The Latest: Amid Covid Booster Debate, West Virginia to Check Immunity of Vaccinated Nursing Home Residents

Plus, a new analysis on breakthrough cases using state data.

July 30, 2021 Amid Covid Booster Debate, West Virginia to Check Immunity of Vaccinated Nursing Home Residents   West Virginia raced ahead of the country last winter to get people in nursing homes vaccinated against covid-19, but with cases and hospitalizations on the rise again, state officials want to know whether immunity levels are falling for residents who had their shots. (KHN, NBC News) COVID-19 Vaccine Breakthrough Cases: Data from the States    As COVID-19 cases increase along with spread of the more transmissible Delta variant, the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines continues to be an important topic. A new KFF analysis looks at COVID-19 vaccine "breakthrough cases," when fully vaccinated individuals become infected, as well as hospitalizations and deaths, to see which states are providing data on breakthrough events, how regularly, and what those data reveal. (Policy Watch, News Release) Pfizer Court Fight Could Legalize Medicare Copays and Unleash 'Gold Rush' in Sales   Three years ago, pharma giant Pfizer paid $24 million to settle federal allegations that it was paying kickbacks and inflating sales by reimbursing Medicare patients for out-of-pocket medication costs. (KHN, Fortune) The Next Stage of COVID-19 Vaccine Roll-Out in United States: Children Under 12   Achieving a high rate of vaccine coverage among those under age 12, once eligible, is important to protecting children and controlling continued spread of COVID-19, particularly as it is expected that many children will return to in-person schooling in the fall. Better understanding the characteristics of children under 12 in the U.S. may help inform vaccination efforts when they become eligible. (Policy Watch) Question of the Week   Last week, we asked readers what percentage of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose. Over half of respondents chose the correct answer: 1%. Think you've stayed up-to-date on this week's new releases from KFF, KHN, and California Healthline? Test your knowledge with the following question:  Delta has kept some of the most successful mutations found in earlier variants, but also contains new genetic changes that enable it to spread twice as fast. What is the incubation period for the Delta variant?  6 days 10 days 4 days  See how many readers answered this week's question correctly in next Friday's edition of The Latest.   Special Coverage: COVID-19 Coronavirus The latest news and analysis on the coronavirus pandemic. You can find a complete list of recent releases on KFF.org and KHN.org. Amid Covid Booster Debate, West Virginia to Check Immunity of Vaccinated Nursing Home Residents(KHN, NBC News) Bus Stop by Bus Stop, Denver-Area Officials Microtarget Vaccine Hesitancy (KHN, Denver Post) KHN's 'What the Health?': Hot Covid Summer (KHN) Covid Renews Interest in Radiation, but Docs Caution Against Pilgrimages to Radon-Filled Mines (KHN, LA Times) COVID-19 Vaccine Breakthrough Cases: Data from the States (Policy Watch, News Release) The Next Stage of COVID-19 Vaccine Roll-Out in United States: Children Under 12 (Policy Watch) Racial Disparities in COVID-19 Vaccinations among Children (Issue Brief) Updated: COVID-19 Coronavirus Tracker – Updated as of July 30 (Interactive)   Tracking COVID-19    New Global Confirmed Cases (on 7/29): 663,131 New U.S. Cases (on 7/30): 77,661 Share of Population with 1+ Vaccine Doses (as of 7/29): 59% News and Headlines News and headlines from Kaiser Health News (KHN) and California Healthline (CHL). Follow KHN on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and CHL on Facebook  and Twitter, for the latest updates. Pfizer Court Fight Could Legalize Medicare Copays and Unleash 'Gold Rush' in Sales (KHN, Fortune) Olympic Dream Dashed After Bike Crash and Nightmare Medical Bill Over $200K (CHL) Diabetes Drug's New Weight Loss Formula Fuels Cost-Benefit Debate (KHN, LA Times) Data and Analysis The latest policy analysis and data from KFF. Taking A Closer Look At Characteristics of People in the Coverage Gap (Policy Watch) Medicaid Postpartum Coverage Extension Tracker (Interactive) The Buzz See what's driving health policy conversation on social media. Follow KFF on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest updates and perspectives. Filling the need for trusted information on national health issues, KFF is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California. kff.org  |  khn.org Did someone forward this to you? Click here to subscribe to The Latest. This email was sent to albarkahslamet.ssss@blogger.com. Update your email preferences to choose the types of emails you receive. Or, permanently unsubscribe from all future emails.  If you need help or have questions, please send an email to subscriptions@kff.org. Please do not reply to this email as this address is not monitored. KFF 185 Berry Street Suite 2000 San Francisco, CA 94107