Organ Centers to Transplant Patients: Get a Covid Shot or Move Down on Waitlist
At issue is whether transplant patients who refuse the shots are not only putting themselves at greater risk for serious illness and death from covid-19, but also squandering scarce organs that could benefit others.
KHN鈥檚 鈥榃hat the Health?鈥: Abortion Politics Front and Center
The polarizing abortion issue threatens to tie up Congress, the Supreme Court and the states for the coming year. Meanwhile, Congress kicks the can down the road to December on settling its spending priorities. Joanne Kenen of Politico and the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Yasmeen Abutaleb of The Washington Post and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KHN鈥檚 Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.
Also this week, Rovner interviews KHN鈥檚 Aneri Pattani, who delivered the latest KHN-NPR 鈥淏ill of the Month鈥 episode about a covid test that cost as much as a luxury car.
Our Covid Cocoon: The Parents Aren鈥檛 Alright (But Help May Be Coming)
After experiencing multiple quarantines and school closures in less than two months, covid vaccine approvals for 5- to 11-year-olds can鈥檛 come soon enough for a KHN editor in Montana.
California Vaccine Mandate Extends to Aides for People With Disabilities
Even though they perform the same intimate tasks as nursing home and hospital workers, in-home health aides initially were left out of California鈥檚 vaccine mandate. They must be fully vaccinated by Nov. 30.
Student Nurses Who Refuse Vaccination Struggle to Complete Degrees
The Biden administration is requiring workers at health care facilities that accept Medicare and Medicaid payments to be vaccinated. For the minority of nursing students who have refused a shot, the new policy could mean they can鈥檛 get the training they need in a hospital or other health care venue.
Journalists Drill Down on Covid Vaccine Boosters, Misinformation Online
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here鈥檚 a collection of their appearances.
KHN鈥檚 鈥榃hat the Health?鈥: The Health Agenda Still on Hold
Negotiations continue on Capitol Hill over President Joe Biden鈥檚 health agenda 鈥 along with a long list of other items. With Republicans on the sidelines, liberal Democrats delayed a House vote on a Senate-passed infrastructure bill to extract moderates鈥 support for a social-spending bill that includes expansions of benefits for Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. Meanwhile, the Biden administration鈥檚 new rules to prevent 鈥渟urprise鈥 medical bills pleases some health stakeholders and angers others. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Tami Luhby of CNN and Kimberly Leonard of Insider join KHN鈥檚 Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also, Rovner interviews Anna Flagg of the Marshall Project about how a century-old report on medical education contributed to racial inequities that persist today.
A Colorado Town Is About as Vaccinated as It Can Get. Covid Still Isn鈥檛 Over There.
San Juan County, Colorado, is one of the most vaccinated counties in the U.S. Leaders across the country continue to expound on the vaccine as the path forward in the pandemic. But San Juan鈥檚 experience the past few weeks with its first covid hospitalizations shows that, even with an extremely vaccinated population, masks are still necessary.
Readers and Tweeters Feel Americans’ Pain
KHN gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Bomberos en la l铆nea de batalla se resisten a los mandatos de vacunaci贸n contra covid
Los bomberos han estado en el frente de batalla de la pandemia desde el principio. 驴Por qu茅 muchos se resisten a vacunarse contra covid?
Firefighters on Front Lines, No Strangers to Risk, Push Back Against Covid Vaccine Mandates
Among the people still reluctant to get vaccinated 鈥 and pushing against mandates 鈥 are firefighters, many of whom also respond to medical calls as paramedics and EMTs and have witnessed the ravages of the pandemic firsthand.
Who Qualifies for a Covid Booster? The List Is Growing Longer
KHN鈥檚 Sarah Jane Tribble and Arthur Allen join Science Friday host Ira Flatow to recap the evolving news in the run-up to offering booster shots for the covid vaccine.
From the FDA’s Empty Seat to Chock-Full ICUs, Journalists Recap the Week’s Stories
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here鈥檚 a collection of their appearances.
KHN鈥檚 鈥榃hat the Health?鈥: The Autumn of Democrats鈥 Discontent
Congress is back in session with a short time to finish a long to-do list, including keeping the government operating and paying its bills. Hanging in the balance is President Joe Biden鈥檚 entire domestic agenda, including major changes proposed for Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. Meanwhile, the new Texas abortion law that bans the procedure early in pregnancy is prompting action in Washington. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Mary Ellen McIntire of CQ Roll Call and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KHN鈥檚 Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also, Rovner interviews former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb about his new book on the covid-19 pandemic.
Will 鈥楧r. Disinformation鈥 Ever Face the Music?
Some of the top spreaders of spurious covid-19 and vaccine information are physicians with active medical licenses. Are medical oversight boards ready to step up to stop them?
At an Overrun ICU, 鈥榯he Problem Is We Are Running Out of Hallways鈥
Billings Clinic in Montana is past the tipping point as it looks for places to add intensive care unit beds and is on the cusp of rationing care to deal with the surge of sick covid patients in a state with significant anti-vaccination sentiment.
Public Health Experts 鈥楩labbergasted鈥 That Biden Still Hasn鈥檛 Picked an FDA Chief
The Food and Drug Administration has been mired in controversies related to drug approvals and covid vaccines, all without a permanent leader.
Cuando se desestima o estigmatiza a las muertes por covid, el dolor se mezcla con ira y verg眉enza
Las v铆ctimas de covid est谩n sufriendo la misma estigmatizaci贸n que los que mueren por sobredosis o suicidio. Ellos son los responsables, piensan algunos.
La m谩scara de tela, 驴es suficiente para proteger contra la variante delta?
Las m谩scaras siguen siendo una pieza fundamental en la lucha contra la pandemia, porque las personas se infectan principalmente con el SARS-CoV-2, el virus que causa covid-19, al inhalar peque帽as part铆culas de aerosol que permanecen en el ambiente y las gotas respiratorias que se producen al toser y estornudar.
I Got a ‘Mild’ Breakthrough Case. Here’s What I Wish I’d Known.
I was miserable for five days, am fully recovered a month later and have learned even more about what we do and don鈥檛 know about covid now.
