Latest KFF Health News Stories
Viewpoints: Overwhelmed Hospitals Triggering CSCs; Why Is Covid Deadliest Pandemic In US History?
Opinion writers tackle these covid and vaccine 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 about tech advances for people who are blind, World Alzheimer’s Day, unclaimed bodies at funeral homes, Tammy Faye Bakker, the cult of virginity and more.
‘No One Is Safe Unless We Are All Safe’: Africa Pleads For More Covid Jabs
Other global news is from the United Kingdom, Canada and elsewhere.
Death Toll Doubles To 15 At Louisiana Nursing Home That Evacuated For Ida
The residents had been moved to a warehouse where conditions were found too squalid for safety. However, some deaths may be unrelated to the storm or conditions in the warehouse, AP reports.
Study: US Latinos More Likely To Have Potentially Preventable Cancers Than Non-Hispanic Whites
The report noted that Latinos as a group have the highest percentage of people without health insurance than any other ethnicity in the United States, Axios reported.
Pentagon Relies Too Much On Foreign Pharma Suppliers, Watchdog Finds
The Department of Defense is potentially putting national security at risk and also hasn’t developed strategies to mitigate disruptions, a report from the Office of the Inspector General says.
Task Force Says Race Shouldn’t Be Considered In Kidney Function Tests
As Stat reports, many have argued that the separate racial thresholds for classifying kidney disease underestimate the extent of disease in Black patients, leaving them less likely to receive the care they need or to be placed on waitlists for transplants.
Acetaminophen May Harm Fetuses; 3M Baby Cushions Recalled After 8 Deaths
About 100 doctors and scientists issued a statement Thursday warning of possible links between the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy and developmental problems in children.
Washington State Offers Eviction Help; California’s Jobless Claims Soar
Americans’ economic worries show no signs of abating as the pandemic drags on.
House On Track For Infrastructure Bill Vote Despite Rocky Democratic Support
The pair of intertwined spending bills continues to tangle up Capitol Hill as a group of progressive Democrats say they will vote against the infrastructure bill if it comes to the floor — as scheduled on Sept. 27 — before the budget reconciliation package. And even as Democratic leaders announce a “framework” for the latter, some Democrats are not impressed.
Health Care Officials, Patients Sue Montana Over Vaccine Mandate Ban
Elsewhere in Montana, the public health officer in Blaine County is resigning because of the “constant negativity, pushback, disregard and lack of support” throughout the pandemic, AP reports.
Emails Indicate Trump’s Covid Response Took ‘Backseat’ To Campaign
Communications obtained by a House committee, provide a window into White House priorities ahead of last November’s election, as well as in the months following. Separately, a survey outlines how pandemic views were shaped by the Trump administration’s early-days messaging.
Texas Abortion Providers Ask Supreme Court For Fast Review Of Law
Just weeks after the justices declined to block a Texas state law that bans the procedure after 6 weeks of pregnancy, they are again being asked to step in by abortion providers who say the restrictions are harming patients.
Ohio Doling Out 55 More Scholarships For Ages 12-25 Who Get A Covid Shot
The Buckeye State is on CNN’s list of the 18 states that have yet to fully vaccinate at least half of its eligible residents. Is your state on the list?
More Hospital Systems In Crisis With Rationed Care, Disrupted Transfers
In Alaska — the state with the current highest covid rate — health workers face anger and threats while coping with limited resources, the Anchorage Daily News reports. Troubles in Kentucky, Nebraska and Arizona are also in the news.
Pandemic’s End In A Year? Moderna CEO Says Enough Vaccine Will Be Available
Chief Executive Stéphane Bancel told a Swiss newspaper that vaccine makers will produce enough doses in that time to inoculate “everyone on earth.” But it’s going to bee an uphill climb: only 16 nations so far have hit a 70% vaccination rate.
Require Covid Vaccines For Eligible Students, Education Secretary Says
Also in education news, money flows from the Biden administration to a Florida school district penalized by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration over a mask mandate; regular testing at schools in Omaha, Nebraska, doubles covid detection; and more.
With CDC Stamp, Pfizer Boosters Now Available To Millions Of Americans
In the final stage of the regulatory process, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky signed off on third doses for frontline and high-risk workers. That decision was unusual as it aligned with FDA approval criteria but overruled the guidance reached by a CDC advisory panel yesterday. The Pfizer covid vaccine booster is also available for anyone 65 or older starting Friday.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Texas Abortion Care Doctor Being Sued; Why Are Dementia Rates Declining?
Editorial writers weigh in on these various public health topics.
