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Visit KFF Health News for the latest headlines | Morning Briefing | In This Edition: From KFF Health News: 1. Wary of RFK Jr., Colorado Started Revamping Its Vaccine Policies in the Spring Amid concerns that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is undermining trust in vaccines and public health science, some states are seeking new sources of scientific consensus and changing how they regulate insurance companies, prescribers, and pharmacists. Colorado has been at the front of this wave. (John Daley, Colorado Public Radio, 10/7) 2. Why Democrats Are Casting the Government Shutdown as a Health Care Showdown Democrats are pressuring Republicans to extend billions of dollars in federal tax credits that have dramatically lowered premiums and contributed to record-low rates of uninsured Americans. It's a chance to talk about a winning issue — and maybe regain support from working-class voters. (Amanda Seitz, 10/6) 3. Political Cartoon: "Siri...?" KFF Health News provides a fresh take on health policy developments with "Political Cartoon: "Siri...?"" by Mick Stevens. Here's today's health policy haiku: VEERING OFF TRACK Tick surveillance funds
drying up; ticks are thriving.
Tick tock tick, "Oh, deer!" - Philippa Barron If you have a health policy haiku to share, please Contact Us and let us know if we can include your name. Haikus follow the format of 5-7-5 syllables. We give extra brownie points if you link back to an original story. Opinions expressed in haikus and cartoons are solely the author's and do not reflect the opinions of KFF Health News or KFF. Summaries Of The News: 4. CDC Wants To Break Up MMR Vaccine; Covid Shot Guidelines Updated The CDC previously said there was "no published scientific evidence" for separating the shots — and no monovalent vaccines are currently approved in the U.S. Meanwhile, the CDC has approved ACIP's recommendation for people to talk to a health care professional before getting a covid shot. NBC News: Acting CDC Director Calls To 'Break Up' The Measles, Mumps And Rubella Vaccine Into Three Shots
Acting CDC Director Jim O'Neill on Monday called on vaccine manufacturers to develop separate shots for measles, mumps and rubella instead of the current vaccine, which combines the three. O'Neill wrote in a post on X that manufacturers should replace the MMR vaccine with "safe monovalent vaccines," which only target one virus. His statement referenced a recent comment from President Donald Trump, who advised people last month on Truth Social to "break up the MMR shot into three totally separate shots." (Bendix, 10/6) The Washington Post: CDC Recommends Covid Vaccine With New Eligibility Rules
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday said it had officially recommended updated coronavirus vaccines, creating a new system to get a shot that's slightly more complicated than in previous years. The agency approved a federal vaccine advisory panel's recommendation last month urging people to first consult a clinician before getting the coronavirus shot. The move marked a shift from previous CDC policy that made vaccines widely available to nearly all Americans without question or cost. (Ovalle, 10/6) KFF Health News: Wary Of RFK Jr., Colorado Started Revamping Its Vaccine Policies In The Spring
As Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s dismantling of federal vaccine policy continues to roil the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some Democratic-led states have struck out on their own, setting up new systems to help them assess the science and maintain immunization access for their residents. Four western states — California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington — have created a collaborative to preserve access to vaccines. Several northeastern states have done the same. (Daley, 10/7) In related news about measles, flu, and covid — MedPage Today: To Prevent Measles Outbreaks, Look At Schools' Vaccine Rates, Study Suggests
To prevent measles outbreaks, public health systems and clinicians should look below the 35,000-foot view of state- and county-level vaccination rates against measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) and instead aim their focus on at-risk school districts and schools, according to a statewide analysis of Texas counties. ... The national MMR kindergarten coverage rate that year was 92.7%. (Rudd, 10/6) CIDRAP: Cidara Announces Funding For Non-Vaccine Flu Preventive, CD388
Cidara Therapeutics, Inc announced it has received up to $339 million from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to fund work on CD388, a non-vaccine preventive for both pandemic and seasonal flu. (Soucheray, 10/6) CIDRAP: Second Flu Vaccine Dose Boosts Protection In Young, Vaccine-Naive Kids, Analysis Suggests
A meta-analysis of 51 studies published today in JAMA Network Open estimate a 28–percentage-point increase in influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) from a second inactivated dose for vaccine-naive children younger than 3 years. But no significant increase was observed when the age range was broadened to those younger than 9 years. (Van Beusekom, 10/3) CIDRAP: Nearly 1 In 3 Adults With Severe Long COVID Have Rare Heart-Rhythm Disorder, Data Suggest
An uncommon heart-rhythm disorder occurs in nearly 1 in 3 adults with severe long COVID, most of them middle-aged women, Swedish researchers write in Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology. In contrast, the condition affected less than 1% of the Swedish population before the pandemic. (Van Beusekom, 10/6) More on RFK Jr. — NPR: Psychiatrists Call For RFK Jr. To Be Replaced As Health Secretary
Psychiatrists have joined other public health groups in calling for the removal of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary. Two psychiatry organizations — the Southern California Psychiatry Society and the recently formed grassroots Committee to Protect Public Mental Health — have released statements saying that the actions of the leader of the Department of Health and Human Services have increased stigma, instilled fear and hurt access to mental health and addiction care. (Chatterjee, 10/6) 5. Trump, GOP Say Shutdown Must End, But ACA Subsidy Negotiations Can Wait Neither side seems willing to budge on whether Obamacare tax credits should be extended. Republicans want to conduct those talks separately. Democrats insist their health care priority be addressed now, before insurers set market rates. AP: Trump Says He's Open To Shutdown Deal With Democrats
President Donald Trump cracked the door slightly to negotiations with Democrats on the health care subsidies they've made central to the shutdown fight, then abruptly closed it Monday, leaving the two sides once again at a seemingly intractable impasse. ... But Trump later followed up those comments on his social media site to reinforce what GOP leaders in Congress have been saying: The shutdown must end. And work on extending the enhanced tax credits for health insurance would take place separately. (Freking and Min Kim, 10/7) The Hill: Mike Johnson Says House Has Time To Negotiate Affordable Care Act Subsidies
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) argued Monday the end-of-year deadline to extend subsidies offered under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is an "eternity" away." We have effectively three months to negotiate. In the White House and in the halls of Congress, that's like an eternity," Johnson told MSNBC's Ali Vitali. The subsidies ... expire at the end of December. But open enrollment in most states begins Nov. 1, and insurers could increase premiums if they anticipate the subsidies will expire. (Rego, 10/6) The Hill: Greene 'Disgusted' If Health Care Tax Credits Expire And Premiums Double
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) signaled a willingness to negotiate with Democrats on their health care demands, breaking with her party on an issue at the core of the government shutdown standoff. In a lengthy post on the social platform X, Greene said she's "absolutely disgusted" that health insurance premiums could double if the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits expire, even as she stressed her strong opposition to the Obama-era legislation and to health insurance in general. (Fortinsky, 10/6) Fierce Healthcare: CMS Could Ease Rising ACA Premiums, But Only If Gov Reopens
The looming expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act premium subsidies is at the center of the ongoing government shutdown, with Republicans now pushing to reopen and negotiate a potential extension afterward. Mehmet Oz, M.D., administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, echoed that sentiment in an appearance at the Aspen Institute on Monday afternoon, calling the government shutdown a "public health emergency." (Minemyer, 10/6) KFF Health News: Why Democrats Are Casting The Government Shutdown As A Health Care Showdown
Hours into the federal government shutdown, Julio Fuentes stood steps from the U.S. Capitol to deliver an urgent message about the Hispanic voting bloc that helped the GOP sweep into power last year. Those votes, he cautioned, are at risk if Congress doesn't pass a law to preserve lower premiums on Affordable Care Act marketplace plans for the roughly 4.7 million people living in his home state of Florida who are enrolled in the coverage. (Seitz, 10/6) On Medicaid and the uninsured — San Francisco Chronicle: Santa Clara, Calif., Voters Will Weigh Measure A, A Sales Tax Hike Billed As An Anti-Trump Move
Democrats are pitching California's Nov. 4 special election as a means to oppose President Donald Trump's agenda. But in Santa Clara County, voters will face an additional measure being sold the same way. Not only will voters there be asked to weigh Prop 50, Gov. Gavin Newsom's redistricting plan — a direct response to a Trump-driven congressional map change in Texas meant to favor Republicans — but also whether to raise local sales taxes. That tax hike, county leaders say, is crucial to countering Trump's Medicaid cuts that will affect Santa Clara's public hospital system. (DiNatale, 10/6) Texas Observer: One Woman's Fight Against Texas' Medicaid Estate Recovery Program
Her mother had been in a nursing home paid for by Medicaid. Now, the state wanted its money back: "It was like wild animals pouncing on meat." (Poole, 10/6) 6. Amgen Launches Direct-To-Consumer Drugs At Discount, Joins TrumpRx Patients who pay cash through the drugmaker's online portal will receive up to 60% off, the company announced. Other pharmaceutical news looks at where vital medicines get their start, antibiotics, cough syrup, breast cancer treatments, and more. Bloomberg: Amgen Offers Cash Discounts On Drugs Following Trump's Price-Cutting Push
Amgen Inc. is the latest drugmaker to offer its medicines at a discount for cash-paying patients, following President Donald Trump's demands that pharmaceutical companies slash their prices in the US. Patients are now able to buy the cholesterol-lowering shot Repatha for $239 a month, a discount of nearly 60%, directly through a new, online platform called AmgenNow, the company said Monday. It also plans to make AmgenNow accessible via the newly announced TrumpRx website. (Muller, 10/6) Also — The Washington Post: Trump Slashed Funding For Universities That Helped Create These Vital Drugs
For most people, medicines are a bottle of pills on a shelf — made by drug companies, stocked by pharmacies, prescribed by doctors. But drugs that people take for serious illnesses — to prevent HIV, shrink tumors and treat seizures — have years-long backstories that often trace to basic science experiments in university laboratories. That foundation is now under threat. The Trump administration has abruptly frozen billions in research grants to universities it accuses of antisemitism or bias unrelated to the research. (Johnson, Douglas-Gabriel and Brasch, 10/6) On the global pharmaceutical pipeline — CIDRAP: US Relies Heavily On China, Other Nations For Antibiotics
A new analysis by researchers at Johns Hopkins University shows the United States has become increasingly reliant on other countries for antibiotics over the past 30-plus years. The study, published late last week in JAMA Health Forum, found that annual importation of antibiotics increased approximately 26-fold from 1992 through 2024. (Dall, 10/6) Bloomberg: Eli Lilly To Invest $1 Billion In India Contract Manufacturing
Eli Lilly and Co. plans to invest more than $1 billion in India over the next few years to build new contract manufacturing capabilities in the South Asian nation, underscoring the US drugmaker's push to bolster its global supply network. The Indianapolis-headquartered firm will also establish a new manufacturing and quality center in the southern city of Hyderabad, Eli Lilly said in a statement Monday. (Sanjay, 10/6) Bloomberg: India Probes Contaminated Cough Syrup Link To At Least 14 Deaths
Indian authorities started a criminal investigation into a cough syrup maker following the death of more than a dozen children who consumed the product, reigniting the issue of poor control standards in the manufacturing of the medicine. At least 14 children have died in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh according to local media. Sresan Pharmaceuticals is the manufacturer of the drug based in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. (Gupta, 10/6) On breast cancer treatment — MedPage Today: FDA Says Yes To Cryoablation For Early Breast Cancer
The FDA granted marketing authorization for the ProSense Cryoablation System for small, early-stage breast cancer in older women not suitable for surgery, maker IceCure announced. A minimally invasive tool that destroys tumors by freezing them, the device is indicated for women 70 years and older who have biologically low-risk tumors, no larger than 1.5 cm, and who are being treated with adjuvant endocrine therapy. (Bassett, 10/6) Bloomberg: Astra Says Breast Cancer Patients Lived Longer On Datroway
AstraZeneca Plc and Daiichi Sankyo's drug Datroway helped breast cancer patients with a particularly hard to treat form of the disease live longer. Datroway significantly improved survival and also delayed the progression of the disease compared with chemotherapy in patients with triple-negative breast cancer that had spread or couldn't be operated on, Astra said Monday. The patients were not eligible for immunotherapy, leaving them with few other treatment options. (Furlong, 10/6) ABC News: New York Law Will Give Breast Cancer Patients A Chance To Keep Their Hair
When Maureen Green was diagnosed with breast cancer several years ago, the finance professional and mom-of-two decided to try scalp cooling, a treatment that helps preserve hair during chemotherapy. ... The price tag for hair preservation has long forced breast cancer patients like Green to make tough choices. ... Starting next year, New York will become the first state in the nation to ease that burden with a new law requiring private insurance companies to cover scalp cooling for chemotherapy patients. (Neporent, 10/6) 7. Asthma Inhalers Are 'Substantial' Contributors To Climate Change: Study Researchers found that the propellants that push the medication out of the inhaler, called hydrofluoroalkanes, are contributing to planet-warming pollution. Also: the link between exposure to sulfur dioxide and ALS; the stubborn problem of lead water pipes; and more. CNN: Climate Pollution From Inhalers Has The Impact Of Half A Million Cars Per Year, Study Finds
The people who are most vulnerable to the hard-to-breathe air that comes with climate change may inadvertently be adding to the problem, new research finds. About 34 million Americans have a chronic lung disease, including 28 million who have asthma, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America – and the number is expected to grow as higher temperatures bring more weather phenomena that trigger breathing issues like droughts, floods and wildfires. (Christensen, 10/6) In other environmental health news — ABC News: Exposure To Mining Fossil Fuel Linked To ALS, New Research Finds
A major pollutant from mining fossil fuels has been linked to an increased risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to new research. Longterm exposure to sulfur dioxide, a component produced by the combustion of oil-based fuel and coal, is associated with the development of the neurodegenerative disease, a paper published in Environmental Research found. (Jacobo, 10/7) Undark: Fresh Insights Into The Stubborn Problem Of Lead Water Pipes
Ashburn is a largely middle-class, predominately African American, Hispanic, and Latino community on Chicago's far Southwest Side. The community borders two neighboring suburbs and is known for its high rate of home ownership and its many Cape Cod, ranch, and bungalow houses. Chakena Sims owns and resides in one of these homes in Ashburn with her family. She was raised in Chicago and recalled one key lesson she learned at a young age: Don't trust the tap water. (McCullom, 10/6) Wired: As EPA Ends Emissions Data Program, Who Will Step Up?
The Clean Air Act requires states to collect data on local pollution levels, which states then turn over to the federal government. For the past 15 years, the EPA has also collected data on carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases from sources around the country that emit over a certain threshold of emissions. This program is known as the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, or GHGRP. ... Like a myriad of other data-collection processes that have been stalled or halted since the start of this year, the Trump administration has put this program in the crosshairs. (Taft, 10/7) More health and wellness news — The New York Times: A Debate Over 'Conversion Therapy,' Once Widely Condemned, Is Back
Since at least a decade ago, a rare consensus has prevailed on a provocative issue for L.G.B.T.Q. people. Professional counseling aimed at changing the sexual orientations of gay teenagers, sometimes known as conversion therapy, was viewed as harmful and widely rejected. The American Medical Association dropped support for programs offering gay patients "the possibility of sex preference reversal" in 1994. In 2009, the American Psychological Association concluded that "sexual orientation change efforts" could be harmful, inducing "depression, suicidal ideation, self-blame, guilt and loss of hope" in some people. A few years later, Exodus International, the largest Christian ministry promising to "cure" homosexuality through prayer and psychotherapy, closed after its leader apologized to gay men and lesbians and said he no longer believed people could rid themselves of those desires. (Harmon, 10/7) Newsweek: Scientists Achieve 'Striking Reversal Of Alzheimer's' In Mice
Scientists have achieved a "striking" reversal of Alzheimer's disease in mice by restoring the normal function of the brain's vasculature—the network of blood vessels that supplies it with oxygen and nutrients. Researchers at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) and West China Hospital of Sichuan University (WCHSU), working with partners in the UK, showed this was possible using nanotechnology. (Millington, 10/6) MedPage Today: Parkinson's Risk May Rise With Restless Legs Syndrome
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) appeared to be associated with a subsequent Parkinson's disease diagnosis, data from a Korean retrospective cohort study suggested. In a case-control analysis, the incidence of Parkinson's disease was 1.0% in the control group and 1.6% among people with RLS, said Jong Hun Kim, MD, PhD, of Korea University Ansan Hospital in South Korea, and co-authors. (George, 10/6) NBC News: IV Hydration Spas Are Largely Unregulated Despite Growing Popularity, Study Finds
The booming IV hydration spa industry operates with virtually no oversight or data backing up its claims, according to the first comprehensive national analysis of hydration clinics. At clinics nationwide, people pay hundreds of dollars to have vitamins and minerals dripped directly into their veins as a detox, to ease headaches or boost immunity, "almost completely without evidence," said Dr. Peter Lurie, president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest and co-author of the study, published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine. (Edwards, 10/6) AP: Federal Health Officials Warn Against Hello Fresh Meal Kits Over Listeria Risk
Federal health officials late Monday warned people not to eat certain Hello Fresh subscription meal kits containing spinach that may be contaminated with listeria. The U.S. Agriculture Department issued a public health alert for the meals, which were produced by FreshRealm, the San Clemente, California-based company linked to an expanding listeria outbreak tied to heat-and-eat pasta meals. (Aleccia, 10/7) 8. Nobel Prize In Physics Awarded To Trio With Ties To UC Berkeley John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis are being lauded "for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunneling and energy quantization in an electric circuit." Clarke's related work has been applied in some biomedical uses. UC Berkeley News: John Clarke, UC Berkeley Emeritus Professor, And 2 Others Awarded 2025 Nobel Prize In Physics
John Clarke, an emeritus professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley, was awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on quantum tunneling, one of many strange aspects of quantum mechanics. Clarke shared the prize with two other physicists, Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis, who at the time of their prize-winning research were at UC Santa Barbara. Quantum tunneling is the ability of particles, such as electrons, to move or tunnel through barriers that, according to classical physics, they should not be able to breech. The three Nobel laureates demonstrated this effect in the early 1980s in a simple electrical circuit incorporating a superconductor, which allows current to flow without resistance. Clarke eventually used this simple circuit as the basis of an ultrasensitive detector he called a SQUID, or superconducting quantum interference device. He has used SQUIDs in many applications, including detection of NMR signals at ultralow frequencies, geophysics, the nondestructive evaluation of materials and as biosensors. (Sanders, 10/7) The New York Times: Winning A Nobel Prize Interrupted His Off-The-Grid Vacation
Fred Ramsdell was parked at a campground in Montana on Monday afternoon after camping and hiking across the Rocky Mountains when his wife, Laura O'Neill, suddenly started shouting. He first thought that maybe she had seen a grizzly bear. Instead, Ms. O'Neill had regained cellular service and had seen a flood of text messages with the same news. "You just won the Nobel Prize!" she yelled. "No, I didn't," said Dr. Ramsdell, whose phone had been on airplane mode, he recalled in an interview. But she said, "I have 200 text messages saying that you did!" (Yoon, 10/7) More health industry updates — Modern Healthcare: Atlantic Health, Saint Peter's Call Off Merger
Atlantic Health and Saint Peter's Healthcare System have called off plans to combine. The New Jersey health systems said in a joint Monday news release they mutually agreed to end discussions due to the impact of a "rapidly evolving healthcare landscape nationally" on providers. (Hudson, 10/6) Stat: Telehealth Growth Fueled By Doctors With 50 State Licenses
Jonah Mink started racking up medical licenses during the Covid-19 pandemic. The family medicine doctor, who finished his residency at the University of Pennsylvania in 2016, was already working for a digital health company as the virus took root in the United States. But when doctors' offices started shutting down, physicians like him saw the writing on the wall: Telehealth was the future. At the end of 2019, Mink had licenses in just four states. Over the next three years, he accumulated 47 more — one for every state, plus the District of Columbia. (Palmer, 10/7) Becker's Hospital Review: An Effective Approach To Cut Wasteful Pre-Surgery Testing: Study
A customized, team-based strategy significantly reduced unnecessary pre-operative testing for common elective surgeries, according to a new study led by researchers at Ann Arbor-based Michigan Medicine. The intervention, called Right-Sizing Testing Before Elective Surgery, or RITE-Size, was piloted at three hospitals. It focused on reducing low-value testing for patients undergoing gallbladder removal, hernia repair or breast lump removal, which are considered low-risk procedures for healthy individuals. (Cerutti, 10/6) ProPublica: How To Fight Your Health Insurance Denial With An External Appeal
When a health insurance company refuses to pay for treatment, most people begrudgingly accept the decision. Few patients appeal; some don't trust the insurer to reverse its own decision. But a little-known process that requires insurers and plans to seek an independent opinion outside their walls can force insurers to pay for what can be lifesaving treatment. External reviews are one of the industry's best-kept secrets, and only a tiny fraction of those eligible actually use them. (Eldeib, 10/7) In news about physician pay and burnout — Modern Healthcare: Physician Pay Trends: On-Call Requirements Becoming Nonnegotiable
Physician pay is increasing, largely through sign-on bonuses, but higher salaries alone often aren't enough to retain physicians or attract top-tier talent. Advanced technology, paid time off and compensation for on-call requirements are just a few of the demands incoming physicians have for potential employers, according to respondents to Modern Healthcare's 2025 Physician Compensation Survey. This year's results reflect data from nine staffing and consulting firms, indicating that the trend of rising physician compensation isn't likely to slow down anytime soon. (DeSilva, 10/6) MedPage Today: These Physicians Are More Likely To Leave Clinical Practice
Physician attrition increased across the board from 2013 to 2019, but some physician and patient characteristics were linked to higher rates, a longitudinal study found. The unadjusted rate of clinical practice attrition increased from 3.5% in 2013 to 4.9% in 2019 (rate difference 1.4 percentage points, 95% CI 1.3-1.4 percentage points), reported Lisa Rotenstein, MD, MBA, MSc, of the University of California San Francisco, and colleagues. (Robertson, 10/6) Phys.org: Health Care Workers Turn To AI To Reduce Electronic Paperwork Burnout
A Yale School of Medicine-led research group, working with six US health systems, reports an association between a single ambient AI scribe platform and lower short-term burnout among ambulatory clinicians. ... Among 186 participants included in the burnout models, the proportion meeting the burnout threshold fell from 51.9% to 38.8% after 30 days. ... A sensitivity analysis using a severe burnout cutoff of four showed a reduction from 18.4% to 12.2%. (Jackson, 10/6) 9. After 2 Years Of War, Gaza Decimated By Starvation, Hopelessness The World Food Programme says it has seen some progress in food security in the past few weeks. The New York Times: We Tried To Reach Gazans We Interviewed Over Two Years Of War. Here's What Happened To Them.
We've interviewed more than 700 people in Gaza over the past two years. Their stories stayed with us. We kept wondering: Did they find their missing relatives? Are their homes standing? Did they bury their dead? Were they forced to flee again? Were they even still alive? So we tried to find them again. This is what they said. (10/7) Mondoweiss: 'Our Children Are Wasting Away Before Our Eyes': Starvation Deaths On The Rise In Gaza As Famine Continues
Since the beginning of September alone, over 92 people have starved to death in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. This indicates a rapid increase in starvation-related deaths — in July, the toll stood at 122 people, and now it has reached 447, including 147 children. The Health Ministry confirms that in September, deaths from malnutrition "notably increased" due to Israel's closure of the crossings, which prevented food aid, including baby formula, from reaching those in need. "Our children are wasting away before our eyes," said one mother whose child died of malnutrition. "And what is coming will be much worse, because the situation is deteriorating. We see no solutions — only a merciless blockade, deprivation, and death." (Hajjaj, 10/3) World Food Programme: War In Gaza Two Years On: Humanitarian Access Improves But Acute Hunger Persists
Humanitarian conditions in Gaza remain horrific two years since the start of a war that has decimated lives, homes and livelihoods. A lack of access to food, shelter, water and medicine has taken an unfathomable toll on entire communities. WFP has seen some progress in food security in the past few weeks: Just a few months ago people were going for days without eating. Now more families are eating daily. A 25 kg bag of wheat flour costing US$340 in July was down to US$50 by the end of August. However, new, forced relocations jeopardize the progress made. More than 450,000 people have fled from northern Gaza to the south since August, but many of the most vulnerable remain trapped without means to leave. (10/6) The New York Times: This Is What Malnutrition Does to Children's Bodies
When children are deprived of sufficient food, a cascade of health failures can quickly follow. Critical illness and death threaten, and even those who survive may face a lifetime of health challenges. Young Palestinians, particularly those under age 5, are especially vulnerable in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has imposed restrictions on the entry of aid throughout the war, at times shutting crossings entirely. The highest levels of malnutrition since the war began were reported this summer, and its largest city has been officially declared under famine by a panel of food-security experts. (Robles, Nolen and Boxerman, 9/14) Health Policy Watch: If And When The Guns Fall Silent - Gaza Faces Overwhelming Rehabilitation Task
Gazans with serious, long-term rehabilitation needs represent about one-quarter of the 167,376 people injured since the war began, according to the new WHO report. Over 5,000 people have faced amputation. Other severe injuries, include damage to limbs (over 22,000); spinal cord (over 2,000); brain (over 1,300), and major burns (more than 3,300). WHO has previously estimated that some $3 billion would be needed over just the next 18 months to rebuild Gaza's shattered health system. Costs could be as high as $10 billion over the next several years. (Fletcher, 6/10) 10. Viewpoints: Former Surgeons General Warn Of Danger Posed By RFK Jr.; Details Of TrumpRx Are Murky Opinion writers tackle these public health topics. The Washington Post: 6 U.S. Surgeons General: RFK Jr. Threatens The Health Of Americans
As former U.S. surgeons general appointed by every Republican and Democratic president since George H.W. Bush, we have collectively spent decades in service as the Nation's Doctor. We took two sacred oaths in our lifetimes: first, as physicians who swore to care for our patients and, second, as public servants who committed to protecting the health of all Americans. (Jerome Adams, Richard Carmona, Joycelyn Elders, Vivek Murthy, Antonia Novello, and David Satcher, 10/7) Bloomberg: White House's Drug Plan Has Some Convenient Blind Spots
There couldn't be a more pressing or galvanizing topic for Americans than the high cost of prescription drugs. And after months of blustery talk from President Donald Trump about lowering prices and cracking down on Big Pharma, his plans are finally starting to take shape, beginning with pacts with manufacturers. But before we get too excited, consumers should demand more transparency about what they're getting from his dealmaking — and ask who is truly benefiting from the sum of his health care actions. (Lisa Jarvis, 10/7) Stat: Forced Onshoring Of Biosimilar, Generic Manufacturing Threatens Efficiency
Over the past six months, numerous pharmaceutical companies have announced plans to invest in new U.S. manufacturing facilities within the next decade. This so-called "onshoring," motivated by the Trump administration's announcement of sector-specific tariffs, seems to make sense on the surface: strengthen domestic manufacturing capabilities and mitigate potential risks of supply disruption. (Gillian Woollett, 10/6) Stat: What RFK Jr. Gets Wrong About Medical School And Nutrition Education
One of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s refrains has been that doctors don't learn enough about nutrition in medical school. In a recent op-ed in The Wall Street Journal, he called for "rigorous, measurable nutrition education at every stage of medical training." Contrary to what Kennedy might have you believe, medical schools do teach students about nutrition. (Tiffany Onyejiaka, 10/7) San Francisco Chronicle: President Trump's War On Gender-Affirming Care Is A Huge Mistake
When I go to the doctor, I expect to be offered treatment options that are most likely to help. You might imagine we all do. But that is changing. Last month, the Trump administration announced a ban on coverage of gender-affirming care for millions of federal employees, which takes effect in 2026. This move follows months of abrupt, politically motivated terminations of research studies that have gutted the science that informs our health care. (Heidi Moseson, 10/6) | | | | | |
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