Axios

COVID vaccines are no longer available at CVS stores in three states and available only with an authorized prescriber's prescription in 13 states and the District of Columbia, CVS told Axios on Friday.

Why it matters: Following Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s major curtailing of COVID vaccine eligibility on Wednesday, many Americans are left confused about whether and how they'll be able to get shots amid a surging "stratus" variant.

Obtaining a COVID-19 vaccine shot may require some extra lifting this fall.

The big picture: Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced new limits on who is eligible for COVID vaccines on Wednesday as the FDA issued approvals for updated boosters that may have left some scratching their heads.

The CDC said this week it is seeing a nationwide increase in COVID cases and emergency room visits as Labor Day nears.

Why it matters: The warning arrives as the federal health agency struggles with its own internal chaos and the ramifications of a new COVID vaccine policy.

Silicon Valley investor and entrepreneur Jim O'Neill, who has also advocated for unproven COVID treatments, will lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Why it matters: O'Neill, who is not a physician, is an ally of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and could help him enact the Make America Health Again agenda.

Jim O'Neill, the deputy secretary of Health and Human Services, has been picked to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as acting director, the Washington Post first reported and Axios can confirm.

Why it matters: O'Neill's appointment could pave the way for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to set his agenda at the CDC after a tumultuous week at the federal agency.

Three senior CDC officials who resigned from their positions during a tumultuous week at the health agency were cheered by staff and supporters after being escorted out of the global headquarters in Atlanta on Thursday.

The big picture: Dozens of staff members and leaders at the CDC staged a walkout Thursday in response to the shake-up that saw the Trump administration oust CDC director Susan Monarez, who refused to quit, and the resignation of former officials Demetre Daskalakis, Debra Houry and Daniel Jernigan.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed without evidence that antidepressants could have contributed to the mass shooting in Minnesota on Wednesday after an attacker opened fire on a church.

Why it matters: The unsubstantiated antidepressant medication claim is another example of Kennedy floating ideas that contradict established science.

The Department of Health and Human Services attempted to oust CDC director Susan Monarez, but she's not going down without a fight.

Why it matters: Under Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the HHS has made a number of controversial moves denounced by the medical and science communities — particularly on vaccines where Kennedy has put up new barriers — causing friction between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and HHS.

Dozens of staff members and leaders at the CDC staged a walkout Thursday in response to the internal shake-up of top federal health officials.

Why it matters: The CDC has been grappling with internal turmoil that escalated Wednesday, when its director was ousted and other officials exited in a wave of resignations.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could emerge in an even stronger position due to the fallout from the resignations and turmoil atop the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The big picture: The upheaval from the ousting of CDC Director Susan Monarez will make it difficult to win Senate confirmation for any administration nominee who's willing to sign off on Kennedy's controversial vaccine policy changes.

The Big Ten conference and Abbott are hosting a blood donation competition with NFL legend Drew Brees.

Why it matters: Thirteen of the 15 community blood centers in the Midwest (where most Big Ten schools are located) have a blood supply of less than three days.

Sycamore Partners completed its $23.7 billion takeover of Walgeens Boots Alliance, whose shares no longer will trade on the Nasdaq.

Why it matters: One of the nation's largest pharmacy chains is now owned by a private equity firm with no health care experience, as Sycamore has focused exclusively on retail.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday gave medical schools less than two weeks to "immediately" add more nutrition education to their curricula.

Why it matters: Kennedy previously threatened the schools with loss of funding if they don't beef up their nutrition education as part of his "Make America Healthy Again" agenda, which also includes a planned revamp of federal dietary guidelines.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s new COVID vaccine policy continues a steady drip of moves that are incrementally raising barriers to accessing shots.

• It rewrites pandemic-era rules by narrowing the groups who can get the shots without a prescription — and will make everyone else jump through more hoops to stay COVID-free.

Centers for Disease Control director Susan Monarez has abruptly left the post just weeks after being sworn in, the Department of Health and Human Services announced on Wednesday — a claim that was immediately disputed by her lawyers.

Why it matters: The dispute has left the leadership of the CDC in limbo as a wave of high-level departures gutted the top ranks of the agency that's responsible for protecting the nation's public health.

A CDC official who resigned following the announcement that agency director Susan Monarez had been ousted shared a post Wednesday on why he's stepping down that accused HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of ignoring experts.

Why it matters: Demetre Daskalakis, who was director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said on X that recent policy changes threatened lives and there had been an "intentional eroding of trust in low-risk vaccines."