Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives: Paxlovid Is Most Effective Covid Remedy; DeSantis Stoking Covid Vaccine Fears
It's the most effective treatment to prevent severe COVID – a pill called Paxlovid that studies show can be close to 90% effective in reducing the risk of severe disease. (Fran Kritz, 12/16)
Vaccines work. A mathematical model, based on country-level data, found they directly saved some 15.5 million lives worldwide in the first year they were available, and millions more indirectly. (12/18)
The high cost of prescription drugs is a very real problem in the United States. The average American spends approximately $1,300 per year on prescription drugs, more than residents of any other country in the world. And for some new medications, it seems the sky’s the limit when it comes to cost. (Matthew Gibbs, 12/15)
Puberty blockers suppress estrogen and testosterone, hormones critical to children's physical development. Little is known about the long-term implications of these powerful drugs because of a lack of research on the topic, but existing studies show that puberty blockers negatively impact bone density (increasing the likelihood of osteoporosis) and brain development during adolescence. (Kate Anderson, 12/20)
