Public Health

Latest California Healthline Stories

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: The Invisible Pandemic

Covid cases are again climbing, but you wouldn’t know it from the behavior of public health and elected officials, much less the general public, all of whom seem to want to put the pandemic in the rearview mirror. Meanwhile, the fallout over the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion on abortion continues even as the Senate fails — again — to muster the votes to write abortion rights into law. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists suggest their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.

Why Won’t More Older Americans Get Their Covid Booster?

Approximately 1 in 3 Americans 65 and older who completed their initial vaccination round still have not received a first booster shot. The numbers dismay researchers, who say the lag has cost tens of thousands of lives.

Is Paxlovid, the Covid Pill, Reaching Those Who Most Need It? The Government Won’t Say

Many public health workers are unable to see how many doses of Pfizer’s antiviral treatment are shipped to their communities and cannot tell whether vulnerable residents are filling prescriptions as often as their wealthier neighbors.

¿Por qué más adultos mayores no reciben los refuerzos contra covid?

Según los CDC, aproximadamente 1 de cada 3 estadounidenses mayores de 65 años que completaron su ronda inicial de vacunación aún no han recibido la primera vacuna de refuerzo. Investigadores enfatizan que este grupo sigue teniendo el mayor riesgo de enfermedad grave y muerte por covid-19.

Ripple Effects of Abortion Restrictions Confuse Care for Miscarriages

In Texas, where anyone can face a hefty fine of at least $10,000 if they abet an abortion, medical professionals on the front lines face tough quandaries when treating patients who have a miscarriage, a scenario that could soon play out around the country if abortion restrictions tighten.