 Welcome to Monday's Overnight Health Care. Vaccinations are ramping up, but many staff members at long-term care facilities are still not willing to get a shot. Meanwhile, the Biden administration is not changing its two-dose strategy despite concerns about variants. Senate Democrats are pushing ahead with their COVID relief bill, and the White House is investing in a rapid, over-the-counter COVID-19 test. We'll start with the new COVID test: White House awards $230M for over-the-counter, rapid COVID-19 tests The Biden administration is funding the mass production of a rapid, over-the-counter COVID-19 test, White House officials announced Monday. Andy Slavitt, White House COVID-19 adviser, said the administration will provide nearly $232 million to an Australian company called Ellume, which received authorization for the test in December. The company was part of the National Institutes of Health's RADx initiative to spur test development, and received $30 million from the program. "Thanks to this contract, they'll be able to scale their production to manufacture more than 19 million test kits per month by the end of this year," Slavitt told reporters. Significance: It's not likely you'll see these tests on the shelves at CVS tomorrow, but the move is a significant step forward in expanding the reach of rapid, at-home coronavirus tests, something experts have been advocating for months. Timing: As part of the agreement, the U.S. will fund an American manufacturing facility. Ellume will be able to ship 100,000 kits a month from the Australian facility from February to July, until the expected date the U.S. facility is built. At full capacity, the U.S facility will be able to produce up to 19 million tests per month. The new contract will guarantee the U.S. 8.5 million kits, but not until the end of the year. Pricing barrier: The test costs $30 each, which may seem inexpensive compared to current options, but the appeal of a rapid, at-home test is that it can be used multiple times a week to help people to return to work and school. Read more here.
Schumer vows Senate will take up 'bold' coronavirus bill, rejecting GOP offer Democrats are moving forward on COVID relief, with or without the GOP. Ahead of a White House meeting with a group of 10 Senate Republicans, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) vowed that the Senate would take up a "bold" coronavirus relief package, appearing to reject a smaller offer from the Republicans. "Congress must pursue a bold and robust course of action. It makes no sense to pinch pennies when so many Americans are struggling," Schumer said from the Senate floor. Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Monday filed a joint budget resolution. It's a first step that would allow Democrats to pass a coronavirus bill through reconciliation, enabling them to avoid a 60-vote Senate filibuster. The budget resolution includes instructions for crafting a $1.9 trillion coronavirus package, in line with the top-line figure proposed by President Biden. Meanwhile: A Senate GOP group has proposed a $618 billion coronavirus relief package, roughly a third of the size favored by Democrats. They were scheduled to meet with Biden on Monday to discuss their ideas, but not to make any offers or counteroffers. Read more here. Related: West Virginia governor urges Congress to 'go big' on COVID-19 relief
Biden officials defend two-dose strategy amid fears of variants Don’t expect a U.K.-like emphasis on first doses in the U.S. anytime soon. Top Biden administration health officials made clear Monday that they are not changing strategy to give people only one dose of vaccine instead of two in an effort to speed the process, but at the same time urged health care providers not to be overly cautious in holding second doses in reserve. Some health experts have said the U.S. should prioritize getting the first dose of vaccine in as many people as quickly as possible, before more contagious variants take even greater hold in the coming weeks. Michael Osterholm, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Minnesota, said the U.S. should “call an audible” and prioritize first doses even if it means delaying second doses, given the threat of a new variant first identified in the United Kingdom that could strain hospitals even more. But top Biden administration officials said Monday they are not changing their strategy, noting that the clinical trials were conducted with two doses, so that is what has been shown to work. “We said we would follow the science in rolling out these vaccines and that is our intent,” said Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky. Read more here. Only 37 percent of long-term care staff vaccinated through federal program Only 37 percent of staff in long-term care facilities have been vaccinated against COVID-19 through a federal partnership with local pharmacies, according to an analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), raising further concerns about low vaccination rates among those who work with people at high risk for serious illness or death from the virus. The CDC analyzed data from nearly 11,500 long-term care facilities that had at least one vaccination clinic between Dec. 18 and Jan. 17, the first month of the program in which CVS, Walgreens and other pharmacies provide on-site vaccinations to staff and residents. In that time period, 78 percent of residents and 37.5 percent of staff were vaccinated through the program, amounting to 1 million people, according to the CDC analysis released Monday. The low vaccination rates among staff are concerning because of their high risk for exposure to COVID-19 through their jobs, the authors wrote. Staff also work with a population that has been hardest hit by the pandemic. Deaths in long-term care facilities make up about one quarter of all COVID-19 deaths. Why it matters: Polls have shown health care workers, particularly those working in nursing homes, are not immune to vaccine hesitancy. The authors of the report stressed that ‘focused health communication messages’ regarding the safety and efficacy of authorized COVID-vaccines. Read more here.
What we’re reading Many who have received the coronavirus vaccine wonder: What can I safely do? (Washington Post) How rich hospitals profit from patients in car crashes (The New York Times) Eric Lander is brilliant, connected, and controversial. Now Joe Biden wants him to ‘reinvigorate’ American science (Stat) State by state Kansas governor proposes paying for Medicaid expansion through legalizing medical marijuana (Kansas City Star) Young and healthy got doses at St. Louis’ first large COVID-19 vaccination event, while those most at risk got left out (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) Head-scratching over Newsom’s choice of Blue Shield to lead vaccination push (Kaiser Health News)
The Hill op-eds Cash talks: The need for incentives in vaccine delivery | 
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