 Health Care | Health Care |
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FDA to narrow who can get annual COVID-19 shots |
The Trump administration on Tuesday said it plans to limit the approval of updated COVID-19 vaccines to adults over 65 and people who are high risk for severe infections, raising questions about whether healthy people will continue to have access to the vaccines. |
"The [Food and Drug Administration (FDA)] will approve vaccines for high-risk persons and, at the same time, demand robust, gold-standard data on persons at low risk," FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and top vaccine regulator Vinay Prasad wrote in a New England Journal of Medicine commentary. About 74 percent of adults have at least one condition that puts them at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). What's not clear is whether otherwise "healthy" people who want an updated COVID shot will be able to get one without paying out of pocket this fall. The job of the FDA is to review vaccines for approval based on safety and efficacy; deciding who should get the shots is the purview of the CDC and its independent advisory panel of experts. That panel has already been weighing limitations on COVID vaccines and is scheduled to meet and vote on recommendations June 25. If the panel recommends the shot for a specific group of people, insurance plans have to cover it. Makary and Prasad also said they will require companies to conduct lengthy clinical trials to compare the vaccine against a placebo before approving shots for healthier people. The agency will "encourage manufacturers" to complete such trials after they get approval for a vaccine for high-risk groups, Makary and Prasad wrote. The journal commentary said between 100 million and 200 million people would be eligible for COVID vaccines under the new approach. The U.S. has the most generous eligibility for COVID vaccination, and Makary and Prasad said it's not needed. "We simply don't know whether a healthy 52-year-old woman with a normal BMI who has had COVID-19 three times and has received six previous doses of a COVID-19 vaccine will benefit from the seventh dose," the FDA leaders wrote. |
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How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: |
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Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer (D) signed legislation on Tuesday to legalize physician-assisted suicide for some terminally ill patients, making his state the 11th to allow medical aid in dying after nearly a decade of debate on the issue. “This law is about compassion, dignity, and respect,” Meyer said in a statement. “It gives people facing unimaginable suffering the ability to choose peace and comfort, surrounded … |
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Former President Biden's last known prostate cancer screening was in 2014, a spokesperson for the former president said Tuesday. The acknowledgement that Biden hasn't been screened in 10 years fills in some details regarding his diagnosis with aggressive, stage 4 prostate cancer that's spread to the bone. Prostate cancer is extremely common in older men, and Biden's announcement fueled public speculation about why a … |
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Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced intense questioning from the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday as he defended the deep cuts to his department the Trump administration is requesting in its fiscal year 2026 budget proposal. The secretary sat for his third congressional budget hearing in the past week, with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle bringing up concerns over how the cuts … |
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Branch out with a different read from The Hill: |
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Authorities analyzing nihilistic writings of suspect in California fertility clinic bombing |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Investigators on Monday were combing through the writings of a 25-year-old man believed responsible for an explosion that ripped through a Southern California fertility clinic over the weekend. The FBI identified Guy Edward Bartkus as the suspect in the apparent car bomb detonation Saturday that damaged the American … |
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A MESSAGE FROM THE COALITION TO STRENGTHEN AMERICA'S HEALTHCARE |
We need Medicaid for a healthy America. |
Tell Congress: Don't Cut Medicaid for America's Children and Families. Medicaid helps keep more than 30 million children across America healthy, covering emergency room visits and so much more. Learn more. |
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Health Safety Net Programs: Will Older Adults Fall Through? Wednesday, May 21 at 8:30 a.m. EDT Join The Hill to discuss how recent shifts in federal health policy are affecting older Americans. From proposed budget cuts to safety-net programs to bipartisan efforts like the EPIC Act, key decisions in Washington could reshape care and access for millions. Speakers include: - Alison Barkoff, Former Acting Assistant Secretary and Administrator of the Administration for Community Living, HHS
- Sue Koob, CEO, Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association (PCNA)
- Edwin Walker, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aging, HHS and more.
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Local and state headlines on health care: |
- Nebraska first in nation to ban soda, energy drinks from public grocery aid benefits (Nebraska Examiner)
- Texas lawmakers are poised to ban minors from social media (The Texas Tribune)
- Minnesota surgeon removes woman's healthy kidney instead of spleen, lawsuit alleges (CBS)
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Health news we've flagged from other outlets: |
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Most read stories on The Hill right now: |
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The Senate on Tuesday passed a bill that would eliminate federal taxes on tips, advancing with the help of Democrats a top campaign promise of President … Read more |
| House Republicans cleared a major hurdle over the weekend in advancing a sweeping package of President Trump's tax proposals, along with significant … Read more |
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