CalMatters: California's 'Tripledemic' Season Is Off To A Mild Start. What To Know About Fly, RSV and Covid
“We are seeing pretty decent matches with the flu vaccine, which is going to help and we haven’t seen a big take off locally and nationally yet of the flu,”  said Dr. Marlene Millen, an internal medicine doctor at UC San Diego. (Agrawal, 11/6)

San Diego Union-Tribune: Vaccination Against Virus That Attacks Respiratory System Gets Off To Slow Start For Pregnant Women, Infants 
Many hoped that newly approved vaccines and antibody treatments would immediately usher in broad-based protections for babies against respiratory syncytial virus infection, but the numbers show that this is not yet the case. (Sisson, 11/6)

The New York Times: Some Covid Vaccines Are Still Hard To Find
Scott Lee, an entrepreneur who lives in North Bergen, N.J, said that when he tried to find a Novavax shot through the C.D.C.’s vaccine finder, it sometimes showed the shots as available when they actually were not, and some independent pharmacies that may have the shot weren’t listed. When he tried to book an appointment online at CVS, he had to fill out a lengthy scheduling form — only to realize at the end that he needed to speak with a pharmacist by phone first to get a Novavax shot. “It’s been a bit of a disaster,” Mr. Lee said. CVS has since updated its website to say that the Novavax vaccine is carried at all locations and that appointments are not required. (Sheikh, 11/6)

The Desert Sun: Free COVID-19, RSV Vaccine Clinic To Be Held At Demuth Community Center
A free COVID-19 and RSV vaccine clinic will be available for children and adults from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Demuth Community Center, located at 3601 E. Mesquite Ave., Palm Springs. (Sasic, 11/6)

Medical Xpress: Researchers Develop A Nasal Vaccine That Prevents COVID-19 In Preclinical Studies
A team of University of Maryland researchers developed a nasal spray vaccine that delivers the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein into cells of the airway in mice and hamsters, triggering an immune response that significantly reduced infection and spread of COVID-19. The technology can be adapted to induce immunity to other respiratory illnesses, such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections. (Cutlip, 11/6)

CIDRAP: Childhood Abuse Linked To Higher Risk Of Adult COVID-19 Death
A new study from researchers at the University of Pittsburgh shows adults who suffered childhood abuse or neglect were more likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19 or die from the virus in adulthood. The study was published last week in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. (Soucheray, 11/6)

CIDRAP: Partial Recall: Personal Beliefs May Skew Pandemic Memories, Deepen Polarization
Personal motivations color people's memories of the COVID-19 pandemic, biasing their assessment of past political actions and complicating emergency-preparedness planning, suggests an analysis of four empirical studies. For the review, published last week in Nature, a team led by researchers from the University of Bamberg in Germany and the University of Chicago evaluated the results of surveys of 10,776 vaccinated and unvaccinated German and Austrian adults about pandemic-related risk perceptions, protective behaviors, and trust in government and science. (Van Beusekom, 11/6)

Becker's Hospital Review: California Health System's New Tool Targets Shorter Wait Times
Tahoe Forest Health System, based in Truckee, Calif., released a new tool that allows patients in need of urgent care services to reserve their spot at Tahoe Forest Urgent Care clinics in Truckee and Tahoe City before their visit. (Diaz, 11/6)

San Diego Union-Tribune: Two Up, Three Down In Latest Hospital Safety Report Card For San Diego County 
Though most held steady, a total of five hospitals in San Diego gained or lost a grade in the latest safety report from the Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit that grades medical provider performance nationwide each spring and fall. (Sisson, 11/6)

Becker's Hospital Review: Where Are Leapfrog's 11 'F' Hospitals?
Four California hospitals made the list of 11 nationwide to receive an "F" grade in The Leapfrog Group's fall safety ratings released Nov. 6. New York is the state with the second most on the short list with two hospitals receiving an "F" grade.  (Hollowell, 11/6)

Becker's Hospital Review: Where Are Leapfrog's 18 Straight-'A' Hospitals?
Here are the 18 hospitals that have achieved 24 consecutive "A" grades. (Taylor, 11/6)

Fox News: A Quarter Of US Medical Students Consider Quitting School And Most May Not Treat Patients: New Survey 
Among the next generation of doctors, many are considering quitting medical school even before donning their long white coats. A quarter of all medical students in the United States might quit school. That’s according to a new report from Elsevier Health, which surveyed students to get their perspectives on education, career plans and expectations for the future of health care. (Sudhakar, 11/6)

The Washington Post: Biden Administration Seeks To Crack Down On Private Medicare Health Plans 
The Biden administration is proposing a fresh crackdown on private health plans that have grown to cover half of the people on Medicare, restricting marketing practices as part of an effort to help consumers in the federal insurance system for older and disabled Americans get the health services they need. Under a draft rule issued Monday by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Medicare Advantage plans would be required to work harder to encourage customers to make use of extra benefits available to them, rather than the companies merely invoking them as a selling point. (Goldstein, 11/6)

USA Today: Biden Tackles Medicare Advantage Plans: These Are The Proposed Changes
“We want to ensure that taxpayer dollars actually provide meaningful benefits to enrollees,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. If finalized, the proposed rules rolled out Monday could also give seniors faster access to some lower-cost drugs. Administration officials said the changes, which are subject to a 60-day comment period, build on recent steps taken to address what they called confusing or misleading advertisements for Medicare Advantage plans. (Groppe, 11/6)

Reuters: Exclusive: Cigna Explores Shedding Medicare Advantage Business -Sources
U.S. health insurer Cigna Group (CI.N) is exploring the sale of its Medicare Advantage business, which manages government health insurance for people aged 65 and older, a move that would mark a reversal of its expansion in the sector, according to people familiar with the matter. Cigna, which got into the Medicare Advantage business with its $3.8 billion acquisition of HealthSpring in 2011, would be backing away at a time the U.S. government is tightening its purse strings in reimbursing health insurers for their services, should it go through with the move. (Carnevali, 11/6)

Stat: On Drug Prices, HHS Secretaries Becerra And Azar Duke It Out
Two very different health secretaries took the stage Monday to defend their presidents’ plans — failed and not — to bring down high drug costs. President Biden’s Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra praised Medicare’s new powers to negotiate drug prices, fighting back against the now-common refrain that it would delay drug launches and curb innovation, this time lodged by Trump HHS Secretary Alex Azar. (Owermohle, 11/6)

Modern Healthcare: CMS, HHS Understate 340B 'Clawback's' Financial Impact, Lawyers Say
Providers participating in the 340B drug discount program will receive $9 billion by early next year under a regulation finalized Thursday designed to compensate hospitals for 340B payment cuts in previous years. Industry pushback could set the stage for another protracted legal battle surrounding the 340B program, which offers estimated 25%-50% discounts on outpatient prescription medicines to safety-net hospitals and other providers that treat low-income and uninsured patients. (Kacik, 11/6)

Politico: Gun Rights And Domestic Violence Collide At Supreme Court — But Justices Will Be Looking To The Past 
The justices will reach for their historian hats again Tuesday as the Supreme Court confronts the latest test of gun rights in modern America: whether people accused of domestic violence have a right to carry firearms. A 29-year-old federal law says no. It bars people under domestic violence protective orders from possessing guns. But when the court hears arguments on the constitutionality of that law, the justices likely will focus on whether the law meets a “text, history, and tradition” test the court laid out just last year for gun-rights cases. (Gerstein, 11/7)

The Wall Street Journal: Texas Man With History Of Wantonly Firing AR-15 Could Gut Gun Laws Nationwide
Zackey Rahimi pulled a gun on his ex-girlfriend in a parking lot and shot at a witness who saw them arguing, prompting a Texas family court to issue a protective order in 2020 temporarily forbidding him from possessing firearms. Rahimi ignored the order, authorities say, going on to threaten another woman with a gun, fire an AR-15 into the house of one of his narcotics customers, and shoot into the air at a Whataburger drive-through after his friend’s credit card was declined. That led to his conviction under a 1994 federal law prohibiting people under domestic-violence orders from possessing guns—and set up the latest chapter in the modern history of the Second Amendment.  (Bravin, 11/6)

The New York Times: Texas Man At Center Of Supreme Court Case Says He No Longer Wants Guns
In a handwritten letter from jail, the man at the center of a major Supreme Court gun rights case to be heard on Tuesday apologized for going down “a wrong path” and wrote that he would no longer carry a gun. “I will make sure for sure this time that when I finish my time being incarcerated to stay the faithful, righteous person I am this day,” the man, Zackey Rahimi, wrote. He added that he wanted “to stay away from all firearms and weapons, and to never be away from my family again.” Despite Mr. Rahimi’s vows in the July 25 letter addressed to a local judge and prosecutor, gun rights advocates acknowledge that he is not an ideal poster boy for the Second Amendment. (VanSickle, 11/6)

NBC News: Kids Who Survive Gun Injuries Suffer Increases In Pain, Psychiatric Disorders: Study
Through one year after a firearm injury, children and teens experienced a 117% increase in pain disorders, a 68% increase in psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, anxiety, depression and psychosis, and a 144% increase in substance use disorders relative to the controls. “Our results suggest that the struggles of the survivors on a daily basis to recover, to heal, to get by and make it to the next day is a challenging road,” said Dr. Zirui Song, one of the paper’s authors and a primary care physician and associate professor of health care policy and medicine at Harvard Medical School. (Mantel, 11/6)

CalMatters: California Workers Share Real-Life EDD Crisis Impacts 
Five million people — about 1 in 8 Californians — got stuck waiting for delayed payments from the California Employment Development Department. More than 375,000 unemployment debit cards were cut off without warning. As few as 1 in 1,000 workers calling for help got through on jammed state phone lines. (Hepler, 11/7)

Voice of San Diego: The Farmworkers Who Live In A Carlsbad Homeless Shelter
A homeless shelter in Carlsbad promises farmworkers in North County shelter while they provide for their families back home. (Layne, 11/6)

Military.com: VA Set Records For Number Of Appointments, Claims Processing, Compensation Over The Past Year
The Department of Veterans Affairs set records in multiple areas this past fiscal year -- a pace officials say they hope to continue in 2024 with targeted hiring for high-demand jobs, it announced Monday. The Veterans Health Administration, the VA's medical services arm, oversaw 116 million medical appointments in fiscal 2023, a 2.7% increase from the record set in fiscal 2022. And the Veterans Benefits Administration, which handles VA disability compensation and benefits, paid out $150 billion in compensation and benefits to 1.5 million veterans and survivors, a 39% increase, and processed nearly 2 million disability claims, up nearly 16%. (Kime, 11/6)

CBS News: Coalition Of Politicians, Health Organizations Demand White House Finalize FDA Ban On Menthol Cigarettes
Menthols, which are known for their minty taste, are easier to smoke and harder to quit. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, they are the choice of 81% of Black smokers, compared to 34% of white smokers. The White House Office of Management and Budget is currently reviewing an FDA proposal to prohibit menthol cigarettes and on Monday, local leaders called on the Biden administration to finalize those rules quickly. (Fan, 11/6)

Fox News: Ex-Law Enforcement Officials Warn Biden’s Menthol Cigarette Ban Could ‘Create A Vacuum’ For Mexican Cartels
Former law enforcement officials say Biden's proposed menthol cigarette ban will lead to a host of problems, including Mexican cartels saturating the U.S. black market. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed rules prohibiting menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars in April 2022. At the time, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said the action would protect children and benefit adult smokers. (Schoffstall, 11/6)

Pasadena Star News: Second Youth Escapes From Los Padrinos In Four Months, Prompting Call For Security Overhaul 
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn plans to call for an investigation and a security overhaul at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall following a weekend escape, the second in just four months since the facility reopened. (Henry, 11/6)

San Francisco Chronicle: Hazardous Materials Team Probes Incident At UC Berkeley
A hazmat team rushed to UC Berkeley’s social sciences building Monday afternoon to investigate a potential hazardous substance, according to the Berkeley Fire Department. (Parker, 11/6)

Reuters: Biden Admin Urges Court To Allow Confidential Contraceptive Access For Teens 
The Biden administration on Monday urged a federal appeals court to allow minors in Texas to access birth control through clinics funded by a federal program without having their parents notified. The administration is asking a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn a ruling by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, who last December ruled in favor of Alexander Deanda, a man who claimed that the so-called Title X family planning clinic program removed his right to direct his daughters' upbringing. (Pierson, 11/6)

Axios: IVF Doctors Could Use AI To Help Pick Embryos
AI could help people get pregnant. As doctors deal with overwhelming demand for fertility services, machine learning tools are offering ways to help streamline the IVF process. (Mallenbaum, 11/7)

USA Today: Parkinson's Disease Patient Reports Progress From Spinal Cord Implant
Marc Gauthier had trouble getting up from a chair. His steps were small and shaky and he would fall five or six times a day. His Parkinson's disease had gotten so bad he couldn't be left alone. The former architect and small-town mayor had been "reborn" once, two decades earlier, when he received an implant that stimulated his brain and stabilized his trembling hands. He was ready for another rebirth. ... Now, he's the subject of a study, published Monday, reporting his success. (Weintraub, 11/6)

The Washington Post: Fruit Pouch Recall Expands After More Illnesses Linked To Lead
Three companies have issued recalls for applesauce pouches marketed for children because they may contain elevated levels of lead. At least seven illnesses in five states have been linked to tainted puree, regulators say. Schnuck Markets Inc. of St. Louis announced a recall of certain applesauce pouches because of “elevated levels of lead found in the cinnamon raw material” used by Austrofood SAS, which manufactures the pouches. WanaBana and the Weis supermarket chain took similar action. (Gregg, 11/6)