A New Hampshire distillery is contributing to its efforts to fight the invasive species by turning crabs into whiskey.
Today in Health Care, White House officials began discussing plans to expand eligibility for a second COVID-19 vaccine booster to include more age groups, although the number of Americans who received the first booster shot still less.
Welcome to Overnight Health Care, where we’re following up on the latest on policy and news affecting your health. For The Hill, we are Peter Sullivan, Nathaniel Wexel and Joseph Choi. subscribe here,
Officials discussing increasing booster eligibility
Biden administration health officials said Tuesday they are discussing authorizing a second COVID-19 booster shot for all adults, but downplayed any imminent recommendations.
- “Those talks have been going on for some time,” White House coronavirus coordinator Ashish Jha said in a press briefing on Tuesday. Jha said, however, that the final decision lies with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- “I know the FDA is looking at it, looking at it, and I know the CDC scientists are thinking about it and looking at the data as well. The decision is purely up to them,” Jha he said.
The White House is working hard to promote the second booster shots to Americans over the age of 50, which have been authorized since late March. People 12 years of age and older who are immunized are also eligible.
Interval in Booster: But while about 67 percent of all Americans have been fully vaccinated against the virus, only 34 percent of eligible Americans have received a booster dose, according to federal data. In addition, health officials are working on a fall booster campaign that will target specific variants of Omicron, as evidence shows immunity is being reduced by the first booster series.
Read more here.
Dams want to protect those traveling for abortions
A group of Senate Democrats unveiled legislation Tuesday to protect a person’s ability to travel across states to receive fertility care, such as abortion and contraception.
The bill, titled “Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act 2022” was introduced by Democratic Sens Patty Murray (Wash.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.).
Citing prior Supreme Court rulings on interstate travel along with the 14th Amendment, the bill explicitly “prohibits or en route to sanction, hold liable, discriminate, or otherwise permit any person to travel to any other state.” or attempts to expressly outlaw any attempt to harm any person in order to obtain. Provide reproductive health care that is legal in that State.”
The bill would also invalidate state laws that went against the protections contained within it and give the U.S. Attorney General the ability to take civil action against states that enforce or attempt to enforce such laws.
Individuals and entities affected by possible laws restricting or penalizing travel for abortion would also be able to take civil action against states.
Read more here.
Fauci: Subvariant is serious, but ‘don’t let it disrupt our lives’
The government’s top infectious disease expert, Anthony Fauci, said on Tuesday that a new omicron subvariant is on the rise that should be taken seriously but not a cause for panic.
The subvariant, known as BA.5, now makes up the majority of COVID-19 cases in the United States. It is even more contagious than earlier forms of the virus, and has an increased ability to evade the protections of vaccines and prior infections.
- “We shouldn’t let this hinder our lives, but we can’t deny that it’s a reality that we need to deal with,” Fauci told a White House press briefing.
- “It’s something that a, we don’t panic, b, we don’t let it disrupt our lives, but we take it seriously and use the tools we have to reduce it,” he later couple.
The White House on Tuesday released a fact sheet with its plan to fight the subvariant, which was largely a continuation of measures the administration had previously insisted on.
Read more here.
Amazon, research center partners on cancer vaccine
Amazon will collaborate with the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle on a Food and Drug Administration-approved clinical trial for a cancer vaccine.
According to a filing with the National The Institute of Health, Fred Hutch, is testing a “personalized” vaccine for patients with late-stage melanoma skin cancer and some breast cancers that have spread throughout the body or are not responding to other treatments.
Fred Hutch is listed as a sponsor of the trial and Amazon is listed as the sole ally. Both aimed to recruit 20 participants over the age of 18 with skin and breast cancer for their phase 1 trial.
- The trial will meet the 25-week regimen of vaccines, absent any complications, and offer follow-up over the next 12 months.
- A company spokesperson told The Hill in a statement that Amazon is providing “scientific and machine learning expertise” for the latest Fred Hutch effort. The vaccine is in the early stages, and “it is not clear whether it will be successful.”
The first participant enrolled on June 9, and the study is expected to be completed by November 1, 2023.
Read more here.
Abortion decisions causing health care ‘chaos’, panel warns
The Supreme Court’s decision to end the constitutional right to abortion is creating “chaos” in the health care sector as some states see a spike in women seeking abortions and physicians are unsure of their legal rights, lawmakers said. was told in a hearing on Tuesday.
The ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization has created a patchwork of abortion laws across the country, with legal battles now underway at the state level to determine which laws will be enforced, and whether they constitute state formation. follow.
The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Tuesday on the legal reality surrounding abortion and reproductive care after Row America.
Influence: Colleen McNicholsThe chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood for the St. Louis area and southwest Missouri told lawmakers that physicians are afraid of prescribing certain drugs that could contribute to abortions or be used for abortions because of potential legal repercussions.
“We are already seeing massive chaos among OBGYNs, emergency room physicians and quite frankly pharmacists. We’re talking about people who are being denied or delayed care for pregnancy and non-pregnancy-related conditions,” McNichols said.
Read more here.
event invites
America’s Retirement Safe, Wednesday, July 13 at 8am ET
A recent Gallup poll shows that 63% of Americans are “worried about having enough for retirement.” How can diversification affect portfolio retirement security? And which policies will actually ensure a secure retirement for Americans? Contributing editor Steven Clemons sits down Sen. Pat Tommy (R-Pa.), Chief Economist of BPC Jason Fichnerof the Ohio School Employee Retirement System Farooqui Majeed even more. RSVP today
what are we reading
- Genetically engineered pig hearts transplanted into dead people (The Verge)
- Why this important opportunity to get permanent birth control (NPR) is often missed
- More men seeking vasectomy after Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade (CBS News)
state by state
- The brain-eating amoeba that infected a swimmer in Iowa is increasingly found in northern states (NBC News)
- UVM Health Network requests double-digit rate hike, citing inflation and pandemic pressures (VTDigger)
- COVID hospitalizations double in Houston, TMC data shows, as new edition spreads (Houston Chronicle)
OP-EDS in the hill
To restore faith in science, to make it accessible; This way
That’s all for today, thanks for reading. Check out the Hills Health Care page for the latest news and coverage. see you tomorrow.
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