 Health Care |
Health Care |
|
|
Older adults can get another COVID-19 shot this spring |
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended Wednesday that adults 65 and older should get a second dose of the updated COVID-19 vaccine that was introduced last fall. |
Adults 65 years and older are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and at higher risk for severe disease and hospitalizations. "Today's recommendation allows older adults to receive an additional dose of this season's COVID-19 vaccine to provide added protection," CDC Director Mandy Cohen said in a statement. "Most COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations last year were among people 65 years and older. An additional vaccine dose can provide added protection that may have decreased over time for those at highest risk." The official recommendation means that the shots will be covered by insurance plans, and people will be able to get them at pharmacies in the next few days. People 18 to 64 do not face the same risks, so an additional dose wouldn't be cost effective for them, agency advisers said. According to the CDC scientific advisers, the latest vaccines have an effectiveness of about 40 to 50 percent against symptomatic infection or hospitalization based on currently circulating variants, though the numbers in the analysis were small. Earlier Wednesday, the scientific advisory panel voted 11-1, with one abstention, to recommend that older adults "should" get the shots. Current CDC guidance recommends an additional COVID-19 vaccine dose for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised, with people in this group having the option of getting one more dose two months after their initial shot. Vaccine uptake has consistently fallen since the first COVID-19 vaccine was authorized in 2021. Federal data indicates less than a quarter of adults in the U.S. have received an updated 2023-24 COVID-19 vaccine dose. |
Welcome to The Hill's Health Care newsletter, we're Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health. |
|
|
How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: |
|
|
Grease-proof food wrappers being sold in the U.S. will no longer contain toxic "forever chemicals," the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Wednesday. Jim Jones, the FDA's deputy commissioner for human foods, said in a written statement that food packaging manufacturers are no longer selling wrappers containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. The statement did not address whether restaurants … |
| |
| Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) gave a graphic description of an abortion procedure during a Senate hearing Wednesday, leading one witness to say his statements did not reflect her experience and were "nothing but fearmongering." Kennedy pushed back on the theme of the Senate Committee on the Budget hearing, with Chair Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) saying in his opening statement that “reproductive justice” would lead to … |
| |
|
Senate Republicans blocked an effort Wednesday to pass legislation that would federally protect access to in vitro fertilization (IVF). Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) sought to pass the bill by unanimous consent, which meant that any one senator could object and scuttle the effort. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) objected, saying the legislation is an overreach full of “poison pills” that would go far beyond ensuring … |
| |
|
Upcoming news themes and events we're watching: |
- The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing Thursday to go over legislative proposals for supporting patients with rare diseases.
|
|
|
Branch out with a different read: |
|
|
President Biden is "fit for duty" and does not have any new health concerns, his doctor wrote after a physical exam conducted Wednesday that was closely watched amid voter concerns about Biden's age while seeking reelection. |
|
|
Local and state headlines on health care: |
- Miss. House passes Medicaid expansion bill with work requirement (Pluribus News)
- California lawsuit spotlights broad legal attack on anti-bias training in health care (KFF Health News)
- Arizona governor has 'grave concerns' about health care regulators (Phoenix New Times)
|
|
|
Health news we've flagged from other outlets: |
- Changes at Amazon-owned health services cause alarm among patients, employees (The Washington Post)
- One in six abortions is done with pills prescribed online, data shows (The New York Times)
- US FDA chief very concerned about fake weight loss drugs (Reuters)
|
|
|
Most read stories on The Hill right now: |
|
|
The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to take up the issue of whether former President Trump can be criminally prosecuted for his efforts to overturn … Read more |
| Worried about plastic pollution in your tap water? Try boiling in it, a new study suggests. Boiling tap water can destroy at least 80 percent of three … Read more |
|
|
You're all caught up. See you tomorrow! |
1625 K Street NW, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20006 |
Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. |
|
|
|
If you believe this has been sent to you in error, please safely unsubscribe.
No comments:
Post a Comment