The Biden campaign is seizing on Senate Republicans' decision to block a bill enshrining federal protections for in-vitro fertilization (IVF), arguing that former President Trump would have intervened if he truly supported IVF.
Why it matters: Republicans are under massive pressure to distance themselves from the Alabama Supreme Court's ruling that frozen embryos should be considered children, which prompted several of the state's fertility clinics to pause IVF treatments out of fear of prosecution.
People 65 and over should receive a second shot of the updated COVID-19 vaccine this spring, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.
Why it matters: A second shot could offer updated protection for an age group that remains at highest risk of severe illness from COVID-19.
Two-thirds of Americans oppose considering frozen embryos as people, with the issue rapidly resonating with Democrats already charged up by election-year messaging on reproductive rights, a new Axios-Ipsos poll finds.
Why it matters: The findings suggest the Alabama Supreme Court decision on in vitro fertilization goes well beyond where public sentiment is in the post-Roe world.
Fertility providers are talking with the Biden administration about possible steps it can take to ensure access to in vitro fertilization, while legal experts say the administration likely has some limited powers.
Why it matters: President Biden has seized on the Alabama Supreme Court decision that's resulted in disruptions to IVF treatments, tying it into his campaign's focus on protecting reproductive rights.
The big picture: The ruling throws into flux the IVF process for many families in the state who are hoping, or are in the process of, using the treatment to have children, and launches concerns in a post-Roe landscape.
Most Americans who've heard of Ozempic and other new GLP-1 drugs think they can help people with severe weight problems, a new Pew Research Center survey finds.
Why it matters: The public recognizes the injectable treatments' potential to help on the individual level, but they're less convinced that drugs being touted as a major breakthrough — and already upending markets — will put a major dent in America's obesity problem.
Why it matters: It's further evidence of a youth mental health crisis characterized by depression and anxiety brought on by social isolation, concern about the future and financial and other stressors.
A cyberattack that's made it harder for patients nationwide to get their prescriptions filled exposed a major vulnerability facing health care: consolidation.
Why it matters: The attack against a UnitedHealth Group subsidiary that's a major player in how the industry processes payments underscores how a well-targeted strike can reverberate across the entire industry and jeopardize patient access to needed treatment, experts said.
