Fox News: Florida Mother Gives Birth To First-Known Baby With COVID Antibodies, Doctors Say
A Florida mother who received one dose of the coronavirus vaccine while pregnant has passed antibodies to her newborn, doctors say. Her child is believed to be the first baby known to be born with COVID-19 antibodies, according to reports. "To our knowledge, this was the first in the world that was reported of a baby being born with antibodies after a vaccination," pediatrician Paul Gilbert told Tequesta's WPBF. (Aaro, 3/17)

The Guardian: US Woman Gives Birth To First Known Baby With Covid Antibodies, Doctors Say
The doctors presented their finding in a preprint article, meaning this claim has yet to be peer-reviewed. Drs Paul Gilbert and Chad Rudnick said the mother, a frontline healthcare worker, received her first dose of the Moderna vaccine in January, at 36 weeks pregnant. The woman gave birth to a “vigorous, healthy” girl three weeks later. Researchers analyzed blood from the baby’s umbilical cord and antibodies “were detected … at time of delivery”, their paper said. “Thus, there is potential for protection and infection risk reduction from Sars-CoV-2 with maternal vaccination.” (Bekiempis, 3/16)

WPBF: Palm Beach County Baby Is The First To Be Born With COVID-19 Antibodies After Mother Vaccinated During Pregnancy
“We tested the baby’s cord to see if the antibodies in the mother passed to the baby which is something, we see happen with other vaccines given during pregnancy,” Gilbert said. The results showed the baby had the COVID-19 antibodies. Rudnick says this is significant in the fight to protect children from COVID-19. (Espinosa, 3/16)

Also —

Fox News: Mothers, Newborns With Coronavirus, Suspected Illness Should Not Be Separated, WHO Says
New research has pointed to the importance of keeping mothers and newborns together — even when a coronavirus infection is suspected or confirmed, according to the World Health Organization. The WHO, citing two new studies recently published in Lancet EclinicalMedicine and BMJ Global Health, respectively, said that the pandemic is "severely affecting the quality of care given to small and sick newborns, resulting in unnecessary suffering and deaths." (Farber, 3/16)

In other pregnancy news —

KHN: Doctors Debate Use Of Blood Thinners To Prevent Clots In Women After C-Sections
Nearly all women who deliver babies through cesarean section at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City receive injections of the blood thinner heparin for weeks after the procedure, to prevent potentially life-threatening blood clots. Obstetric leaders there say that’s good medical practice because the formation of those clots, called venous thromboembolism or VTE, though uncommon, is a leading cause of maternal death after delivery, particularly C-section delivery. Broad use of heparin has been shown to be effective and safe in the United Kingdom in reducing that risk and should be adopted in the U.S., they argue. (Meyer, 3/17)

The Washington Post: Some Long-Haul Covid-19 Patients Say Their Symptoms Are Subsiding After Getting Vaccines 
Arianna Eisenberg endured long-haul covid-19 for eight months, a recurring nightmare of soaking sweats, crushing fatigue, insomnia, brain fog and muscle pain. But Eisenberg’s tale has a happy ending that neither she nor current medical science can explain. Thirty-six hours after her second shot of coronavirus vaccine last month, her symptoms were gone, and they haven’t returned. “I really felt back to myself,” the 34-year-old Brooklyn therapist said, “to a way that I didn’t think was possible when I was really sick.” (Bernstein and Guarino, 3/16)

Becker's Hospital Review: Lingering Symptoms Go Away After Getting Vaccinated, Some COVID-19 Long-Haulers Say
Survivor Corps, an online group of people with long COVID-19 symptoms, conducted an informal member survey that showed 216 people felt no different after vaccination, while 171 said their conditions improved and 63 said they felt worse. Little research has been officially published on the subject, the Post reports. "The only thing that we can safely assume is that an unknown proportion of people who acquire SARS-CoV-2 have long-term symptoms," Steven Deeks, MD, an infectious disease specialist at UC San Francisco, told the Post. "We know the questions. We have no answers. Hard stop." (Carbajal, 3/16)

Axios: Experts Look Into Whether COVID Vaccines Could Help Long-Haulers 
Some people with "long COVID" say their symptoms have gotten better after they received a vaccine, the Washington Post reports. The evidence so far is largely anecdotal, but further research could help determine whether vaccines can offer some help to the millions of people worldwide who are suffering through long-term illness that science doesn't understand very well. (Fernandez, 3/17)

CIDRAP: Study: US COVID Infections May Have Been Twice The Number Reported
Roughly 15.9 million asymptomatic US COVID-19 cases may have gone undetected as of Sep 30, 2020, which would double the cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during that time, according to a research letter detailing a 6.6% nationwide SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence rate. The letter, written by Clinical Reference Laboratory scientists in Kansas and published today in JAMA Network Open, describes a national convenience sample of 61,910 generally healthy adult life insurance applicants evaluated for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in September. (3/16)

The Washington Post: After Weeks Of Declining Cases, Coronavirus Hot Spots Emerge In Upper Midwest, New York City Area 
After weeks of declining coronavirus deaths and hospitalizations, new hot spots of infection have emerged, and disease experts warn that the spread of a more dangerous variant and a too-rapid rush to return to normal life could prolong the historic health emergency. Caseloads are down nationally and tens of millions of people are fully loaded with antibodies to the virus, with more than 2 million people getting doses of vaccine every day. But the virus continues to pose a real and present threat, with about 55,000 new infections daily. (Achenbach, Cha and Dupree, 3/16)

Health News Florida: Florida Coronavirus Positivity Rate Over 6% Again 
Another 2,826 people tested positive for coronavirus in Florida since Sunday, the state Department of Health reported Monday. The daily case count brought the statewide total of coronavirus cases to 1,979,634.The positivity rate for new cases was 6.13%, the highest it’s been since March 3. That was based on the results of 55,766 tests returned Sunday — about half the daily average for the last two weeks. (WUSF Public Media, 3/16)

In other news about the spread of the coronavirus —

CNN: Coronavirus Strains First Detected In California Are Officially Variants Of Concern,' CDC Says 
Two coronavirus strains first detected in California are now officially "variants of concern," according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The variants may be about 20% more transmissible, the CDC said, citing early research. Some Covid-19 treatments may also be less effective against the strains. Still, the CDC didn't say that vaccines would stop working against them. (Azad, 3/17)

CNN: The Race Between Variants And Vaccines In US Will Be A Close Call, Expert Warns, And Eased Restrictions Aren't Helping
Experts say there's a tough race between Covid-19 vaccinations and a contagious variant that's rapidly spreading across the US, threatening another dangerous surge -- and the eased restrictions only further complicate things. "It's going to be a close call," Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health told CNN on Tuesday. "We are vaccinating really well, that's the good news. These variants are spreading pretty quickly across the country, that's the bad news." (Maxouris, 3/17)

The Economist: See How Age And Illnesses Change The Risk Of Dying From Covid-19 
Covid-19 threatens everyone, but its risk is concentrated among particular groups of people. To help readers understand how the disease interacts with demography and with other illnesses (“comorbidities”), we have built a statistical risk model, using records in the Covid-19 Research Database from 425,000 people in America who tested positive. For any group of unvaccinated people of a given age, sex and mix of comorbidities, our model estimates the share that would be hospitalised or die within 30 days of a covid-19 diagnosis. To learn more about which medical conditions most exacerbate covid-19, please see Graphic Detail; the model’s methodology is summarised here.The interactive below lets you explore the model’s output for any combination of variables. It assumes that comorbidities not selected are not present, even if they often appear together. For example, if you enter only Type 2 diabetes, you will receive an estimate for people with Type 2 diabetes but not hypertension. We do not store any records of which readers use the interactive, or of which medical conditions they select. (3/11)

In updates about states that are easing covid restrictions —

The Oregonian: Oregon Department Of Education Relaxes School Reopening Guidelines, Removes 100-Person Weekly Contact Limit 
The Oregon Department of Education released new guidelines for the way districts must operate schools during the pandemic, erasing a limit on the number of people students may encounter during the week. The 100-person limit was one of two agency guidelines district leaders across the state said made reopening high schools nearly impossible. (Campuzano, 3/16)

Health News Florida: Miami-Dade Police Halt Mask, Curfew Citations After DeSantis Suspends Fine 
Miami-Dade County police have stopped issuing mask and curfew citations, calling the tickets pointless after Gov. Ron DeSantis canceled fines for violating emergency COVID-19 orders. According to the Miami Herald, the county’s court system reported a sudden drop in emergency-order citations against businesses last weekend. During the weekend of March 5, courts reported 46 citations for violating emergency orders, all but one against businesses. (WLRN 91.3 FM, 3/16)

CBS News: FEMA Chief Says COVID-19 Positivity Rate Among Migrants Is Less Than 6%, Lower Than Texas Average
The acting head of the Federal Emergency Agency (FEMA) told lawmakers on Tuesday that less than 6% of COVID-19 tests for migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border have come back positive, a lower percentage than the overall positivity rate in the state of Texas. "There's testing happening," Acting Administrator Robert Fenton told lawmakers at a hearing before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security. "What we're seeing is less than 6% positive right now, coming across the border." Fenton's comments come as Texas Governor Greg Abbott and GOP lawmakers have expressed concerns that migrants are spreading the virus to the general public. (Sganga, 3/16)

Axios: FDA Moves To Streamline At-Home COVID-19 Test Approval 
The Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday that it will allow some companies developing COVID-19 tests to market their products for regular at-home use without first seeing how they perform on asymptomatic people, Politico reports. The agency hopes the move will streamline emergency-use authorizations for such tests, making it easier to conduct widespread testing of people who may soon be returning to schools and office spaces, the FDA noted in a statement. (Saric, 3/16)

Politico: FDA Opens Door To Widespread At-Home Covid-19 Tests 
The Food and Drug Administration will allow some developers of Covid-19 tests to market their products for regular at-home use without first studying how well the tests perform in people without symptoms. The agency's announcement Tuesday is aimed at making it easier to screen Americans returning to school and work, senior FDA regulators said. (Lim, 3/16)

Boston Globe: Saliva-Based COVID-19 Test To Be Submitted For Emergency Use Authorization With The FDA 
Dr. Angela Slitt was already thinking about surveillance tools for COVID-19 before a single case was identified in Rhode Island. In the beginning days of the pandemic, she monitored the challenges of the common polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests; how access was severely hampered due to disruptions in the supply chain, how they required extraction of the nucleic acids, access to thermocyclers, and other lab equipment that was both sophisticated and expensive. ... A year later, Slitt and her team have developed a new saliva-based COVID-19 test that overcomes the challenges of PCR tests. This new test, called quantiCOVID-19, is not only less invasive than the nasal swabs that most tests use, but is sensitive, specific, eliminates the supply chain issues, and can deliver results at a lower cost with minimal scientific equipment. (Gagosz, 3/16)

In other covid research news —

Capital & Main: Baffling Illness In Children Follows In The Wake Of COVID
It was toward the end of last summer that Martha Kuhl began to notice the numbers. With increasing frequency, parents were bringing their kids to the emergency department of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland, the young patients complaining of an array of symptoms – fever, pain in the stomach or neck, rash, bloodshot eyes – that at first glance appeared to mimic other childhood ailments. “Some of the parents were really afraid that it was COVID-19, and we had been seeing some cases of acute COVID,” said Kuhl, a registered nurse in pediatric oncology at Benioff. “But these were a kind of post-COVID case that was different.” (Disclosure: Kuhl is a member of the California Nurses Association, which is a financial supporter of Capital & Main.) (Kriedler, 3/15)

Axios: Good Coronavirus Treatments Exist, But How To Get Them Is Complicated 
Only a minority of patients are receiving some of the most promising coronavirus treatments. COVID-19 is almost certainly going to be part of our lives for a long time, even with high vaccination rates. Antibody treatments could make it much less deadly — but only if patients get them. (Owens, 3/16)

AP: EU Regulator 'Convinced' AstraZeneca Benefit Outweighs Risk
The European Union’s drug regulator insisted Tuesday that there is “no indication” the AstraZeneca vaccine causes blood clots as governments around the world faced the grimmest of dilemmas: push on with a vaccine known to save lives or suspend its use over reports of clotting in some recipients. The European Medicines Agency urged governments not to halt use of the vaccine at a time when the pandemic is still taking thousands of lives each day. And already there are concerns that even brief suspensions could have disastrous effects on confidence in inoculation campaigns the world over, many of which are already struggling to overcome logistical hurdles and widespread hesitancy about vaccines. (Casert and Jordans, 3/16)

The Wall Street Journal: Europe Weighs Caution On AstraZeneca Vaccine Against Covid-19 Threat 
Health authorities and scientists threw their weight behind AstraZeneca PLC’s Covid-19 vaccine, but beleaguered European governments that have suspended its use defended their caution. The European Union’s medicines regulator said Tuesday that the benefits of using AstraZeneca’s vaccine outweigh possible risks, after similar comments Monday by the World Health Organization, despite reports that some people who had received it suffered blood clots and several of them had died. (Pancevski, Sylvers and Dalton, 3/16)

CNBC: Italy And France Ready To Restart AstraZeneca Shot After Review
France and Italy say they are ready to quickly restart inoculation programs with the AstraZeneca vaccine if regulators confirm it’s still safe to use. The preliminary statement from the European Medicines Agency on Tuesday was “encouraging,” the office of Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said Tuesday in a statement following a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron. It added that in the event of a positive conclusion by the EMA, France and Italy were ready “to promptly restart” inoculations with the vaccine. (Amaro, 3/17)

USA Today: 'It's Easy To Scare People': Europe's Decision To Pull AstraZeneca-Oxford Vaccine Threatens Global COVID-19 Recovery Efforts, US Experts Say
Countries across Europe are pausing use of AstraZeneca-Oxford University's COVID-19 vaccine, saying they are acting out of caution, but U.S. scientists say it's an irresponsible move that threatens the global vaccination effort and the opportunity to end the pandemic. "While it's easy to scare people, it's very hard to unscare them," said Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center and an infectious disease specialist at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Taking the vaccine off the market – even temporarily – could doom the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine and tarnish all other vaccines as well, he said. (Weintraub, 3/16)

Also —

Bloomberg: Australia Urges Europe To Send AstraZeneca Vaccines To PNG
Australia is urging the European Union to divert 1 million doses of the AstraZeneca Plc vaccine that it’s already contracted to near-neighbor Papua New Guinea, as a wave of coronavirus infections rocks the Pacific region’s most-populous nation. The formal request to AstraZeneca and European authorities comes just weeks after Italy blocked a shipment of 250,700 doses of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine to Australia, using a recently introduced EU regulation for the first time. (Scott, 3/16)

CIDRAP: AstraZeneca Vaccine Doesn't Prevent B1351 COVID In Early Trial 
Two doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford University COVID-19 vaccine were ineffective against mild-to-moderate infections with the B1351 variant first identified in South Africa, according to a phase 1b-2 clinical trial published today in the New England Journal of Medicine. The double-blind multicenter study, led by scientists at the South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, studied the safety and the efficacy of the AstraZeneca ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine in HIV-negative adults aged 18 to 64 who received either two standard doses of the vaccine or a placebo in a 1:1 ratio 21 to 35 days apart from Jun 24 to Nov 9, 2020. Median follow-up after the second dose was 121 days. (Van Beusekom, 3/16)

In other vaccine news —

Stat: Messonnier: We Can't Stretch Vaccine Doses Unless We Know It Works
In an effort to stretch the supply of Covid-19 vaccines, some have advocated for further spacing out the two doses required for some of the shots or, in the case of the Moderna vaccine, lowering the dosage given with each jab. But Nancy Messonnier, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, reiterated Tuesday that federal health authorities continue to stand behind the current recommendations about the timing and strength of the shots, which were proven to be protective in clinical trials. She added that regulators and officials would continue to review new data as it was released. (Joseph, 3/16)

USA Today: COVID-19 Vaccines Pose Questions For People With Immune Issues
None of the large-scale vaccine trials included people who are immunocompromised, though every indication is that vaccines are safe in this group. Organizations representing experts in cancer, organ transplantation and autoimmune diseases all support vaccination for their patients. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Wednesday that there are still questions about vaccines and the immunocompromised. It's remains unclear, he said at a news conference, whether people who are immunocompromised make a comparable immune response to those without these conditions, whether the protection from vaccines will last as long in them and whether they will be able to transmit the disease after vaccination. (Weintraub, 3/15)

KHN: Can Vaccination And Infection Rates Add Up To Reach Covid Herd Immunity? 
It’s been a long, dark winter of covid concerns, stoked by high post-holiday case counts and the American death tally exceeding 530,000 lives lost. But with three vaccines — Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson — now authorized for emergency use in the United States, there seems to be hope that the pandemic’s end may be in sight. A recent analysis by the Wall Street research firm Fundstrat Global Advisors fueled this idea, suggesting as many as nine states were already reaching the coveted “herd immunity” status as of March 7, signaling that a return to normal was close at hand. (Heredia Rodriguez, 3/17)

Fox News: Trump Urges All Americans To Get COVID Vaccine: 'It's A Safe Vaccine' And It 'Works'
Former President Trump urged all Americans to get the coronavirus vaccine in a Fox News exclusive interview on Tuesday, touting its efficacy as both "a safe vaccine" and "something that works." ... Unlike President Joe Biden, Trump did not publicly receive the vaccine, but Fox News confirmed earlier this month that both he and former first lady Melania Trump received their vaccines privately in January at the White House. (Halon, 3/16)

USA Today: 'It's A Great Vaccine:' Donald Trump Asks Backers To Get COVID Vaccine
Former President Donald Trump said Tuesday he would urge his supporters to get the COVID-19 vaccine, but acknowledged that some of them may refuse in the name of "freedom." "I would recommend it, and I would recommend it to a lot of people that don't want to get it," Trump told Fox News during a 20-minute telephone interview. Trump noted "a lot of those people" who don't want the vaccine "voted for me, frankly. But ... again, we have our freedoms, and we have to live by that, and I agree with that also." (Jackson, 3/16)

The Hill: Trump Urges Supporters To Get Coronavirus Vaccine 
Democrats and Republicans alike have been clamoring for Trump to publicly urge his supporters to get a shot amid surveys showing many Republicans are hesitant to getting vaccinated. A PBS Newshour/NPR/Marist poll released last week found that 41 percent of Republicans said they would not get the shot, and a CBS News poll released late last month found that 34 percent of Republicans said they would not be vaccinated for COVID-19. (Axelrod, 3/16)

Politico: Trump Encourages Americans To Get The Covid Vaccine 
Trump’s direct appeal to Americans comes as some of his own supporters have exhibited skepticism about taking the coronavirus vaccine. Experts say his endorsement of vaccinations could help alleviate some of that skepticism. Since leaving office, Trump has issued a short statement taking credit for the vaccine’s fast-tracked development and, in passing, told people to take the shot during his speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference last month. (McGraw, 3/16)

And from President Joe Biden —

AP: Biden Questions ‘Macho’ Move To Refuse Vaccine
U.S. President Joe Biden is suggesting that some Americans who are unwilling to get vaccinated for the coronavirus are unpatriotic. Speaking to ABC News in an interview that aired Wednesday, Biden said he had hoped to get politics out of the nationwide vaccination campaign, and that he’s been surprised by some who are refusing to get shots. Biden said: “I just don’t understand this sort of macho thing about I’m not going to get the vaccine, ‘I have a right as an American, my freedom to not do it.’” (3/17)

Axios: Scoop: Congress Gets More COVID-19 Vaccine For Staff 
Congress will receive an additional 8,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday to be equally divided for staffers in the House and Senate, Axios has learned from sources who are familiar. Members of Congress were eligible for coronavirus inoculations as early as January, but just a small portion of their staff qualified to receive them at the time. Now, the circle is expanding, a move to restoring legislative operations to pre-pandemic norms. (Goba, 3/16)

CNBC: White House Covid Task Force Member Slavitt Is Optimistic 89% Of U.S. Seniors Will Take Covid Vaccine
Andy Slavitt, White House senior advisor for Covid response, predicted that a growing number of Americans will continue to take the Covid vaccine due to messaging and evidence from trusted sources. “In Israel where they’re a little bit ahead of us, 89% of seniors have chosen to take the vaccine,” Slavitt said. “We think we can get up to those kinds of numbers, if we just continue to reliably answer people’s questions, because these are very good, safe, effective vaccines.” (DeCiccio, 3/16)

In updates on vaccine eligibility —

Axios: Expanding Coronavirus Vaccine Eligibility Too Fast Could Hurt Vulnerable Americans 
Several states are making their entire adult populations eligible for coronavirus vaccines well ahead of President Biden's May 1 goal. Opening up eligibility could get more shots in arms, but it also risks creating more competition for vaccines before many vulnerable Americans have received theirs. (Owens, 3/17)

CBS News: In The U.S., Postal Service Workers Not A Priority For COVID-19 Shots 
Nearly four months after medical workers and nursing home residents began getting immunized against COVID-19, mail sorters, carriers and their colleagues are still not yet eligible for COVID-19 shots across much of the U.S. Given their work on the frontlines of a deadly pandemic, the nearly half a million Americans employed by the U.S. Postal Service had reason to believe they'd be among those prioritized for getting vaccinated against the coronavirus. With more than 100 active postal workers having died from COVID-19 and tens of thousands having been infected by the diseases, the American Postal Workers Union has for months pushed for its members to be recognized as essential workers in the national vaccine rollout. (Gibson, 3/16)

Los Angeles Times: California’s Huge COVID-19 Vaccine Expansion Relies On Trust. Will Cheaters Stay Away?
California on Monday began a new phase of its COVID-19 vaccine rollout, making nearly half of all residents eligible for a shot — and relying more than ever on public trust and honesty to make sure the doses get to those who need them most. The changes add to the eligibility list more than 4 million people, most notably those 16 and older who have disabilities and underlying health conditions. Previous eligibility tiers focused on certain jobs and age groups — factors that are easily verifiable to determine whether those seeking the vaccine are entitled to it under state guidelines. (Shalby and Smith, 3/16)

Georgia Health News: Kemp OKs Vaccinations For Court Personnel, Urges Providers Not To Withhold Doses
Gov. Brian Kemp said Tuesday that judges and other court personnel in Georgia are now eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine. In announcing the move, Kemp cited the substantial backlogs in court cases in the state, because many court proceedings had to be suspended during the pandemic. “We believe it is vital to get the third branch of state government [the judiciary] back operating smoothly and safely,’’ he said. (Miller, 3/16)

Health News Florida: DeSantis Thinks Florida Will Open Vaccine To All Adults Before May 1
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he believes Florida will beat President Joe Biden’s deadline to open COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to any adult who wants it by May 1. On Monday, the state lowered the eligibility age from 65 to 60, and DeSantis again said Florida will drop the age to 55 this month. (Aboraya, 3/16)

Boston Globe: As Other States Start Vaccinating The General Public, Massachusetts Will Announce Its Schedule For Everyone
Alaska threw open its doors last week. Mississippi followed suit on Tuesday. And several other jurisdictions, including Connecticut, have announced that they will allow all adults to book COVID-19 vaccine appointments as soon as early April — weeks ahead of President Biden’s directive that states make appointments universally available by May 1. Now, more than 3 million Massachusetts residents still awaiting their turn are set to learn when this state will join the trend. Governor Charlie Baker on Tuesday evening said his administration would make the announcement on Wednesday. (Vaccaro, 3/16)

ABC News: Map Shows Which States Offer COVID-19 Vaccines To Everyone 
The U.S. is hurtling forward with its COVID-19 vaccine rollout, and some states, including Alaska and Mississippi, have tossed out eligibility requirements and will allow anyone 16 years old and older to get a shot. At least three states -- Connecticut, Michigan and Ohio -- have announced they'll open vaccine eligibility to anyone 16 and up in the coming weeks. Currently, 21 states and Washington, D.C. allow anyone 16 and older with high-risk medical conditions to receive a vaccine. (Lenthang and Mitropoulos, 3/17)

In other news about the rollout —

Capital & Main: California's Counties Revolt Against Blue Shield's Vaccination Role
If the past few months have done nothing else, they’ve shown definitively that California’s lurching effort to vaccinate its citizens against COVID-19 will always come down to two factors: supply and logistics. Without an effective distribution plan, a large inventory doesn’t mean much. Without enough vaccine, however, nothing else matters. Given that context, it is bewildering to consider recent events. First, Gov. Gavin Newsom acknowledged that the next few weeks will be “a constrained environment in terms of access to vaccine” — governor-speak for a shortage of doses. Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer went further, saying no vaccine cavalry would be arriving from Johnson & Johnson for at least two weeks due to production issues. (Kreidler, 3/16)

The Baltimore Sun: Baltimore Churches, Community Groups Work With State’s COVID-19 Equity Task Force To Increase Vaccinations
Rev. Alvin Hathaway, Sr. of Union Baptist Church in West Baltimore, wants the Maryland Equity Task Force to hold a second COVID-19 vaccine clinic at his church after one held there recently attracted about 250 people. Hathaway said given the church’s proximity to public transit and its role in the community, it makes sense to use it to reach people who might find it difficult to get to other vaccination sites. (Louis, 3/16)

Health News Florida: CDC: Only 3% Of Floridians Miss Second Dose Of COVID Vaccine 
Only about 3 percent of Floridians have missed the second dose of their COVID-19 vaccine, according to a CDC report released Monday. That translates to about 33,000 Floridians. However, recent studies show that both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine provide significant protection with just one dose. (Aboraya, 3/16)

News9: Oklahoma Becomes 1st State To Expand Medicaid Coverage To Include Opioid Treatment
Oklahoma now has a new tool to help fight opioid addiction in the state. The federal government has approved the expansion of Medicaid coverage in Oklahoma to pay for different treatments. Oklahoma is now the first state in the entire country to offer this coverage and state leaders said it's a big help. The Oklahoma Health Care Authority said this federal approval allows for Medicaid coverage and reimbursement for prescriptions that treat opioid addiction like methadone, naltrexone and others. It also covers opioid use disorder treatment services like counseling and behavior therapy. (Cooper, 3/16)

KOCO5: More Oklahomans Have Access To Opioid Treatment Services Through SoonerCare
Thousands of Oklahomans now have access to more opioid treatment services through the state’s Medicaid program SoonerCare. In the past, certain prescriptions for treating opioid addiction weren’t covered through Oklahoma’s Medicaid program. But that’ll now change after the Oklahoma Healthcare Authority received approval from the federal government to increase Medicaid coverage for opioid treatment programs. (Jones, 3/16)

In other Medicaid news from South Dakota and Alabama —

PBS NewsHour: Support For Medicaid Expansion Grows In South Dakota, One Of The Last Red State Holdouts
“We believe people need access to care, and we also know that Medicaid expansion has been successful across the country,” said Deb Fischer-Clemens, the president of the South Dakota Nurses Association, one of the groups backing the expansion effort. South Dakota is one of just 12 states that have not yet expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, in the decade since the legislation was signed into law by former President Barack Obama in 2010.Most of the remaining holdouts are conservative Southern states such as South Carolina and Texas, where opposition to the law known as Obamacare still runs deep among Republican elected officials. But voters in six Republican-leaning states have approved ballot initiatives to expand Medicaid, including in Missouri and Oklahoma in 2020. (Bush, 3/16)

AL.com: ‘We Could Call It KayCare’: Alabama Democrats Push Governor For Medicaid Expansion 
Several Democratic lawmakers are pushing Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey to accept more than $900 million in the COVID stimulus bill to expand Medicaid to the state’s low-income adults. “I don’t care whether we call it Obamacare,” said Sen. Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro. “We could call it Kaycare. It could be Alabama Health Care. But we need to expand Medicaid and the time to do it is right now.” (Yurkanin, 3/16)

The Washington Post: House Democrats Bring Back Medicare-For-All, Seeking To Push Biden Left
House Democrats on Wednesday will renew their effort to enact Medicare-for-all, arguing the year-long pandemic was a “wake-up call” to replace the nation’s fragmented health insurance system — and betting they can pressure President Biden to embrace a government-run program that he famously rejected. “Everybody is seeing the chaos and the destruction that the pandemic has caused,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and one of the bill’s lead authors. “And it’s really making people look and [ask], could we have had something different had we had a Medicare-for-all system in place?” (Diamond, 3/16)

Politico: Republicans On Biden’s Covid Bill: We Bungled This One
As President Joe Biden embarks on an ambitious plan to sell his massive coronavirus relief package to the public, conservatives are starting to ask: Did we botch this? The overwhelming sentiment within the Republican Party is that voters will turn on the $1.9 trillion bill over time. But that wait-and-see approach has baffled some GOP luminaries and Trump World figures who expected Republicans to seize their first opportunity to cast newly-in-charge Democrats as out of control. Instead, they fear the party did little to dent Biden’s major victory — a victory that could embolden the administration in forthcoming legislative fights and even the lead up to the midterm elections. (Orr, Cadelago, McGraw and Korecki, 3/17)

Roll Call: House Reshapes Approach To Mental Health And Addiction
House lawmakers are restructuring their bipartisan task forces dedicated to combating the drug epidemic and expect the chamber to consider behavioral health legislation this year, members told CQ Roll Call. The push is spearheaded by four lawmakers in an effort to broaden the scope of legislative efforts beyond opioids to include all forms of addiction and mental health. (Raman, 3/16)

Roll Call: Long Ignored, Water Systems Are Getting Attention On Hill
For years, lawmakers bemoaned crumbling roads and bridges while wastewater and drinking water infrastructure crumbled largely outside the spotlight. Faced with outdated infrastructure and mounting federal requirements, water utilities struggled, often forced to pass the costs on to ratepayers ill-equipped to pay rapidly growing bills. And while the federal government offered aid to low-income Americans for heating assistance and food, there was no such federal aid for water bills, though utilities were reluctant to turn off the spigot. (Wehrman, 3/17)

Roll Call: House Set To Pass Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization, With Renewed Hope For Senate Action
The House will vote to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act on Thursday, after standoffs over LGBTQ issues and gun rights prevented an update of the law for years. Authorization for the law, which provides funding for federal prosecution of domestic violence as well as state and local grant programs, lapsed in 2019. The legislation has support from a handful of Republicans heading into Thursday’s debate, but it has also attracted GOP opposition over provisions that lower the threshold to bar someone from buying a gun based on certain misdemeanors. (Macagnone and Tully-McManus, 3/16)

Modern Healthcare: Two-Thirds Of Largest Hospitals Aren't Complying With Price Transparency Rule
Around two-thirds of the country's largest hospitals are not complying with the new price transparency regulations, a new study found. CMS compelled hospitals Jan. 1 to publish "a machine-readable file" of rates they negotiated with payers, which the agency hoped would exert downward pressure on higher-than-average prices. But 65 of 100 of the largest U.S. hospitals did not meet the criteria as of early February, according to research published Tuesday in Health Affairs. (Kacik, 3/16)

Stat: Driven By The Pandemic, Applicants Flood Public Health Schools 
The Covid-19 pandemic has tested the public health and medical workforces like never before. And yet people in those fields say they see emerging signs that the crisis will inspire the next generation of doctors, nurses, and public health professionals to join the ranks. Public health schools, for example, saw a 23% jump in applicants for master’s and doctoral programs from fall 2019 to fall 2020, and are reporting an even bigger increase so far in this application cycle, according to the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health. (Joseph, 3/17)

North Carolina Health News: Psych Nurse Practitioners Want Freedom From Old Law 
Olehonna Lynch started Pembroke Center for Wellness in 2010 because she wanted people in her home community to receive the best mental health care possible. Lynch, a psychiatric nurse practitioner, said that before she started her practice the residents of Robeson County waited up to three months for an outpatient psychiatric appointment. When people can’t get help for their mental health issues in the community, they often end up in an emergency room in crisis. (Knopf, 3/17)

Stat: 4 Health Care Startups Racing To Shake Up Diabetes Treatment
If you’re a digital health startup looking to make an impact, it makes sense to tackle diabetes. More than 34 million American adults — over a tenth of the population — live with the metabolic disorder, which costs the nation roughly $400 billion every year. The earliest crop of digital diabetes management startups — including Onduo, Omada Health, Virta Health, and Livongo — made their mark by combining remote monitoring with virtual diabetes coaching. (Palmer, 3/17)

Stat: General Catalyst Brings On Former Livongo, Gilead, And Ancestry Execs
General Catalyst’s Hemant Taneja realized he had created a unique playbook for health care startups after investing in chronic care platform Livongo and working closely with Glen Tullman, the company’s founder, to take it public in 2019. “We had a lot of conviction and we wanted to lean into it,” Taneja, the managing director of the venture capital firm, said. (Brodwin, 3/16)

People: See How These Cities are Celebrating St. Patrick's Day 2021 — and How You Can Join from Home
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues across the United States, many cities are taking a virtual approach to this year's St. Patrick's Day celebrations. St. Patrick's Day was one of the first holidays on the calendar to be impacted as the pandemic took hold in North America last March, and for the second year in a row, cities are being forced to get creative when it comes to their festivities. (Slater, 3/16)

AP: St. Patrick's Day To Be Largely Virtual In NYC For 2nd Year
A largely virtual St. Patrick’s Day is planned for New York City on Wednesday, one year after the annual parade celebrating Irish heritage became one of the city’s first coronavirus casualties. Although the city’s usual huge parade with floats and marching bands has been canceled, a few dozen people are expected to march at 6 a.m. to keep the tradition alive, a spokesperson for Mayor Bill de Blasio said. (3/17)

In sports news —

AP: 6 Officials Out Of NCAA Tournament After 1 Tests Positive 
Parts of the NCAA's finely honed plan for playing March Madness amid the pandemic came into question Tuesday just as teams began gearing up for practices to tune up for the games later this week. One referee tested positive for COVID-19, forcing him and five others who went out to dinner with him, out of the tournament. (Pells and Megargee, 3/16)

ABC News: 101-Year-Old Sister Jean Vaccinated, Cleared To Attend Loyola's NCAA Tournament Game 
The Loyola University Chicago Ramblers' lucky charm is on her way to March Madness. The school confirmed Tuesday that Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt is vaccinated and cleared to attend the Ramblers' first game in the NCAA tournament against Georgia Tech on Friday in Indianapolis. (Yamada and Noll, 3/16)

AP: How Arenas Work To Keep Fans Safe Attending Indoor Sports
The reduced risk of contracting the coronavirus has to do with how much space surrounds each person when venue attendance is capped at 25%, as it is for the tournament, and how often fresh air from outside is refreshed into a venue. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers sets standards for how many cubic feet per meter of air space is required for everything from homes to restaurants to office buildings. Limiting capacity gives everyone more air. (Whyno, 3/16)

ESPN: Tiger Woods Back Home, Continuing Recovery From Injuries Suffered In Car Crash
Tiger Woods said he has returned to his South Florida home to continue recovery from the serious leg injuries he suffered in a one-vehicle crash in Southern California on Feb. 23.Woods, 45, said in a statement via Twitter that he is "so grateful for the outpouring of support and encouragement that I have received over the past few weeks. "Thank you to all the incredible surgeons, doctors, nurses and staff at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center," Woods said in the statement. "You have all taken such great care of me and I cannot thank you enough. (Harig, 3/16)

In other public health news —

The New York Times: Three Feet Or Six? Distancing Guideline For Schools Stirs Debate
When the virus first emerged, many experts believed that it was transmitted primarily through large respiratory droplets, which are relatively heavy. Old scientific studies, some dating back more than a century, suggested that these droplets tend not to travel more than three to six feet. This observation, as well as an abundance of caution, may have spurred the C.D.C. to make its six-foot suggestion, Dr. Marr said. But that recommendation was not universal. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends three to six feet of social distancing in schools, but the World Health Organization recommends just one meter, or 3.3 feet. (Anthes, 3/16)

KHN: Role Reversal: Covid Increases Ranks Of Child Caregivers 
On a recent Thursday afternoon, Rhianna Alvarado struggled to don her protective gloves, which were too big for her petite hands. With her mom coaching her every move, she edged close to her father and gently removed the plastic tube from his throat that allows him to breathe. She then cautiously inserted a new one. “What’s next?” asked her mom, Rocio Alvarado, 43. “I know, I know,” replied Rhianna, her eyes constantly searching for her mom’s approval. (de Marco, 3/17)

CNN: 9 Food Ideas To Help You Sleep Well 
Did you know that what you eat can affect your sleep? That's right -- there are foods that can help us enjoy a blissful night's rest, while other foods and eating habits can prevent us from getting our needed zzz's. "Foods higher in specific nutrients can enhance our ability to go to sleep and the quality of sleep," said Vandana Sheth, a California-based registered dietitian nutritionist who provides counseling about diet and sleep hygiene to clients. (Drayer, 3/16)

Pennlive.Com: Study Shows More People Use Psychedelics To Treat Mental Health Conditions  
While usage of psychedelics is still considered an “underground movement” for people to self-treat their mental health conditions, according to a new study, it’s on the rise. According to the 2020 Global Drug Survey, 6,500 or an estimated six percent of the participants out of 110,000 said they using these substances to cope with their mental health. “LSD, MDMA, psilocybin and ketamine,” as reported by Vice, are some of the psychedelics being used to treat some of those who participated in the study. (Dalton, 3/16)

The Oregonian: Governor Appoints Board To Oversee Oregon’s New Psychedelic Mushroom Program 
Oregon’s first-in-the-nation program to allow regulated, therapeutic use of psilocybin got underway Tuesday when Gov. Kate Brown announced the members of the Oregon Psilocybin Advisory Board. The board will create the framework for the program outlined in Measure 109, which Oregon voters approved in November. The board includes doctors, researchers, therapists and fungi experts, among others, according to a press release. (Acker, 3/16)

Also —

Roll Call: House Reshapes Approach To Mental Health And Addiction 
House lawmakers are restructuring their bipartisan task forces dedicated to combating the drug epidemic and expect the chamber to consider behavioral health legislation this year, members told CQ Roll Call. The push is spearheaded by four lawmakers in an effort to broaden the scope of legislative efforts beyond opioids to include all forms of addiction and mental health. (Raman, 3/16)

Axios: Virtual Mental Health Visits Skyrocket During Pandemic 
Virtual behavioral health visits in the first half of 2020 were hundreds of times higher than the year before, according to a new analysis by Well Being Trust and Milliman. The number of total behavioral health visits — both in person and virtual — were generally within 20% of 2019 levels from January to August, even though in-person visits plunged. (Owens, 3/16)

Philadelphia Inquirer: Nearly 75% Of LGBTQ People Say COVID-19 Has Harmed Their Mental Health, Poll Finds
More LGBTQ people reported experiencing job loss and worsening mental health due to the pandemic compared with people who do not identify as LGBTQ, an analysis published last week by the Kaiser Family Foundation found. The pandemic’s negative impact on mental health has been widely discussed by public health experts, but there has been a lack of data specific to how it has affected the LGBTQ community, said Lindsey Dawson, coauthor of the analysis and the associate director of HIV policy at KFF. The foundation has been polling Americans on how the pandemic has changed their lives for months, and after researchers began asking respondents whether they identify as LGBTQ, they were able to separate the data for further study. (Ao, 3/17)

Hollywood Reporter: Will Forte Suicide Drama Slammed By Mental Health Group As "Wildly Irresponsible"
Will Forte's suicide drama series is getting slammed by a mental health organization. The Last Man on Earth actor's new Peacock project Expiration Date — about a man who spends a year plotting his own demise — is being called "wildly irresponsible" by the nonprofit group Inseparable. “What a wildly irresponsible and callous concept that will, no doubt, endanger countless viewers,” said Inseparable founder Bill Smith in a statement. “Glamorizing suicide leads to contagion, that is a fact. At a time when our country is already suffering a mental health crisis compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has left Americans’ mental wellbeing at a two-decade low, the last thing we need is a reckless show hinged on the question of 'will he or won't he' succumb to the devastation of depression — an all too real and painful experience for millions of Americans." (Hibberd, 3/15)

The Wall Street Journal: Opioid Victims Could Get Up To $48,000 In Purdue’s Bankruptcy
Individuals who filed claims over opioid addiction or overdose deaths against OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP are projected to receive as much as $48,000 under the company’s bankruptcy plan. Estimated payouts under Purdue’s chapter 11 proposal, filed Monday, depend on the severity of an individual’s injury or addiction, with the least severe cases getting an estimated $3,500. Administrators would determine individuals’ eligibility for compensation and rate the severity of their opioid injuries through a point system, according to court papers filed Monday. Specific eligibility and qualification requirements will be made public later. (Randles, 3/16)

In other pharmaceutical news —

CIDRAP: US School Districts Adopt Antibiotic Use Standard For Turkey Products
An organization representing the 15 largest school districts in the United States announced last week that it is issuing a standard for responsible antibiotic use in turkey products sold to schools. Under the new policy, the Urban School Food Alliance (USFA) will require that all turkey products purchased by its schools must be produced under a US Department of Agriculture process verified program that includes compliance with the Certified Responsible Antibiotic Use Standard (CRAU), which was developed in 2014 to minimize antibiotic use in poultry and give schools the option to buy poultry raised with responsible antibiotic use. The turkey industry is the most intensive user of medically important antibiotics, according to research from the Natural Resources Defense Council. (3/16)

In biotechnology news —

Stat: Google Continues Wellness Expansion With Sleep Sensing Tech For Nest Hub
Google is turning another device into a wellness gadget. A month after introducing two health features to the Pixel smartphone, Google on Tuesday added a new sleep sensing component for the Nest Hub, its smart display device. (Brodwin, 3/16)

The Washington Post: FDA-Approved Gaming Is Already Here, Pointing To Its Therapeutic Potential
In a pretty significant indicator that gaming is making inroads into everyday life, the Food and Drug Administration last year gave its first approval to a video game to improve attention function in children. The game, “EndeavorRX” by Akili Interactive, may point to a potentially growing field of prescription-strength gaming, according to the 2021 Tech Trends Report by the Future Today Institute. Amy Webb, futurist and founder of the organization, made her annual presentation at SXSW on Tuesday, detailing her firm’s insights into the near- and long-term future of various media and technology industries, including news, health and the sciences. (Park, 3/16)

Stat: Hearing Aid Makers Tackle The Technology's ‘Number One Problem’ With AI
For many people with hearing loss, a normal conversation at a busy restaurant is the holy grail.“ [Background noise] is the number one problem that needs to be solved,” said Abram Bailey, a former practicing audiologist who now runs Hearing Tracker, a popular online resource. “…We’ve been trying to solve it in this industry for years and years and years. But we have only made these really tiny, incremental steps.” (Aguilar, 3/17)

Politico: EU’s COVID Travel Pass Will Let Countries Choose Russia, China Vaccines 
The EU's plan to get vaccinated people traveling again — the “digital green certificate” — will leave key decisions up to member countries, including whether to accept the Russian and Chinese vaccines. According to a draft of the plan obtained by POLITICO, the European Commission will propose that any EU country allowing vaccinated people to skip pandemic-related travel restrictions — such as testing or self-isolation — must accept other countries’ vaccination certificates “under the same conditions.” (Eccles and Cokelaere, 3/16)

The Wall Street Journal: Coming ‘Vaccine Passports’ Aim For Simplicity 
The first digital “vaccine passports” for post-pandemic travel have been designed as easy-to-use applications that will one day merge into other travel platforms, like airline apps, their developers say. Though popularly known as vaccine passports, the apps also include information like Covid-19 test status, and are in trial runs in several places around the world. (Deighton, 3/16)

In other global developments —

CNBC: German Covid Cases Rising 'Exponentially' Amid Risky Vaccine Pause
It’s no secret that Germany has been seeing a sharp rise in coronavirus cases in recent weeks but one leading health expert in the country is now warning of “exponential growth” in the number of infections. This comes at a time when the country has suspended the use of the AstraZeneca-University of Oxford coronavirus vaccine. (Ellyatt, 3/17)

CNBC: China Relaxes Border Restrictions For Those Who Received China-Made Vaccines
China is making it easier for foreigners who have been inoculated with Chinese-made coronavirus vaccines to enter the country, after shutting its borders for international travel more than a year ago due to Covid-19. Multiple Chinese embassies around the world — including those in the United States, United Kingdom, India, Israel and the Philippines — issued notices on Monday outlining how foreigners can go about applying for visas to enter China. (Ng, 3/17)

Reuters: EU Regulators Team Up With U.S. And UK On Pharmaceutical Mergers
EU antitrust enforcers have teamed up with their U.S. and British counterparts to share expertise on how to examine mergers in the pharmaceutical industry amid concerns such deals could push up prices or hold back innovation. The COVID-19 pandemic and vaccine supply bottlenecks have spurred regulatory interest in the pharmaceutical industry which has seen a wave of consolidation in recent years. (Chee, 3/16)

Bloomberg: U.S., EU Regulators To Overhaul Pharma M&A Reviews
U.S., European Union and other antitrust enforcers are teaming up to overhaul how they weigh pharmaceutical mergers in a move that could curb transactions seen as raising prices or dampening innovation. The Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department will work with the European Commission, the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority and the Canadian Competition Bureau to identify ways to scrutinize deals more closely, according to emailed press releases from the FTC and the EU. Three state attorneys general will also join the group, the statement said. (White and McLaughlin, 3/16)

Stat: Pharma Mergers Face Fresh Scrutiny By A New International Antitrust Group
In response to a spate of pharmaceutical mergers, several antitrust regulators and enforcement agencies from the U.S. and Europe are forming a working group to better understand the impact these deals have on prescription drug pricing and competition. The goal is to update the approach taken to analyzing potential economic harms that a merger may cause; the extent to which a merger may thwart R&D innovation; evidence needed to challenge a merger; and how other conduct in which companies have engaged — such as instances of pricing fixing — be considered when reviewing a deal. (Silverman, 3/16)

In drug-pricing news from Wisconsin, Illinois, Kansas and Colorado —

AP: Prescription Drugs, Health Insurance Bills Up For Votes
A plan designed to lower prescription drug costs in Wisconsin was scheduled for final legislative approval on Tuesday. The state Assembly was slated to pass the bill setting new requirements for pharmacy benefit managers. They negotiate prices with drug manufacturers on behalf of insurers. The bill, which passed the Senate in February and has bipartisan support, would require them to register with the state and submit annual reports with the state on rebates they receive from drug makers and whether those savings were passed on to customers. (3/16)

Alton Daily News: House Committee Discusses Insulin Prices 
A new Illinois law caps insulin prices for those with state-regulated insurance plans, but some lawmakers are saying that is not enough and more needs to be done to address prescription drug prices. In January, Illinois became the second state in the country to cap insulin costs. The law caps out-of-pocket insulin costs at $100 per month, but only for people covered by a state-regulated insurance plan. That covers about 20% of the plans available in the state. As a result, many Illinoisans still pay much more for insulin. (Bessler, 3/15)

WIBW (Topeka, Kansas): Marshall-Backed Bill Passes Senate To Lower Prescription Drug Costs
A bill has passed the U.S. Senate to help lower the cost of prescription drugs. Senator Roger Marshall says the U.S. Senate passed the Ensuring Innovation Act, which he helped introduce with Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Tina Smith (D-Min.) to help lower the price of prescription drugs. He said the legislation will help provide clarity for drug exclusivity to prevent market exclusivity to products that do not represent innovation and delay cheaper generic brands from entering the market. (Motter, 3/13)

AP: Colorado Legislature To Consider Panel To Limit Drug Costs 
A bill introduced in Colorado would establish a panel of experts to investigate drug cost increases and then set perimeters on prices for the most expensive prescriptions, state officials said. The bill was introduced on Monday and is sponsored by four Democrats, including state Sens. Julie Gonzales and Sonya Jaquez Lewis and state Reps. Yadria Caraveo and Chris Kennedy, The Daily Sentinel reported. (3/10)

Colorado Times Recorder: Colorado Conservatives And Big Pharma Firms Fight Bill To Lower Prescription Drug Prices
A bill intended to reign in the rising costs of prescription drugs is once again drawing opposition from Big Pharma and conservative advocacy groups. During a panel discussion on proposed legislation limiting major price increases for prescription drugs Tuesday, state Rep. Matt Soper (R-Delta) said a “price-setting” board is a “leading priority” of Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO). Soper was referring to proposed legislation, introduced Monday by Democrats and supported by Polis, that would create a Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB), composed of non-partisan experts to investigate cost increases of some prescription drugs and set limits on how much prices could be raised. (Price, 3/11)

Stat: Choosing The Right USPTO Director Can Help Lower Drug Prices 
As the Biden administration fills key Cabinet positions, its attention must turn to other critical areas of the U.S. government, like appointing a new director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). This agency is unusual in the federal government because it operates solely on fees collected by its users and not on taxpayer dollars. The office has been working under an acting director, Drew Hirshfeld, since the previous director, Andrei Iancu, officially resigned on Jan. 19, 2021. The USPTO director that President Biden selects will provide important signal of the administration’s patent priorities and can have a positive impact at a time when patents are being abused to support high drug prices. (Matthew Lane, 3/12)

Stat: Reining In Drug Patents Isn't A Silver Bullet Against High Drug Prices 
One of the top orders of business for the Biden administration is curbing drug prices. It’s a laudable goal. High drug prices are a major public health concern; there is broad political support for reining in the cost of drugs; and Americans pay a lot for drugs. (Jacob S. Sherkow, 3/12)

The New York Times: How To Lower Drug Prices
It’s true that Congress grants monopolies to new drugs so that their makers can charge high prices. That is how drug companies reap financial rewards for their inventions. But that brief period of market exclusivity is supposed to be followed by competition that will ensure that those same drugs are affordable into the future. (Peter B. Bach and Mark R. Trusheim, 3/15)

The Washington Post: Poor Countries May Not Be Vaccinated Until 2024. Here’s How To Prevent That. 
Now we are in the middle of another global health emergency. Two-thirds of WTO members back waiving patent rules during the pandemic, but the United States and others argue that patents are critical for innovation and are not slowing the global supply of vaccines. Neither is true. First, patents played little, if any, role in stimulating the “warp speed” development of covid-19 vaccines. The Moderna vaccine was almost entirely funded by the U.S. government, with an additional $1 million donated by Dolly Parton. It is inappropriate for a private company to monopolize technology funded by taxpayers. Moderna itself recognizes this, having previously announced that it will not seek to enforce its vaccine patents. (Matthew Kavanagh and Sunder, 3/10)

Also —

The Wall Street Journal: Pharma Giants Get Their Pennies Pinched On Drug Pricing
The pharmaceutical industry’s reputation as an omnipotent market force is increasingly out of date. Washington, D.C., hasn’t yet caught on, but Mr. Market is in on the secret. Drug companies do have wide freedom to set their own sticker prices for their products in the lucrative U.S. market. That hardly means they have carte blanche. To actually sell medication, a drugmaker needs to persuade public and private health plans to place their product on the plan’s formulary, which is a list of drugs the plan is willing to purchase. That means paying middlemen rebates and discounts to choose their drug over any other rival treatments. Failure to secure favorable formulary access could mean low sales even for a highly-effective and safe medication. (Charley Grant, 3/12)

Lexington Herald Leader: Don’t Let Medical Middlemen Jack Up The Price Of Healthcare 
The ability to access healthcare has never been more important. With modern medicine, the U.S. was able to avoid the worst-case pandemic scenario. To that point, as the coronavirus lingers, the Biden administration has reopened the enrollment period to sign-up for healthcare coverage via the government-regulated exchanges. Kentuckians have until May 15 to take advantage of the opportunity. Ensuring that Kentucky residents have access to healthcare is important, but it’s not the only barometer elected leaders should care about. Healthcare and prescription drugs should be affordable. It shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg to take a trip to the clinic or visit the pharmacy counter. (Molly Rutherford, 3/11)

The New York Times: Long Covid Is A Looming Health Crisis 
Both of us developed Covid-19 last March in New York. We didn’t know each other at the time, but we had much in common: We didn’t imagine our symptoms would last for more than a couple of weeks. We were young and otherwise healthy, and were told we should recover easily. But after Fiona’s shortness of breath subsided and she was discharged from the hospital, she developed new symptoms ranging from gastrointestinal problems to rashes and hives to migraines. A few weeks later, Hannah began experiencing fevers, headaches, memory lapses and a debilitating brain fog that made her unable to work. By April two truths had become evident: We were not getting better, and we were not alone in our experience of lingering symptoms. (Fiona Lowenstein and Hannah Davis, 3/17)

CNN: Covid Triggered Another Crisis: Rebuilding Our Fragile Health System 
Last Thursday marked one year since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Covid-19 a global pandemic. The statistics on lives lost are heartbreaking. The reports of economic and labor disruptions are staggering. For decades to come families will bear these impacts; from the empty seat at the dining room table to devastating medical bills and lost wages. Among the many casualties of Covid, you'll find an underreported but alarming danger: Last week, health workers' deaths due to the pandemic reached the gruesome milestone of 17,000 across 70 countries. According to Amnesty International, this equates to a health worker dying from Covid-19 every 30 minutes. (Vanessa Kerry, 3/16)

The Philadelphia Inquirer: Stimulus Package Will Help Health In U.S. 
The $1.9 trillion stimulus is going to stimulate more than the economy — it’s a prescription for health. Trust me, I’m a doctor. By ensuring our country’s children have their basic needs met, we are choosing to invest in our future — expansion of the Child Tax Credit will pay dividends in the long term. Imagine having to choose between paying for a heating bill or medication. Or trying to take your mind off of your empty stomach to focus at work or school because you can’t afford to buy food. At least one out of 10 people in the United States may not have to wonder, because they — maybe you — live in poverty. Sadly, children are even more likely to live in poverty, with one in six children falling in that category. The COVID-19 pandemic has made things even harder, with many individuals worried about their ability to recover from 2020′s economic devastation. (George Dalembert, 3/16)

Kansas City Star: Kansas, You Are Out Of Excuses. COVID Relief Would Pay For Expanding Medicaid 
Again this year, Kansas Republicans have said they see Medicaid expansion as a non-starter. But Kansas just lost its last excuse for failing to expand the program that provides health insurance for the working poor. All but 11 other states have already done so, in the 11 years since the Affordable Care Act went into effect. Year after year, stingy state legislators have said Kansas simply can’t afford Medicaid coverage for another 165,000 residents. Too bad about the closing of rural hospitals, they said. Such a shame about poor health outcomes in urban areas. It was just too expensive, they argued. (3/17)

The Washington Post: The Biden Administration’s Restrictions On Vaccinated Americans Are Ridiculous. Get Your Shot. Live Your Life. 
With more than 2 million Americans getting covid-19 vaccination shots each day, many are asking a simple question: When can we resume normal life? The answer should be pretty simple as well — as soon as your immunity kicks in. But the Biden administration is telling the covid-weary country: Not so fast. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released complex guidelines, full of conditions and stipulations, listing what vaccinated people can and cannot do. You can “visit with other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing” and “visit with unvaccinated people from a single household who are at low risk.” But “all people, regardless of vaccination status, should adhere to current guidance to avoid medium- and large-sized in-person gatherings.” So, no church services, sporting events, concerts or long-delayed weddings. Even more absurdly, the CDC advises after getting the vaccine, you should continue to “delay travel and stay home.” (Marc A. Theissen, 3/16)

Stat: Why Don't Inmates Get Priority For Covid-19 Vaccination? 
In the four-tier priority list for Covid-19 vaccination set out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, residents of long-term care facilities are at the top along with health care personnel — but not if those long-term care facilities are prisons, jails, and other detention centers. The “science” behind that decision continues to baffle me. Had the Covid-19 pandemic struck six years earlier, during the time I spent serving time at York Correctional Institution in Niantic, Conn., I would have been one of those inmates fretting about her time in line for the vaccine. During the H1N1 pandemic, I lived in one of the 11% of state prisons that didn’t get a supply of H1N1 vaccine in 2009 and 2010. I never got the shot and, quite frankly, never knew if I needed it or not. (Chandra Bozelko, 3/17)

Scientific American: Reproductive Problems In Both Men And Women Are Rising At An Alarming Rate
When you see or hear a reference to “the 1 percent,” most people think of socioeconomic status—the people with the top 1 percent of wealth or income in the United States, which is how the term is commonly used in our culture. Not us, though. What we think of is the fact that the whole spectrum of reproductive problems in males are increasing by about 1 percent per year in Western countries. This “1 percent effect” includes the rates of declining sperm counts, decreasing testosterone levels and increasing rates of testicular cancer, as well as a rise in the prevalence of erectile dysfunction. On the female side of the equation, miscarriage rates are also increasing by about 1 percent per year in the U.S., and so is the rate of gestational surrogacy. Meanwhile, the total fertility rate worldwide has dropped by nearly 1 percent per year from 1960 to 2018. (Shanna H. Swan and Stacey Colino, 3/16)

Dallas Morning News: With This Change, Texas Can Save The Lives Of New Moms
Childbirth is a joyous time for a mother, but also can lead to medical crises, postpartum depression, and premature death, including suicide. At a time when new mothers are so vulnerable, access to medical resources and counseling that could save lives should be available. However, if a new mother is poor, several post-childbirth risk factors sharply increase, and a key safety net is available for only the first two months after delivery. Medicaid health insurance currently provides coverage for new mothers for just 60 days despite the fact that medical experts say new mothers are at risk of suffering psychological and medical setbacks related to childbirth for at least a year. (3/17)

The Washington Post: The Anti-‘Roe V. Wade’ Movement Is Increasingly Disconnected From Facts
Earlier this month, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) delivered a burst of candor while signing a bill into law. The new law imposes a near-total ban on abortion, no exceptions for rape or incest — only to save the life of the mother. It obviously violates nearly half a century of Supreme Court precedent, Hutchinson acknowledged. But challenging the precedents is exactly the point. Arkansas joins a growing list of states flouting the court over abortion in hopes of getting its rulings overturned. They have a theory that three conservative justices appointed in recent years are secretly ready to overturn not just Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that established a limited right to abortion, but also the stronger 1992 holding in Planned Parenthood v. Casey. (David Von Drehle, 3/16)

Also —

Houston Chronicle: Address The Link Between Substance Use Disorder And Mental Illness
Substance use is a primary driver of readmission to the hospital and criminal justice systems. If we addressed substance use disorders in conjunction with mental health disorders, the number of people in need of care would significantly decrease. Yet time and again, substance use is viewed as a secondary concern and not as a confounding disease affecting the majority of people with a mental health disorder. As we read Alex Stuckey’s three-part series “How Texas fails the mentally ill,” we were met with a mix of emotions. On the one hand, it is heartening to see a light being shined on this decades long travesty — a crisis that strips people of their dignity and basic human rights; that tells people they have to wait, homeless on the streets or in jail to get the care they desperately need. On the other hand, it is concerning to see the pronounced blind spot regarding co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders that exists among health care providers, behavioral health providers, policy makers and the community at large. (Mel Taylor and Mary Beck, 3/17)