Latest KFF Health News Stories
Teens Sneaking Behind Parents’ Backs To Get Covid Vaccine
Many are stuck in a tug of war between one parent who says yes and the other who says no. Increasingly, adolescents are seeking ways to be vaccinated without their parents’ consent.
Will FDA Speed Up Full Approval Process For Covid Vaccines?
Some public health officials and politicians are calling on the Food and Drug Administration to step up their review, arguing that it would help some hesitant Americans to get vaccinated.
MRNA Vaccines May Protect For Years — With One Big Caveat, Study Finds
Covid boosters might not be needed after all — as long as the virus and its variants do not evolve much beyond their current forms, which is not guaranteed.
‘Heartbreaking Stories’: Biden Administration Urged To Tackle Medical Debt
Democratic Sens. Chris Murphy and Chris Van Hollen is calling on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to help Americans facing aggressive medical debt collection by hospitals. Separately, news outlets report on a charity’s big buy of medical debt, hospital tactics and more.
Infrastructure Deal ‘Waters Have Been Calmed’; Unlinked From Spending Bill
After a weekend of negotiations, the White House and senators say that the bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure deal is back on track when the Biden administration backed off comments linking the bill to a larger spending package that would include more health care measures.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial writers delve into these public health issues.
Opinion writers take on 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 on covid, yoga, poverty, the psychology of tornado forecasting and more.
New York Lets People Select ‘X’ As Gender On Driver’s Licenses
The new Gender Recognition Act also lets people select “parent” as a non-binary gender option on birth certificates. Covid sanitation protocols, air pollution and cancer in Louisiana, syphilis in Florida and a surge in respiratory syncytial virus are also in the news.
Study Suggests Covid May Have Spread In China Sooner Than Thought
A new British study suggests covid may have been spreading in China as early as October 2019, two months before detection in Wuhan. Meanwhile, a Chinese researcher reports two Chinese covid vaccines are less effective against the delta variant, but still offer protection.
During Pandemic, Women Cared For Kids Three Times As Much As Men
In other news, research says gray hair can return to its original color; a study suggests chocolate for breakfast may have beneficial effects; Peloton’s product recall faces backlash; and Britney Spears’ forced contraception sparks a legal debate.
About 900 Chicago Nurses Go On Strike Over Staffing Shortages
Other health care industry news is on St. Joseph’s/Candler, Health Catalyst, Twistle, LifeStance Health and more.
World Drug Report Says 275 Million People Used Drugs In 2020
Over a quarter of a billion people worldwide used controlled substances in a “non-medical use” way last year according to a United Nations study. Separately, AP reports that drug overdose deaths during the pandemic rose dramatically among Black Americans.
Eli Lilly To Seek Accelerated Approval Of Its New Alzheimer’s Drug
Following the “unprecedented” FDA approval of Biogen’s controversial Alzheimer’s drug, Eli Lilly is reportedly seeking speedy approval for its drug donanemab. Stat reports on how the drug’s potential approval may play a part in the debate over Biogen’s pricing.
Carcinogen Contamination Halts Sales Of Smoking-Cessation Drug
Some lots of Pfizer’s Chantix pill were contaminated with high levels of nitrosamine, causing a global halt in sales. In other news, regulators approved Roche’s covid treatment drug Actemra in the U.S., and the CDC backs use of a controversial dengue vaccine.
Number Of Uninsured Latino Kids Grew Disproportionately During Trump Years
More than 1.8 million Latino children lacked health coverage as of 2019, a rate of 9.3%, a new study shows. In 2016, the uninsured rate of Latino children was at 7.7%. In comparison, the uninsured rate of non-Latino children grew from 3.7% in 2016 to 4.4% in 2019.
Expanded Medicaid Access To Home Care Pushed In Proposed Bill
Congressional Democrats introduced new legislation that would increase access to home- and community-based health care as the needs for such services can not be currently met by state Medicaid programs.
Book Reveals FDA’s Emergency Approval For Trump’s Covid Drugs
News outlets cover revelations from a new book detailing the Trump administration’s covid efforts, including “extraordinary” efforts to get President Donald Trump covid treatments, his suggestion to send infected people to Guantanamo Bay, and his “jokes” about covid and people who were infected.
Elective Surgery Deemed Risky Within 7 Weeks Of Covid Infections
NBC News reports on how doctors are struggling to understand the lingering impact of a covid infection and how it can negatively impact outcomes of elective surgery. Separately, research says SARS-CoV-2 can directly attack cells lining the GI tract of patients.
