The CDC concluded Wednesday there is a "likely association" between heart inflammation and COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, especially in adolescents and young adults, but still see a clear benefit for the group to get the shot.
The big picture: The findings presented by the agency’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices coincide with similar data — that men under 30 make up a larger proportion of cases especially after the second shot, and the condition is rare and treatable.
Express Scripts is suing the U.S. government, according to a lawsuit filed this week. The pharmacy benefit manager, owned by health insurer Cigna, is demanding $43 million in tax refunds from 2010 and 2011, alleging the IRS wrongfully denied the company's use of a now-repealed income tax deduction.
The bottom line: Cigna, one of the largest medical and pharmacy benefit administrators in the country, is suing for an amount that equates to 0.5% of its net profit in 2020 — a year in which the company boosted income as people delayed care due to the pandemic.
The head of the health insurance industry's main lobbying group doesn't think the $56,000 annual price tag for Biogen's unproven Alzheimer's treatment, Aduhelm, is justified, but the group won't call on insurance companies to deny coverage of it.
The big picture: Instead, insurers are relying heavily on Medicare and an independent drug pricing group for their coverage decisions.
New Zealand's capital Wellington had its COVID-19 alert level raised on Wednesday after an Australian contracted a highly infectious strain in Sydney before traveling to NZ and testing positive upon his return.
Why it matters: This is the first positive case related to the Australia-New Zealand quarantine-free "travel bubble" since it opened in April. NZ last confirmed a COVID infection in the community on Feb. 28.
153 health care workers who refused to comply with a COVID-19 vaccine mandate have resigned or been fired, the Houston Methodist Hospital confirmed Tuesday.
Why it matters: The Texas hospital was one of the first in the U.S. to announce such requirement, and it suspended 178 employees without pay for 14 days for failing to comply with the rule.
FDA statisticians did not believe experimental Alzheimer's treatment Aduhelm proved that it could slow down the cognitive disease, but the top brass at the agency thought there was enough evidence to approve the drug anyway, according to internal documents released by the FDA today.
Why it matters: Outside experts almost unanimously voted down the drug, and the scientific community has blasted the FDA's approval of Aduhelm. But FDA leaders repeatedly cited "the urgent and unmet medical need" for Alzheimer's treatments.
Multiple countries that eagerly inoculated their people with China's COVID vaccines face devastating new case surges.
Why it matters: This revelation undermines China’s vaccine diplomacy, which Beijing has prioritized in the developing world to win influence and commercial deals.
Former CDC director Tom Frieden tells the Axios Re:Cap podcast that "COVID is here to stay," as part of a discussion of the highly contagious Delta variant that's becoming the country's dominant strain of the coronavirus.
Adult deaths from COVID-19 are "at this point entirely preventable" thanks to vaccines, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky said during a White House coronavirus briefing on Tuesday.
Why it matters: Deaths from the virus have dramatically decreased since their peak in early 2021, but the U.S. is still currently reporting an average of more than 200 deaths every day, though the numbers could increase as the B.1.617.2 (or Delta) variant of the virus becomes the dominant strain in the country.
The Biden administration acknowledged on Tuesday that it will likely miss its goal of vaccinating 70% of U.S. adults with at least one dose by July 4.
Why it matters: Despite falling short of the goal, the White House still believes most Americans will be safe to fully celebrate Independence Day, as COVID-19 cases and deaths remain at low levels throughout much of the country.
India administered 8.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines Monday, setting a national record, the New York Times reports.
Why it matters: Monday's total comes amid a slow initial roll-out of coronavirus vaccines in India, delayed by vaccine shortages and disagreement between the states and central government, per the NYT.
The death rate among Medicare patients in nursing homes surged by 32% last year, a government watchdog report out Tuesday found, per AP.
The big picture: The report from the Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General is the most comprehensive look yet at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on one of its most vulnerable populations, AP writes.
National Medicaid enrollment hit a record 80.5 million this past January, as Congress provided extra funding for states to retain and sign up more low-income adults and children during the coronavirus pandemic.
Between the lines: Because more states have outsourced their Medicaid programs to private health insurers, this pandemic-fueled growth also has been a boon for some of the largest insurance companies.
A CDC advisory committee will meet Wednesday to evaluate the risk of heart inflammation in teens who get the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.
Why it matters: Cases of heart inflammation are rare, but they've raised concerns among some experts and scientists — including some whose job it is to sift through those risks and recommend whether to authorize the vaccines for children younger than 12.
If you have had a birthday party during the pandemic, you may have increased your likelihood of catching the coronavirus, according to a new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Why it matters: It's well known that social gatherings help the coronavirus spread. But the study illustrates the limitations of government policies — such as closing restaurants, bars and schools — that reduce public gatherings but have no power over private ones.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte threatened late Monday to imprison anyone who refuses the COVID-19 vaccine, following reports of low turnouts at vaccination sites across the capital, Manila, per Bloomberg.
The big picture: "You choose — vaccine or I will have you jailed," Duterte said in a televised address. That's despite official health guidelines showing that getting vaccinated is voluntary in the Philippines. The country has confirmed nearly 1.4 million cases and over 23,000 deaths from the virus since the pandemic began.
