Axios

The Supreme Court on Friday declined to block enforcement of Maine's COVID vaccine mandate for health care workers while they wait for the court of appeals to rule on the merits of the case.

Why it matters: The 6-3 decision in the emergency appeal was not made on the merits of the case. But in previous rulings, the justices have upheld COVID vaccine requirements — though this is the first case that involves a mandate without religious exemptions.

Health care providers need to be accessible to senior citizens in rural and underserved communities, especially through telehealth, Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) said at an Axios event on Friday.

Driving the news: Telehealth appointments have become more prominent since the COVID-19 pandemic and could soon become the norm.

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday authorized Pfizer and BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine for children five to 11 years old.

Why it matters: All that remains to expand vaccine access to some of the youngest Americans is approval from the CDC.

The number of clinic-performed abortions in Texas decreased by about 50% in September — the month the state's near total ban on the procedure went into effect — when compared with the same month last year, according to research from the Texas Policy Evaluation Project.

Driving the news: The Texas ban, which effectively bars the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy, is the most restrictive law allowed to be enforced since the 1973 landmark Roe v. Wade case legalized abortion in the U.S.

The rollout to get COVID-19 vaccines into kids' arms could begin as early as next week.

Why it matters: Many parents have been eagerly awaiting this moment for months, especially as schools returned to in-person instruction. And doctors, pharmacists and federal regulators already have a plan in place to help get kids vaccinated as soon as possible.

As the push begins to vaccinate children 5–11 against COVID, a similar share of parents start off enthusiastic about vaccinating their kids as the share of adults did right before their vaccines were authorized back in December of 2020.

What's happening: Enthusiasm and vaccination rates will grow just as they did for adults.

• But the size of the group saying they definitely will not vaccinate their kids at the starting gate is about twice as large as it was for adults, and the population that needs convincing — mostly younger adult parents —  is a tougher sell than the general adult population has been.

By the numbers: 27% of parents say they will get their 5-to-11-year-olds vaccinated right away according to our October KFF Vaccine Monitor Report.  

• That's not very different from the 30% who said the same thing about their 12–15 year olds in April just before vaccines for that group were authorized.
• And it’s not far off at all from the 34% of adults back in December 2020 who said they would get vaccinated right away.

The share of parents who said they will "wait and see" (33%) is similar to the share of adults who said that (39%). Many parents of younger children will likely overcome their reticence as they see other children they know vaccinated without problems, just as adults who eventually got vaccinated did.

But, but, but: But the share of parents of younger children (30%) saying they will "definitely not" vaccinate their kids is twice as large as the share of adults who said they would not get vaccinated back in December of 2020 (15%).

• And younger adults, the parents of kids 5–11, are less likely to be vaccinated themselves than adults overall. That may be an indicator of their willingness to vaccinate their kids.

The intrigue: One potential influence on vaccinating kids that isn't being discussed and could be utilized: grandparents (especially grandmothers).

• 86% of adults 65 and older have had their shots, and they could play a role as advocates for vaccinating kids in communities and families as they often do in public health initiatives around the world.   

The bottom line: It will take some time and a concerted outreach effort by pediatricians, schools, local media, public health groups and other trusted sources of information if vaccination of children 5–11 is to reach the levels we have seen for adults.

Cancer drug Keytruda is on pace to generate more than $17 billion of revenue this year after reaching a record $4.5 billion of sales in the third quarter.

Why it matters: Keytruda is close to becoming the highest-selling drug in the world and would be a Fortune 200 company on its own.

The number of fatal traffic accidents in the first half of 2021 rose 18.4% compared to 2020, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Thursday.

The big picture: An estimated 20,160 people died in motor vehicle crashes from January to June 2021 — the largest number of projected fatalities in that time period since 2006.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced new and stricter standards for lead poisoning in children on Thursday.

Why it matters: The new standard means the number of children ages 1 to 5 considered to have high blood lead levels will more than double from 200,000 to nearly 500,00, according to AP.

Polls suggest some parents are hesitant to vaccinate their young children against COVID-19, but the benefits outweigh the risks, several infectious disease doctors tell Axios.

The latest: The FDA and CDC may soon authorize Pfizer's lower-dose vaccine for that age group, with Moderna close to also seeking approval. NIAID director Anthony Fauci says he's "excited" about the possibility of broadening possible protection for 28 million more Americans.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday announced a lawsuit against the Biden administration's order requiring federal contractors to be vaccinated against the coronavirus no later than Dec. 8.

Why it matters: This is the Republican governor's latest attempt to undermine federal vaccine requirements, with the lawsuit alleging that such measures are a "radical intrusion on the personal autonomy" of U.S. workers.

After campaigning on health care one election cycle after another, Democrats have put forward a social policy framework that does nothing to lower prescription drug prices, expands Medicare benefits to only include hearing coverage, and temporarily builds on the Affordable Care Act.

Why it matters: The framework may be the best the party can do with razor-thin vote margins in Congress. But some health care advocates say it's unacceptable — and voters may not be thrilled either.

"Be first, be right, be credible" is the mantra of public health experts in a crisis. It's difficult to argue that the health community has regularly managed to be any of those three during COVID-19.

Why it matters: A pandemic isn't just a medical emergency — it's also a communications emergency. The U.S. public health establishment, hamstrung by bad data and political interference, has struggled with the latter.

NIAID director Anthony Fauci tells Axios even though the chances of young children getting seriously ill from COVID-19 are small he urges parents to immunize them once a vaccine is authorized.

Driving the news: An FDA expert panel on Tuesday endorsed an emergency use authorization for a lower dose of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for 5 to 11-year-olds, paving the way for another swath of the U.S. population to be vaccinated.

The number of new COVID-19 cases continues to plummet all across the U.S.

By the numbers: The U.S. is now averaging roughly 70,000 new cases per day, a 20% drop over the past two weeks.

Some Democrats say it's possible that pieces of their social policy agenda end up being enacted or extended for only a year or two, including major Affordable Care Act and Medicaid provisions.

Why it matters: Limited terms may be the only way Democrats can strike a deal within their budget. But the risk is that Republicans will be able to undo these temporary programs if they're able to regain control of Congress through next year's midterms.

The president of New York City's firefighters' union told reporters Wednesday that he's advised unvaccinated members to ignore Mayor Bill de Blasio's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for city workers, per Reuters.

Why it matters: Under De Blasio's order that's due to take effect Friday, unvaccinated city employees would be placed on unpaid leave. But Uniformed Firefighters Association head Andrew Ansbro said he told members that "if they choose to remain unvaccinated, they must still report for duty," according to Reuters.

The readily available antidepressant fluvoxamine significantly reduced COVID-related hospitalizations, according to a large study published Wednesday.

Why it matters: The clinical trial suggests that a cheap, readily available drug could dramatically reduce serious illness and death when prescribed early.

A judge ruled that Southwest Airlines can mandate its 9,000 pilots to be vaccinated against COVID-19, declining a union request for a restraining order on the policy, per AP.

Details: U.S. District Judge Barbara Lynn said in her ruling against the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association on Tuesday that the airline was meeting its goal on air transportation safety and "providing 'safe and reasonable working conditions' for pilots, by preventing the spread of disease" with the requirement, the Dallas Morning News noted.