tech and pharma 0527

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Drug Price Effort Hits a Snag
Democratic leaders in Congress have vowed to pass legislation to address high prescription drug prices this year, but some moderates in their own party appear to be balking. Meanwhile, younger teens are now eligible for a covid-19 vaccine and the Biden administration reinstated anti-discrimination policy for LGBTQ people in health care. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet and Rachel Cohrs of Stat join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.

Biden Boasts About Equitable Senior Vaccination Rate by Race Without Data to Back It Up
By Victoria Knight There is no public national data source that tracks vaccination rates based on a combination of race or ethnicity as well as age. Most state-level data shows that disparities exist in vaccine rates between white people and people of color.

The Vulnerable Homebound Are Left Behind on Vaccination
By Jenny Gold Even as the nation has moved on to vaccinating everyone 16 and older, the vast majority of people homebound due to frailty or age — and among the most vulnerable to covid’s devastation — have not yet been vaccinated. California offers a sharp lens on the challenges.

Addiction Treatment Providers in Pa. Face Little State Scrutiny Despite Harm to Clients
By Aneri Pattani and Ed Mahon, Spotlight PA Pennsylvania’s Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs has allowed providers to continue operating despite repeated violations and harm to clients.

CVS and Walgreens Have Wasted More Vaccine Doses Than Most States Combined
By Joshua Eaton and Rachana Pradhan More than 200,000 doses of covid vaccine have gone to waste since December, KHN has learned. Two national pharmacy chains account for most of it.

Detecting Rare Blood Clots Was a Win, But US Vaccine Safety System Still Has Gaps
By JoNel Aleccia With some 100 million Americans fully vaccinated, the U.S. is relying on a patchwork network of vaccine monitoring systems that lack the breadth and depth of large, population-based programs, experts said.

As Vaccine Demand Slows, Political Differences Go on Display in California Counties
By Anna Almendrala California officials are optimistic they can vaccinate millions more before hitting a hard wall of vaccine resistance.

As Schools Spend Millions on Air Purifiers, Experts Warn of Overblown Claims and Harm to Children
By Lauren Weber and Christina Jewett A KHN investigation found that more than 2,000 schools have spent millions of dollars for systems, lured by air purifier companies’ claims that experts say mislead or obscure the potential for harm from toxic ozone.

Covid Shot in the Arm Not Enough to Keep Pharmacies in Business
By Markian Hawryluk Pandemic lockdowns exacerbated long-standing economic pressures on pharmacies — and forced many owner-operated shops to evolve or risk closing their doors.

Salesforce, Google, Facebook. How Big Tech Undermines California’s Public Health System.
By Angela Hart California Gov. Gavin Newsom has outsourced his way through the covid-19 pandemic, tasking his private-sector allies in Silicon Valley and the health care industry with fundamental public health duties such as testing, tracing and vaccination. Among the losers: the state’s weakened public health system.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Sharing Vaccines With the World
The Biden administration is bucking the drug industry and backing a waiver of covid-19 vaccine patent protections to help the rest of the world vaccinate its populations. Here at home, the Food and Drug Administration wants to ban menthol flavorings for cigarettes, setting off a fight with the tobacco industry. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Tami Luhby of CNN and Kimberly Leonard of Business Insider join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.

This Small Canadian Drugmaker Wants to Make J&J Vaccines for Poor Nations. It Needs More Than a Patent Waiver.
By Sarah Jane Tribble and Arthur Allen All agree that covid vaccines are urgently needed to stop the pandemic, but simply waiving patents fails to provide technological know-how and address supply chain challenges.

Don’t Eat the Yellowstone Snow: Elite Ski Resort Aims to Turn Sewage Into Powder
By Justin Franz An exclusive Montana ski resort frequented by the likes of Bill Gates and Justin Timberlake says it can safely turn wastewater into snow to the benefit of skiers and the local watershed.

Listen: Exploring Controversial Efforts to Waive Drugmakers’ Vaccine Patent Rights
KHN's Julie Rovner joins The Atlantic's “Social Distance” podcast, hosted by Dr. James Hamblin and Maeve Higgins, to talk about President Joe Biden's support for an initiative to waive patent protection for covid vaccines and the politics of drug policy in the United States.

What Does Approval of the Pfizer Vaccine for Teens and Preteens Mean for My Child?
By Carmen Heredia Rodriguez The federal government has extended the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to preteens and young adolescents, adding nearly 17 million more Americans to the pool of those eligible to be immunized against covid-19.

Stark Racial Disparities Persist in Vaccinations, State-Level CDC Data Shows
By Hannah Recht and Rachana Pradhan and Lauren Weber Black Americans’ vaccination rates still trail all other groups, while Hispanics show improvement. Native Americans show the strongest rates nationally.

If You Are Vaccinated, You Can Dance the Night Away
By Aneri Pattani After being closed for 14 months because of the pandemic, a North Carolina nightclub reopens. But now, in addition to showing an ID to gain entry, patrons also must show their vaccination cards.

No-Cancel Culture: How Telehealth Is Making It Easier to Keep That Therapy Session
By Eric Berger No-shows for behavioral health appointments have been a long-standing problem, with up to 60% skipped. Now telehealth, fueled by the pandemic, makes it easier for people dealing with depression and other mental health issues to make it to their appointments at a time when such care is in high demand. But teletherapy creates other challenges.

Corporations Encourage Employee Vaccination but Stop Short of Mandates
By Anna Almendrala Public health officials fear that requiring jabs on the job would create a noisy, counterproductive backlash.

‘Better Than the Hospital’: Pandemic Boosts Care for Serious Illnesses at Home
By Stephanie O'Neill Covid-19 and dozens of other illnesses now qualify for home treatment under a new federal effort aimed at freeing up hospital beds during public health emergencies.

Lady Gaga and J.Lo Sell ‘Well’ Building Seal, But It’s a Payday, Not a PSA
By Michael McAuliff A company sees the pandemic as an opportunity to push its ‘Well’ seal. It would like the indoor wellness logo to become as ubiquitous as the LEED green building halo — and make a profit, too.