs played a role in some deaths and numerous casualties, people familiar with the investigation said. Police are looking at the possibility of overdoses at Friday’s concert that were caused by counterfeit pills possibly laced with fentanyl, according to one of the people. Numerous concertgoers who survived were administered naloxone, which rapidly reverses opioid overdoses, the person said. Investigators are also looking at whether some people were killed when the crowd at the Astroworld Festival in Houston surged toward the stage, the person said. (Elinson, Shah, Findell and Steele, 11/8)

CIDRAP: Three Jamestown Canyon Virus Cases Detected In New Hampshire
New Hampshire has reported three more Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV) cases, two in patients hospitalized with neurologic symptoms, according to the state's Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The adults, who all recovered, live in Loudon, Pittsfield, and Rumney, New Hampshire, and were infected with JCV through mosquito bites. (11/8)

Axios: Singapore Halts Free COVID Treatment For People "Unvaccinated By Choice" 
The Singaporean government will no longer cover medical bills for people who are "unvaccinated by choice" after Dec. 8, the country's Ministry of Health announced Monday. "We have to send this important signal to urge everyone to get vaccinated if you are eligible," Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said at a news conference. 82.47% of Singapore's population is fully vaccinated, per Johns Hopkins University. (Chen, 11/8)

The Hill: Singapore To No Longer Offer Free COVID-19 Treatment To The Unvaccinated
Singapore announced Monday that it will stop covering the medical bills of its citizens infected by COVID-19 if they are "unvaccinated by choice" starting next month. The government has been footing the medical bills of Singaporeans, permanent residents and long-term pass holders throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a statement  from the country's Ministry of Health. (Polus, 11/8)

In other covid news around the globe —

Reuters: Israel To Rule On Child COVID Vaccines Out Of Public Eye Amid Anti-Vax Threats
Israeli health officials will decide behind closed doors on whether to allow child COVID-19 vaccinations, citing concerns that decision makers would otherwise not speak freely due to aggressive anti-vax rhetoric by members of the public. Israel has been a world leader in vaccinations and more than 40% of the population has received a third shot. (11/8)

Reuters: UK To Add China's Sinovac, India's Covaxin To Approved Vaccine List
Britain said it would recognise COVID-19 vaccines on the World Health Organization's Emergency Use Listing later this month, adding China's Sinovac (SVA.O), Sinopharm and India's Covaxin to the country's approved list of vaccines for inbound travellers. The changes, which come into force from Nov. 22, will benefit fully vaccinated people from countries including the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia and India. (11/8)

The Wall Street Journal: Germany Hits Record Covid-19 Tally As Pandemic Rebounds Across Europe
Germany kept Covid-19 infection rates relatively low this past summer—a feat experts say might be driving a record surge in infections in the country that has prompted fears that hospitalizations and deaths could spiral in the colder months ahead. Infections are rising again in Europe, as colder temperatures and the fading of vaccine-induced immunity drive renewed case loads. Even so, Germany and some of its smaller Central and Eastern European neighbors stand out with a far steeper rise in infections than neighboring France, Italy and Spain. Germany registered over 37,000 new cases on Friday, the highest daily number on record, according to government figures, as the seven-day incidence of coronavirus rose to over 200 in 100,000 people. (Pancevski, 11/8)

Reuters: Thousands Protest In New Zealand Against COVID-19 Rules
New Zealand beefed up security measures at its parliament on Tuesday as thousands of people gathered to protest against COVID-19 vaccine mandates and government lockdowns aimed at controlling the pandemic. All but two entrances to the parliament building, known as the Beehive, were closed off in unprecedented security measures, as mostly unmasked protesters marched through central Wellington and congregated outside parliament. (Menon and Awasthi, 11/9)

Reuters: India Could Ship Vaccines To COVAX In A Few Weeks, Say Sources
India could resume deliveries of COVID-19 shots to global vaccine-sharing platform COVAX in a few weeks for the first time since April, two health industry sources said, ending a suspension of supplies that has hurt poor countries. The World Health Organization (WHO), which co-leads COVAX, has been urging India to restart supplies for the programme, especially after it sent about 4 million doses to its neighbours and partners in October. (Das, 11/9)

The church moves on child abuse in France —

Politico: French Catholic Church Offers Own Assets To Compensate Sex Abuse Victims
France’s Catholic Church agreed on Monday to financially compensate tens of thousands of sex abuse victims by selling its own assets or taking on loans. The move comes one month after a landmark inquiry found an estimated 216,000 children were sexually abused by members of the clergy between 1950 and 2020. In a statement given on Monday, President of the Conference of Bishops of France (CEF) Bishop Éric de Moulins-Beaufort conceded the Catholic Church bore “Institutional responsibility for the decades of abuse,” and decided to go “on a path of recognition and reparation.” (Kotkamp, 11/8)

The Washington Post: Vaccines Offer An Exit From The Pandemic. Mandates Work. 
President Biden faces legal challenges to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration rule requiring the use of vaccines — or mandatory masking and testing — among employees in businesses with at least 100 workers. Soon after the rule was published last week, states, business trade groups and religious organizations filed suit, claiming it oversteps statutory and constitutional bounds. The courts must weigh their arguments against the administration’s assertion that the rule is a legal, temporary emergency response to a “grave danger” confronting workers. (11/8)

Newsweek: The Medical System Is At Its Tipping Point 
During any pandemic, it goes without saying that a lot is expected of doctors and medical professionals. This is largely why we all regarded them as heroes over the past two years during our time of pestilence. However, the COVID-19 pandemic is no ordinary pestilence. Rather, it is a hyper-politicized one. Most people do not trust doctors—even before the pandemic—due to administrative and insurance-related factors. The quality of care in the U.S. health care system has radically deteriorated. When health care workers make it a point to note that their place of work is the "McDonald's of Medicine" and when there's a growing exodus to leave medicine as a whole, all resistance toward vaccinations should worry us. In a system that is already so weakened, there are simply too many negative factors to warrant optimism for the future of health care. (Daniel Lehewych, 11/8)

USA Today: Parents Should Welcome COVID-19 Vaccine For Their Children
The Food and Drug Administration voted last week to recommend Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine to children ages 5 to 11, after the company reported that its COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective in children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signed off on it Tuesday. As a pediatrician, I have spent months preparing for the task now at hand: vaccinating children whose parents have been eagerly awaiting a decision about vaccine approval. (Susan Hata, 11/8)

The Baltimore Sun: My Daughter’s Precocious Puberty Revealed Racial Bias In Medical Community 
Film actress, humanitarian and global citizen Angelina Jolie’s recent comments about the racial bias experienced by her daughter during medical treatment, struck a chord with many parents of black girls, including me. In an interview she conducted with medical student Malone Mukwende, Ms. Jolie noted that her daughter, Zahara, whom she adopted from Ethiopia, recently had surgery, and whenever she looked at medical charts, the reference point was always white skin. (Sylvia Gail Kinard, 11/8)

The Tennessean: Nursing Organizations Must Work To Create A Better System To Mend Mental Toll
Addiction rates among the nearly 3 million actively practicing nurses in the United States are estimated by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing to be like that of the general population, roughly 10-15%.  With this data it can be assumed that over 300,000 impaired nurses remain hidden in the workforce, posing an increased risk of harm to themselves and their patients. These risks can be reduced through early identification and intervention by their colleagues, however most nurses adhere to a “don’t ask, don’t tell” alternative as legal and ethical concerns arise when confronting a fellow nurse suspected of substance abuse.  (Daniel Del Toro, 11/8)

Stat: Fixes Are Needed To Prevent Failure In The Brain Health Tech Market 
The world is in the midst an escalating global crisis of brain health, by which we mean all mental health and neurological disorders across the lifespan, from autism and schizophrenia to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. The existing workforce of health care providers cannot keep up with this brain health epidemic, and existing approaches to care are woefully inadequate. Screening is rarely implemented. Diagnosis is often subjective. Treatment is largely trial and error. (Erin Smith, Mark Heinemeyer and Harris A. Eyre, 11/9)

Bloomberg: HPV Vaccine Is A Success In Protecting Girls And Boys From Cancer 
The speed at which Covid-19 vaccines ruptured the link between infections and death has put renewed focus on the miracle, and science, of inoculation. If only we had a vaccine for cancer, too, people have said. Oh, wait, we do. And now a major study has shown just how effective it is. (Therese Raphael, 11/8)

USA Today: Black Blood Donors Are Desperately Needed, So I Donated For The First Time
Don’t faint, don’t faint. I mentally repeat the words with each squeeze of the stress ball, willing myself to remain conscious. The phlebotomist has tried to ensure that I do: propped up my feet, cradled an ice pack behind my neck, gave me a can of Coke (which, in my reclined position, I spilled down my shirt). The tangle of tubes stemming from a needle in the crook of my right arm darkens. Presumably, clinical machinery beeps and whirs, but I’m too focused on not passing out to listen. (Lindsey Leake, 11/8)

The CT Mirror: Retired Teachers, Do Your Homework When Choosing A Health Insurance Plan
The open enrollment period for Connecticut retired teachers who access their health insurance benefits through the Teachers’ Retirement Board (TRB) began on October 18. For the 2022 calendar year, the TRB has chosen UnitedHealthcare as the sole provider for the two insurance options being offered to retirees: the UnitedHealthcare Advantage Plan and the Senior Supplement Plan which supplements original Medicare. During this enrollment period, UnitedHealthcare has been offering in-person and virtual information sessions throughout the state.  The sessions should offer an unbiased detailed review of both insurance options.  However, that has not happened. (Kathleen R. Hennessey, 11/9)

The New York Times: What Paternity Leave Does For A Father's Brain
Paternity leave bolsters family relationships. Among 6,000 couples followed from when their child was a baby until kindergarten age, couples in which fathers took even just a week or two of paternity leave were 26 percent more likely to stay married, compared with couples in which fathers took no leave. Another study found that when fathers took paternity leave, their children reported closer relationships with their dads nine years later. One reason paternity leave might boost fathers’ relationships is that parenting experience transforms men’s brains and bodies. Men’s hormones can shift both before and after a child’s birth, and there is exciting new evidence that fathers’ brains reflect the transition to parenthood as well. (Darby Saxbe and Sofia Cardenas, 11/8)