Global Health Watch

Latest KFF Health News Stories

The Gender Vaccine Gap: More Women Than Men Are Getting Covid Shots

KFF Health News Original

A KHN examination of state vaccine statistics shows that more women than men have gotten covid vaccines. Experts cite demographic realities of those who were part of the initial rollout but also women’s greater likelihood to seek preventive health care.

Colleges and Universities Plan for Normal-ish Campus Life in the Fall

KFF Health News Original

Universities need full dorms and dining halls to make back some of the estimated $183 billion in losses they’ve suffered over a year of remote education. The hope is widespread vaccination will keep covid chaos to a minimum.

Battle Brews Over Neutral Zone Where Border-Crossing Parties Rendezvous, Risking Infection

KFF Health News Original

Peace Arch Park on the U.S.-Canadian border has become a rare place where families and friends on either side of the border can see one another in person. But it raises questions on covid safety as the two countries handle the pandemic differently.

Analysis: How the US Invested in the War on Terrorism at the Cost of Public Health

KFF Health News Original

After 9/11, as our defenses against international and bioterrorism hardened, our defenses against infectious diseases shrank. By the time a deadly virus arrived on our shores last year, nearly two-thirds of Americans were living in counties that spend more than twice as much on policing as they spend on public health.

The Hype Has Faded, but Don’t Count Out Convalescent Plasma in Covid Battle

KFF Health News Original

The once-promising therapy that infuses blood plasma from recovered covid-19 patients into newly infected people, theoretically to boost immunity, has suffered setbacks. But some proponents say it’s too early to abandon the treatment.

The Case for Donating US Covid Vaccines Overseas

KFF Health News Original

For now, there’s not enough vaccine for the U.S., but that could change within a few months. Vaccinating other nations will be key to stopping the pandemic – and keeping it away from our shores.

Landmark Covid Relief Law Pumps More Than $100 Billion Into Public Health

KFF Health News Original

The law provides money to enhance coronavirus testing and contact tracing, support federal efforts on vaccine distribution and hire more public health workers. But advocates worry support will wane when the pandemic is over.

Biden’s Criticism of Trump Team’s Vaccine Contracts Is a Stretch

KFF Health News Original

Under the Trump administration, the U.S. had agreed to buy at least 1 billion doses of covid vaccine, enough to vaccinate 550 million people. Those agreements, though, applied to vaccines that were authorized as well as those still in development. And the Biden team had the advantage of 20/20, experts say.