Health Care
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Health Care
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Former CDC director warns Ebola could be ‘very significant pandemic’ |
Robert Redfield, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the first Trump administration, warned that the Ebola outbreak in Africa could become a “significant pandemic.”
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© Michel Lunanga, Getty Images
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Last week, the World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak occurring primarily in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda to be a public health emergency of international concern, with more than 500 suspected cases reported from the two countries.
“I suspect this is going to become a very significant pandemic, probably going to leak into Tanzania, leak into southern Sudan, maybe leak into Rwanda,” Redfield said during an appearance on NewsNation’s “Elizabeth Vargas Reports.”
“This is an outbreak right now that is really a significant outbreak that’s of significant public health international concern, partially because what you said, it wasn’t recognized very quickly. I’m not sure why,” he added.
The Bundibugyo Ebola virus behind the current outbreak is highly contagious but is not airborne. It spreads through body fluids and contaminated objects.
One American worker reportedly came in contact with the virus while working in Congo and was transported to Germany for treatment.
On Thursday, the State Department issued a travel advisory requiring that all U.S.-bound American citizens and lawful permanent residents who have been in Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within 21 days of arrival in the U.S. go through “enhanced public health screening” carried out by the CDC and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
All non-U.S. passport holders coming from affected countries have been banned by the CDC.
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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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Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) on Wednesday urged Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to push back against what he called “misguided decisions” to ease regulations on flavored vaping products. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the sale of the first fruit-flavored electronic cigarettes in the U.S. earlier this month and issued new guidance allowing unauthorized vapes to remain on the market. …
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Moderna’s experimental mRNA flu shot will be reviewed by a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel next month, a move that suggests a more stable approach to drug reviews after the firing of former agency head Marty Makary. The panel will meet on June 18 to discuss and make recommendations on the safety and effectiveness of Moderna’s MFLUSIVA flu vaccine, according …
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The White House on Thursday pushed back on reports that it resisted allowing an American physician who was exposed to the Ebola virus back into the U.S., calling them “absolutely false.” “President Trump has consistently taken great risks to ensure Americans exposed to deadly and contagious diseases are safely brought back home, from quickly evacuating diplomats from China at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic to more recently …
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Your care shouldn’t be put on hold |
When insurers delay approvals or require endless paperwork, patients are left waiting for care they need now. Addressing harmful corporate insurer practices can help ensure timely access to treatment and protect 24/7 care. Learn more
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Branch out with a different read from The Hill:
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Ebola fears surge on the ground in Congo over rapid spread of a rare type
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BUNIA, Congo (AP) — Anxious healthcare workers in eastern Congo said Wednesday they are underprotected and undertrained in a rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak of a rare type of the virus in one of the world’s most remote and vulnerable places. Long the scene of attacks by an array of armed groups, the region’s volatility now further …
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Local and state headlines on health care:
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- Maryland working to keep people enrolled in Medicaid as new requirements loom (WYPR)
- Providence to end most of its health insurance business (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
- Pa. dental clinic patients might have been exposed to HIV, hepatitis: health officials (PennLive)
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Health news we’ve flagged from other outlets:
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- Ebola responders say aid cuts by Western nations left them ill-equipped for outbreak (The Washington Post)
- Acting head of NIH’s infectious disease institute reported to have stepped down (Stat)
- Religious anti-abortion center finds opportunity in town without OB-GYNs (KFF Health News)
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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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