 Health Care |
Health Care |
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Old COVID-19 vaccines out, new immunization plans in |
The original COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, the only immunizations against the virus for a majority of people, are officially no longer authorized in the U.S. as the federal government moves toward updated, simpler vaccine guidance. |
Anyone who hasn't received a bivalent COVID-19 booster or any coronavirus vaccination at all is now eligible to receive one dose of the updated shot. Apart from some exceptions for at-risk groups, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is sticking with a one-shot vaccine schedule for people going forward. And plenty are still eligible. Almost eight months after the bivalent shot was authorized, less than 20 percent of the eligible U.S. population has received an updated booster, still relying on the primary series of vaccinations against SARS-CoV-2. Federal officials say they believe this new plan will boost vaccine coverage across the U.S., while noting that a majority of people in the country likely have coronavirus antibodies from past infections and immunizations. Vaccination rates for subsequent COVID boosters have consistently fallen each time. And as federal regulators noted on Tuesday, an updated version of the COVID-19 vaccine matching the more recent circulating strains is expected in the fall. Vaccine-conscious individuals who are still eligible may choose to wait until a more updated version is available, in lieu of receiving multiple doses months apart. |
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. | |
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How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: |
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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday released updated guidance on COVID-19 vaccinations, in what the agency described as a move to "simplify" future immunizations. Much of the FDA's simplification involves recommending only a single dose of the bivalent COVID-19 vaccines created by Pfizer and Moderna for most people. These are the vaccines that target the original Wuhan strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus along … |
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| Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said Tuesday he wants more Hispanic families to proactively address mental health to overcome the structural and cultural barriers that have undermined diagnosing and treating mental illnesses in the community. “We have to talk to folks and especially if we can get folks who are from those communities, Latinos, especially in Spanish, talking to families to let them know … |
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| A group of anti-abortion doctors urged the Supreme Court on Tuesday to keep a lower court’s ruling that severely restricted the ability of patients to obtain mifepristone, one of two commonly used abortion pills. The Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine told the justices they should leave in place last Wednesday’s ruling from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that essentially turned the clock back to 2016, when … |
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Upcoming news themes and events we're watching: |
- The CDC's vaccine advisory panel will meet on Wednesday to discuss the new COVID vaccine schedule.
- Unless the Supreme Court rules to uphold availability of the abortion pill mifepristone, a lower court's order to restrict access to the drug could go into effect as early as Thursday.
- Biden administration health officials will defend the president's budget in front of the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday.
- The House Oversight Committee will hold a hearing on the DC Health Link data breach that affected a number of representatives.
- FDA officials are set to face the Senate Appropriations Committee to go over the president's proposed budget for the agency.
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Branch out with a different read from The Hill: |
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YouTube is changing its policies on content related to eating disorders, the video-sharing platform announced on Tuesday. The company will update its approach to the content in the coming weeks with consult from third-party experts "to create space for community, recovery and resources, while protecting viewers," according to a release. |
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Local and state headlines on health care: |
- Dog flu outbreak in Oklahoma could pose threat in Kansas (KWCH)
- New CDC data show 3-year decline in Oregon youth suicides, uptick for adults OHA reports (KTVZ)
- A U.S. senator openly seeking treatment for mental health is rare. So is staying 44 days in a Pa. hospital for depression (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
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Health news we've flagged from other outlets: |
- In a town plagued by an environmental crisis, a local abortion debate consumes public attention (Stat)
- As pandemic emergencies end, people battling Long Covid feel 'swept under the rug' (KFF Health News)
- 'Shut it off immediately': The health industry responds to data privacy crackdown (Politico)
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Most read stories on The Hill right now: |
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A massive $725 million settlement involving Facebook's parent company Meta was tentatively approved by a judge, paving the way for users of the social … Read more |
| Wilmington, Del. — Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems have agreed to a blockbuster settlement over the network's coverage of former President … Read more |
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Opinions related to health submitted to The Hill: |
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You're all caught up. See you tomorrow! |
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