NPR: The Biden Administration Is Working To Buy 200 Million More COVID-19 Vaccine Doses
President Biden announced Tuesday that his administration is working to purchase an additional 200 million doses of the two COVID-19 vaccines that have been authorized for emergency use, with the goal, the White House says, of having enough vaccine supply for the entire adult U.S. population by the end of the summer. He also announced steps to increase vaccine doses going to state and local governments over the next three weeks, and to provide them more clarity going forward about how much supply they should expect. Longer term, Biden said his administration plans to buy an additional 100 million doses each from both Moderna and Pfizer, which has a vaccine with its German counterpart, BioNTech. (Swasey, 1/26)

ABC News: Biden Plans To Purchase 200M More Doses Of Pfizer, Moderna COVID-19 Vaccines 
Biden also said the federal government will be increasing the number of doses shipped to states -- from 8.6 million doses a week to 10 million a week for the next three weeks, and will start notifying states how many doses they will receive three weeks in advance. ... The announcement does not resolve the major shortages that the nation is experiencing now and does not suggest the Biden administration has found a novel way to ramp up production quickly. (Flaherty, Ebbs and Gittleson, 1/26)

The Wall Street Journal: Administration To Buy Enough Doses To Vaccinate Most Americans By End Of Summer 
“The brutal truth is, it’s going to take months before we get the majority of Americans vaccinated,” Mr. Biden said. Even with the increase in doses to states starting next week, supplies aren’t yet sufficient for what is needed now, a senior administration official said. (Armour, Siddiqui and Restuccia, 1/26)

NBC News: Biden Administration Orders 200 Million More Doses Of Covid-19 Vaccines
The agreement would lessen the country's reliance on getting additional doses on the market from other manufacturers. The Trump administration had passed on buying more doses from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna and was instead betting that additional vaccines from Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca would come to market. Johnson & Johnson said it will release data for its single-dose vaccine in the coming days. "We can't speak to the Trump administration, but what we can say is it is our philosophy, given the nature of this emergency and the speed with which the virus needs to be addressed, to procure enough supply as we need to vaccinate Americans and to give Americans the confidence we can do that," a senior administration official said. (Pettypiece, 1/26)

Politico: Biden Administration To Buy 200 Million More Doses Of Covid Vaccine 
"This is an aggregate plan that doesn’t leave anything on the table or anything to chance," he said. "This is a wartime effort." Yet the companies will not deliver on those new shots until sometime this summer, raising the possibility of supply shortages that could stretch on for the next several months. The White House in the interim is boosting the amount of existing vaccine that it sends to states and other jurisdictions each week, as it tries to temper intensifying complaints about scarce supplies across the nation. (Cancryn and Roubein, 1/26)

In related news —

The Hill: White House Says Biden Didn't Set New Goal On Vaccines
The White House on Tuesday clarified that President Biden was being optimistic when he said a day earlier that he hoped the country could vaccinate 1.5 million people per day in the coming weeks, and that he was not setting a concrete goal. "The president didn't actually say 'the new goal is,' the president said I hope we can do even more than that. And that is certainly of course his hope," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at a daily briefing. (Samuels, 1/26)

The Hill: Johnson & Johnson On Track For 100 Million Vaccine Doses By End Of June, Bolstering US Supply 
Johnson & Johnson said Tuesday that it is on track to meet its target of 100 million coronavirus vaccine doses for the United States by the end of June, one of a string of confident announcements on vaccine supply. Johnson & Johnson's vaccine trial is being closely watched as it has the potential to produce a third vaccine for the U.S., helping further an increase in available doses. The company said Tuesday that it expects results from its Phase 3 trial “by early next week.” (Sullivan, 1/26)

FiercePharma: Johnson & Johnson Is 'Comfortable' Meeting Coronavirus Vaccine Delivery Promises, CFO Says 
As the world awaits Johnson & Johnson’s phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine data, the company is prepping for regulatory filings and a global rollout. Orders for hundreds of millions of doses are pending. But even as rivals face manufacturing and logistics hurdles, a top J&J exec said his company is “comfortable” meeting its 2021 supply commitments. J&J's one-dose vaccine would provide a major boost to worldwide vaccination efforts as shots from Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca remain in the early stages of their rollouts. News of supply disruptions for the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines has been surfacing in Europe, and U.S. rollouts for the mRNA vaccines have gotten off to a slower-than-expected start.  (Sagonowsky, 1/26)

In other news on vaccine manufacturing —

AP: France's Sanofi To Make Vaccines From Rival Pfizer-BioNTech
French drug maker Sanofi said Wednesday it will help manufacture 125 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine developed by rivals Pfizer and BioNTech, while its own vaccine candidate faces delays. The Germany-based BioNTech will initially produce the vaccines at Sanofi facilities in Frankfurt, starting in the summer, according to a Sanofi statement. The company did not reveal financial details of the agreement. (1/27)

FiercePharma: Sanofi, After R&D Setback, Lends A Hand To Vaccine Rival Pfizer For Coronavirus Shot Production
Following its midstage coronavirus R&D setback, vaccine giant Sanofi is still looking for ways to help in the world’s effort to beat back the pandemic. It’s teaming up with leading vaccine players Pfizer and BioNTech to produce 100 million doses of the rival vaccine—even as Sanofi works to push its own programs through clinical testing. After Sanofi's weak trial showing in December forced the company to delay its own vaccine development, the French drugmaker approached Pfizer and BioNTech about helping with mRNA shot production, CEO Paul Hudson said in an interview with Le Figaro newspaper. (Sagonowsky, 1/26)

Los Angeles Times: Groups Fear Being Left Out As California Shifts Vaccine Priority
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement Monday that the state would shift vaccine priority to an age-based eligibility structure has sparked concerns from groups representing some essential workers and disabled people who may now have to wait longer to get vaccinated. Little has been shared as to what that would mean in practice. Before Newsom’s announcement, the state intended to give priority to several new groups after California is done vaccinating people 65 and older, including residents in incarcerated and homeless settings, essential workers and individuals with underlying health conditions. It’s now unclear when those groups would be vaccinated. (Shalby, 1/26)

CNN: As California Lifts Restrictions, A Top Health Official Worries About Covid-19 Variants And The Slow Vaccine Supply
The stay-at-home order in California has ended, but a top Los Angeles health official worries that another spike could be on the horizon as Covid-19 variants spread and the supply of vaccines struggles to meet the demand. State officials in California, a recent epicenter of the pandemic in the US, lifted the regional stay at home order for all five regions on Monday in light of expectations that the ICU bed capacity would meet a key threshold in four weeks. (Holcombe, 1/27)

In other updates from other states on the vaccine rollout —

Boston Globe: A Long Night Of Waiting For Mass. Residents 75 And Older Trying To Get A Vaccination Appointment
The state officially embarked on Phase 2 of its COVID-19 vaccination program on Wednesday, extending eligibility to people 75 and older — the population most devastated by the coronavirus. The approximately 450,000 people in the age cohort are now supposed to be able to register for appointments at scores of immunization sites across the state, with the first shots being administered on Monday. ... With registrations largely available online through each provider’s own system, some raced to be among the first to click. They refreshed webpages, tested every link they could find and waited (and waited) for hours, often to no avail. (Larson, 1/27)

North Carolina Health News: Shifting Allocations Cause Vaccine Confusion 
Across the state, phones at local health departments are ringing off the hooks, with people on the other end all asking the same question: “When can I get my vaccine?” “Now we receive more than 15,000 calls per day,” wrote Granville-Vance Health Director Lisa Harrison in an email. At NC Health News, we’ve received hundreds of emails asking the same thing. (Hoban and Blythe, 1/26)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin's Phase 1B Of Vaccine Plan Set, May Not Start Till March 1
The state health department announced Tuesday that educators, public-facing essential workers and people in congregate living settings will be next in line for vaccine under Phase 1B, but warned that doses may not be available until around March 1. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services said in a statement Tuesday that March 1 is a tentative date based on vaccine supply from the federal government. If vaccine supply increases, these groups may be eligible earlier. (Chen, Linnane and Carson, 1/26)

Capitol Beat News Service: COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout Creeps Ahead In Georgia Amid Limited Supplies 
Georgia has not yet reached the halfway point in giving first doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the roughly 2 million people currently eligible more than a month after the state’s distribution program began, Gov. Brian Kemp said Tuesday. The number of shots administered to Georgia health care workers, nursing home residents and staff, first responders and people ages 65 and older has gone up in recent weeks after a halting mid-December start, Kemp said at a news conference in the state Capitol. (Evans, 1/26)

The Washington Post: Philadelphia Let ‘College Kids’ Distribute Vaccines. The Result Was A ‘Disaster,' Volunteers Say.
Philadelphia is home to some of the most venerated medical institutions in the country. Yet when it came time to set up the city’s first and largest coronavirus mass vaccination site, officials turned to the start-up Philly Fighting COVID, a self-described “group of college kids” with minimal health-care experience. Chaos ensued. (Noori Farzan, 1/27)

Des Moines Register: Iowa Lawmakers Considering Allowing Dentists To Administer COVID-19 Vaccines, Flu Shots
Iowa lawmakers are considering allowing dentists to administer the COVID-19 vaccine and flu shots. The proposal, House Study Bill 71, received its first hearing at a House subcommittee Tuesday, but did not advance. Lawmakers said they wanted more time to consider the measure before making a decision. "We’re still looking into some things and trying to make some decisions," Rep. Steven Bradley, R-Cascade, told the Des Moines Register. "Probably within the next week or two, two at the latest, we'll make a decision." If it became law, dentists would be required to complete four hours of training related to prescribing and administering vaccines. They would not be allowed to delegate vaccine administration to dental hygienists or dental assistants. (Gruber-Miller, 1/26)

CNN: White People Are Getting Vaccinated At Higher Rates Than Black And Latino Americans
Black and Latino Americans are receiving the Covid-19 vaccine at significantly lower rates than White people -- a disparity that health advocates blame on the federal government and hospitals not prioritizing equitable access. A CNN analysis of data from 14 states found vaccine coverage is twice as high among White people on average than it is among Black and Latino people. The analysis found that on average, more than 4% of the White population has received a Covid-19 vaccine, about 2.3 times higher than the Black population (1.9% covered) and 2.6 times higher than the Hispanic population (1.8% covered). (Ellis and McPhillips, 1/26)

KHN: Poll: Nearly Half Of American Adults Now Want The Covid Vaccine — ASAP 
Americans’ reluctance to get vaccinated for covid-19 is waning, according to a poll released Wednesday. Nearly half of adults surveyed in January said they have either already been vaccinated or want the vaccine as soon as they can, up from about a third of adults polled in December, according to the latest KFF survey. (KHN is an editorially independent program of KFF.) (Galewitz, 1/27)

CNN: Vaccine Rollout Stumbles As A 'Hunger Games' Approach Leaves States And Counties To Fend For Themselves 
Eighty-year-old Belma Requejo of Los Angeles County is trapped in her home with her 83-year-old husband and two other elderly relatives. They are waiting for a coronavirus vaccine. Every day for a week, her daughter, Maria -- who lives in the same household with her two children -- has tried to get on the county's website to make an appointment. And every time, Maria is told there is no availability. (Kuznia and Devine, 1/26)

Chicago Tribune: Foxx Stunned As Some Public Defenders Arranged For Coronavirus Vaccine At Cook County Jail Ahead Of Her Staff 
A handful of Cook County public defenders received a COVID-19 vaccine at the Cook County Jail this week unbeknownst to leaders of the Cook County state’s attorney’s office who told the Tribune they had no idea public defenders were in talks to possibly be designated for earlier inoculations. “I was horrified to find out by rumor that this was a possibility, and we went on to confirm it,” State’s Attorney Kim Foxx told the Tribune late Tuesday. (Crepeau, 1/26)

KHN: If I Have Cancer, Dementia Or MS, Should I Get The Covid Vaccine? 
As public demand grows for limited supplies of covid-19 vaccines, questions remain about the vaccines’ appropriateness for older adults with various illnesses. Among them are cancer patients receiving active treatment, dementia patients near the end of their lives and people with autoimmune conditions. Recently, a number of readers have asked me whether older relatives with these conditions should be immunized. This is a matter for medical experts, and I solicited advice from several. All strongly suggested that people with questions contact their doctors and discuss their individual medical circumstances. (Graham, 1/27)

Also —

The New York Times: ‘Paramedic Of The Year’ Is Arrested After Covid-19 Vaccine Theft, Sheriff Says 
An emergency worker in Florida was arrested this week in connection with the theft of coronavirus vaccine doses, just 12 days after he had been recognized as a county’s “paramedic of the year,” the authorities said on Tuesday. The paramedic, Joshua Colon, 31, had been responsible for administering doses of the vaccine to firefighters in Polk County, the county’s sheriff, Grady Judd, said during a news conference. (Vigdor, 1/26)

The Wall Street Journal: Wisconsin Pharmacist To Plead Guilty To Attempting To Spoil Covid-19 Vaccine 
A Wisconsin pharmacist agreed to plead guilty to intentionally attempting to spoil hundreds of doses of Covid-19 vaccine by leaving them unrefrigerated on two nights late last year at the hospital where he worked, according to a plea agreement filed in federal court. Steven R. Brandenburg of Grafton, Wis., indicated he planned to enter a guilty plea to two counts of attempting to tamper with consumer products, with reckless disregard for the risk that another person will be placed in danger of death or bodily injury, according to the agreement filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Each count carries up to 10 years in prison, court documents say. (Barrett, 1/26)

NPR: CDC Makes The Case For Schools Reopening
A review of data from K-12 schools that reopened for in-person instruction in the fall has found little evidence that schools contributed meaningfully to the spread of COVID-19, according to a new article published Tuesday in JAMA, the journal of the American Medical Association. The review from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, authored by three of its scientists, represents the clearest view yet of the facts behind what has become a heated debate over when and how schools should reopen. (Turner, 1/26)

The Washington Post: CDC Finds Scant Spread Of Coronavirus In Schools With Precautions In Place 
Schools operating in person have seen scant transmission of the coronavirus, particularly when masks and distancing are employed, but some indoor athletics have led to infections and should be curtailed if schools want to operate safely, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded in papers published Tuesday. The CDC team reviewed data from studies in the United States and abroad and found the experience in schools differed from nursing homes and high-density work sites where rapid spread has occurred. (Meckler, 1/26)

The New York Times: CDC Officials Say Evidence Indicates Schools Can Reopen If Precautions Are Taken 
Open schools. Close indoor dining. When to keep schools open, and how to do so, has been an issue plaguing the response by the United States to the pandemic since its beginning. President Biden vowed to “teach our children in safe schools” in his inaugural address. On Tuesday, federal health officials weighed in with a call for returning children to the nation’s classrooms as soon as possible, saying the “preponderance of available evidence” indicates that in-person instruction can be carried out safely as long as mask-wearing and social distancing are maintained. (Rabin, 1/26)

In related school news —

The Washington Post: Teachers Are Moving To The Front Of The Vaccine Line — But That Doesn’t Mean All Schools Will Reopen Right Away 
Vaccinating teachers has been widely hailed as a vital step toward reopening the nation’s still-closed schools and, in many places, educators have been moved toward the front of the line for shots. But it has not gone hand-in-hand with efforts to return students to classrooms. And adding to the confusion, some officials are explicitly refusing to link vaccination and reopening. (Natanson, St. George and Stein, 1/26)

Chicago Tribune: Vaccine Appointments For Some Chicago Teachers Canceled After Signup Mistake 
The city of Chicago canceled an unspecified number of vaccine appointments made by teachers who inadvertently signed up using a code meant for health care workers, sparking confusion as educators face mounting anxiety over trying to secure an inoculation amid rising tensions between their union and the school district over returning to classrooms. (Buckley and Yin, 1/26)

Stat: Regeneron Says Monoclonal Antibodies Prevent Covid-19 In Study
Regeneron said Tuesday that its monoclonal antibody cocktail prevented Covid-19 in a clinical trial. The news, issued via a press release, mirrored similar news from Eli Lilly last week that its monoclonal antibody prevented symptomatic Covid-19 infections in nursing homes. (Herper, 1/26)

FiercePharma: Regeneron Pitches COVID-19 Antibody Cocktail For 'Passive Vaccination' With Fresh Trial Data
As the demand for COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna, Pfizer and AstraZeneca continues to outstrip supply and alternative vaccines struggle to make it out of the pipeline, the world is desperate for new ways to end the pandemic. Regeneron says it's offering a potential solution. The New York-based biotech released preliminary data from an ongoing phase 3 trial of its antibody cocktail REGEN-COV in people at high risk of contracting COVID-19 because of exposure to family members with the disease. The results justify using the drug for “passive vaccination,” the company said today. (Weintraub, 1/26)

Also —

The Hill: Eli Lilly Says Antibody Combo Significantly Cuts COVID-19 Death Risk 
A combination treatment of two monoclonal antibodies developed by Eli Lilly can significantly reduce hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19, the company announced Tuesday. The results from a final-stage clinical trial of more than 1,000 patients testing the combination of bamlanivimab and etesevimab found just 11 hospitalizations in patients taking the therapy, compared to 36 events in patients taking a placebo, a 70 percent reduction compared to a placebo. (Weixel, 1/26)

USA Today: Eli Lilly Says Monoclonal Antibody Cocktail Cuts Hospitalizations By 70% For High-Risk COVID-19 Patients
While vaccines may help slow the COVID-19 pandemic over the next months, drug company Eli Lilly announced Tuesday that its treatments can help save lives in the meantime. The company's drug bamlanivimab was authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration late last year and has been used by 125,000 high-risk patients nationwide based on early-stage data suggesting it could be effective. The drug is a monoclonal antibody, meaning it mimics one of the natural antibodies the immune system uses to fight off the virus. (Weintraub, 1/26)

In other news about covid treatments —

The Hill: WHO Revises Guidance For COVID-19 Patients' Treatment, Recommending Follow-Up Care, Low-Dose Anticoagulants 
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday issued new guidance for treatment of coronavirus patients, including those with persistent post-recovery symptoms. The advice includes the use of at-home oxygen saturation testing for those who have been discharged from hospitals and low-dose anticoagulants for patients who remain hospitalized to prevent thrombosis. (Budryk, 1/26)

KHN: Remdesivir, Given To Half Of Hospitalized Covid Patients In U.S., Is Big Win For Gilead — Boosted By Taxpayers
It was the end of April — just as the U.S. confirmed its millionth covid-19 case and 50,000 deaths — when White House adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci announced “highly significant” news about a drug called remdesivir. That was surprising because the antiviral drug, owned by Gilead Sciences and developed with investment from the federal government, had languished for years with no apparent commercial use. It had struck out as a treatment for hepatitis C and Ebola. (Tribble, 1/27)

Houston Chronicle: UTMB Receives 3-Year Grant To Research Breast Milk’s COVID-19 Antibodies
Back in June, Dr. Roberto Garofalo, vice chair for research in the department of pediatrics at the University of Texas Medical Branch, drafted a grant proposal to the Gerber Foundation to examine two categories of pregnant women: those who were infected with COVID-19 during their pregnancy or perinatal period and those who have never had the virus. The foundation approved a three-year, $300,000 grant for UTMB to determine whether breast milk has an innate ability to stop the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the novel coronavirus, or if an infected mother who recovers can pass antibodies to her child through her milk. (Garcia, 1/26)

CNN: US Coronavirus: January Has Been The Deadliest Month For Covid-19 With Nearly 80,000 Lives Lost So Far In The US 
January has already become the worst month for US Covid-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic. As of Tuesday, there have been more than 79,000 coronavirus fatalities, topping the previous record set in December by more than a thousand, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. (Holcombe, 1/27)

CNN: 100 Million Coronavirus Cases Now Confirmed Worldwide
The world has now surpassed 100 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus. It's a figure that seemed almost unimaginable 12 months ago, when the first case had only just been confirmed on US soil. A year later, the pandemic shows little sign of loosening its stranglehold on billions of people's everyday lives. Cases continue to rise sharply in some parts of the world, and every day the losses mount, as more people lose loved ones to Covid-19, lose a business or lose their livelihood. On January 15, the official global death toll from the coronavirus pandemic surpassed 2 million, according to Johns Hopkins University. (Smith-Spark, 1/26)

NBC News: Global Covid Cases Top 100 Million As New Strains Emerge
Global Covid-19 cases topped 100 million Tuesday as virus mutations continue to create new concerns, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University. The milestone comes less than three months after the world hit 50 million cases, and just over a year after the first case was diagnosed in the U.S. (Kesslen, 1/26)

In case you missed it —

The Washington Post: Denmark Is Sequencing All Coronavirus Samples And Has An Alarming View Of The U.K. Variant
The British variant is spreading so quickly that Danish authorities project it will be the dominant strain of the virus in their country as early as mid-February. That would put Denmark ahead of the United States, where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Friday that the U.K. variant, known as B.1.1.7, could be prevalent by March. Danish officials say that as a result, daily coronavirus cases there could quadruple by the beginning of April. Charts from the public health institute project that in the worst-case contagion scenarios, even with a strict lockdown in effect, cases would skyrocket. Under better-case scenarios — if the variant turns out to be less contagious than thought, or if the country can get caseloads down even further right now — the outbreak would stay more under control while they administer vaccinations. (Birnbaum and Selsoe Sorensen, 1/22)

The Hill: Biden's Bipartisan Push Hits Wall On COVID-19 Relief Bill 
President Biden is facing a tough choice just days into his administration on how to pursue coronavirus relief after his $1.9 trillion proposal got a frosty reception from Republicans. The White House and congressional Democrats are eager to move quickly on another round of COVID-19 aid as the U.S. extends its undesirable streak as the world leader in coronavirus cases. (Carney, 1/26)

The Hill: Schumer: Senate Could Pave Way For Reconciliation On COVID Relief Next Week 
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) told Democrats on a conference call on Tuesday that they could vote as soon as next week on a budget resolution that would pave the way for coronavirus legislation to pass the chamber with a simple majority. Schumer, who disclosed the detail to reporters during a press conference, didn't commit to using reconciliation — a budget process that bypasses the 60-vote filibuster — but warned that Democrats were willing to go it alone. (Carney, 1/26)

Politico: Democrats’ Covid Conundrum: Work With GOP Or Run Them Over
Progressives are itching to wield control of the House and Senate and are skeptical that talks between a bipartisan group of senators and President Joe Biden will bear fruit. But moderates say the party needs to be more patient and give the centrists some space to work. And there’s not a lot of time: Critical unemployment benefits now expire on March 14. (Everett, Ferris and Emma, 1/26)

Stat: Senate Rules Could Pose Hurdles For Vaccine Funds 
Progressive Democrats in the Senate are hoping to use a streamlined process that needs just 50 votes to approve a Covid-19 relief package that includes billions in new funding for vaccines and other supplies. But some experts are already casting doubt on that plan. ... STAT spoke with nine current and former congressional staffers and budgetary experts, and they were about evenly divided on whether Democrats could move the public health funds through the streamlined process. None of them were definitively sure. (Cohrs, 1/27)

In legislative news from Georgia —

The Washington Post: A Georgia GOP Lawmaker Refused Covid-19 Tests. He Was Kicked Off The Floor For ‘Jeopardizing The Health’ Of Colleagues.
As the Georgia House of Representatives convened on Tuesday, Speaker David Ralston (R) called for an unnamed lawmaker who had repeatedly refused to be tested for the coronavirus to quietly remove himself from the room. But no one left the chamber. So Ralston then called on a state trooper to escort out Republican state Rep. David Clark for violating the twice-a-week testing policy and for “jeopardizing the health of our members in this Chamber.” (Peiser, 1/27)

AP: Biden Says He's ‘Bringing Back The Pros’ For Virus Briefings
For nearly a year it was the Trump show. Now President Joe Biden is calling up the nation’s top scientists and public health experts to regularly brief the American public about the pandemic that has claimed more than 425,000 U.S. lives. Beginning Wednesday, administration experts will host briefings three times a week on the state of the outbreak, efforts to control it and the race to deliver vaccines and therapeutics to end it. ... “We’re bringing back the pros to talk about COVID in an unvarnished way,” Biden told reporters Tuesday. “Any questions you have, that’s how we’ll handle them because we’re letting science speak again.” (Miller, 1/27)

The Hill: Vice President Harris Receives Second Dose Of COVID-19 Vaccine 
Vice President Harris received her second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Md. Harris urged all Americans to get the vaccine when it's available to them, and thanked the NIH employees for their work. (Weixel, 1/26)

The Washington Post: U.S. Arrivals Will Now Have To Quarantine. But Officials Haven’t Said How They Plan To Enforce It.
In a new Biden administration executive order that took effect Tuesday, the United States now requires all international entrants — including those returning home to the United States — pass two significant hurdles for entry. Travelers must secure a negative coronavirus test result before boarding their flight home, and upon arrival are directed to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance to self-quarantine for at least seven days. ... While the first of those rules has a clear prerequisite attached to it — acquiring a coronavirus test abroad — it remains unclear how a self-quarantine would be enforced, and the CDC said in an email Monday that it will not enforce its guidelines for quarantine as a rule. (The White House did not respond to requests for clarification on that stance.) (McMahon, 1/26)

In other areas of health policy —

Roll Call: Biden Inherits Trump's Unique Health Care Agenda
President Joe Biden’s tenure will be defined by his response to the coronavirus pandemic, an issue that stained former President Donald Trump’s term. But that's just part of the Trump health policy record that Biden now confronts. The new president is inheriting a unique mix of extraordinary and everyday policies at various stages of completion. (Clason, Kopp, McIntire and Raman, 1/27)

The Wall Street Journal: Biden To Lift Some Curbs On Abortion Funding, Reopen ACA Enrollment
President Biden on Thursday will begin shaping his health-care agenda by lifting certain restrictions on abortion funding and relaunching Affordable Care Act insurance sign-ups, moving swiftly to reassemble components of the health law weakened by the former Trump administration, according to a person familiar with the planning. (Armour and Siddiqui, 1/26)

Georgia Health News: Biden Plan To Change Health Rules Could Leave Imprint In Georgia 
The Biden administration is reportedly aiming to take steps to unravel recent federal decisions on health care. If pursued, those moves could have a major impact on Georgia’s Medicaid and private insurance waivers, recently approved by the Trump administration. (Miller, 1/26)

The health industry reacts to Biden's agenda —

Nature: Biden’s Ambitious COVID Plan: What Scientists Think
Smarter testing, faster vaccinations and health equity are cornerstones of the 200-page COVID-19 strategy released by US President Joe Biden’s administration on 21 January, as the country surpassed 420,000 deaths due to the coronavirus. The plan pledges to “listen to science” — a shift from the approach of former president Donald Trump, who, at times, politicized scientific evidence and ignored public health recommendations. Many researchers posted messages on Twitter expressing relief that scientific evidence would play a central role in Biden’s plan. They also celebrated the existence of a coordinated national pandemic strategy, complaining that Trump’s failure to enact one impaired testing, tracing and other responses required to tame the outbreak. (Maxmen and Subbaraman, 1/26)

Modern Healthcare: Lab Stakeholders Welcome Biden Moves On COVID-19 Testing, Suggest Additional Steps
With President Joseph Biden taking office this week, the lab industry is keen to see what steps his administration will take to boost COVID testing. Last week he released details on his $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, a legislative package that would include $50 billion to expand COVID-19 testing and an additional $30 billion investment in the Disaster Relief Fund to help ramp up production of supplies including items like vials, reagents, and protective gear that are essential to collecting and running clinical samples. The president's plan also calls for doubling the number of drive-through testing sites and investing in new testing technologies, particularly at-home and rapid tests. (Bonislawski, 1/26)

Modern Healthcare: CMS Pauses Three Trump-Era Proposed Rules
CMS on Tuesday paused three proposed rules developed under the Trump administration. The proposed rules would affect in-center dialysis coverage requirements for third-party payment programs, enable seniors to keep their Social Security retirement benefits if they opt out of Medicare Part A coverage and increase oversight of accrediting organizations. The White House budget office had been reviewing all three rules. CMS withdrew the proposed rules following a memo last week from White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain directing agencies to freeze new regulations that hadn't taken effect. The moves don't take any of the policies off the table, but the Biden administration won't sign off on any rules until it's had a chance to review them. HHS froze a new regulation targeting community health centers' 340B drug discounts last week. (Brady, 1/26)

Becker's Hospital Review: CMS Withdraws 3 Proposed Health Rules
CMS has withdrawn three proposed healthcare rules developed under the administration of former President Donald Trump.The withdrawn rules include a revision to Medicare Part A enrollment requirements, altered dialysis coverage requirements for third party-payment programs and increased oversight of accrediting organizations. The withdrawn rules come after President Joe Biden's Chief of Staff Ronald Klain ordered a freeze on new or pending rules issued by the Trump administration. The freeze prevents the departments and agencies from implementing the rules until the Biden administration has had a chance to review them. (Paavola, 1/26)

In other news —

Stat: FTC Sues Drug Makers Over Allegedly Illegal Deal Over An Opioid Painkiller
For the second time, the Federal Trade Commission has filed a lawsuit alleging Endo International (ENDP) and Impax Laboratories violated antitrust laws by striking a deal that sought to eliminate competition for an opioid painkiller. In filing its suit, the FTC pointed to a request made in 2017 by the Food and Drug Administration for Endo to voluntarily withdraw its reformulated version of the drug, which was called Opana ER, or extended release. (Silverman, 1/26)

Stat: This Professor Wrote A Manual For Using A Little-Known Federal Law For Lowering Drug Prices 
One of the priorities of the new Biden administration is to tackle the cost of prescription medicines, an elusive goal for many federal and state lawmakers over the past several years. However, Christopher Morten has a suggestion. As the deputy director at the New York University Technology Law and Policy Clinic, he studies patents and access to medicines. (Silverman, 1/26)

AP: HCA To Share COVID-19 Hospital Care Data With Researchers
HCA Healthcare says it has reached an agreement to share data about COVID-19 care at the company’s hospitals with prominent research institutions. The Nashville-based company announced Tuesday that some of the entities participating include the federal Agency for Health Research and Quality, Johns Hopkins University, Duke University, Meharry Medical College and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute. (1/27)

Modern Healthcare: HCA Forms COVID-19 Research Consortium With AHRQ, Universities
The consortium, which includes private research organizations and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, is an effort by HCA to leverage its large repository of data on COVID-19 patients amassed through its network of 187 hospitals. Hospital giant HCA has clinical data from 110,000 hospitalized COVID-19 patients in 2020. "We have always believed that the privilege of scale is not size, it's the ability to accelerate learning," said Dr. Jonathan Perlin, chief medical officer of the Nashville, Tenn.-based health system. "We thought, if we could open these data safely and effectively to colleagues and the federal government and the best minds in academia, we can accelerate what is known about COVID and its treatment, and by doing so, save lives." (Castellucci, 1/26)

In other news from the health care industry —

The Wall Street Journal: Walgreens Poaches Starbucks Executive Rosalind Brewer For CEO 
WalgreensBoots Alliance Inc. named Starbucks Corp. operating chief Rosalind Brewer as its next chief executive, setting her up to be the only Black woman leading a Fortune 500 company today. Ms. Brewer will replace Stefano Pessina, who said in July that he would step down as CEO once the drugstore company found a new leader. Mr. Pessina, one of Walgreens’ biggest individual investors, will stay on the company’s board and serve as executive chairman. (Mattioli and Lombardo, 1/26)

FierceHealthcare: Physician Compensation Slides After COVID-19 Slams Practices, Kaufman Hall Says 
Physician net revenue was down 4.5% in 2020 compared to 2019 as the industry still struggles with declines in patient volumes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a new report finds. The report released Tuesday by the consulting firm Kaufman Hall said that practices must navigate the continuing shift away from fee-for-service Medicare and to the payer mix away from commercial plans to Medicaid due to job losses stemming from the pandemic. (King, 1/26)

Stat: Why Health Care Lobbyists Saw A Windfall In 2020 
Let’s face it: 2020 was a very, very big year for health care. If you had any doubt about that blatantly obvious statement, the latest federal lobbying disclosures should drive that point home. The trade associations for hospitals, drug makers, drug middlemen, health insurers and doctors spent a collective $81 million on lobbying this year, according to STAT’s tally. (And that’s only five organizations…) (Florko, 1/26)

Becker's Hospital Review: Illinois Rejects Trinity's Plan To Build Outpatient Facility Where It's Closing A Hospital
An Illinois board voted to deny an application from Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health to build an outpatient center in a South Side Chicago neighborhood where it wants to close its 170-year-old inpatient hospital, according to the Chicago Tribune. Trinity filed a certificate of need application with the state last November for permission to open a $13 million, 13,000-square-foot outpatient care center about 2 miles away from the hospital it wants to close, Mercy Hospital & Medical Center in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood.  (Paavola, 1/26)

Indianapolis Star: Racism As Public Health Crisis: What 3 Indianapolis Hospitals Will Do
Speaking at a virtual public forum sponsored by the Greater Indianapolis NAACP and the Indianapolis Recorder last week, the heads of Eskenazi Health, Community Health Network and Indiana University Health shared what they have and will do to address health disparities. The forum came against the backdrop of a recent incident in which a Black physician, Dr. Susan Moore, alleged in a video that went viral that she had received discriminatory treatment at IU Health North. The event organizers said that the forum, initially planned for November, aimed to focus on holding hospitals accountable for the pledge. Together the three hospital systems oversee more than 70% of the state’s physician workforce, said co-moderator Joseph Tucker Edmonds, a member of the NAACP’s education committee and an assistant professor of religious studies and Africana studies at IUPUI. (Rudavsky, 1/27)

Stat: Orthopedic Patients Eagerly Await Surgeries Delayed By Covid-19 
Robin Young wants you to know she thinks her second knee replacement is the least important thing in the world. While hospitals are caught in the grips of a Covid-19 surge that is straining their capacity, she doesn’t compare her pain to the life-and-death struggles that have erased most elective surgery from hospital booking calendars. (Cooney, 1/27)

Also —

FierceHealthcare: Former Veterans Affairs Doctor Sentenced To Prison For Sexual Abuse 
A former Veterans Affairs doctor was sentenced to 25 years in prison for sexually abusing patients, officials announced Tuesday. Jonathan Yates, 52, was formerly an osteopathic medicine physician who worked at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Beckley, West Virginia. In September, he pleaded guilty to three felony counts of sexual assault of veterans seeking treatment for chronic pain through osteopathic manipulative therapy. (Reed, 1/26)

USA Today: FDA Issues Alert About Methanol-Contaminated Hand Sanitizer Imported From Mexico
U.S. regulators are warning that hand sanitizer imported from Mexico could be tainted with dangerous chemicals or not work effectively. The Food and Drug Administration issued the warning Tuesday amid a pandemic that has dramatically increased demand for hand-cleaning products. The FDA said it is applying an "import alert" to "all alcohol-based hand sanitizers from Mexico" in an attempt to "stop products that appear to be in violation from entering the U.S. until the agency is able to review the products' safety." (Bomey, 1/26)

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: Central Arkansas House Cat Tests Positive For Coronavirus
A nine-month-old house cat in Central Arkansas has tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes covid-19 in humans, the Arkansas Department of Health confirmed. A neighborhood practice veterinarian chose to test the cat after finding "unusual signs of disease" and learning the cat's owner had tested positive for covid-19, according to Danyelle McNeill, Department of Health spokeswoman. (Kwasnik, 1/26)

Fox News: Harvard Health Expert Makes Case For Everyone To Wear N95 Masks
A health expert from Harvard made his case Tuesday that everyone in the U.S. should wear N95 face masks in order to slow the spread of COVID-19. Joseph G. Allen, the director of the Healthy Buildings program at the university, penned an op-ed in the Washington Post and said there’s "no reason any essential worker—and really, everyone in the country – should go without masks that filter 95%." His pitch came a day after Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top disease expert in the U.S., said in an interview that wearing two cloth masks "likely" offers more protection for the wearer. "So if you have a physical covering with one layer, you put another layer on, it just makes common sense that it likely would be more effective. That’s the reason why you see people either double masking or doing a version of an N95." (DeMarche, 1/27)

The Hill: The Coronavirus Pandemic Has (Not) Given Birth To The Baby 'Bust' Generation 
If the United States was banking on another baby boom after the Great Recession, the coronavirus pandemic has set it even further back. After falling to a record low in May last year, the birth rate has continued dropping at a faster rate than the previous year, reported NBCLX. And research shows Americans aren't even thinking about having children as much as they used to, with drops in Google searches for pregnancy- and sex-related topics. (Srikanth, 1/26)

The Hill: Former Ohio State Health Director Reportedly Considering Senate Bid 
Amy Acton, the former director of the Ohio Department of Health who was responsible for leading the state's early response to the coronavirus outbreak, is reportedly considering a run for U.S. Senate. Cleveland.com reported Tuesday that Acton, a Democrat, is considering running to succeed Sen. Rob Portman (R), who announced on Monday he would not be seeking reelection in 2022. (Choi, 1/26)

Anchorage Daily News: Coronavirus Outbreak At Trident Seafood Plant In Akutan Now Includes 135 Workers
A COVID-19 outbreak at the Trident Seafoods plant in the tiny, remote community of Akutan now encompasses 135 workers including several sick enough to require medevacs to Anchorage. The plant, North America’s largest, right now has about 700 workers quarantined on an island in the Bering Sea with the nearest hospital hundreds of miles away. Trident is taking the unusual step of stockpiling medical supplies including ventilators in case weather grounds air ambulances. Two COVID-positive workers were sick enough to get flown Monday to Anchorage for hospitalization, according to state health officials. Another worker with breathing problems was medevaced earlier. (Hollander, 1/26)

The Hill: Colorado Governor Says State, Local Officials Key To Federal COVID Response 
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) said Tuesday that politicians staying in tune with the needs of their constituents’ communities is a key to effectively tackling issues like the COVID-19 pandemic. “While the federal government with the pandemic is playing a coordinating role, it’s really on the ground in states and in cities where it’s playing out,” Polis said at The Hill’s “Listening to America” event. (Gans, 1/26)

Also —

The New York Times: Texas Hostage Standoff Ends With 2 Dead at Austin Medical Office
Two people were found dead in a medical office in Austin, Texas, late Tuesday after a hostage standoff that lasted more than five hours, according to the police and local news reports. It was not immediately clear how many people had been held hostage or who had taken them captive. ... Several news outlets identified the medical office as a branch of the Childrens Medical Group. (Ives, 1/27)

North Carolina Health News: Advocates Say APS Needs Budget Boost To Fight Abuse
Sharnese Ransom works to protect adults with disabilities from neglect and abuse, both in her Raleigh neighborhood and when running the statewide group that represents North Carolina’s frontline troops against abuse of aging adults. The 2020 arrival of the pandemic has made it tougher on both settings. In fact, the state’s most influential groups on aging issues are pressuring Gov. Roy Cooper to include $7 million for Adult Protective Services in his budget for the fiscal year starting July 1. (Goldsmith, 1/27)

AP: Unwanted Virus Milestone: UK's Civilian Dead Now Tops WWII's
There are no warning sirens, nor a rush for shelter. No neighborhoods of collapsed rubble with bodies buried inside from Nazi Germany bombardment. It is quieter than all that. But the United Kingdom has now suffered its worst civilian loss of life since World War II by a significant number. Some 70,000 non-combatants perished in the 1940s. Three quarters of a century later, it’s 100,000 taken by the coronavirus pandemic, an adversary no less relentless and fearsome and one whose defeat is still some time away. (Fakahany, 1/26)

The New York Times: E.U. And U.K. Fight Over Coronavirus Vaccines: 'Solidarity Is Failing' 
The vaccine wars have come to Europe. For months now, wealthy countries have been clearing the world’s shelves of coronavirus vaccines, leaving poorer nations with little hope of exiting the pandemic in 2021. But a fresh skirmish this week has pitted the rich against the rich — Britain versus the European Union — in the scramble for vials, opening a new and unabashedly nationalist competition that could poison relations and set back collective efforts to end the pandemic. (Mueller and Stevis-Gridneff, 1/27)

Bloomberg: Astra Pushes Back As EU Warnings Over Vaccine Delay Escalate
Drugmaker AstraZeneca Plc pushed back against the European Union on Covid-19 vaccinations, reacting to threats to its business and saying the bloc must take responsibility for delays to the rollout of the shot. The comments from AstraZeneca Chief Executive Officer Pascal Soriot come as EU governments and company executives prepare to discuss the issue on a call Wednesday evening. The European Commission wants “fundamental” information about delivery plans for the first half of the year, according to an official with knowledge of the situation. Tensions over the rollout have escalated since Astra warned late last week of delays at a production plant in Belgium. The EU responded with fury, vowing to monitor exports of shots, and Germany signaled support for the idea of imposing limits on sales outside the EU. (Chrysoloras and Stearns, 1/27)

Bloomberg: France Covid Vaccine Second Dose Won't Be Delayed Due To New Variant Risk
France decided not to delay second doses of the Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, shunning the advice of its health authority and citing risks and uncertainties in the face of new variants. “We are facing a degree of unknown and uncertainty,” Health Minister Olivier Veran said Tuesday at a press conference in Paris. “There’s a lack of scientific consensus. So I’m making a choice based on validated data that we fully understand.” Veran and Alain Fischer, a vaccination expert who advises the government, pointed to a lack of reliable information about the protection conferred by the first dose alone, especially in the elderly. There’s also no clarity on whether the delay would affect overall protection after the second dose as more contagious variants continue to spread. (Fourcade, 1/26)

NPR: Some European Countries Move To Require Medical-Grade Masks In Public
A number of European countries have announced new mask recommendations and requirements, pushing aside fabric masks in favor of surgical masks or medical-grade respirators. In Germany, the federal and state governments introduced measures last week making medical masks — identified as surgical masks or KN95 or FFP2 masks — mandatory in stores and on public transit. It also issued a recommendation that medical masks be worn whenever there is close or prolonged contact with other people, particularly in enclosed spaces. FFP2 is a European standard promising filtration similar to that of N95 or KN95 respirators. (Wamsley, 1/26)

Also —

AP: Shoah Survivors To Get Vaccine On Auschwitz Liberation Day
Hundreds of Holocaust survivors in Austria and Slovakia were poised to get their first coronavirus vaccination Wednesday, acknowledging their past suffering with a special tribute 76 years after the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp, where the Nazis killed more than 1 million Jews and others. “We owe this to them,” said Erika Jakubovits, the Jewish Community of Vienna organizer of the vaccination drive. “They have suffered so much trauma and have felt even more insecure during this pandemic.” (Grieshaber and Jenn, 1/27)

The Washington Post: Only One Of The World’s 29 Poorest Countries, Guinea, Has Started Covid-19 Vaccinations 
In more than 50 countries, most of them wealthy, coronavirus vaccination efforts are well underway, with some 20 million doses already distributed in the United States alone. But most poorer nations have yet to even begin. World Health Organization officials said last week that the West African nation of Guinea is the only low-income country of 29 to begin vaccinating. And those efforts have been limited in scope — just 55 people out of the population of more than 12 million have received doses so far. (Taylor and Paquette, 1/26)

Reuters: China, India's COVID-19 Vaccinations To Stretch To Late 2022: Study 
COVID-19 vaccination programmes in China and India will stretch until late 2022 due to the sheer size of their population, and more than 85 poor countries will not have widespread access to vaccines before 2023, a study showed on Wednesday. (1/27)

AP: Mexico Near Approving Russian Vaccine, With Little Data
Mexico said Tuesday it is close to granting approval for Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, with lots of spy drama but little public data available. The approval process described by Hugo López-Gatell, Mexico’s assistant health secretary, sounded like a Cold War spy thriller, and may not foment confidence in the shot. (Stevenson, 1/27)

AP: Criminals In Mexico Exploit Desperation For Oxygen Canisters
Mexico continued to post near-record rates of coronavirus deaths Tuesday, and the huge demand for oxygen canisters has led to frauds, robberies and other crimes against families trying to care for relatives at home. Mexico posted a near-record 1,743 newly confirmed COVID-deaths, bringing the total to over 152,000, and 7,165 new infections. Hospitals in some parts of Mexico are almost 90% full, forcing families to treat their relatives at home. But the oxygen tanks they rely on have been the object of thefts, hijackings and fraud. (1/27)

Reuters: Pandemic 'On The Decline' In Moscow As Mayor Lifts Some Curbs 
The coronavirus pandemic is on the decline in Moscow, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Wednesday as he abolished some COVID-19 restrictions, allowing bars, restaurants and nightclubs to open overnight. New COVID-19 cases in the Russian capital have not exceeded 3,000 in the past week and more than 50% of beds in coronavirus hospitals were vacant for the first time since mid-June, Sobyanin wrote on his personal blog. (1/27)

AP: Maduro's 'Miracle' Treatment For COVID-19 Draws Skeptics
Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro appears to be counting on yet another “miracle” to save his citizens from COVID-19, promoting a secretive solution with no published scientific evidence he claims will conquer the new coronavirus. “Ten drops under the tongue every four hours and the miracle is done,” Maduro said in a televised appearance on Sunday. “It’s a powerful antiviral, very powerful, that neutralizes the coronavirus.” (Smith and Rueda, 1/26)

CBS Denver: Colorado Takes Next Step Toward Importing Prescription Drugs From Canada 
Colorado is taking a new step toward importing prescription drugs from Canada. The state is now soliciting vendors to implement Colorado’s Canadian Drug Importation Program. The program is designed to give Coloradans access to Canada’s lower-priced drugs. (Padilla, 1/25)

9news.Com: State Releases Plan For Importing Prescription Drugs From Canada  
The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing has released the next step in a state plan aimed at lowering prescription drug costs in Colorado by importing drugs from Canada. The Colorado General Assembly passed SB19-005 in 2019, authorizing the department to seek approval from the federal government to establish a "Canadian Prescription Drug Importation'" program to allow Coloradans access to Canada's lower-priced drugs.  On Monday, the department released an Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) bidding process in an effort to find vendors to help operationalize the program, including aspects of compliance, safety and prescription drug distribution. (Sheldon, 1/25)

CBS Denver: Group Of Colorado Pharmacists Welcome Plan To Buy Prescription Drugs From Canada
On a nearly daily basis, Dr. Ky Davis sees his patients make a difficult choice between taking necessary medication or giving up on it because it’s too expensive. “We have patients that see the price and decide they don’t want it, or we have patients who tell us they only take it every other day,” said Davis, who runs Harris Pharmacy in Rocky Ford. “We know that when the can get it affordably they’re more likely to take it and the medication can only help if they take it.” (Todd, 1/25)

In other news —

FactCheck.Org: FactChecking Trump's Farewell Remarks  
In a video farewell address on Jan. 19 and in remarks at Joint Base Andrews before leaving for Florida on Jan. 20, outgoing President Donald Trump distorted the facts on the economy, his tax cuts, veterans, the military, drug prices and more. ... Late in his first term, Trump signed several executive orders on drug prices, but, as we explained, it remains to be seen how the orders will be implemented and whether they will result in large price reductions. As for Trump’s reference to “favored nations,” that updated executive order, signed Sept. 13, hasn’t had any impact. (Robertson, Kiely, Farley and Gore, 1/20)

FiercePharma: While Pandemic Takes Top Priority For Biden, Experts See Favorable Landscape For Drug Pricing Action In Washington 
Politicians of all stripes have run on promises to lower drug prices over the years, and outgoing President Donald Trump was no different. Fast-forward four years—past several attempts to rein in drug costs—and pricing dynamics largely remain the same.  Now, the issue will be President Joe Biden’s to handle. While the COVID-19 pandemic will be the new administration's “first, second and third” priority, said Rachel Sachs, law professor at Washington University in St. Louis, there are reasons to expect drug pricing action down the road. (Sagonowsky, 1/20)

The Hill: With A New President And A New Congress, It's Time For Medicare Drug Price Negotiation
Since passage of the Medicare Modernization Act in 2003, which prohibited Medicare from negotiating prescription drug prices, seniors and their advocates have demanded that lawmakers take further action to lower drug costs for beneficiaries. But pharmaceutical industry lobbying and divided government have nullified earnest legislative attempts. Now, with Democrats poised to lead the White House, House, and Senate for the first time since 2010, it's time for change. Moving forward, there must be swift action to tame the punishing prices that force seniors to forgo necessary medications, to ration pills, or to choose between prescription drugs and other essentials — like rent and groceries. As if to underscore the need for reform, Big Pharma raised the prices for hundreds of prescription drugs at the beginning of the year by an average 3.3 percent (with some as high as 15%) — more than double this year’s meager Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). (Max Richtman, 1/20)

Also —

Omaha World-Herald: The Haven Debacle Shows The Need To Adopt Medicare For All 
As America tiptoes into the unknown of 2021, an event will soon occur that will be largely unnoticed. Just three years ago, the corporate giants Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JP Morgan Chase announced they would join forces to create a new health care company called Haven. Revolutionary in its scope, Haven would use market forces to create disruptive innovation that would bring down the costs of employer-based insurance. In the minds of many, this was long overdue. Each year, rising health care costs were eating into both corporate bottom lines as well as employee take-home pay. (Donald R. Frey, 1/25)

Times Of San Diego: Congress Must Ensure Patients, Not Corporations, Benefit From 340B Drug Program  
With the expansion of coverage of healthcare in 2010 through the Affordable Care Act, much changed in our efforts to insure the uninsured. Today, as the health care system struggles under the weight of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is even more critical to ensure healthcare dollars are directed where they are needed most. Many federal programs have been evaluated and modernized to ensure their efficacy. But one federal program that has not yet been reviewed by Congress is the 340B prescription drug program. Initially created to help Medicaid (known as Medi-Cal in California) stretch resources to serve vulnerable patients, the program has since morphed into a profit maker for large corporations — all while patients are struggling to access affordable care. (Scott Suckow, 1/25)

NH Times Union: Seniors Don't Find This COLA Refreshing 
The cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for Social Security for 2021 is 1.3%. With an almost $4 increase in the cost of Medicare and an $18 rise in supplemental health insurance premium, I am entering January 1, 2021 with a negative $7 from my COLA, which is supposed to help retired seniors; never mind the increases in the other expenses of living like groceries or gasoline. The increase in Medicare is technically not supposed to be greater than the increase in the COLA. Nothing at all is calculated in to cover the increased cost of supplemental health insurance, which sensible seniors need because Medicare only covers the first 80% of care. If a senior is not retired from a federal position or poor enough to qualify for Medicaid, he or she needs to pay for the other 20% of coverage or else gamble that they will not need care. (Kath R. Allen, 1/25)

Arizona Republic: HIV Is Up In Arizona, Yet AHCCCS Doesn't Cover The Drugs Many Need
Many Arizonans – our state legislators in particular – are probably unfamiliar with the phrase “U=U.” But for those at risk for and living with HIV, it is a well-known quantity. “U=U” is short for “Undetectable equals Untransmittable.” For those living with HIV whose viral load has been reduced to the point where it is undetectable, it means that person is no longer able to transmit HIV to anyone else through sexual contact. U=U is achievable through a class of what can truly be considered miracle drugs – and, within this class, single-tablet regimens for HIV are the best option. (Thanes Vanig, 1/26)

Knoxville News Sentinel: Conservative Case For Marijuana Legalization And Ending War On Drugs
Is there a conservative case for decriminalizing pot? In a letter published in the Abilene Reporter News, Alexander W. Salter, an associate professor of economics at Texas Tech University, makes the argument that there is. He’s right. Marijuana criminalization has been one of the worst big-government boondoggles of the past century. As he argues, it represents a threat to federalism, throws more money at our failed war on drugs and exacerbates inequalities in our criminal justice system. (Daniel Smith, 1/26)

Los Angeles Times: President Biden, Set Loftier COVID Vaccine Goals
We are far from the destination, but the return to normalcy has begun — and so have the normal games presidents play. Many times President Trump said COVID would just “disappear,” as if it was so much fake news ginned up to help Democrats. At one campaign stop, he railed, “COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID. … On Nov. 4, you won’t hear about it anymore.” Of course, he was wrong about the disease simply vanishing. More than 420,000 Americans have died of COVID-19 — far surpassing the number of U.S. soldiers who died in combat in both world wars and the Vietnam War combined. (That stark figure is 392,393.) And just because the spin from the newly installed Biden White House isn’t as remotely egregious or reality-defying as what many of us became accustomed to over the last four years, doing “better than Trump” isn’t a standard worth bragging about. (Jonah Goldberg, 1/26)

The Washington Post: Biden’s Covid-19 Plan Needs To Be More Ambitious 
I had a pretty low bar for any Democratic presidential candidate last year. Would the party nominate some sort of land-based mammal, preferably a biped? Could it be relied upon to put a fabric covering over the holes through which it breathed? Would it be likely to concede any election it lost, rather than assembling a mob of angry partisans and pointing them toward Congress? Joe Biden easily met my requirements, which is why I voted for him. But now he needs to exceed my hopes, especially when it comes to the most important issue facing his administration — the pandemic. Unfortunately, early on, Team Biden has not mustered truly presidential ambitions. (Megan McArdle, 1/26)

CNN: President Biden Sets Bold Timeline For A Return To Normal Life 
President Joe Biden's pledge that there will be sufficient vaccines for 300 million Americans by the end of summer represents a bold and politically risky response to criticism his pandemic plan lacks ambition. In effect, the President is putting a date on a return of a semblance of normal life -- with no guarantee that he can deliver. (Stephen Collinson, 1/27)

The Washington Post: Everyone Needs N95 Masks Now. But Here Are The Best Alternatives. 
We are rightly grateful to the front-line health-care workers who put their lives on the line each day. Their relative risk of death rose 20 percent in 2020 over previous years. We should also be grateful for the bakers and cooks, whose risk of death rose more than 50 percent. And for maids and truck drivers, who saw a 30 percent increase in death risk. And construction workers and shipping clerks, up more than 40 percent. Those numbers come from a new report out of California that shines a light on the shocking risk to covid-19 by occupation. It also shows how necessary it is that we ramp up protections for essential workers. The best way to do that: better masks. (Joseph G. Allen, 1/26)

The Washington Post: As Coronavirus Mutates, Vaccines Are Not The Only Urgent Need
How to respond? The methods used so far — face masks, social distancing, lockdowns, good hygiene — all seem to mitigate the new variants. Hopefully, the vaccines also will work. But one missing piece is the equivalent of a tracking radar. Genetic sequencing technology has developed rapidly. It should be deployed into a massive cross-country genomic virus surveillance network for disease detection and risk assessment, and then incorporated into a global network that would provide timely alerts as the virus evolves. Such a network will be valuable not only during this pandemic but also to help spot future threats. Unfortunately, the United States is way behind other nations in this endeavor. The Biden administration, aware of the problem, should make it a highest priority. (1/26)

The New York Times: False Rumors About Covid-19 Vaccines Are Scaring Women
The Covid-19 pandemic has taken a disproportionate toll on women’s careers, finances and home lives. Although the vaccines may represent a solution, as scientists studying coronavirus infection and immune responses in women, we are now hearing from young women who say they might skip the shots out of fear for their fertility or nursing child. We are concerned about how inaccurate, extreme and widespread these theories have become, because getting vaccinated is the best way for women to protect themselves and their families. The confusion is understandable: Early clinical trials of Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna’s coronavirus vaccines failed to include pregnant and lactating women, so safety data is not available for these populations. (Alice Lu-Culligan and Akiko Iwasaki, 1/26)

Stat: Many Covid-19 Patients Die Alone. Vaccinated Volunteers Could Change That
I got my first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine on Dec. 16, and was surprised at the feeling of relief, hope, almost exhilaration it brought on instantly. It was an unexpectedly emotional experience. It’s been more than two weeks since my second jab so I am, in theory, pretty well immune to Covid-19. Shielded behind an N95, visor, gown, and gloves, I reckon I’m now about as safe as I can be. So when my day’s work as an anesthesiologist is done, I’ve started sitting with Covid-19 patients. (Ben Moor, 1/27)

CNN: Dr. Deborah Birx's Shocking Interview Is Way Too Late
Now she tells us. After nearly a year of supposedly coordinating the Trump White House's coronavirus response, Dr. Deborah Birx went public about the mishandling of a pandemic that has left more than 400,000 Americans dead. Dr. Birx went on "Face the Nation" Sunday night, and she dropped some bombshells. (Jill Fillipovic, 1/26)

Opinions on new dietary guidelines —

The Hill: New Dietary Guidelines Still Show Signs Of Industry Influence
The U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services recently released the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The new guidelines ignore an expert panel’s recommendation to lower suggested alcohol intake limits for men (to no more than one drink per day on days when alcohol is consumed). Despite this missed opportunity, however, the guidelines do significantly improve on previous editions’ treatment of alcohol, offering hope for sensible alcohol policy reforms and better public health in the near future. Importantly, the guidelines put to rest the notion that drinking alcohol may be good for you. (Thomas Gremillion, 1/23)

Stat: Governments' Alcohol Subsidies Are Harmful To Public Health 
Each January, millions of people around the world make resolutions to cut back on the amount of alcohol they drink; many participate in the popular “dry January” pledge to give up alcohol altogether for a month. Given the high societal cost of harmful alcohol use, and the pandemic-driven increase in the use of alcohol, it’s a trend that should be encouraged. (Nandita Murukutla and Rebecca Perl, 1/27)