AP: Senate Confirms Brooks-LaSure To Run Health Care Programs
The Senate on Tuesday confirmed President Joe Biden’s pick to run U.S. health insurance programs, putting in place a key player who’ll carry out his strategy for expanding affordable coverage and reining in prescription drug costs. Obama-era policy adviser Chiquita Brooks-LaSure will be the first Black person to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, which also administers children’s health insurance and the Affordable Care Act. Together, the programs cover more than 130 million people, from newborns to nursing home residents, and play a central role in the nation’s health care system. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 5/25)

The Hill: Senate Confirms Biden Pick To Lead Medicare, Medicaid Office
Her confirmation brings another Obama-era official into Biden’s administration; Brooks-LaSure served in the former president’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in implementing the Affordable Care Act.  Five Republicans joined the Democrats in supporting Brooks-LaSure’s confirmation: Sens. Roy Blunt (Mo.), Richard Burr (N.C.), Susan Collins (Maine), Jerry Moran (Kan.) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska).  (Coleman, 5/25)

Axios: Biden's CMS Head Confirmed, But FDA Pick Remains Elusive 
But, four months in, President Biden still hasn't nominated anyone to lead the FDA. The FDA has a slew of high-profile decisions coming up, as drug companies look to expand access to their COVID-19 vaccines and a controversial Alzheimer's drug awaits an approval decision. (Reed, 5/26)

In other Biden administration news —

NBC News: Diplomats Send Letter To State Dept. Leaders Saying 'Havana Syndrome' Sufferers Not Getting Proper Care
A group of U.S. diplomats and other government staffers suffering from symptoms consistent with "Havana Syndrome" are voicing frustration with the Biden administration's early response, and warning that injured workers are still being denied proper care. In a letter to State Department leadership obtained by NBC News, the staffers say that in recent months, the government has continued to "reject scientific evidence regarding the injuries and treatment needs" and to "invalidate our injuries and experiences," alleging that military and intelligence officials injured by the same unexplained phenomenon are being treated more seriously. (Lederman, 5/25)

The Hill: DHS Whistleblowers Blame Trump Border Policy For Increased Child Detention
Two government whistleblowers are urging the Biden administration to end its use of a Trump-era policy that allows for swift expulsion of adults at the border due to the coronavirus. The two physicians who are experts in detention health for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) argue that Title 42 is responsible for the surge of minors in government custody, as border agents immediately turn away would-be adult migrants and asylum-seekers. (Beitsch, 5/25)

The Hill: Abortion Fight Puts Renewed Focus On Biden's Catholicism
President Biden’s Catholic faith is a fundamental part of his identity that he has not shied from sharing with the public in his first months as president. But Biden’s support for abortion rights has put the second Catholic president in U.S. history at odds with some leaders of the Catholic Church, as well as some of its voters. That tension will be on display in the coming months, particularly as campaigning for the 2022 midterm elections begins to heat up. (Chalfant and Parnes, 5/26)

AP: Moderna Says Its COVID-19 Shot Works In Kids As Young As 12
Moderna said Tuesday its COVID-19 vaccine strongly protects kids as young as 12, a step that could put the shot on track to become the second option for that age group in the U.S. With global vaccine supplies still tight, much of the world is struggling to vaccinate adults in the quest to end the pandemic. But earlier this month, the U.S. and Canada authorized another vaccine — the shot made by Pfizer and BioNTech — to be used starting at age 12. (Neergaard, 5/25)

The Washington Post: Moderna Says Teens Receiving Its Vaccine Developed A Protective Immune Shield
Biotechnology company Moderna announced Tuesday that its two-shot coronavirus vaccine produced the same protective immune response in teens as it does in adults, and the firm said it plans to submit the data to U.S. regulators for review in early June. If authorized, the vaccine would become the second available for adolescents as young as 12. Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine, which was initially authorized for people 16 and older, was cleared for emergency use in children as young as 12 this month by the Food and Drug Administration. (Johnson, 5/25)

In other news on youth shots —

NBC News: CDC Looking Into Possible Link Between Heart Problem And Covid Vaccines In Young People
Doctors offered reassurance Tuesday following several dozen reports of mostly mild heart problems after Covid-19 vaccinations, but suggested recipients and their families pay close attention to possible symptoms, such as chest pain and shortness of breath. It remains unclear whether the vaccine is the cause of the heart problem, called myocarditis. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's vaccine safety group said it was looking into "relatively few reports" of the condition in vaccinated individuals — primarily teenagers and young adults. The CDC did not respond to questions about the exact number of reports. However, NBC News identified at least 55 suspected cases nationwide. (Edwards and Miller, 5/25)

Axios: Children And Teens Are Next In Line For COVID Vaccine 
Half of U.S. adults are now fully vaccinated, less than six months after Pfizer got the first emergency authorization for a COVID-19 vaccine. More than 287 million doses have been administered in the U.S. (5/25)

AP: Michigan Senate: No COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate For Minors
Michigan Republicans on Tuesday advanced a bill that would prohibit state and local health officials from requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for children under age 18. The concept is not under consideration in the state. But GOP senators said they want to be proactive. “While they might not be mandating something, they’re certainly creating a scenario where mandates are being pushed. I just wanted to ensure that that wasn’t going to happen in this space. Parents should be allowed to make the decision on this,” Sen. Lana Theis, of Brighton, said of her legislation that would prevent the use of a state or local emergency order to require coronavirus vaccines for minors. It won Senate approval on a 20-16 party-line vote and was sent to the Republican-controlled House. (Eggert, 5/26)

Los Angeles Times: ‘Breakthrough’ Infections Are Rare, And Just 2% Result In COVID-19 Deaths, CDC Says
In a four-month span during which the U.S. vaccination campaign was in a race against a spate of COVID-19 surges, a nationwide study has found that roughly 10,000 people became infected with the coronavirus after they had received all their recommended doses. Two percent of those patients with “breakthrough” infections died, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. That may sound like bad news. But run the numbers, and infectious-disease experts say it is actually quite good news indeed. (Healy, 5/25)

NBC News: Breakthrough Infections After Covid Vaccination Are Rare, CDC Says
Of the more than 130 million people in the United States who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, there have been reports of at least 10,262 breakthrough infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A breakthrough infection occurs when someone tests positive for coronavirus more than 14 days after the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines or the single Johnson & Johnson shot. (Syal, 5/25)

The New York Times: CDC Will Not Investigate Mild Infections In Vaccinated Americans
Julie Cohn was fully vaccinated when she went to cheer at her 12-year-old son’s basketball game in March. Midway through the match, he asked to remove his mask because he was getting so hot. She thought little of it. Three days later, he had a sore throat. He tested positive for the coronavirus, as did his younger brother a few days later. Ms. Cohn cared for them, thinking she was protected, but she woke up with what seemed like a head cold on March 28. The next day, she, too, tested positive. (Caryn Rabin, 5/25)

NPR: Half Of All U.S. Adults Are Now Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19
The U.S. COVID-19 vaccination program has gone from zero to 50% in less than six months. As of Tuesday afternoon, the Biden administration said, half of the country's adults are now fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. "This is a major milestone in our country's vaccination efforts," Andy Slavitt, a White House senior adviser on the COVID-19 response, said during a midday briefing. "The number was 1% when we entered office Jan. 20." (Chappell, 5/25)

NBC News: Half Of U.S. Adults Are Now Fully Vaccinated
Now, a handful of states have surpassed the halfway mark for adults, including Maine, Vermont, Connecticut and Massachusetts. But several states, including Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Georgia have vaccinated a little more than one-third of their adult population. (Ramos, 5/25)

But the pace is slowing and groups try creative tactics to reach the hesitant —

CIDRAP: COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance Rises But Needs Boost
Two new studies reveal that although COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy has declined in the United States, 35.2% of adults 18 to 39 years and 8.7% of those 65 and older still said they would not partake as of March 2021 and November 2020, respectively. UK researchers leading the first study, published yesterday in JAMA, sent online questionnaires to participants in the Understanding America Study every 14 to 28 days from Oct 14, 2020, to Mar 29, 2021. (Van Beusekom, 5/25)

AP: Schools Try Pep-Rally Tactics To Get Students Vaccinated
A growing number of public schools are using mascots, food trucks and prize giveaways to create a pep-rally atmosphere aimed at encouraging students to get vaccinated against the coronavirus before summer vacation. Districts from California to Michigan are offering free prom tickets and deploying mobile vaccination teams to schools to inoculate students 12 and up so everyone can return to classrooms in the fall. They are also enlisting students who have gotten shots to press their friends to do the same. (Watson, 5/25)

AP: COVID Vaccinations Offered Aboard Washington Ferries
People in Washington state can now get a COVID vaccination on the ferry. The state Department of Transportation and Peninsula Community Health Services are offering shots aboard the Seattle-Bremerton ferry runs from Tuesday until Thursday. Another round of shots will be given next week, from June 1 to 3. KOMO reports that interested passengers can get the vaccine on sailings departing from mid-morning until late afternoon. (5/26)

NPR: United Holds Drawings For Free Flights For Those Who Get The Shot 
The offers are aimed at overcoming vaccine hesitancy and have become more common in recent weeks as vaccine interest has slowed nationwide. A CNN poll in April found that 26% of Americans said they would not get the COVID-19 vaccine. To enter United's contest, travelers who are part of the airline's MileagePlus program must enter a photo of their vaccine card online by June 22. United will choose five winners to receive a year of free flights — 26 round-trip tickets — in any class for themselves and one traveling companion. (Hernandez, 5/25)

The New York Times: C.D.C. Chief Urges Caution For Unvaccinated Ahead Of Memorial Day
As Memorial Day weekend approaches, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offered a hopeful message mixed with caution on Tuesday for Americans planning to celebrate the traditional beginning of summer with friends and family. “If you are vaccinated, you are protected, and you can enjoy your Memorial Day,” the C.D.C. director, Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, said during a White House news conference. “If you are not vaccinated, our guidance has not changed for you, you remain at risk of infection. You still need to mask and take other precautions.” (Levin, 5/26)

CNN: Despite Declining Cases, Expert Warns Unvaccinated Americans Are Still At High Risk For Covid-19 
The US is hitting major Covid-19 vaccination milestones, but health experts say those who are not inoculated should not rely on protection from those who are, as their infection risk hasn't gone down in response to declining cases. "The work ahead of us is going to be really challenging because while the people who are fully vaccinated are well protected, we still have to keep on convincing individuals who are not yet vaccinated that they are not safe," CNN medical analyst Cr. Leana Wen told Wolf Blitzer. "The pandemic is not over for them." (Holcombe, 5/26)

The Hill: HHS Commits $4.8B For Testing Uninsured People For COVID-19
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Tuesday that it is designating $4.8 billion to provide relief funding for COVID-19 testing for uninsured people in the U.S. The administration intends the funding from the American Rescue Plan to ensure the approximately 29 million uninsured U.S. residents have access to COVID-19 testing in order to track where the virus is prevalent for appropriate responses. (Coleman, 5/25)

Axios: Black And Hispanic Americans Seeing Higher COVID Case Rates As Vaccinations Lag 
Black and Hispanic Americans are once again seeing higher coronavirus case rates than white Americans — as their vaccination rates continue to lag, per CDC data. The virus will continue to infect and kill people who aren't protected from it. If fewer people of color are vaccinated, that means more are at risk of getting sick — which is exactly what's happening among some groups. (Owens, 5/25)

From the states —

WUSF Public Media: Florida's Daily Tally Of New COVID Cases Lowest Since October: 1,606 
The Florida Department of Health on Monday reported 1,606 new coronavirus cases, fewest in a day since mid-October. Statewide, the deaths of 28 people from COVID-19 complications were recorded Monday. That brings the total number of deaths from the virus in Florida to 37,235. Numbers are traditionally low on Monday. The state reported only 49,857 tests were returned, the lowest number in a month, and about 32,000 fewer than the daily average for the last two weeks. (Newborn, 5/25)

The Baltimore Sun: Despite Progress, Marylanders Are Still Being Hospitalized With COVID — And They’re Younger Now 
Shirlonda Tucker didn’t leave the house much in the past year, and she double-masked when she did. So her positive COVID-19 test came as a shock. “I said, ‘Are you sure, you’re really sure?’” she quizzed the nurse who tested her last month after she began showing symptoms. Cases, hospitalizations and deaths are all down significantly in Maryland from the winter surge, but people continue to get sick — in some cases, very sick. On Tuesday, 442 were hospitalized, 118 in intensive care. Seven more deaths were reported, bringing the state’s coronavirus death toll to 8,838. (Cohn, 5/26)

Axios: HHS Chief Becerra Urges COVID Origins Follow-Up Investigation 
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra told a virtual World Health Assembly meeting Tuesday there needs to be a "transparent, science-based" follow-up investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. The original investigation by a team of scientists assembled by the World Health Organization and China's government returned inconclusive findings in March and was criticized by top officials including Secretary of State Antony Blinken. (Falconer, 5/25)

The Wall Street Journal: Inquiry Into Covid-19’s Origins Splits U.S. And China
The U.S. and China staked out sharply opposing positions over how to trace the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, with Washington calling for a new round of studies to be conducted with independent, international experts. Beijing, meanwhile, told an annual gathering of the World Health Organization’s decision-making body Tuesday that it considered the investigation in its country to be complete and said attention should now turn to other countries. (Hinshaw, McKay and Page, 5/25)

CNN: Pompeo-Led Effort To Hunt Down Covid Lab Theory Shut Down By Biden Administration Over Concerns About Quality Of Evidence 
President Joe Biden's team shut down a closely-held State Department effort launched late in the Trump administration to prove the coronavirus originated in a Chinese lab over concerns about the quality of its work, according to three sources familiar with the decision. The existence of the State Department inquiry and its termination this spring by the Biden administration -- neither of which has been previously reported -- comes to light amid renewed interest in whether the virus could have leaked out of a Wuhan lab with links to the Chinese military. (Atwood, 5/25)

CNN: Amid Wuhan Lab Controversy Chinese State Media Is Turning On Fauci 
After weeks of facing fierce attacks from Republicans, top US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci now has a new critic: Chinese state media. "US elites degenerate further in morality, and Fauci is one of them," was the headline of a blistering opinion piece penned by Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the state-run Global Times this week. (Gan and Griffiths, 5/26)

The Hill: Republicans Seek Vindication Amid Reemergence Of Wuhan Lab Theory
Congressional Republicans are seizing on recent comments from health officials and top scientists about the origins of the coronavirus as vindication of their previous claims, and are demanding Democrats launch investigations. Top Republicans, including former President Trump, blamed China for the emergence of the virus in 2020, but early reports about the possibility that the coronavirus originated in a Wuhan, China, lab were dismissed.  (Weixel, 5/26)

Politico: US Succeeds In Efforts To Delay Pandemic Treaty
The United States and other countries opposed to the imminent penning of a pandemic treaty have succeeded in delaying discussion, with a World Health Organization draft text published today pushing any decisions to November. The draft decision, which countries will discuss this week at the World Health Assembly, signals that Washington's strong opposition ultimately won out after difficult discussions among member countries, aided in part by the reluctance among some other capitals that said they couldn't discuss a treaty in the midst of the pandemic. (Furlong, 5/25)

AP: WHO Asked To Review Spiked Italy Report, Whistleblower Case
Whistleblower protection groups urged the World Health Organization on Wednesday to launch an independent review into the case of an Italian researcher who reported being pressured to falsify data in a now-spiked WHO report into Italy’s coronavirus response. The groups, including Transparency International, Whistleblowing International Network and some 30 other public health and anti-corruption groups, sent an open letter to the president of the World Health Assembly. The assembly, WHO’s highest decision-making body, is made up of all WHO member states and is meeting this week. (Winfield, 5/26)

The Wall Street Journal: WHO Seeks More Data On Second Chinese Covid-19 Vaccine Up For Approval
The World Health Organization is seeking more data on Sinovac Biotech Ltd.’s CoronaVac as it weighs whether to authorize a second Chinese Covid-19 vaccine under international pressure to help distribute more shots to poor countries. In recent weeks, the WHO has asked for more details regarding the safety of the shot and requested data about Sinovac’s manufacturing process to assess whether it is compliant with WHO standards, according to people familiar with the matter. One senior WHO official now expects a decision to be delayed into June. (Deng and Hinshaw, 5/26)

On vaccine patents —

The Wall Street Journal: Covid-19 Vaccine Makers Press Countries To Oppose Patent Waiver
Covid-19 vaccine makers have dialed up lobbying and public-relations efforts to rally opposition to a proposal to temporarily waive their patents. Since the Biden administration threw its support behind the waiver proposal early this month, pharmaceutical industry trade groups have been moving to support Germany, Japan and other countries that expressed opposition, people familiar with the lobbying said. The industry lobbyists have told the governments, in meetings and phone calls, that a waiver wouldn’t address shortages any time soon, while straining raw material supplies, the people said. (Hopkins and Loftus, 5/26)

Los Angeles Times: Democrats Promised To Lower Drug Prices, But Plans Are Sputtering 
With control of Congress and the White House, Democrats have an opportunity to bring down prescription drug prices, addressing one of voters’ top concerns and finally fulfilling a campaign pledge Speaker Nancy Pelosi made to voters 15 years ago. Despite widespread support among Democrats, the idea has sputtered, however, as President Biden left it out of his infrastructure plan and is expected to leave it out of his budget while congressional Democrats remain noncommittal about how they might enact it. The initiative has fallen victim to extremely slim majorities and division among Democrats. (Haberkorn and Stokols, 5/26)

Roll Call: Democrats Try To Counter Attack Ads Over Drug Prices 
Facing a $5 million barrage of ads attacking their health care plans as “socialist,” Democrats are hitting back with a “five-figure” digital campaign thanking members in battleground districts for supporting a bill they say would lower the cost of prescription drugs. The ads, launched Tuesday by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, come as groups from both sides of the aisle are waging a messaging war over a Democratic proposal that would allow Medicare to negotiate prices for a subset of drugs with drugmakers based on average prices in certain foreign countries. (Akin and McIntire, 5/25)

In other health news from Capitol Hill —

NPR: Kevin McCarthy Leads House GOP In Blasting Marjorie Taylor Greene's Holocaust Remarks
Nearly four months after condemning Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's comments on antisemitic conspiracy theories, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is once again rejecting the Georgia Republican's rhetoric — this time over her equating of COVID-19 safety measures with the treatment of Jews during the Holocaust. (Sprunt, 5/25)

The Hill: Environmental Issues At Center Of New Mexico Special Election
Environmental issues are taking center stage in New Mexico’s upcoming special election, where the Democratic Party is looking to maintain its hold on a seat previously held by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. Democratic candidate Melanie Stansbury, a state legislator, is leaning on her experience as an environmental science professional as she looks to defeat Republican state Sen. Mark Moores in the June 1 election, underscoring the importance of issues relating to water infrastructure and public lands in a blue district with a sizeable Native American population. (Budryk, 5/26)

Roll Call: Medicaid Expansion Fight Resurfaces In States
New federal incentives to expand Medicaid coverage do not appear to be enough to convince 12 holdout states to broaden eligibility, leaving lawmakers and advocates weighing their next steps. Under the 2010 health care law, states can expand eligibility for their Medicaid programs for individuals who do not earn enough to qualify for marketplace insurance subsidies, with the federal government taking on most of the costs. The $1.9 trillion COVID-19 law enacted in March offers states an additional incentive to expand during the pandemic, with a temporary boost in the federal contribution. This builds on a different COVID-19 law, which temporarily increased Medicaid reimbursements by 6.2 percentage points for all states and territories that maintained coverage during the public health emergency. (Raman, 5/25)

The Hill: Bipartisan Group Of Lawmakers Reintroduces Bill To Give Inmates Medicaid Access
A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Tuesday reintroduced legislation that would provide inmates with access to Medicaid. A press release from Rep. Annie Kuster’s (D-N.H.) office stated that passing the Humane Correctional Health Care Act would repeal Medicaid Inmate Exclusion, which keeps incarcerated Medicaid enrollees from accessing benefits and shifts the “cost burden to states and counties.” Kuster, who sits on the House Subcommittee on Health, was joined by a bipartisan group of House members, including Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), in reintroducing the bill. (Choi, 5/25)

AP: Wisconsin Republicans Quickly Kill Medicaid Expansion
Republicans who control the Wisconsin Legislature on Tuesday convened and within seconds ended a special session called by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers to expand Medicaid, dashing chances for the state to receive a one-time bonus of $1 billion in federal coronavirus relief funding. The Senate and Assembly gaveled in and adjourned the special session in mostly empty chambers with only a handful of lawmakers in attendance. The Assembly session lasted all of about 40 seconds, while the Senate was done in less than 10 seconds. There was no debate, let alone any votes taken, on the bill Evers called on the Legislature to pass. It marked the latest in a long line of defeats for Democrats on the issue. (Bauer, 5/25)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: With Key Tax Held Hostage By Republicans, Missouri Medicaid Chief Warns Of ‘Crippling’ Cuts
The acting head of Missouri’s Medicaid program predicted disaster for his agency Tuesday if state lawmakers don’t renew a special tax that pays for much of the $11 billion program. Kirk Mathews, a former member of the Missouri House who is now serving as the interim director of the Mo HealthNet program, said the lack of the tax could result in a massive meltdown in services to low-income enrollees. (Erickson, 5/25)

And on maternal health and Medicaid —

Illinois Public Radio: With Black Women At Highest Risk Of Maternal Death, Some States Extending Medicaid
When a woman dies during pregnancy or within a year of childbirth in Illinois, that’s considered a maternal death. Karen Tabb Dina reviews cases like this in the state of Illinois. She’s a maternal health researcher at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who serves on a state-level committee that’s trying to figure out what’s causing these mothers to die. The group’s most recent analysis found that about 75 women in Illinois die from pregnancy-related causes each year. Consistent with national trends, Black women are at greater risk than white women, and the vast majority of the deaths were preventable. The U.S. is the only industrialized nation where the maternal death rate is rising. Each year, 700 women die due to pregnancy, childbirth or subsequent complications, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Herman, 5/25)

Texas Tribune: Texas Lawmakers Split Over How Long To Extend Medicaid Health Coverage For New Mothers
Texas mothers on Medicaid could keep their health coverage for half a year after giving birth, instead of just two months, under a bill set to be heard by the Senate as early as Monday. Maternal health advocates said the bill — originally pitched as a one-year extension — could reduce the state’s maternal mortality rate and offer vital help to mothers with conditions like postpartum depression or health complications in the months after giving birth. (Najmabadi, 5/24)

CNBC: Racial Trauma Effects On Mental Health: How To Cope At Work
Returning to “normal” life amid Covid, like going back to the office or school, will not be business as usual. In addition to living through a pandemic that has killed more than 570,000 people in the United States, Black, Indigenous and people of color have experienced immense racial trauma in the past year, from the murder of George Floyd exactly one year ago on May 25, 2020, to the Atlanta spa shooting in March. (Stieg, 5/25)

KHN: Minneapolis Police Injured Protesters With Rubber Bullets. The City Has Taken Little Action
As police in riot gear approached the demonstrators, Soren Stevenson raised his hands like scores of others and called out, “Hands up, don’t shoot.” Suddenly, tear gas canisters and rubber bullets rained down. The demonstrators had gathered for a sixth straight day to decry Minneapolis police officers’ use-of-force practices after the slaying of an unarmed Black man named George Floyd. On May 31, 2020, the protesters were under fire. (Wagner, 5/26)

Axios: Why Drug-Discount Programs Aren't Always A Good Deal 
Buying prescription drugs through GoodRx, Amazon and other alternative avenues does not guarantee patients are getting a good deal. More people are purchasing their drugs with cash instead of using their health insurance, in large part because they are getting sizable discounts. But discounted prices often still have no relation to a drug's actual cost. (Herman, 5/26)

Stat: Most Clinical Trials Are Still Not Reported On Time To Federal Database
Amid ongoing calls for greater clinical trial transparency, a new analysis finds just 40% of study results were reported to a U.S. database within a required one-year deadline, although sponsors did a better job of complying with several other mandates. For instance, 89% of nearly 8,900 trials were registered with ClinicalTrials.gov on a timely basis and registration data was verified annually in 76% of the studies. In addition, protocols and statistical analysis plans were submitted in nearly all of the trials, but only two-thirds indicated sponsors made timely requests to delay reporting the results. (Silverman, 5/25)

Axios: New Alzheimer's Drug Could Enter The Market Soon 
A new drug to treat Alzheimer's disease may soon enter the market, but getting it to patients could be challenging, Bloomberg reports. The drug, which is called aducanumab and made by Biogen, is the first Alzheimer's treatment thought to slow the progression of the disease in people who show early signs of cognitive impairment. (Owens, 5/25)

More health industry news —

KHN: Lady Gaga And J.Lo Sell ‘Well’ Building Seal, But It’s A Payday, Not A PSA
Viewers could be excused for thinking Robert De Niro was just being a good fella in an ad promoting safe buildings amid the covid pandemic, along with the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga and Michael B. Jordan. They would be wrong. De Niro and the other A-list celebs are backing something called the Well Health-Safety seal, offered by the International Well Building Institute. The organization, a for-profit subsidiary of a decade-old real estate service company called Delos, is piggybacking on post-pandemic anxiety to profit by popularizing its healthy building certification program. (McAuliff, 5/26)

KHN: ‘Better Than The Hospital’: Pandemic Boosts Care For Serious Illnesses At Home
Late last year, Janet Yetenekian was one of the thousands of people in Southern California whose case of covid-19 was serious enough to send her to the hospital. But Yetenekian’s recovery was not typical: She received hospital-level care in her own home in Glendale. “It was even better than the hospital,” Yetenekian said, laughing. “They were constantly reaching out — it’s time for you to do your vitals, or it’s time for you to take your medications.” (O'Neill, 5/26)

MoneyWise: How Millennials Are Driving Up Health Insurance Costs For Everyone Else
One-third of millennials have a health condition that reduces both their quality of life and their life expectancy, according to a recent study of medical claims done by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Health Index. What does that mean for this aging generation’s future? “Based on these findings, we’re seeing that millennials are not seeking preventative care and it’s not only having an effect on their immediate health, but will significantly impact their long-term health as well,” said Dr. Vincent Nelson, vice president, Medical Affairs for Blue Cross Blue Shield. Here’s what you need to know about this looming crisis and how it may impact health insurance costs for everyone else. (Forberg, 5/25)

Stat: Ro’s Deal With Modern Fertility Puts A Spotlight On Health Tech’s Gender Gap
After raising $500 million earlier this year — bringing its total funding up to $897 million — Ro, which made its name selling erectile dysfunction and hair loss drugs to men, this month announced it would acquire women-centric brand Modern Fertility for a reported $225 million. To some observers, Ro’s acquisition of Modern Fertility follows a well-established pattern: Companies founded by men might have an easier time raising capital, even very early in their histories, while companies focused on or founded by women might struggle to scrape together a seed round or secure further financing. (Brodwin, 5/25)

CIDRAP: Dentists May Have Fewer COVID-19 Infections Than Other Health Workers
Monthly dentist surveys showed a cumulative infection rate of 2.6%, according to a study yesterday in the Journal of the American Dental Association (ADA). The researchers say these rates are lower than those in other health workers, such as physicians or emergency medical service professionals. While 2,196 participants responded at least once from June to November 2020, only 785 answered all six surveys. Of the total cohort, most were male (59.2%), White (76.1%), in private practice (94.8%), or were general dentists (82.1%). Almost one in four (24.4%) had at least one medical condition associated with higher COVID-related risk, with the most common being obesity (7.6%) and asthma (7.3%). The median age was 52.6 years. (5/25)

Stat: Rural Black Communities Lose A Lifeline In The Covid-19 Pandemic 
In every corner of Latasha Taylor’s home are plants she knows nothing about. After years spent shirking her mother’s calls to join her in the yard at sunrise, Taylor now waters them out of duty. When her mom, Kat, was dying of Covid-19, she would ask about her flowers whenever she was conscious. Taylor promised she’d look after them. Her mother keeps a watchful eye from framed photos on the wall, dressed like the Queen of England in wide-brimmed hats and matching dresses. (Goldhill, 5/26)

CIDRAP: Tocilizumab Associated With Less Death In Moderate-To-Severe COVID-19
Tocilizumab was associated with a lower risk of death 90 days after treatment in COVID-19 patients with moderate-to-severe infection or pneumonia at the time of enrollment, particularly those with high C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, according to a JAMA Internal Medicine research letter yesterday. CRP is a marker of inflammation. In the continuation of a previous JAMA Internal Medicine study that found an association between tocilizumab and reduced ventilation or death by day 14 (but not mortality by day 28), the researchers followed up with the 63 patients who received tocilizumab and the 67 in the control group. By day 90, 7 in the intervention group (11.1%) and 11 in the control group (16.4%) died (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.25 to 0.65). (5/25)

KHN: Pandemic Leads Doctors To Rethink Unnecessary Treatment
Covid-19 is opening the door for researchers to address a problem that has vexed the medical community for decades: the overtreatment and unnecessary treatment of patients. On one hand, the pandemic caused major health setbacks for non-covid patients who were forced to, or chose to, avoid tests and treatments for various illnesses. On the other hand, in cases in which no harm was done by delays or cancellations, medical experts can now reevaluate whether those procedures are truly necessary. (Alpert, 5/25)

Reveal: Amazon’s Relentless Pace Is Injuring Workers And Violating Law, Washington State Regulator Says
Amazon is violating the law by pressuring warehouse employees to work at speeds that exacerbate injuries without adequate time to recover, state safety regulators concluded earlier this month after an inspection of the commerce giant’s DuPont, Washington, fulfillment center. Regulators found a “direct connection” between the incidence of injuries at the warehouse and Amazon’s expectation that warehouse employees “maintain a very high pace of work” or else face discipline. “The employer’s current approach has resulted in hazardous exposures in the workplace,” the citation states. (Long and Evans, 5/25)

Michigan Radio: Michigan Shows The Challenge Of Replacing Lead Pipes
President Biden has proposed a jobs and infrastructure plan of more than $2 trillion that would set aside billions to replace the nation's lead water pipes. When he announced his American Jobs Plan in April, the president pointed to Flint's troubles as a cautionary tale about the dangers of letting infrastructure decay. ... But Flint is also an example of how to fix the problem — and the many challenges along the way that could slow progress. (Carmody, 5/25)

KCRW: High Cost Of Los Angeles Homeless Camp Raises Eyebrows And Questions
In Los Angeles, city officials grappling with an ongoing homelessness crisis have turned to an idea that for decades was politically unpopular and considered radical: a government-funded tent encampment. But the high cost of LA's first sanctioned campground — more than $2,600 per tent, per month — has advocates worried it will come at the expense of more permanent housing. (Scott, 5/25)

Scientific American: The Maximum Human Life Span Is 150 Years, New Research Estimates 
Yet what if death simply cannot be hacked and longevity will always have a ceiling, no matter what we do? Researchers have now taken on the question of how long we can live if, by some combination of serendipity and genetics, we do not die from cancer, heart disease or getting hit by a bus. They report that when omitting things that usually kill us, our body’s capacity to restore equilibrium to its myriad structural and metabolic systems after disruptions still fades with time. And even if we make it through life with few stressors, this incremental decline sets the maximum life span for humans at somewhere between 120 and 150 years. In the end, if the obvious hazards do not take our lives, this fundamental loss of resilience will do so, the researchers conclude in findings published on May 25 in Nature Communications. (Willingham, 5/25)

Health News Florida: CDC To Study Health Effects Of Cyanotoxin Exposure From Blue-Green Algae 
In 2018, Southwest Florida suffered through two massive harmful algal blooms: the red tide bloom that persisted off the Gulf coast and the blue-green algae bloom that started in Lake Okeechobee and choked the Caloosahatchee River and its estuary. While research has been conducted on how far cyanotoxins produced by the blue-green algae can travel through the air, health officials don’t have a clear understanding of possible health effects from breathing them. (Kiniry, 5/25)

Michigan Radio: Some Home Garden Fertilizers Contain PFAS
If you buy some kinds of bagged fertilizer for your garden, you might be getting more than you want. The Ecology Center and Sierra Club sampled different kinds of fertilizers made from biosolids. That’s the sludge left at a wastewater treatment plant after water is cleaned up. Almost all of them had PFAS compounds in them. Some of them were being marketed as "organic" or "natural." (Graham, 5/25)

KPCC: Despite License Denials, Nursing Homes Can Keep Operating In California
Even before the pandemic, advocates pointed to dangerous conditions in U.S. nursing homes, including staffing shortages and infection control failures. Many nursing homes didn't provide quality care, they charged, and studies have found that homes owned by for-profit entities racked up more deficiencies and had lower staffing levels, compared to non-profit facilities. And as the number of for-profit nursing home chains has increased, advocates say states aren't doing enough to vet nursing home owners. California is home to about 1,200 nursing homes. Those facilities care for 100,000 nursing home patients — the biggest nursing home population of any state. For those fragile and vulnerable residents, the situation is fraught: Under state regulations, a KPCC investigation found nursing home operators can continue running facilities even after they've been denied a license to do so by the state. (Mendelson and Yu, 5/26)

11Alive: Ga. Nursing Homes Rewarded After COVID-19 Safety Violations
The pandemic has magnified troubles within our nursing homes. From the lack of qualified workers to infection control, the government has tried to buy its way out of the problem. But is money hiding accountability?11Alive's investigative team, The Reveal, found dozens of Georgia nursing homes received state grant money for doing well protecting residents from COVID-19, while the same department also fined those nursing homes for safety violations. Records show a lot of the violations were related directly to infection control. “This is very upsetting, can you believe that,” Lori Ciminelli asked. (Lindstrom, 5/25)

The CT Mirror: Calls Intensify For Nursing Home Reform As Legislative Session Nears Its End
Early this year, as legislators were beginning their work at the state Capitol amid a prolonged health crisis, a task force was created to study the dire conditions in Connecticut’s nursing homes. It issued a raft of suggestions, including higher minimum staffing levels, more stringent infection control measures and requirements for maintaining adequate personal protective equipment. The pandemic shined a bright light on many of these stubborn issues in nursing homes, especially staffing shortages that advocates say caused delays in care and made the spread of infection more difficult to contain. (Carlesso, 5/26)

Reuters: COVID-19 Mask Mandates Latest Flashpoint For U.S. Schools
Two days after the school board in Johnston, Iowa, decided last week to keep requiring mask wearing in schools to prevent coronavirus transmission, the state's Republican governor signed a law that immediately prohibited such mandates. The reaction in Johnston was swift and sharply divided, with some parents applauding the move to make masks optional for the waning days of the school year and others calling it dangerous given the continued threat from COVID-19. "I just find it super disappointing and selfish," said local parent Sara Parris, who is still sending her two sons to class with face coverings. (Jenkins and Bernstein, 5/25)

Ames Tribune: Iowa School Districts To Sort Out Compliance With Federal Mask Law
It's up to Iowa school districts to determine whether they are in compliance with federal rules about masks on buses, according to state agencies — and those federal rules remain in place after the passage of the state's law banning mask mandates. Last week, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law a ban on mask mandates by schools and other local government authorities. (Sitter, 5/25)

The CT Mirror: Judge Upholds CT Mask Requirement For School Children
A Hartford judge has ruled in favor of Gov. Ned Lamont in the legal battle over the constitutionality of his requirement that children wear masks in school. Citing a recent state Supreme Court decision and the General Assembly’s vote earlier this month to expand the governor’s emergency powers, Superior Court Judge Thomas Moukawsher said in his Monday ruling that the court will grant the defendants this final decision “not merely because the lawsuit is moot — but because the actions of the executive have been ratified as correct by both the co-equal branches of government.” (Watson, 5/25)

northjersey.com: Why You Can Still Expect Masks In NJ Schools This Fall
Parents of children up to preteen ages can expect them to wear masks when they go back to school this fall despite the state lifting mask requirements for adults, Gov. Phil Murphy said Tuesday. In an interview on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" one day after announcing he's rolling back mask requirements, Murphy said he anticipates issuing guidance next month on what to expect in the fall. (Racioppi, 5/25)

Health News Florida: Legal Fight Over Alachua County Mask Mandate May Be Moot 
A year-long legal battle about a mask mandate in Alachua County could be moot after Gov. Ron DeSantis this month suspended local COVID-19 restrictions, according to a new court filing. A three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal heard arguments in November in a challenge to the constitutionality of an Alachua County order that required people to wear masks at businesses such as restaurants and grocery stores. (5/25)

AP: Hawaii Governor Eliminates Mask Mandate For Outdoors
Hawaii Gov. David Ige said Tuesday people will no longer have to wear masks outdoors as the number of COVID-19 cases drop and more people get vaccinated. The governor said he would maintain a requirement that people wear masks indoors. The same rules will apply regardless of whether someone is vaccinated. Still, the governor said he would encourage those who are in large groups outside to continue to wear masks. (McAvoy, 5/26)

NBC News: Healthiest States In The U.S. During The 2020 Pandemic Were In The Northeast
For the first time in years, Hawaii didn't top digital health company Sharecare's Community Well-Being Index, which was released on Tuesday morning. Instead, Massachusetts made a surprise appearance at the top of the list. Hawaii came in second, followed by New Jersey, Maryland and New York. The rankings, which have been shared every year since 2008, look at social determinants of health like access to health care, food, housing, transportation and personal health risk factors including physical health, community and social bonds, financial management skills and strength of purpose in daily life. To make the list, researchers from Sharecare and the Boston University School of Public Health assessed more than 450,000 respondents across all 50 states. (Breen, 5/25)

Politico: Poll: Most Voters Oppose Newsom Recall As Covid Optimism Rises
California's rebound from the Covid-19 crisis is complicating the drive to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom, with a strong majority of state voters now approving of his pandemic management and just 40 percent saying they would remove him, a new Public Policy Institute of California poll shows. Californians have growing optimism about the state’s recovery as infection rates decline and a larger share of the state becomes fully vaccinated while a wider array of businesses open. A whopping 90 percent of likely voters said they overwhelmingly believe the worst of the crisis is behind the state, greater than the 74 percent who said that in March. (Marinucci, 5/26)

Politico: Can Mississippi’s Last Abortion Clinic Survive? 
Long before the funky restaurants and shops began to turn Fondren into Jackson’s trendiest district, the neighborhood’s landmark institution was a bright pink building, surrounded by a concrete and iron wall, 8 feet tall at its peak, that is Mississippi’s last abortion clinic. Last week, the scene was more or less normal: The women seeking care would slowly turn into the parking lot, careful not to hit the protesters camped at the entrance who held signs preaching eternal damnation. Volunteers in rainbow-patterned vests ushered the women inside. Pop music blared from speakers to drown out the protesters, many of whom bring their own amplifiers. (Fowler, 5/26)

The New York Times: Puerto Rico, Recovering From A Spring Surge, Lifted A Curfew That Was In Effect Throughout The Pandemic
As Puerto Rico recovers from a spring coronavirus surge and cases decline, the U.S. territory is steadily relaxing pandemic restrictions, including lifting a nightly curfew that was in effect since March 2020. The island is taking a big step toward returning to normal not long after experiencing its worst outbreak. Toward the end of April, Puerto Rico was reporting over 1,000 cases a day, up from about 200 new daily cases in mid-March. (Waller, 5/25)

The Oregonian: Coronavirus In Oregon: State Discloses Huge Surge In Wasted Vaccines
The Oregon Health Authority reported 9,090 vaccine doses have now been wasted, spoiled or expired since December. That’s more than double the total disclosed last week, which stood at 4,418, and it’s more than quadruple the 1,922 reported three weeks ago. (Schmidt, 5/25)

Concord (N.H.) Monitor: NH House Panel Splits On Banning Vaccine Questions, Mandates
A New Hampshire House committee split evenly along party lines Tuesday on a proposal to prohibit most businesses from asking customers or employees whether they’ve been vaccinated against the coronavirus. The committee on executive departments and administration voted 9-9 on amending a Senate-passed bill to add several vaccine-related provisions favored by Republicans. It reached the same outcome on a Democrat-backed amendment, meaning both versions will go to the full House next month with no committee recommendation. (Ramer, 5/25)

The New York Times: Mount Sinai Seeks To Expand School Virus Testing Program
Every week, students at KIPP Infinity Middle School, in West Harlem, file into a large auditorium and take their places on the designated floor markings, making sure to stand six feet apart. Then they pull down their masks and fill sterile tubes with their spit. The school’s teachers try to make the experience fun, running competitions to see who can fill their tube fastest and holding dance contests while students wait for their classmates to finish. (Anthes, 5/25)

AP: ACLU Lawsuit Challenges Arkansas Trans Youth Treatment Ban
The American Civil Liberties Union asked a federal judge Tuesday to strike down a new Arkansas law that made the state the first to ban gender confirming treatments or surgery for transgender youth. The ACLU filed a lawsuit challenging the new prohibition, which is set to take effect on July 28. It prohibits doctors from providing gender confirming hormone treatment, puberty blockers or surgery to anyone under 18 years old, or from referring them to other providers for the treatment. (DeMillo, 5/25)

CalMatters: California's April Unemployment Rate Reveals Paradox
Despite California’s high unemployment rate, many positions at restaurants, bars and retail stores are going unfilled — causing some business owners to fear they won’t be able to fully reopen even when the state gives the green light on June 15. The Golden State’s unemployment rate remained unchanged between March and April, holding steady at 8.3% even as employers added nearly 102,000 jobs, according to figures released Friday by the Employment Development Department. That accounts for 38% of all U.S. jobs gained last month — a bright spot that dims when one takes into account that California still has the nation’s second-highest unemployment rate and has regained only 48% of jobs lost amid the pandemic. In some areas, the share of jobless residents is actually increasing: Los Angeles’ unemployment rate shot from 11.4% in March to 11.7% in April. (Hoeven, 5/24)

NBC News: Woman Suing Fertility Doctor, Accusing Him Of Impregnating Her With His Own Sperm
A New Jersey woman accused a doctor of "medical rape" by secretly using his own sperm to impregnate her nearly 40 years ago, she said in a federal lawsuit filed on Tuesday. Bianca Voss, 75, said she paid her New York City OB-GYN, Dr. Martin Greenberg, $100 to secure sperm from an anonymous donor at a sperm bank in 1983, according to her civil complaint filed in New York. The procedure led to a successful pregnancy and birth of her daughter, Roberta Voss, in 1984. t wasn't until Roberta Voss purchased a DNA kit from 23andMe in the fall of 2020 that she discovered her biological father was a man named Martin Greenberg, born in 1943 and now living in Florida. (Li, 5/25)

ABC News: Tennessee Bans Teaching Critical Race Theory In Schools
The legislation, which was amended several times in the final days of the legislative session, takes effect July 1. Among other things, Tennessee's teachers can't instruct that “an individual, by virtue of the individual’s race or sex, is inherently privileged, racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or subconsciously.” “Impartial discussion of controversial aspects of history” is still permitted under the law, and limits on teacher speech won’t apply when a teacher is responding to a student’s question or referring to a historic figure or group. (Kruesi, 5/25)

AP: Social Media Heavyweights Wooed For Pfizer Smear Campaign
Social media influencers in France with hundreds of thousands of followers say a mysterious advertising agency offered to pay them if they agreed to smear Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine with negative fake stories. French YouTuber Léo Grasset was among those contacted. He said Tuesday that he was offered a potentially lucrative but also hush-hush deal to make bogus claims that Pfizer’s vaccine poses a deadly risk and that regulators and mainstream media are covering up the supposed dangers. (Leicester, 5/25)

The Hill: France Probing Whether Russia Involved In Campaign Against Pfizer Vaccine
A France security official said Tuesday that authorities were looking into whether Russia was involved in efforts to gather social media influencers for an online campaign aiming to sow doubt in the safety of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine. The official told The Wall Street Journal that it suspected the Kremlin could be behind a series of emails that several French bloggers said they had received in recent days from a person who claimed to work for the marketing firm, Fazze. (Castronuovo, 5/25)

AP: EU Takes On AstraZeneca In Court Over Vaccine Deliveries
The European Union took on vaccine producer AstraZeneca in a Brussels court on Wednesday with the urgent demand that the company needs to make an immediate delivery of COVID-19 shots the bloc insists were already due. AstraZeneca’s contract signed with the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, on behalf of member states foresaw an initial 300 million doses for distribution among all 27 countries, with an option for a further 100 million. The doses were expected to be delivered throughout 2021. But only 30 million were sent during the first quarter. (Petrequin, 5/26)

Reuters: UK Failed ‘Disastrously’ In COVID-19 Crisis, PM Johnson’s Ex-Chief Adviser Says
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s former chief adviser said the government failed in the COVID-19 crisis and fell “disastrously short” of the standards the public had a right to expect during the most devastating global pandemic in decades. With almost 128,000 deaths, the United Kingdom has the world's fifth worst official COVID-19 toll, and Johnson was slow to appreciate the significance of the threat from the virus in early 2020 as it spread from China towards Britain's shores. (Faulconbridge, 5/26)

Reuters: New Zealand Health Systems Hackers Release Patient Details To The Media
Hackers who targeted hospitals in New Zealand’s Waikato district have released what appears to be private patient information to media outlets, as health systems struggled to come back online more than a week after the attack. A group claiming responsibility for the Waikato District Health Board cyberattack that took place last week released scores of official looking records and documents containing names, phone numbers, and addresses of patients and staff, Radio New Zealand and other local media reported. (5/26)

AP: Major Japan Newspaper Asahi Calls For Olympic Cancellation
Japan’s Asahi Shimbun newspaper on Wednesday called for the Tokyo Olympics to be canceled with the games set to open in less than two months. It is the first of Japan’s major newspapers to make the move and joins some regional newspapers that have recently added to the growing opposition to holding the Olympics. Coming out against the Olympics could be significant since the newspaper, like many in Japan, is a sponsor of the postponed Olympics that are to open on July 23. Asahi is typically liberal-leaning and often opposes the ruling party led by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. (Wade and Komiya, 5/26)

AP: EXPLAINER: How Vaccine Passports For Global Travel Will Work
Boarding pass, suitcase, passport and ... digital vaccination certificate? Keen to avoid losing another summer of holiday revenue to the coronavirus pandemic, the European Union, some Asian governments and the airline industry are scrambling to develop so-called COVID-19 vaccine passports to help kickstart international travel. They’re working on systems that would allow travelers to use mobile phone apps to prove they’ve been vaccinated, which could help them avoid onerous quarantine requirements at their destinations. (Chan, 5/26)

Axios: Scientists: Canceling Tokyo Olympics "May Be The Safest Option" 
With less than two months until the Tokyo Olympics' opening ceremony, scientists are warning that "canceling the games may be the safest option," according to a paper published Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. As Japan anticipates 20,000 athletes and support staff from 200 different countries, the country remains in a state of emergency with nearly 70,000 active cases and only 5% of the population vaccinated, the lowest rate within OECD countries. (Fernandez, 5/26)

CNBC: Covid: Malaysia Now Has More Cases Per Million People Than India
Malaysia’s daily Covid-19 cases are climbing rapidly and have surpassed India’s on one critical measure, according to statistics site Our World in Data. India has been experiencing a devastating second wave since April and has the world’s second largest Covid caseload. The country’s daily case count, while trending downward, has remained elevated at hundreds of thousands of infections — far exceeding Malaysia’s few thousands a day. But Malaysia’s daily Covid infections per million people — on a seven-day rolling basis — have exceeded that of India since Sunday, data compiled by Our World in Data showed. (Lee, 5/26)

CNBC: India Covid Crisis: People Use Social Media To Find Hospitals, Medicine
As India’s devastating second wave of coronavirus outbreak overwhelmed the health-care system, desperate users turned to social media to seek help from the public as hospital beds and oxygen supplies ran out. People in need of assistance, either for themselves or their relatives, posted requests on sites such as Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram. Others collated information on the availability of beds in hospitals as well as contact details of vendors with oxygen cylinders and other resources in short supply. In many instances, the efforts helped save lives. (Choudhury, 5/24)

Axios: Dozens Of Countries Facing Oxygen Shortages Due To COVID Surges 
Dozens of countries are facing oxygen shortages so acute that they threaten to result in the "total collapse" of their health systems, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism reported Monday. Many of these countries already faced oxygen shortages before the pandemic. Increased demand from COVID-19, coupled with low vaccination rates, could leading to devastating results, per the Bureau. (Saric, 5/25)

The Washington Post: Taiwan’s Tsai Accuses Beijing Of Blocking BioNTech Vaccine Deal
Taipei’s war of words with Beijing around the pandemic took a sharp turn on Wednesday when Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen accused China of preventing German biotechnology company BioNTech from supplying the self-governing island with coronavirus vaccines. It was the first time that Taiwan had directly specified China’s alleged involvement in blocking such an agreement. “We were close to completing the contract with the original German plant, but because of China’s intervention, up to now there’s been no way to complete it,” Tsai told members of her Democratic Progressive Party, according to Reuters. (Ang, 5/26)

USA Today: COVID Honor System Won't Protect Transplant Patients Like My Mother
Mask mandates are now again illegal in Texas. Gov. Greg Abbott recently decreed that government entities cannot require masks, and municipalities can't impose their own mandates without falling afoul of the law. Texas is not alone. Several other states, including Illinois and South Carolina, loosened mask requirements after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said fully vaccinated people can "resume activities" unmasked.  You could almost hear a collective sigh of relief, tinged with some confusion, when the CDC proclamation went viral. Soon enough, parents of young children who can't yet get vaccinated protested this hasty unmasking. We need to listen to them. But we also need to listen to those in even higher risk populations who can receive vaccines but whose drug regimen reduces the shots' effectiveness. (Heather Houser, 5/26)

Stat: In 'Vaccine Apartheid,' Nepal Is Ground Zero. It Needs U.S. Help 
The world has reached the era of Covid-19 “vaccine apartheid.” That was the warning this week from World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Nepal is now ground zero. Nepal has surpassed India in terms of Covid-19 deaths per capita, and is far ahead of other south Asian countries. About 40% of Covid-19 tests are coming back positive. With fewer than 2,000 ICU beds and 600 ventilators for a population of 30 million, Nepal’s health care system is collapsing. (Gagan K. Thapa and Duncan Maru, 5/26)

Scientific American: How COVID Changed Science 
Rarely in recent memory has the world faced such an immediate and widespread global threat as complex as COVID-19. In its face, a select few have risen to the occasion, none more cherished and admired perhaps than the health care workers staffing the front lines. But standing close behind them in the trenches are the scientists and researchers who are among the very few who truly understand the scope of our evolutionary battle with the virus. Since the start of the pandemic, our scientists have acted with unprecedented speed and coordinated action to deliver us an armamentarium of medical weaponry to confront this global threat. (William A. Haseltine, 5/25)

NBC News: Waiving Covid-19 Vaccine Patents Won't Get Shots In Arms Faster. It Slows Down New Vaccines
WTO director-general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said on Friday that a full waiver of companies' Covid-19 vaccine patents under the World Trade Organization's auspices — sought by many developing countries and supported by President Joe Biden to combat disproportionate access to the therapies — will not be enough to speed up the provision of vaccines to countries where it is lagging. On that small point, at least, we agree: The nations that spearheaded the petition to waive the patent rights at the WTO, India and South Africa, have been unable to provide any evidence that the international system of respecting intellectual property rights under the law have impeded the development, production or distribution of Covid-19 vaccines and treatments. (David J. Kappos and Paul R. Michel, 5/25)

The Atlantic: Pandemic Risk Assessments Are Never Objective 
More than six weeks ago, I received my second Moderna shot, so I’ve had time to ease into fully vaccinated life. And yet I still haven’t eaten a meal inside a restaurant. Is that because I’m an overcautious ninny who can’t estimate risk? Bent into a defensive trauma crouch from a year of COVID-19 restrictions? Or worried I’ll shed some stray mRNA and disrupt the menses of surrounding diners? (Jordan Ellenberg, 5/25)

The Baltimore Sun: Harford Health Officer: Should I Resign For Giving Mask Medical Advice To Marching Band? 
Last week a local politician asked me to resign as health officer because I had given my best advice on how to protect a school marching band during a 4th of July parade. Horns and woodwinds expel aerosols much farther than breathing and speaking, so even an outdoor performance with an infected musician could spread COVID-19 to other players and to the crowd. The very best option to control disease would be to include only fully vaccinated students, because vaccines are now known to dramatically reduce the chance of spreading the virus. Yet, as a pediatrician and father of a former “bandy,” I knew that excluding unvaxxed children would deny them a lifetime highlight and important social recognition. Fortunately, there has been substantial research on aerosols and instruments that support asking unvaccinated players to place bell covers over their instruments to protect others and to just wear masks with mouth slits to protect themselves. Vaccinated players would not need masks and bell covers to prevent disease, but they could still opt-in. This is the best medical advice I could offer, so I offered it. Should I resign? (David Bishai, 5/25)

Houston Chronicle: As Doctors And Mothers, We're Vaccinating Our Kids Against COVID-19. You Should, Too.
As a pediatrician, a pediatric infectious disease doctor and a pediatric palliative care doctor practicing in a large, urban, academic children’s hospital, we have been up close and personal with COVID-19 over the last 15 months. Although children are less likely to die from COVID-19 than adults, they can and do have serious and prolonged illnesses related to COVID-19 infection. We have personally cared for children with severe and devastating respiratory, neurologic and hematologic side effects of COVID-19 whose lives and families are forever changed. (Jill Ann Jarrell, Katherine Y. King and Mitra Misra, 5/26)

The Washington Post: The Pandemic Isn’t Over — Especially For Our Children 
With coronavirus infections declining to their lowest levels in nearly a year, and mask mandates ending in many states, the foreboding we’ve lived with throughout the pandemic has finally been replaced by optimism. But covid-19 remains a real concern for many — including families with young children. Not everyone is worried about kids. It’s true that children are unlikely to become severely ill from covid-19. Of the 3.9 million children diagnosed with coronavirus, just more than 300 have died. However, some children have become seriously ill, with more than 16,000 hospitalizations reported from a database of 24 states and New York City. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention documents more than 3,700 instances of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, a potentially severe consequence of covid-19 that results in inflammation of the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain and other organs. (Leana S. Wen, 5/25)

The New York Times: As Covid Lockdowns End, Diet And Wellness Profiteers Move In 
As the pandemic has raged, we have been told to sequester ourselves to stay well and safeguard others. For many of us, that has meant living a more housebound life than normal. We have developed an intimate familiarity with the textures of our couch. We have grown deeply attached to the softest items in our wardrobe. We have pounded vitamin D supplements to compensate for our vampiric relationship to the sun. Now as we slowly emerge from our collective hibernation, it’s unsurprising that many of our bodies have changed. (Tala Schlossberg, 5/26)

Stat: The Mental Health Care System Failed My Brother And Many Like Him 
On February 25, I got the phone call I had been dreading for years: My brother Louis was dead. I was dumbfounded. We had just spoken 48 hours earlier. My sister and I had finally found a rehabilitation program that would treat all three of his afflictions — manic depression, anxiety, and alcoholism — and not just one of them, as had happened so often in the past. For the first time in a long time, we had hope that Louis would finally get the help he needed and deserved. (Lizzy Feliciano, 5/26)

Bloomberg: Texas Abortion Ban Is Both Devious And Doomed 
When a state adopts a flatly unconstitutional anti-abortion law, as Texas did last week, it ordinarily never takes effect. Activists immediately ask a federal court to order state officials not to enforce it, and the court does. What’s unusual — and scary — is that this time, Texas is trying to get around this hurdle through legal trickery. Its efforts are likely to fail, but seeing how and why requires going through a bit of detail. (Noah Feldman, 5/25)

Stat: Passing The Dr. Lorna Breen Act Will Support Health Care Workers 
Some people are vaguely aware of the story of Dr. Lorna Breen. Among physicians and frontline caregivers, she has become the face of health care workers overwhelmed by Covid-19... Lorna cared for countless Covid-19 patients at New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital before contracting the coronavirus herself. After recovering, she once again donned personal protective equipment and went back into the fray to help fight this plague. But as happened with so many frontline workers, the sea of patients and the overcrowded hospital began to take a toll on Lorna. (Jennifer Breen Feist and Corey Feist, 5/25)

San Francisco Chronicle: Of Course California Should Decriminalize Magic Mushrooms
It has to be acknowledged that after more than half a century of drug demonization and criminalization, the idea of legalizing substances as powerful and fabled as LSD and psilocybin mushrooms can come off as hallucinatory. That is partly because Americans have become so inured to the prohibition and punishment of drug use, a skewed reality that — despite the growing exception for marijuana — we continue to inhabit in the face of all the evidence that its benefits are imagined and its harms all too actual. (5/23)