The Justice Department announced on Tuesday that it has established a task force to identify ways for the federal government to protect abortion access now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade.
Why it matters: The Reproductive Rights Task Force, led by associate attorney general Vanita Gupta, will monitor how states continue to ban or restrict abortion and determine how the Biden administration can respond, including through legal challenges.
Treating intravenous drug users with hepatitis drugs at the community level significantly drove down liver disease and deaths over more than a decade, researchers reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Why it matters: Injection drug use is one of the primary ways hepatitis C spreads, and sharing or reusing needles increases the chance of spreading the virus and exacerbates social and racial health disparities.
The study is the first to show how increasing access to treatment for the most at-risk individuals can drive down disease levels nationwide.
People who get boosted for COVID-19 now will still be eligible to get a variant-specific vaccine in the fall, the White House COVID-19 Response Team said Tuesday.
Driving the news: "There are many people who are at high risk right now. And waiting until October, November for their boost ... is not a good plan. And so we really do want to say now get your boost. We have every anticipation that the data will suggest that you will be eligible for a boost in the fall," said Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
States with high uninsured rates saw more "excess deaths" during the pandemic that weren't attributed to the virus but stemmed from reasons like meagre care in overwhelmed hospitals, the White House Council of Economic Advisors writes in a new issue brief.
Why it matters: It's the latest evidence concluding the pandemic indirectly killed millions of people because of its effect on health systems and society in general.
Findings: The CEA estimated a 10 percentage point increase in the pre-pandemic uninsured rate was associated with a 4.8 percentage point increase in excess mortality.
Excess mortality differed significantly across states between March 2020 and March 2022, from a low of 5.7 percent in Hawaii to a high of 27.4 percent in Arizona.
Uninsured people experience generally poorer health, which could make them more vulnerable to severe illness.
Flashback: The CDC has estimated that excess deaths between the weeks ending March 7, 2020 and March 5, 2022 totaled 1.1 million, or 15 percent more than the 958,864 official death toll from COVID-19 over that period.
Yes, but: There were other factors influencing excess deaths, such as regional vaccination rates and individual behaviors, such as masking and social distancing.
Look ahead: Sobering data on pandemic deaths will factor in looming debates about health coverage, including whether to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies.
A decades-old law designed to keep hospitals from turning away uninsured patients is becoming a focal point in the post-Roe abortion debate.
What’s happening: The Biden administration on Monday issued new guidance stating that health providers who perform abortions in emergency situations are protected under federal law regardless of what bans are in place in their states, Axios' Oriana Gonzalez reports.
A U.S. district court on Monday temporarily blocked a 2021 Arizona law that grants "personhood" rights to fetuses, embryos and fertilized eggs.
Why it matters: Under the ruling, the law can't be used to criminalize abortion services in the state. Abortion providers and advocacy groups had asked the court for an emergency motion after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
The Department of Health and Human Services on Monday released guidance saying that health providers who perform abortions in emergency situations are protected under federal law regardless of what bans are in place in their states.
Why it matters: The move is aimed at giving assurances to abortion providers who fear they could be prosecuted for offering potentially life-saving care.
Driving the news: The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline received about 9.2 million calls between 2016 and 2021. Of those, 1.5 million calls ended before reaching a counselor, per the Journal.
Pharmaceutical company HRA Pharma submitted an application to the Food and Drug Administration on Monday asking to sell a birth control bill over-the-counter, rather than via prescription.
Why it matters: If approved, it would be the first ever birth control pill to be available over-the-counter in the U.S.
The United States is applying some of the hard lessons it learned during the COVID pandemic to the monkeypox outbreak. But it's still playing catch-up.
Why it matters: Monkeypox won't bring the death and suffering COVID did, but public health experts say it could take hold in the population without robust testing, vaccinations and communicating about the health risks.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has tested positive for COVID-19 and will work remotely this week while in quarantine as the Senate prepares to return from recess, his spokesperson Justin Goodman said Sunday.
What they're saying: The fully vaccinated and double-boosted Schumer "has very mild symptoms," Goodman said in a statement. "Anyone who knows Leader Schumer knows that even if he’s not physically in the Capitol, through virtual meetings and his trademark flip phone he will continue with his robust schedule and remain in near-constant contact with his colleagues," Goodman added.
