Latest KFF Health News Stories
Biden Administration May Soon Allow All Adults To Get Second Booster Shot
But another dose for those younger than 18 would require regulatory approval, The New York Times reported. Meanwhile, the federal government announced it is buying 3.2 million doses of the Novavax vaccine, which does not use mRNA technology.
After Roe Reversal, Many Autoimmune Patients Denied ‘Gold-Standard’ Drug
Patients across the U.S. — even in states where abortion is protected — are being refused access to methotrexate, a safe, inexpensive, and effective treatment for about a dozen autoimmune conditions.
Minnesota Judge Throws Out Most Abortion Restrictions
The judge said the state constitution protects abortion rights and that a variety of restrictions — including a mandatory 24-hour waiting period, requirements that only doctors perform abortions and a rule that abortions after the first trimester be performed in hospitals — can’t be enforced.
Hospitals Can Perform Abortions To Save Mother In Emergencies, HHS Says
Federal law on emergency treatment requires medical providers to provide abortion services if the life of the mother is at risk and preempts any state laws banning abortions. State laws restricting abortion do permit exceptions for the life of the mother, but doctors say they are often confused about what they can do under the abortion bans some states are setting.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial writers examine these public health issues.
Opinion writers discuss life after Roe.
Confusion Around Minnesota’s Near-Legalization Of Weed
Politico reports that lawmakers who passed a recent change in Minnesota’s drug policy are confused as to what has actually happened, with questions over coverage of hemp-derived THC Delta-8 versus Delta-9, which remains illegal at federal level. Also: the opioid crisis, transgender laws, and more.
Study: Big, For-Profit Hospitals Charge More Facility Fees Than Not-For-Profits
Though that sounds self-evident, the study of 2021 data from over 1,600 hospitals underlines wide variations in facility fees charged across the industry. Separately, Stateline reports on drugmaker cutbacks on participation in federal drug discount programs — impacting low-income patients.
Michigan Baby Formula Factory Reopens, Again, After Floods
Abbott Nutrition’s factory reopened July 1 to produce a specialty baby formula, after flooding caused the facility to close in June shortly after it had restarted operations in the wake of a Cronobacter contamination scandal. Separately, a beach in Iowa was closed due to finding a brain-eating amoeba.
Possible Biomarker For Long Covid Identified In Blood
Boston researchers suggest that finding spike proteins in the blood up to 12 months after covid infections is an indicator for long covid that could help diagnoses of the illness. Other reports say big pharma is being slower to tackle long covid than the speed the industry achieved to fight covid itself.
Scientists Warn Of Ineffective US Effort Against Monkeypox
The New York Times and Axios report on concerns that lessons from the early covid response haven’t been learned when it comes to combating monkeypox. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization is set to reconvene an emergency committee to tackle the global outbreak.
Alarm Bells Ring Over New Omicron Variants BA.2.75 and BA.5.2.1
BA.2.75 appears to spread even faster than the highly-contagious BA.5, the strain that currently dominates the United States. BA.2.75 is making its way across India and about 10 other countries, including the U.S., where a third case was detected last week. Meanwhile, a new strain of BA.5 has materialized, but its effect is still unclear.
Gulf Of Mexico May Get Floating Abortion Clinic
To skirt Texas’ and other Southern states’ new anti-abortion laws, media outlets report on plans for a floating reproductive health center in the Gulf of Mexico, where care is instead regulated at a federal level. Also: HIPAA, abortion providers and technology, health education, vasectomies, and more.
Federal Abortion Rules Versus State Bans Causing Legal Morass For Doctors
The complicated legal situation between federal mandates for medical emergency abortions versus state laws that ban or restrict the procedure is reported by the Wall Street Journal. Meanwhile, in Iowa, a 24-hour waiting rule is now enforceable, making women wait for abortion treatments.
FDA Receives First Application For Over-The-Counter Birth Control Pill
The Opill, from French company HRA Pharma, is a progestin-only pill that has already been available with a prescription since it was approved by the FDA in 1973. Approval for OTC sales wouldn’t be expected until next year.
Biden Says He Is Weighing Health Emergency To Provide Abortion Access
Advocates have urged the president to declare a public health emergency so that some federal resources would become available to women seeking abortion, but administration officials have raised doubts about whether such an order would be legal or effective.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial writers weigh in on these abortion issues.
Opinion writers examine monkeypox, covid, and more public health topics.
