Using mRNA Shots ‘No Longer Viable,’ NIH Chief Says; FDA Might Rescind Covid Vaccine For Kids Under 5
August 12, 2025
Morning Briefing
NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, who opposed most covid mandates, said on Steve Bannon’s podcast Saturday that “a large fraction of the population” distrusts mRNA shots and that the technology is “promising but not yet ready for prime time for vaccines.” The mRNA vaccines for covid are widely credited with saving millions of lives.
As Kennedy Visits Bullet-Riddled CDC, Critics Insist He Stop Vaccine Rhetoric
August 12, 2025
Morning Briefing
The HHS secretary also met with the widow of officer David Rose. Meanwhile, the agency says it is adding safety and security measures before it brings back employees, who are reeling from the trauma and have the option of working remotely this week. “I think most of us would very much like the next message we hear from [Kennedy] to begin with ‘I hereby resign,’” one staffer said.
For Two Companies, State Department Resumes Nutrition Aid Orders
August 12, 2025
Morning Briefing
Some famine experts are optimistic about the government’s decision to ship U.S.-made ready-to-use therapeutic food — it’s a start — but one notes: “What we haven’t seen yet … is any indication that programs and funding that were meant to address long-term food security will be resumed.”
Doctors Are Working Harder For Less Pay, Report Shows
August 12, 2025
Morning Briefing
Stalled reimbursements from both private and public insurers — which means less net revenue — and an increase in practitioners’ workload since the start of the pandemic could mean less access for patients. Also in the news: rural ERs; Blue Cross’ antitrust deal; and more.
Telehealth Has Unlocked Abortion Access In South And Midwest: Study
August 12, 2025
Morning Briefing
A study released Monday in JAMA found that the rates of telehealth abortion were notably highest in states with abortion bans. Also: news on birth control, in-utero procedures, and more.
In Promising Trial, Pancreatic Cancer Vaccine Helped Patients Live Longer
August 12, 2025
Morning Briefing
As NBC News reported, people with pancreatic cancer survived for an average of 29 months and lived recurrence-free for more than 15 months post-vaccination — far longer than the rates of resectable cancers. A randomized phase 2 trial is being held to test the durability of the vaccine.
Buoyed By MAHA, Anti-Sunscreen Fad Emerges — To Dermatologists’ Dismay
August 12, 2025
Morning Briefing
Social media influencers skeptical of sunscreen ingredients are advocating for natural alternatives, but health experts maintain sunscreen is one of the most effective tools for preventing skin cancer. “Ultraviolet radiation is a known carcinogen,” said Adam Friedman, a professor of dermatology.
First Edition: Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025
August 12, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Experts Say Rural Emergency Rooms Are Increasingly Run Without Doctors
By Arielle Zionts
August 12, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Some doctors and the groups that represent them say physicians’ extensive training leads to better emergency care, and that some hospitals are trying to save money by not hiring them. They support new laws in Indiana, Virginia, and South Carolina that require physicians to be on-site 24/7.
Considering a Life Change? Brace for Higher ACA Costs
By Julie Appleby
August 12, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Consumers contemplating an early retirement or starting a business should calculate how Trump administration and congressional policy changes could increase their health insurance costs — and plan accordingly.
Guía para encontrar seguro de salud a los 26
By Elisabeth Rosenthal
August 11, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Es muy probable que tengas menos opciones en el mercado que las que tenías en el plan de tus padres. Prepárate para hacer cambios y concesiones.
Ousted Vaccine Regulator Vinay Prasad Is Back At FDA
August 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
It is not clear whether Prasad will still serve as the agency’s chief medical and scientific officer, Stat reports. Meanwhile, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research staff grill top drug regulator George Tidmarsh about the challenges they face.
Supreme Court Is Formally Petitioned To Reverse Same-Sex Marriage Ruling
August 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
The appeal, which comes 10 years after the historic Obergefell case, is being brought by Kim Davis, the former Kentucky county clerk who was jailed for refusing marriage licenses to a same-sex couple.
VA Hospitals Having Difficulty Wooing Doctors, Nurses Amid Federal Turmoil
August 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
Internal documents examined by ProPublica show nearly 4 in 10 of the approximately 2,000 doctors offered jobs from January through March turned them down — quadruple the rate during the same period last year — because the doctors worried the jobs weren’t stable.
Boar’s Head Plant At Center Of Listeria Outbreak Will Reopen Soon In Virginia
August 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
The plant was shut down in September amid the outbreak that killed 10 people and sickened dozens. Recent inspections have found health concerns at other Boar’s Head facilities, however. Plus: Covid cases are rising everywhere, particularly in Louisiana.
A Dose Of Upbeat And Inspiring News
August 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s stories are on an elderly EMT, food insecurity, disability inclusion, ALS, allergies, and more.
Morning Briefing for Monday, August 11, 2025
August 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
We’d like to speak with personnel from the Department of Health and Human Services or its component agencies about what’s happening within the federal health bureaucracy. Please message us on Signal at (415) 519-8778 or get in touch here.
CDC Leaders And Staff Express Fear, Anger, And Resolve After Shooting
August 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
In a call with employees, agency brass told employees that the attack on the office complex was deliberate: “This was not stray bullets.” Employees are calling for the resignation of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who one says is “propagating misinformation and distrust.” Law enforcement sources say the suspect might have blamed his health concerns on the covid-19 vaccine.
