Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Mpox Cases Spike In Los Angeles County
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced on Monday that there was a "concerning increase" of mpox, or monkeypox, cases that have been reported in the last two weeks.聽Officials say that 10 new cases have been reported, which is a troubling jump from the countywide average of less than two cases per week in recent months.聽(6/17)
On bird flu, covid, pneumococcus, and extreme heat 鈥
The American population has little to no pre-existing immunity to the H5N1 avian flu virus circulating on dairy and poultry farms, according to preliminary findings from ongoing testing by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In other developments, outbreaks in dairy herds continue to be reported at a steady pace, along with sporadic detections in poultry flocks. (Schnirring, 6/17)
The state of Kansas filed a lawsuit on Monday against pharmaceutical company Pfizer, alleging the company made 鈥渕isleading claims鈥 about the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine and the risks associated with the shot. The suit, filed by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach (R) in the District Court of Thomas County, claims Pfizer misled Kansas residents about the risks of the company鈥檚 COVID-19 shot when it claimed it was safe and allegedly hid evidence of the shot鈥檚 link to myocarditis and pregnancy issues. (Nazzaro, 6/17)
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved Merck鈥檚 new vaccine designed to protect adults from a bacteria known as pneumococcus that can cause serious illnesses and a lung infection called pneumonia, the drugmaker said. (Constantino, 6/17)
Dozens of environmental, labor and health care groups banded together on Monday to file a petition to push the Federal Emergency Management Agency to declare extreme heat and wildfire smoke as 鈥渕ajor disasters,鈥 like floods and tornadoes. The petition is a major push to get the federal government to help states and local communities that are straining under the growing costs of climate change. If accepted, the petition could unlock FEMA funds to help localities prepare for heat waves and wildfire smoke by building cooling centers or installing air filtration systems in schools. (Andreoni, 6/17)
