Health

Although the surge in omicron infections has been declining over the past few weeks, leaders at the World Health Organization have issued new warnings regarding another new variant of concern, known as BA.2.  Although still classified as omicron, the BA.2 strain differs... Read More

On Wednesday two companies, Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline, said they plan to submit a new COVID-19 vaccine for U.S. and European regulatory approval. This followed Phase 3 efficacy trials that showed promise of protection both as a primary series and a... Read More

The Bipartisan Policy Center recently released two new reports on expanding access to obesity treatment for older adults and another that focuses on strengthening child nutrition programs. The first report, which focuses on older adults, explores what would be required for... Read More

WASHINGTON — The House Education Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions recently met to discuss possible pathways to affordable, universal health coverage for Americans.  “Simply put, the steps taken in the American Rescue Plan made coverage more attainable for... Read More

WASHINGTON — The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a meeting on Feb. 17 to discuss efforts to address the mental health needs of Americans, particularly children, after data collected during the pandemic revealed sharp increases... Read More

RICHMOND, Va. — The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court’s decision to temporarily block South Carolina’s ban on abortions after six weeks. Signed by Republican Gov. Henry McMaster last year, the law requires doctors to... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon has approved the deployment of 700 unarmed National Guard troops to the nation’s capital as it prepares for trucker convoys that are planning protests against pandemic restrictions beginning next week. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved... Read More

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida tourism is rebounding exceptionally well and even surpassing pre-pandemic levels according to a recent announcement from Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Sunshine State welcomed 30.9 million visitors between October and December 2021, and nearly a full 118... Read More

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California became the first state to formally shift to an “endemic” approach to the coronavirus with Gov. Gavin Newsom's announcement Thursday of a plan that emphasizes prevention and quick reaction to outbreaks over mandated masking and... Read More

WASHINGTON — As COVID-19 deaths in the United States approach 1 million, maybe something worthwhile came out of the pandemic, biosecurity experts told a Senate panel Thursday. At least now Americans and their lawmakers are willing to dedicate the resources... Read More

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Police poured into downtown Ottawa on Thursday in what truckers feared was a prelude to a crackdown on their nearly three-week, street-clogging protest against Canada's COVID-19 restrictions. Work crews in the capital began erecting fences outside... Read More

Two new studies from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show the effectiveness of booster shots for combatting the omicron variant declines substantially after four months. The first study examines hospitalizations and emergency room and urgent care center visits in... Read More

A group of senators recently joined together to introduce the Violence Against Women Act of 2022, following last year’s passage in the House. The legislation will expand prevention efforts and protections for survivors of domestic violence, and provide increased resources and training... Read More

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently issued an emergency use authorization for a new monoclonal antibody treatment called bebtelovimab from Eli Lilly, to help reduce the chances of severe illness in high-risk patients with COVID-19. The Department of Health and Human Services... Read More

A new bill known as L.B. 1048 is before the Appropriations Committee in Nebraska. The bill would allocate $10 million in federal funds for a research team to study the health impact of the hazardous materials emergency at the site of a... Read More

A new bill from legislators in Hawaii, known as H.B. 1962, would fund a study to understand the feasibility of legalized casino gaming in Hawaii. Gambling is legal in 48 out of 50 states in the U.S., but remains illegal in... Read More

Survey findings published in Public Health Reports, the official journal of the U.S. Office of the Surgeon General, show the COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly harsh for low-income and racial and ethnic minority communities.  To conduct the survey, researchers from the University... Read More

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration issued a public safety alert for the first time in six years after an investigation of Mexican drug cartel networks revealed the sales of fake pills were linked to overdose deaths.  Last year alone, the... Read More

During a presentation this week researchers from the International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials Network presented new findings about HIV remission involving stem cell transplants.  In 2015, the team of researchers completed an observational study examining 25 participants living... Read More

WASHINGTON — A report released by the Office of the Inspector General regarding the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s oversight of civil rights complaints provides 21 recommendations that the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights should take to try... Read More

WASHINGTON — The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship met Tuesday to discuss the role of immigrant physicians in the U.S. health care system. “Throughout the pandemic, immigrants in health care fields served on the front lines, and have... Read More

WASHINGTON — Trouble in the U.S. Senate for the Biden administration’s $1.7 trillion Build Back Better Act opened an opportunity Tuesday for a bill that seeks to protect disadvantaged communities from environmental hazards. As opposition to climate and social provisions... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Senate on Tuesday approved Robert Califf’s nomination to be the new head of the Food and Drug Administration. The 50-46 vote came just over 12 hours after the chamber cast a decidedly narrow vote to limit debate... Read More

WINDSOR, Ontario (AP) — The busiest U.S.-Canada border crossing was open Monday after protesters demonstrating against COVID-19 measures blocked it for nearly a week, but a larger protest in the capital, Ottawa, persisted as city residents seethed over authorities' inability... Read More

COLUMBIA, S.C. —  South Carolina doctors have the authority to prescribe “off-label” treatments for COVID-19 so long as their patients consent, the state’s attorney general said in a written opinion on Friday. Attorney General Alan Wilson issued the opinion at... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cautioned again this week that it is too soon to stop wearing masks in a warning ignored by many states tired of limitations imposed by COVID-19. Meanwhile, an exodus of health... Read More

TORONTO (AP) — The truck blockade by Canadians protesting the country’s COVID-19 restrictions is tightening the screws on the auto industry, forcing Ford, Toyota and General Motors to shut down plants or otherwise curtail production on both sides of the... Read More

The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently proposed payment policy changes for Medicare Advantage and Part D drug programs in 2030, and is now soliciting public input on a variety of payment updates.  CMS issued the Calendar Year 2023... Read More

A preprint study released this week from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Vaccine Research Center finds that although vaccine manufacturers like Moderna have been working to update a booster based on the omicron strain, the original COVID-19 vaccine may... Read More

A recent study published in JAMA Network Open from the U.S. Office on Women’s Health finds that social isolation and loneliness can increase the risk of heart disease by 8% and 5%, respectively, in older women in the U.S.  For women who... Read More