Axios

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky authorized the use of Novavax’s COVID vaccine as a primary series for adults 18 and over on Tuesday.

Driving the news: Walensky's endorsement of the CDC's panel recommendation makes the Novavax vaccine the fourth COVID shot authorized for use in the U.S.

Caitlin Bernard, the OB-GYN who provided an abortion on a 10-year-old girl from Ohio who was raped, took the first legal step to sue Indiana's attorney general for defamation over his comments alleging medical misconduct.

Driving the news: After news of the child having an abortion gained traction, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita said on Fox News that Bernard has a "history of failing to report" abortions to the state, as required by law. In the lawsuit, Bernard's attorneys say that the doctor has no disciplinary history.

Demand for abortion pills is soaring following last month's Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, even as states move to ban or restrict access.

The big picture: Even before Roe's fall, almost half of U.S. states had laws in place that made it illegal to access pills via mail. Without federal protections on abortion, more states could implement further restrictions and attempt to make it impossible for people to get the medication.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Anthony Fauci is planning to retire by the end of President Biden's current term, he said in an interview with Politico.

The big picture: Fauci has been serving as Biden's chief medical adviser since January 2021 and as NIAID director since 1984.

Hospitals with more COVID patients during the first pandemic wave in 2020 saw more patients who underwent surgery die afterward, a Journal of the American Medical Association study found.

The big picture: Researchers think patients seeking care too late due to fear of COVID-19 and the disruption in care at hospitals caused by the pandemic both were factors.

Virtual training and practice on anatomical models may soon become the norm for how OB-GYN residents learn how to safely conduct abortions as medical programs navigate new state abortion bans.

Why it matters: As programs retool in the post-Roe v. Wade landscape, there are concerns about how well prepared the next generation of OB-GYNs will be to meet the demand for induced abortions as well as emergency pregnancy care.

Nearly eight in 10 Americans think we won't be rid of COVID-19 in our lifetimes, according to the latest installment of the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index.

Why it matters: The poll is new evidence that most Americans have moved past the pandemic and are likelier to be focused on inflation and making ends meet than what variant is spreading or what COVID treatments are available.

Some 40 million Americans are under heat alerts due to "dangerous and intense," potentially record-breaking heat across the Plains and Mississippi Valley that's expected to expand into the Southeast this week.

The big picture: The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for Texas, and there are heightened fire dangers in several states. Firefighters are already battling 89 large fires across 12 states. An excessive heat warning was in effect for all of Oklahoma for Tuesday, with highs of 110-112°F expected — 16°F above the state's average.

The Supreme Court issued an order on Monday letting Indiana officials enforce a law requiring a minor to have parental consent to get an abortion.

The big picture: The law was first blocked shortly after it was enacted in 2017. A district court at the time found the law would be a "substantial obstacle" for minors who face potential abuse by their parents if they tell them about their pregnancy decisions.

A judge in West Virginia on Monday temporarily blocked the state's pre-Roe abortion ban from taking effect.

Why it matters: Following the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade, Women's Health Center of West Virginia — the state's only abortion clinic — suspended services in fear of being prosecuted under that law.

Sen. Joe Manchin’s insistence on a skinny reconciliation bill is infuriating Democrats but forcing them to consider the power of running on health costs and coverage heading into the midterms.

The big picture: Democrats won a mandate on health care in the 2018 midterms and could improve formidable odds this year by cutting a deal with the influential centrist lawmaker on drug price reforms while avoiding a spike in the uninsured rate.