Latest KFF Health News Stories
Conservatives Leverage Biden’s Covid To Spread Vaccine Misinformation
Newsweek reports some are using the president’s covid infection to question the efficacy of vaccines. Separately, Politico reports that Vice President Kamala Harris is mulling a more aggressive stance on protecting abortion rights. Also: same-sex marriage, a potential probe into Dr. Anthony Fauci’s pandemic role, and more.
Next White House Goal: New Generation Of Covid Vaccines To Target Variants
Stat reports that Biden administration officials will hold a “summit” Tuesday with scientists, public health experts and vaccine manufacturers on Tuesday to kick start efforts to develop next-generation vaccinations. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden’s covid symptoms are improving as he continues to take antiviral medication.
Block On Kentucky’s Abortion Ban Remains
A judge says there is a “substantial likelihood” that Kentucky’s near-total abortion ban violates the state’s constitution. Other regional abortion news is reported from Missouri, Minnesota, Indiana, Wyoming, and other states.
Abortion Wait Times Balloon As Interstate Patients Stress Clinics
It’s becoming harder to obtain care in states where abortion is still legal due in large part to cross-border travel, researchers find. Related news reports on the role of Catholic hospitals, sterilizations, and more.
WHO Upgrades Monkeypox To Highest Level Of Emergency Alert
The World Health Organization declared the monkeypox outbreak to be a global emergency, with more than 16,000 cases reported across 75 nations. The White House praised the “call to action” for a coordinated international response, but some lawmakers want the U.S. to do more.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: US Approach To Mental Health Care Is Broken; Kids Struggle With Lack Of Sleep
Editorial writers examine America’s mental health struggles as well as other public health topics.
Opinion writers weigh in on covid and reproductive health care issues.
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
Each week, KHN finds longer stories for you to enjoy. This week’s selections include stories on covid, monkeypox, Gen Z health care, aging, seizures, and more.
New York Reports Polio Case But Says Threat To Vaccinated Public Is Low
The unvaccinated individual with the infection may have indirectly caught it from an overseas source and is no longer infectious. A Medicaid repayment, postpartum Medicaid expansion, fentanyl, and how heat impacts blood pressure medications are also in the news.
Letting ACA Tax Credits Expire Would Wreak Havoc, Insurers Warn
Along with hospital and doctors’ groups, they are urging Congress to extend the subsidies before lawmakers leave Washington for their August recess, Modern Healthcare reports. Also in the news: magic mushrooms and medical device maker Hanger.
Pfizer’s Covid Shots Prove Effective At Keeping Kids Out Of Hospital
Two doses of Pfizer’s covid vaccine were 82.7% effective at preventing hospitalizations among 5- to 11-year olds. Separately, an experimental oral covid vaccine is reportedly showing promise, and a Gates Foundation study found existing boosters were surprisingly good against BA.5.
Small Turtles May Be To Blame For 11-State Salmonella Outbreak
The CDC announced the discovery of a link to purchases of turtles with shells less than 4 inches long. Separately, the CDC said another 17 puzzling hepatitis cases in children had been reported, and the new 988 suicide hotline is encountering mistrust in black communities.
Next Step In ‘Moonshot’: White House Picks Surgeon To Lead Cancer Institute
Prominent oncologist Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, a surgeon at Dana-Farber Cancer Center and a professor at Harvard Medical School, will lead the $7 billion biomedical research institute that funds most of the nation’s cancer research, Stat reported.
Bill To Guarantee Contraception Access Passes House
The legislation, aimed at countering possible Supreme Court action, passed with 195 Republicans voting against it. Prospects in the Senate are uncertain. Meanwhile, stories of the costs and barriers to obtaining birth control are also in the news.
Monkeypox Research Gets $140M Boost From White House
The money is aimed at a 22-target research agenda, hopefully to understand and control rising cases. Meanwhile, the House Oversight and Reform Committee told the Department of Health and Human Services to address barriers that some people have found in accessing monkeypox treatments.
Patients Sent Home As Georgia’s Abortion Law Does An About-Face
AP reports that the fast changes in Georgia’s legal stance on abortion this week meant some patients who were awaiting treatment were forced to leave medical offices. Other complex legal cases are also reported.
Amazon Wants You To Be Its Patient, Buying One Medical In $3.9B Deal
Media outlets explain why the move is significant for Amazon and the future of the health care industry, and also highlight early concerns about the deal’s impact on medical data privacy.
CVS Starts Validating Prescriptions For Pills That Can End Pregnancy
CVS says some states’ laws restricting medicine abortions have prompted the pharmacy chain to verify methotrexate and misoprostol prescriptions in those locations. They want health providers to include a patient’s diagnosis in prescriptions.
Available Covid Drugs In Spotlight As Biden Takes Paxlovid
A critical development for the direction of the covid pandemic has been the development of antiviral treatments and a drug that can help vulnerable people avoid infection.
