Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Youth Gender-Affirming Care Is Shifting; Half Of CDC Surveillance Systems Have Gone Quiet
American doctors are no longer united on the wisdom of medicalizing gender dysphoria in minors. (Helen Lewis, 2/12)
A study published recently in Annals of Internal Medicine confirmed what many clinicians had begun to suspect: Nearly half of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s regularly updated surveillance databases have gone dark. Of 82 databases that were updated at least monthly at the start of 2025, 38 have stopped — no new data, no explanation, no timeline for resumption. Eighty-seven percent of the paused databases are vaccination-related. (Robert B. Shpiner, 2/13)
The next phase of direct-to-consumer health care involves several companies, including Amazon, beginning to fill prescriptions for common medications at electronic kiosks. These kiosks carry drugs used by millions of patients in the U.S. (T. Joseph Mattingly II and Mark A. Munger, 2/13)
Regulators move the goalposts for a manufacturer that uses mRNA technology. (2/11)
Adults should also stay up-to-date with vaccines. Here’s where to go for trusted guidance. (Leana S. Wen, 2/12)
