Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Paramedic-Given Ketamine Overdose Found As Cause Of Death In Colorado
Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old Black man whose death in 2019 after an encounter with police helped fuel calls for law enforcement accountability, died because paramedics injected him with a dose of ketamine that was too high for someone his size, according to an amended autopsy report publicly released Friday. The conclusion is a drastic departure from the original autopsy report, released several months after the fatal confrontation in Aurora, Colo., which said there was not enough evidence to determine how McClain died. (Hawkins, 9/24)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
Maine was set to receive about $11 million over the next six to 10 years as part of a nearly $440 million settlement between the manufacturer and 33 states and territories. The investigation found that Juul had marketed its products to youth. However, as part of the agreement, Juul wanted states to waive the rights of school districts to pursue their own lawsuits, according to the Maine AG’s Office. Maine wasn’t willing to agree to that. (Lundy, 9/23)
A San Mateo assisted-living facility is facing a wrongful death lawsuit after a second resident died from drinking cleaning fluid that was mistakenly served as juice. Peter Schroder Jr. was 93 years old when he died Sept. 7, 13 days after he drank the fluid during breakfast at Atria Park of San Mateo, according to the suit. Trudy F. Maxwell, 93, also died after the incident. (Turner and Green, 9/24)
It may become illegal to smoke anywhere but on private property in Encinitas under a proposal that’s now undergoing city review. Acting on the recommendation of the city’s Environmental Commission, the City Council directed city staff to develop an ordinance that would expand the city’s current ban on smoking in public places to include sidewalks and roadways. The vote was 4-0, with Councilmember Kellie Hinze absent. (Henry, 9/25)
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today reported another variant H1N2 (H1N2v) flu infection, this time in a Georgia child. Like most of the other similar cases, the child had contact with pigs and had attended agricultural fairs before symptoms began. (9/23)
Kimberly Thomas had to lie to receive the monkeypox vaccine — and she is not the only one. When a meager supply of doses became available at the Houston Health Department in July, the narrow eligibility criteria targeted men who have sex with men (MSM), specifically those with a confirmed exposure or multiple anonymous sex partners. When Thomas called to schedule an appointment, she was turned away. (Gill, 9/24)
