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The United States’ quick return to normalcy following the dissemination of COVID-19 vaccines underscores the importance of making health care innovations accessible to all. The Biden administration has helped us bounce back quickly by making sure that no one would miss the chance to get vaccinated based on their income or insurance coverage. As we continue to keep COVID-19 vaccinations easily accessible to everyone, we should similarly prioritize accessibility in the fight against another dangerous virus. (Celine Graae, 9/24)

In the mid-1960s, I was a young National Health Service houseman in London specializing in obstetrics. One day I was called to the accident and emergency (A&E) department to see a young woman who was bleeding vaginally. Before examining her, I asked her some basic questions. She told me that she had recently arrived from Australia and that she had had her last period around eight weeks prior. On examination I found a small amount of blood and I extracted a tiny fetus, compatible with an eight week pregnancy. (Milton Simanowitz, 9/27)

America now faces the very real possibility that in just a few months’ time, the Supreme Court will interpret the U.S. Constitution to no longer protect the right to abortion. On September 1, S.B. 8—the most stringent abortion ban since before Roe v. Wade—took effect in Texas. Completely ignoring the protections of Roe, the Supreme Court refused to intervene. Though the Court’s decision was procedural in nature, it speaks volumes about the justices’ view on the importance of abortion rights and the future of Roe. That will matter greatly when, later this term, the Court decides a different abortion case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, addressing a Mississippi law that, like S.B. 8 and the copycat laws coming down the pike, challenges the fundamental holding of Roe by banning abortion before fetal viability. If the Court does overturn Roe, much of the American legal landscape—and with it, the lived experiences of millions—could change overnight, and the result will be a giant, legal mess. (Greer Donley, David S. Cohen and Rachel Rebouche, 9/27)

Children ages 5 to 11 will soon be getting vaccinated against COVID-19. As we celebrate that milestone, we must also acknowledge our collective blindness to the problem of needle pain. Our health care system does not prioritize simple accommodations that research shows are effective in reducing needle pain and fear. This produces needle phobic adults, some of whom avoid important medical care throughout their lifespan as a consequence. An estimated quarter of the adult population has needle fear, and while there are many reasons for current vaccine hesitancy, needle phobia is an important, misunderstood factor. (Jocelyn A. Sze, 9/27)

In the 1970s, when there was still a concrete correlation between one’s academic average and admission to graduate school, a student like me had to proceed carefully. Many a grade point average had taken a torpedo amidships, launched from courses with the innocent titles such as “An Introduction to Atmospheric Science” or “The Geology of National Parks.” The law school-bound undergraduate therefore enrolled in the occasional easy-to-pass “gut” course that could help buoy the GPA while he or she struggled through philosophy or European history. (Hugh Hewitt, 9/27)

It’s notoriously difficult to recruit people to participate in clinical trials. It’s even harder to ensure that trials are ethnically, racially, and socioeconomically diverse. The idea of paying people to participate has been floated as an option to improve recruitment, but I believe fundamental problems in the clinical trial mechanism need to be addressed before moving in that direction. (C.K. Wang, 9/28)

Health is wealth. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the truth of these words, devastating the physical well-being of millions of Americans and crippling our economy. As individuals, good health allows us to live, work and contribute to our communities. As a nation, our people’s health is critical to maintaining a dynamic and stable economy. That is why we must invest in health care for our national survival and success. (Rep. Nanette Barragan and Louise McCarthy, 9/27)