Black women are more widely represented in health care than any other demographic group, yet they're concentrated in its lowest-wage and most hazardous jobs, according to a study published yesterday in Health Affairs.
Why it matters: The study was among several examining racism and health in Health Affairs released Monday in the medical journal's first issue devoted entirely to the topic.
The Chicago White Sox are mandating all minor league players receive a COVID-19 booster shot, becoming the first team in MLB to issue a requirement, ESPN reports.
Driving the news: The team said that players who do not comply "will not be able to participate" in spring training, according to a copy of the letter obtained by ESPN.
Pfizer's decision to pump the brakes on COVID vaccines for kids younger than 5 was a good call, experts tell Axios.
Driving the news: Pfizer decided not to seek an FDA authorization until it has more data about how well its vaccine works after three doses. An FDA committee had been slated to consider the data for a two-dose regimen next week.
A Canadian judge on Friday granted an injunction that gives law enforcement more power to remove vaccine mandate protesters from the Ambassador Bridge following a five-day blockade at the U.S.-Canada border, AP reports.
The latest: Truckers, farmers and other protesters have blocked roads and portions of U.S.-Canada border crossings for days as part of the demonstration, cutting off key delivery routes. Factories facing a shortage of parts have been forced to stop production on both sides of the border, Axios' Joann Muller reports.
Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley are no longer requiring employees to wear masks in U.S. offices, Reuters reported Friday.
Why it matters: The move is part of a larger trend across the U.S. as the number of COVID cases continues to fall. A host of blue states have lifted mask requirements this past week.
The Supreme Court on Friday declined a request to intervene by a small group of teachers who challenged New York City’s vaccination mandate for public school employees.
Why it matters: A small group of teachers had argued that the mandate violates their religious freedom because the city limits eligibility for religious exemptions by requiring support from a religious official, among other things.
Why it matters: The drug, developed by pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, is an critical tool for treatment as new variants continue to spread, the FDA said,
Pfizer and BioNTech announced Friday that they are postponing their application to the Food and Drug Administration for the companies' COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of six months and four years old.
The big picture: The companies said they "will wait for the three-dose data" because they "believe it may provide a higher level of protection in this age group."
Carlyle Group has agreed to acquire a stake in Orsini Specialty Pharmacy, joining Consonance Capital as an approximately equal investor in the rare disease specialty pharmacy business, sources tell Axios.
Why it matters: Fueled by genomics and technology advances, rare disease drug and gene therapy development is accelerating quickly.
Psychedelic startup Mindstate just scored an $11.5 million vote of confidence in the form of an angel investment from Neuralink co-founder Max Hodak.
Why it matters: The deal — which is mammoth for a seed round — reflects investors' taste for psychedelics for behavioral health applications, including treating depression, anxiety and PTSD.
Vaccine uptake is fading, but doctors and health care workers are trying to reach the tens of millions of unvaccinated Americans — one conversation at a time.
The big picture: Persuading the remaining unvaccinated takes a lot more time and effort, and health care workers who have found success are not writing off holdouts as anti-vaxxers.
Eli Lilly announced Thursday that it has agreed to supply the U.S. government with up to 600,000 doses of its developmental drug, bebtelovimab, in a deal worth at least $720 million.
Why it matters: Bebtelovimab is an antibody treatment that was found to neutralize COVID-19 variants, including Omicron, Lilly noted in its December report.
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