The pandemic hit millions of renters hard — especially people of color, individuals living with children and those living in the South, according to a new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP).
Why it matters: Rent reached an all-time high in recent months in large part due to the pandemic, which exacerbated existing inequities.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will allow health care providers to order COVID-19 vaccines from a federal program for children between six months and 5 years old, the White House confirmed to Axios.
Why it matters: Florida is the only state that did not pre-order COVID vaccines for young children. DeSantis this week said the state was "affirmatively against the COVID vaccine for young kids."
Walgreens is getting into the clinical trial business, with the pharmacy giant saying Thursday it wants to change the patient experience and improve retention in sponsor-led drug research.
Why it matters: The chain's latest expansion into the health care delivery business is aimed at addressing the ongoing problem of low racial and ethnic diversity in clinical trials.
The Food and Drug Administration on Friday authorized both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna's COVID-19 shots for children as young as 6 months.
Why it matters: Some of the youngest Americans are now one step closer to being eligible to receive their vaccinations. Children under 5 are the last group without access to COVID vaccines.
Hopes for new Alzheimer's drugs took another disappointing turn Thursday, when Roche said an antibody therapy in a long-running trial didn't help people with a rare genetic condition that causes early-onset Alzheimer's.
The big picture: The news comes just weeks after the crash of Biogen's heavily touted Aduhelm — another Alzheimer's drug that targets a brain plaque called amyloid thought to contribute to the condition.
As the Supreme Court weighs the fate of Roe v. Wade,advocates and health care providers fear that cutting off access to abortion will lead to more pregnancy-related complications and deaths that disproportionately affect Black people.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Thursday doubled down on the state's recommendation against vaccinating young children, saying that Florida does not plan to offer vaccines for toddlers or infants through state programs.
Why it matters: Florida is the only state that hasn't pre-ordered COVID vaccines for children under five as states wait for federal regulators to authorize the shot for the littlest Americans.
The race and ethnicity data Medicare collects on its beneficiaries is less accurate for such groups as American Indians, Asian-Pacific Islanders and Hispanics, limiting the program's ability to assess health disparities, according to a federal audit.
Why it matters: Inaccuracies can undercut efforts to address inequities and measure results.
A unanimous U.S. Supreme Court sided with hospital groups on Wednesday in a closely watched dispute over whether the federal government had the authority to cut facilities' payments for outpatient drugs.
Why it matters: The case, brought by the American Hospital Association and other hospitals, involved billions of dollars in payments and tested how much deference courts should give federal agencies when laws are vague.
The nation's biggest physicians group is joining calls for the FDA to make birth control pills accessible over the counter.
Why it matters: With abortion rights in flux, physicians are joining reproductive health advocates in urging increased access to oral contraceptives, which could join already approved emergency contraceptives, like Plan B, on pharmacy shelves.
The Florida Department of Health said Wednesday that it has not pre-ordered COVID vaccines for children under 5 because it does not recommend the shot for all children.
Why it matters: Every other state has pre-ordered vaccine supply for the age group as they wait for federal regulators to authorize the shot, per McClatchy.
