News Team member Aanya Ravichander reports on the struggles refugee women in Georgia face in accessing healthcare and the possible solutions to build support and trust in medical settings.
Long a ‘Crown Jewel’ of Government, N.I.H. Is Now a Target
By Teddy Rosenbluth and Emily Anthes, New York Times
The National Institute of Health (NIH) is the world’s leading public funder for biomedical research. In fact, the NIH contributed to the development of more than 99 percent of federally approved drugs between 2010 and 2019, earning its reputation as “the crown jewel of the federal government.” The incoming administration, however, has plans to upend the NIH, raising concerns among experts.
The NIH has had bipartisan support for most of its existence, but is now facing criticism from the President-Elect and incoming Congressional Republicans. Robert F. Kennedy, the new administration’s pick for Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, hopes to steer the NIH to focus on chronic diseases, proposing a “break” from infectious disease research.
The NIH includes 27 institutes that are focused on specific health topics. Tens of billions of dollars of NIH funding is already allocated to studying chronic diseases. The plan to decrease funding for infectious disease research could also inadvertently harm progress in chronic illness research, as scientific investigations often overlap and are not confined to isolated categories.
Critics worry that investing in evidence-based research is not a priority for the incoming leadership. The reforms planned by the new administration are likely to hit legal barriers and would need significant support from Congress.
— by Aanya Ravichander
Respiratory illness season begins to ramp up now. Here’s what’s already starting to hit
By Deidre McPhillips, CNN
The holiday season is historically marked by an increase in cases of respiratory illness. This season, the CDC reports that COVID-19 cases are currently nearly the lowest they’ve been since the start of the pandemic. Flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases are currently circulating at relatively low levels, though the number of associated emergency department visits is beginning to rise.
The CDC expects the upcoming respiratory disease season to be less severe than last year, but hospitalization rates are still expected to exceed pre-pandemic levels. The potential emergence of new COVID-19 variants remains a key factor in these projections. Vaccination is critical to prevent a surge in hospitalizations. Only 1 in 5 adults and 1 in 12 children, however, have received the updated COVID-19 vaccine for this season. Flu vaccination rates are also low, with only 37 percent of adults and 33 percent of children vaccinated so far. This number is significantly lower than in the last six years.
Vaccination is especially important for young children, as they face unique risks from respiratory illnesses. Smaller airways make breathing more difficult when inflamed, increasing the severity of illnesses like RSV. Another respiratory disease, known as walking pneumonia, is spreading rapidly among young children. The simultaneous circulation of multiple respiratory illnesses places significant strain on hospitals. Experts emphasize the importance of monitoring respiratory illness trends throughout the holiday season and staying up to date with the COVID-19 and flu vaccines to mitigate the burden of illness on individuals and healthcare systems.
— by Stephanie Oehler
Nursing Homes Fell Behind on Vaccinating Patients for Covid
By Sarah Boden, KFF Health News
A CDC report, published in April, found that just 4 in 10 nursing home residents in the U.S. received an updated COVID vaccine in the winter of 2023 to 2024. Additionally, during January’s COVID peak, the rate of hospitalizations among nursing home residents was more than eight times that of all U.S. adults, age 70 and older.
The CDC recommended that adults 65 and older get an additional dose of an updated vaccine if they have not yet received one in more than four months. Most nursing home patients who have only received one COVID shot in fall or winter are considered to be falling behind on the COVID vaccination schedule.
An additional challenge to this issue is that vaccine hesitancy remains present among the overall population, especially as it relates to COVID.
Nursing homes are required to educate both patients and staff on the importance of COVID vaccinations, but many do not do this. This is seen in the 40 percent vaccination rate in nursing homes nationwide.
This low vaccination rate is seen by many public health officials as the result of a bigger issue within these facilities, the lack of trust in the relationships between staff and residents.
— by Alexa Morales
Most Rural Hospitals Have Closed Their Maternity Wards, Study Finds
By Sarah Kliff, New York Times
A new study confirms that over 500 hospitals have closed their labor and delivery departments since 2010. This leaves most rural hospitals and a third of urban hospitals without obstetric healthcare. This study, ending in 2022, doesn’t account for the rapid decrease in obstetric care following the overturn of Roe v. Wade and abortion bans.
The closures of rural maternity wards have led to increased birthing in the emergency room and outside of hospitals, according to Dr. Kozhimannil, the study’s lead author. The reason for these closures is primarily because of pay rates. Obstetric departments tend to garner less profit, due to Medicaid covering most births. The result is that hospitals get paid a flat rate for each birth, leaving the physicians and nurses underpaid.
Patients may be forced to give birth in other countries if they want hospital care. Healthcare providers are worried for the safety of new mothers and hope for change.
— by Harika Adusumilli
Items summarized by: Aanya Ravichander, Stephanie Oehler, Alexa Morales, Harika Adusumilli
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