Federal officials are not relying on an established system to distribute the vaccine, slowing immunizations and burdening local health departments, critics say.
Tag Archives: Health and Human Services Department
U.S. Moves to Stretch Out Monkeypox Vaccine Supply
The approach would involve injecting one-fifth of the current dose into the skin instead of a full dose into underlying fat.
As Monkeypox Spreads, U.S. Plans to Declare a Health Emergency
The designation will free up emergency funds and lift some bureaucratic hurdles, but many experts fear containment may no longer be possible.
How the U.S. Let 20 Million Monkeypox Vaccine Doses Expire
At the start of the monkeypox outbreak the U.S. stockpile contained just 2,400 doses of vaccine, a far cry from the more than 20 million it once held.
As Monkeypox Spread in New York, 300,000 Vaccine Doses Sat in Denmark
The federal government adopted a wait-and-see response to the monkeypox outbreak, calling for more vaccines to be delivered only after cases were growing exponentially.
U.S. Tells Pharmacists Not to Withhold Pills That Can Cause Abortion
New Biden administration guidance warned that failing to dispense such drugs “may be discriminating” on the basis of sex or disability, citing other conditions that they can treat.
Under Pressure, Biden Will Issue Executive Order on Abortion
After the Supreme Court’s ruling, some of the president’s supporters have wanted him to push harder to protect abortion access, but details about what his new order will do remain unclear.
As Monkeypox Spreads, U.S. Plans a Vaccination Campaign
States will be given vaccine doses from the federal stockpile, but supplies of the safest type are limited.
‘No Magic Bullet’ for Preserving Abortion Access, Biden’s Health Secretary Says
With the White House under pressure to push back on the Supreme Court ruling on abortion, Xavier Becerra unveiled several steps aimed at protecting access to the procedure.
Louisiana Nursing Home Owner Faces Cruelty Charges in Deadly Hurricane Evacuation
Bob Glynn Dean Jr. faces Medicaid fraud and other criminal charges after sending more than 800 residents to a squalid warehouse in August 2021, when Hurricane Ida pummeled the state, the authorities said.
Bracing for the End of Roe v. Wade, the White House Weighs Executive Actions
The Biden administration has been deluged with ideas to help mitigate a Supreme Court ruling overturning abortion rights, but many come with legal risks.
Medicare Advantage Plans Often Deny Needed Care, Federal Report Finds
Investigators urged increased oversight of the program, saying that insurers deny tens of thousands of authorization requests annually.
F.D.A. Panel Weighs Challenges of Revamping Covid Vaccines for Fall
A meeting of the committee underscored how many uncertainties lie ahead, including whether a vaccine that works better against variants can be ready by fall.
Can Ashish Jha, ‘A Comforting Voice,’ Tamp Down Covid’s Political Divide?
Dr. Jha, the new White House coronavirus response coordinator, has built a reputation as a gifted communicator, but there is much more to the job.
Trucker Protest Moved by More Than Opposition to Covid Mandates
The demonstrators camped outside Washington are rallying against Covid restrictions, but are fueled by a far broader set of right-wing grievances.
After Stumbles, Biden’s Health Secretary Seeks a Reboot
A lawyer by training, Xavier Becerra helped pass the Affordable Care Act as a congressman, but he is not steeped in infectious disease. His tenure will be defined by how he handles the fallout from Covid-19.
Explaining the Claim About the Biden Administration and ‘Crack Pipes’
Conservatives have homed in on a specific provision in an overdose prevention grant program to make a misleading claim about crack pipes.
Vacancies in Top Health and Science Jobs May Threaten Biden’s Agenda
President Biden came into office vowing to respect science, but openings in crucial jobs could hamper progress on medical and technological research.
Biden Promised 500 Million Free Covid Tests. Then He Had to Find Them.
Millions of Americans are now receiving tests through the new mail program, which health experts said came too late to meet demand during the brunt of Omicron wave.
Biden’s Pandemic Fight: Inside the Setbacks of the First Year
The administration has gotten much right, but its response has been hampered by confusing messaging, a lack of focus on testing, fear of political blowback and the coronavirus’s unpredictability.
Insurers Will Have to Cover 8 At-Home Virus Tests Per Month
The Biden administration announced the new guidelines as it continued to work to get coronavirus tests to people regardless of their insurance status.
Margaret Giannini, Champion of People With Disabilities, Dies at 100
After meeting the parents of children with a range of disabilities, she decided almost on the spot to start a clinic to treat such children exclusively.
Federal Government Cuts Ties With Troubled Vaccine Maker
Emergent BioSolutions ruined millions of doses of Covid-19 vaccines. Now its $600 million deal is canceled.
Biden Officials End Ban on Abortion Referrals at Federally Funded Clinics
The change reversed a key piece of abortion policy set under the Trump administration.
Medicare Expansion Clashes With Health Care for the Poor as Budget Bill Shrinks
Under pressure to cut the bill’s cost, Democrats disagree over whether to offer more benefits to older Americans or to cover more of the working poor.
Biden Administration Seeks to Expand Telehealth in Rural America
New funding will allow more medical appointments to take place via video in rural communities, where some of the nation’s oldest and sickest patients live.
Phony Diagnoses Hide High Rates of Drugging at Nursing Homes
At least 21 percent of nursing home residents are on antipsychotic drugs, a Times investigation found.
Inside the Afghan Evacuation: Rogue Flights, Hope and Chaos
President Biden has insisted that the evacuation of Kabul was done as efficiently as possible. But key documents obtained by The New York Times suggest otherwise.
Biden Opens New Federal Office for Climate Change, Health and Equity
The office will be the first government effort to focus specifically on the public health dangers of global warming.
Alex Azar: Americans Need to Get a Covid-19 Vaccine
I oversaw the vaccines. They are safe and they work.
Touring the Border, Harris Asked Questions, and Had Few Answers
Advocates pushed the vice president to end Title 42, a Trump-era rule that allows the government to expel migrants for public health reasons.
Biden Officials Consider Phasing Out Rule That Blocked Migrants During Pandemic
Among the plans under consideration is whether to give migrant families a chance to apply for protections, and to possibly lifting the public health rule for single adults this summer.
Vaccine Maker Earned Record Profits but Delivered Disappointment in Return
Emergent BioSolutions was awarded a $628 million federal contract with no competitive bidding. Top executives received big bonuses while factories mostly sat idle and tens of millions of Covid-19 doses were thrown away.
Biden Administration Moves to Unkink Supply Chain Bottlenecks
A swath of recommendations calls for more investments, new supply chains and less reliance on other countries for crucial goods.
Biden Recognizes Pride Month, Vowing to Fight for LGBTQ Rights
The official recognition is a turnabout from the policies of President Donald J. Trump, who refused to acknowledge the celebration.
Democrats Quieter About Migrant Children Detention
House Democrats led angry efforts to denounce the Trump administration’s treatment of migrant children. With the issue bedeviling President Biden, they are voicing worries privately.
Big Hospital Chains Get Covid Aid, and Buy Up Competitors
The pandemic barely dented the financial outlook for some major networks, which continued to acquire weaker hospitals and ailing doctors’ practices. Critics worry consolidation leads to higher prices for medical care.
Migrant Children Still Vex Biden
The Biden administration’s drive to empty detention centers at the border has created new concerns as children fill emergency shelters run by the Department of Health and Human Services.
In New Vaccination Push, Biden Leans on His ‘Community Corps’
Frantic efforts to vaccinate people in an underserved area of Philadelphia underscore a difficult new stage of the nation’s vaccination campaign, as door-to-door efforts become the norm.
Biden Administration Restores Rights for Transgender Patients
Officials invited people subject to health care discrimination to file complaints. But formal rule-making will be needed before a Trump-era policy can be fully reversed.
Biden Administration Prohibits Health Care Discrimination vs. Transgender People
The administration reversed a Trump administration policy that said the Affordable Care Act’s protections did not apply to transgender people.
‘This Is Politics’: Dr. Rachel Levine’s Rise as Transgender Issues Gain Prominence.
President Biden’s assistant secretary for health is the highest-ranking openly transgender person ever to serve in the federal government.
Overcrowded Border Jails Give Way to Packed Migrant Child Shelters
Federal documents indicate that while the Biden administration has cleared migrant children from border detention centers, now shelters run by the Department of Health and Human Services are strained.
In Another Reversal, Biden Raises Limit on Number of Refugees Allowed Into the U.S.
The action comes about two weeks after President Biden announced that he was leaving the Trump administration’s limit of 15,000 refugees in place, prompting a swift backlash.
Indian Health Service Settles Dispute Over Care in New Mexico
The federal agency agreed to postpone for a year its proposal to cut service at a hospital serving 9,100 tribal citizens.
U.S. Shows Progress in Moving Migrant Children From Border Jails
New government statistics show a backlog of migrant children being held at Border Patrol facilities contrary to law has greatly diminished.
Biden Administration Ends Limit on Fetal Tissue Research
The decision reverses Trump administration rules and allows scientists to use tissue derived from elective abortions to develop treatments for diseases including cancer and AIDS.
Biden Administration Ends Limits on Use of Fetal Tissue for Research
The decision reverses Trump administration rules and allows scientists to use tissue derived from elective abortions to develop treatments for diseases including cancer and AIDS.
The Covid-19 Plasma Boom Is Over. What Did We Learn From It?
The U.S. government invested $800 million in plasma when the country was desperate for Covid-19 treatments. A year later, the program has fizzled.
Biden Wavers on Restricting Refugee Entry
The Biden administration will for now maintain a historically low refugee cap. But after a widespread backlash from Democrats, the White House said it would raise refugee admissions in May.