Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: It's Time To Update Laws On Food Allergies; Abortion Exceptions In Texas Are Too Complex
In 2009, Massachusetts was the first state to pass a restaurant food allergy training law But the law needs to be updated. For the past three legislative sessions I have worked with state Senator Cynthia Creem, state Representative Carmine Gentile, regional nonprofit AAFA New England, and Food Allergy Research & Education in support of passing a common-sense, bipartisan bill that would expand and update the state’s food allergy restaurant training law. (Nicole Arpiarian, 6/5)
The Texas Supreme Court’s rulings leave the onus on the Texas Medical Board to provide guidance as perhaps the last lifeline left for pregnant women seeking emergency abortions. As we’ve written, the board’s initial proposed guidance failed to give physicians the protection some were asking for, including a clear, but not limited, list of specific medical conditions that would warrant an exemption to the abortion ban. (6/5)
Two programs in Boston to house people struggling with addiction were considered a success, which made the news of their impending closures a head-scratcher. After all, wouldn’t the state want to continue the programs if they were working — keeping people off the streets and giving them a pathway to recovery? (6/5)
Here’s what we know about Dr. Anthony S. Fauci: As a staff member at the National Institutes of Health for 54 years and director of its National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases for 38 years, Fauci was a key figure in the development of therapies for HIV and ensuring that funding was available for the search for a cure. (Michael Hiltzik, 6/4)