Vaccines
Biden’s New Plan to Combat COVID is a Start, but Experts Say There Is a Ways to Go
The plan includes vaccine mandates for federal workers and those at companies with 100 or more employees, but some experts say it doesn’t go far enough
Kaiser Health News
Public Health
Wildfire Smoke Drives People Indoors, Raising COVID Risk
The particulates in smoke also cause lung inflammation that may make people more susceptible to the virus
Policy
Supreme Court Upholds the Affordable Care Act—Again
By a vote of 7-2, the court declined to overturn the landmark health care law for the third time
Public Health
Labor Department Issues Emergency Rules to Protect Health Care Workers from COVID
The new rules would require employers to notify workers of possible exposure to the disease and to report deaths or hospitalizations to the government
Public Health
More Women Than Men Are Getting COVID Vaccines
The reasons may include women’s roles as caregivers and their greater likelihood of seeking out preventive health care in general
Public Health
Vermont to Give Minority Residents Priority for COVID Vaccines
But some health experts say people of color still need improved access to vaccination sites, along with more information
Public Health
Rapid COVID Tests Are Coming to Stores Near You
Companies backed by millions in public and private cash are racing to bring the tests to market
Public Health
COVID Cases Plummet among Nursing Home Staffers despite Vaccine Hesitancy
The decline suggests the vaccine is having an effect even though workers have been slower to take it than residents
Public Health
CDC’s ‘Huge Mistake’: Did Misguided Mask Advice Drive Up COVID Death Toll for Health Workers?
Until a month ago, the agency advised that a surgical mask was sufficient unless workers were performing “aerosol-generating procedures”
Medicine
New Johnson & Johnson Shot Prevents Severe COVID As Well As Existing Vaccines Do, Experts Say
Trials of all three vaccines came up with different efficacy numbers, but all offer crucial protection in this health emergency
