What the Health? From KFF Health News: New Flu Vax? FDA Says No Thanks
The host
Julie Rovner Health News KFF
@julierovner.bsky.social Read Julie’s stories. Julie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KFF Health News’ weekly health policy news podcast, “What the Health?” A renowned expert on health policy issues, Julie is the author of the critically acclaimed reference work “Health Care Politics and Policy A to Z,” now in its third edition.
The Food and Drug Administration is in the news again, with a political appointee rescinding authorization for agency scientists to reject an application from drugmaker Moderna for a new flu vaccine, and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary continues to receive criticism from anti-abortion Republicans in the Senate for alleged delays in reviewing the safety of mifepristone, an abortion pill.
Meanwhile, in a highly unlikely duo, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts, and Sen. Josh Hawley, conservative Republican of Missouri, are co-sponsoring legislation aimed at breaking up health care “vertical integration” — when a single company owns health insurers, pharmaceutical middlemen and clinician practices.
This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Health News, Jackie Fortiér of KFF Health News, Lizzy Lawrence of Stat and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico.
Panelists
Jackie Fortiér KFF Health News Read Jackie’s stories.
Lizzy Lawrence STAT News
@lizzylawrence.bsky.social Prepare Lizzy’s stories.
Alice Miranda Ollstein Politics
@alicemiranda.bsky.social Read Alice’s stories.
Among the takeaways from this week’s episode:
- A top FDA official has overruled agency staff’s refusal to review Moderna’s application for a new flu vaccine. The rejection, which Moderna disputes, comes after the company consulted with the agency under President Joe Biden on how to develop the vaccine’s clinical trial and subsequently spent significant time and money. Clear and consistent federal guidance is important to maintaining the drug development ecosystem, and the decision serves as a warning to other companies developing new treatments.
- As measles cases rise and confidence in federal vaccine recommendations declines, the Vaccine Integrity Project, based at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy, and the American Medical Association are launching their own vaccine review process — a parallel vaccine recommendation project offering an alternative to what are seen as ideologically driven federal recommendations.
- President Donald Trump unveiled the new TrumpRx website, billed as helping people save money on prescription drugs. But the site’s offerings are limited and offer limited benefits: It’s aimed only at those trying to buy drugs without insurance coverage, and some of the biggest savings are on popular obesity medications rather than other commonly needed treatments. Still, it offers Trump a chance to put his name to an initiative to lower drug prices.
- And more and more news reports are highlighting the health-related side effects of Trump’s immigration crackdown, including the outbreak of infectious diseases in detention centers. Although some problems are not new in immigration enforcement, the large number of people detained intensifies the problems.
Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy articles they read this week that they think you should also read:
Julie Rovner: “Dilley’s Children” from ProPublica, by Mica Rosenberg.
Alice Miranda Ollstein: Politico’s “Why Washington Is Fully Investing in Smart Rings,” by Amanda Chu.
Lizzy Lawrence: KFF Health News “American Cancer Institute studies ‘ivermectin’s ability to kill cancer cells'” by Rachana Pradhan.
Jackie Fortier: “New childhood vaccine guidelines have a paid leave problem,” by Ariana Hendrix.
Also mentioned in this week’s episode:
- “Prasad Overturns FDA Staff’s Rejection of Moderna’s Flu Vaccine Application” from Stat, by Lizzy Lawrence.
- “Public health workers resign following Guantanamo assignments,” by Amy Maxmen.
- KFF Health News “’I Can’t Tell You’: Lawyers and Relatives Struggle to Find Hospitalized ICE Detainees,” by Claudia Boyd-Barrett.
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Francis Ying Audio Producer Emmarie Huetteman Editor
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