COVAX, the UN-backed program aimed at addressing COVID vaccine inequality, cut its forecast for doses available in 2021 by roughly a quarter.
Why it matters: The forecast led the World Health Organization (WHO) to double down on calls for wealthier nations to wait until at least the end of the year to administer booster shots so lower-income nations can vaccinate their populations.
Governor Larry Hogan (R) announced on Wednesday that elderly people who live nursing homes and people who are immunocompromised are eligible to get a COVID-19 booster shot effective immediately.
Why it matters: Maryland is the first state to announce a plan for distributing boosters to a wider population of people, outside the immunocompromised. Hogan said "confusing and contradictory" guidance from the federal government forced him to act now.
Idaho will begin rationing medical care in 10 of the state's overburdened hospitals in two districts, its Department of Health and Welfare announced Tuesday.
Why it matters: The move comes as the state has seen a "massive increase in patients with COVID-19 who require hospitalization" compounded by a shortage of beds and equipment, amid a surge driven by the Delta variant, per a news release.
Second Circuit Judge John Cooper on Wednesday upheld Florida schools' ability to enforce mask mandates, ruling against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' (R) appeal, CNN reports.
Why it matters: The ruling brings a pause to the state of Florida’s enforcement of mask bans — which up until this point had included withholding funds from school districts with mandates — until a higher court rules on the appeal.
New data shows rates of hunger among U.S. households didn't spike in 2020, despite the effects of the pandemic.
The big picture: Economic downturns as sharp as the one experienced during the worst of COVID-19 last year usually result in devastating spikes in hunger. 1 in 10 households are still food insecure, but massive increases in aid helped avert much worse.
The World Health Organization on Wednesday doubled down on calls for wealthy countries with large supplies of coronavirus vaccines to forgo booster shots through the end of the year.
The big picture: The WHO director's comments come as the Biden administration weighs offering COVID booster shots later this month, and as a global vaccine disparity persists.
Nearly 16,000 children and adolescents went to the emergency room or hospital due to police encounters between 2005 and 2017, with rates four to seven times higher for Black kids compared to white kids, according to a statewide analysis in California.
Why it matters: While youth are less likely to be injured by policing compared to adults, the analysis published in JAMA Pediatrics shows kids aren't spared the racial disparities seen in law enforcement of adults.
Humana has recorded more COVID-19 hospitalizations among its Medicare Advantage members in the past few weeks due to rising coronavirus cases. But non-COVID inpatient and outpatient care also appears to be declining as a result, the health insurance company said late Tuesday.
Why it matters: Health insurers profited heavily last year when hospitals and doctors delayed routine medical care, and that dynamic appears to be happening again.
The success of Democrats' attempt to allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices hinges on whether the drug industry can persuade voters — particularly seniors — that the policy would result in fewer new drugs, an endeavor that experts say is an uphill battle.
Why it matters: Seniors are both directly impacted by the policy and disproportionately likely to vote in midterm elections, meaning what they think is incredibly influential.
About 50 Detroit health care workers have filed a lawsuit against a hospital system, claiming its upcoming COVID-19 vaccine mandate violates the Fourteenth Amendment's protection of "personal autonomy and bodily integrity."
Why it matters: This is the second major legal test concerning vaccine mandates in the health care sector, after an unsuccessful lawsuit claiming a Texas hospital's policy requiring all staff be vaccinated against the virus was unlawful.
Three Vermont state troopers have resigned following an investigation into an alleged fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination card scheme, the Vermont State Police said in a statement on Tuesday.
Driving the news: The former troopers are suspected of creating fake COVID-19 vaccination cards, per the statement.
Democratic lawmakers are calling on the Department of Justice to take legal action "up to and including the criminal prosecution" against anti-abortion rights activists who attempt legal challenges under Texas' new abortion ban.
Why it matters: The state's new law bars abortions after six weeks of pregnancy and awards at least $10,000 to people who successfully sue anyone suspected of helping a pregnant person obtain an abortion.
