Vaccines

Patients Fend for Themselves to Access Highly Touted Covid Antibody Treatments

KFF Health News Original

Months after President Donald Trump credited monoclonal antibody therapy for his quick recovery from covid-19, only a trickle of the product has found its way into regular people. While hundreds of thousands of vials sit unused, sick patients who might benefit from early treatment have been left on their own to vie for access.

Black Americans Are Getting Vaccinated at Lower Rates Than White Americans

KFF Health News Original

Black Americans are receiving covid vaccines at a much lower rate than their white peers due to a combination of mistrust and access issues, leaving them behind in the mission to vaccinate the nation’s population.

Covid: 5 razones para seguir usando máscara después de vacunarse

KFF Health News Original

Las vacunas se probaron en ensayos clínicos, en los mejores centros médicos, en condiciones óptimas. Pero en el mundo real, suelen ser un poco menos efectivas.

Biden Terms Vaccine Rollout ‘A Dismal Failure’ as He Unveils Pandemic Response Plan

KFF Health News Original

President-elect Joe Biden has delivered two speeches within the past 24 hours focused on his ambitious plans to address the “twin crises” of the covid-19 pandemic and its impact on the economy.

Geography Is Destiny: Dentists’ Access to Covid Shots Depends on Where They Live

KFF Health News Original

A handful of states are making dentists a lower priority than other health professionals for inoculations, even though they have their hands in people’s mouths and are exposed to aerosols that spray germs in their faces.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: On Capitol Hill, Actions Have Consequences

KFF Health News Original

Several large business groups, including health industry organizations, are cutting off contributions to Republicans who voted against the certification of Joe Biden’s election even after riots shut down the Capitol on Jan. 6. Meanwhile, the outgoing Trump administration not only approved a Medicaid block grant for Tennessee, but also made it difficult for the incoming Biden administration to undo. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Kimberly Leonard of Business Insider join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, Rovner interviews KHN’s Victoria Knight about the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” episode.

Delicate Covid Vaccines Slow Rollout — Leading to Shots Given Out of Turn or, Worse, Wasted

KFF Health News Original

“Thaw. Rest 15 minutes. Do not shake. Do not refreeze.”Do not shake. Do not refreeze.” Moderna’s vaccine comes with complicated instructions. And both available vaccines are good for only six hours once the vial is open. So at day’s end, health workers are left to either throw out precious doses or get shots into any arm that’s available.

Vaccination Disarray Leaves Seniors Confused About When They Can Get a Shot

KFF Health News Original

As covid cases and deaths soar, it’s difficult to get up-to-date, reliable information about inoculations, and many older adults don’t know where to turn for help. Navigating Aging columnist Judith Graham answers questions from several readers.

California Counties ‘Flying the Plane as We Build It’ in a Plodding Vaccine Rollout

KFF Health News Original

In California, the largest vaccination campaign in U.S. history is run largely by the same overworked and underfunded local health departments tasked with covid-19 testing and contact tracing. It’s a daunting undertaking as the pandemic continues to surge.

Hospitals’ Rocky Rollout of Covid Vaccine Sparks Questions of Fairness

KFF Health News Original

The lack of a federal strategy on how distribution should work at the local level means that states, hospitals, nursing homes and pharmacies are making decisions on their own about who gets vaccinated and when.

Are You Old Enough to Get Vaccinated? In Tennessee, They’re Using the Honor System

KFF Health News Original

In most Tennessean counties, residents currently eligible to get the coronavirus vaccine are health care workers, long-term care residents and people 75 and older. But don’t expect strict enforcement.

California Budget Reflects ‘Pandemic-Induced Reality,’ Governor Says

KFF Health News Original

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2021-22 budget blueprint would direct billions in state covid assistance to schools, businesses and the state’s vaccination effort. But he didn’t propose more funding for the state’s 61 local health agencies, which have taken on increased responsibility for testing, contact tracing and enforcement of health orders.

Is Your Covid Vaccine Venue Prepared to Handle Rare, Life-Threatening Reactions?

KFF Health News Original

More than two dozen people who have received the new covid vaccines in U.S. hospitals and health centers suffered anaphylaxis, a potentially fatal allergic reaction. While such severe reactions are rare, experts warn that the drugstores and drive-thru clinics considered integral to the vaccine rollout must be prepared.