Not All Experts Are Ready to Vaccinate Kids Against Covid
Rare reports of minor heart damage have convinced some scientists that further study is needed before racing to extend covid shots to more children.
Unvaccinated, Homebound and Now Hospitalized With Covid in New York City
Across the country, doctors report that those hospitalized with covid now are largely unvaccinated. New York City lags the rest of the nation in vaccinating people 65 and older, and its efforts to reach the homebound and disabled have been late in coming and disorganized.
For Toddlers, Pandemic Shapes Development During Formative Years
The pandemic created disruption and family stress that may have lasting effects on young children’s social and emotional development.
Being Vaccinated Doesn’t Mean You Must Go Maskless. Here’s Why.
It won’t hurt to remain cautious, even as California reopens for business in response to mass vaccinations and diminishing cases of covid.
Journalists Discuss New Alzheimer’s Drug, Women’s Alcohol Use, the Hip-Hop and Opioids Link
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Biden Kept His Promise to Increase Covid-Testing Capacity, Even as Demand for Testing Drops
Experts told us that the system’s capacity has improved and people now have access to different testing options.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Our 200th Episode!
The federal approval of a controversial drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease has reignited the debate over drug prices and the way the Food and Drug Administration makes decisions. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden seeks to gain goodwill overseas as he announces the U.S. will provide 500 million doses of covid vaccine to international health efforts. Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Joanne Kenen of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also, Rovner interviews Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, the new administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. And to mark the podcast’s 200th episode, the panelists discuss what has surprised them most and least over the past four years.
Change to Gilead Assistance Program Threatens PrEP Access, HIV Advocates Say
Safety-net clinics especially are bracing for how the drugmaker’s policy shift could reduce their budgets and hamstring their ability to provide care to an at-risk population.
Lawmakers Pressure Newsom to ‘Step Up’ on Racism as a Public Health Issue
California Democratic lawmakers are asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to approve $100 million per year to fund programs that address health inequality and structural racism.
Hoy, las mujeres toman tanto como los hombres, pero sufren las consecuencias antes
Desde hace casi un siglo, las mujeres han ido cerrando la brecha de género en el consumo de alcohol, las borracheras y los trastornos que acarrea.
Women Now Drink as Much as Men — And Are Prone to Sickness Sooner
Young women have closed the gender gap for excessive drinking. And that was before the pandemic. The trend is particularly troubling because women are at greater risk for blackouts, liver disease, cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers linked to alcohol use.
An Anti-Vaccine Film Targeted to Black Americans Spreads False Information
A new movie produced by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s anti-vaccine group tries to capitalize on the covid-19 pandemic, the racial justice movement and renewed interest in the history of medical racism.
Unused Johnson & Johnson Covid Doses Are Piling Up as FDA Waits to See if Shelf Life Can Be Extended
As vaccine expiration dates loom, states with hundreds of thousands of doses on hand say demand is tanking and there’s no easy way to donate to other states or countries that might want them
Boeing Tested Air Purifiers Like Those Widely Used in Schools. It Decided Not to Use Them in Planes.
The technology that schools have been snapping up in the fight against covid “has not shown significant disinfection effectiveness” to install on its planes, Boeing found. Now the company’s study is being debated in a proposed class-action suit.
Trying to Avoid Racist Health Care, Black Women Seek Out Black Obstetricians
Besides shared culture and values, a Black physician can offer Black patients a sense of safety, validation and trust. By contrast, the impact of systemic racism can show up starkly in childbirth. Black women are three times as likely to die after giving birth as white women in the United States.
In Missouri and Other States, Flawed Data Makes It Hard to Track Vaccine Equity
Racial and ethnic categories for vaccination data vary widely from one state to another, complicating efforts to distribute shots where they are needed most. In Missouri, some red flags in the data surfaced, making health officials question its usefulness.
Analysis: Mounting Pressure on China About Covid ‘Lab Leak’ Could Backfire
Where the coronavirus originated remains a mystery and the Chinese are bucking demands to let investigators see more.
The ‘Grief Pandemic’ Will Torment Americans for Years
More than 5 million Americans lost a loved one to covid, and the ripple effects could lead to serious illness down the road.
Readers and Tweeters React to Racism, Inequities in Health Care
Kaiser Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
From Racial Justice to Dirty Air, California’s New AG Plots a Progressive Health Care Agenda
In a candid interview, California’s newly appointed attorney general, Rob Bonta, reflects on his progressive roots and says he will pursue a health care agenda centered on the principle that quality medical care is a right, not a privilege.
