Health
Anthony Fauci, leader on federal COVID response, to step down in December
WASHINGTON — Anthony Fauci, one of the federal government’s leading public health figures, announced Monday he’ll be leaving his post in December, though he made clear he’s not retiring. The 81-year-old doctor who runs the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is part of the National Institutes of Health, became a household name […]
Senate candidates clash on abortion as race in Colorado heats up
As the summer drags on, temperatures are rising in Colorado’s closely-watched U.S. Senate race, with incumbent Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet and Republican challenger Joe O’Dea clashing over the issue of abortion rights. Bennet’s campaign began airing the race’s first attack ad last week, knocking O’Dea for his support for the GOP-appointed Supreme Court majority that […]
Socioeconomic status should not determine access to health care in America
As a public health equity intern and an African-American woman, I wanted to express my agreement with the findings expressed in Sara Wilson’s Newsline article “High Costs, Systemic Racism Plagues Health Care, Colorado Survey Finds.” Black and Indigenous Americans and people of color in the United States experience greater health disparities compared to their white […]
Colorado health department to publish weekly monkeypox data through online dashboard
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is now sharing additional monkeypox data online in a format similar to its COVID-19 dashboard. The data, which will be updated on a weekly basis, includes county case numbers, statewide demographic data and a chart that shows the overall trend of cases in the state. There have […]
Biden administration asks state, local officials to boost monkeypox vaccine outreach
WASHINGTON — Federal public health officials said Thursday they are working with state and local health departments to boost messaging and vaccinations for those most likely to contract monkeypox, including at large-scale events. But Biden administration officials at a press briefing also struggled to explain differing statements about how the vaccines should be administered, a […]
Colorado’s plan to import prescription drugs from Canada advances with signed contracts
Colorado has signed contracts with three companies that the state hopes will enable the eventual importation of low-cost prescription drugs from Canada. The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing announced Thursday that it has signed contracts with AdiraMedica, a wholesaler located in Canada that will be Colorado’s foreign fulfiller; Premier Pharmaceuticals, an Idaho-based […]
Twenty states, D.C. join in opposing Texas lawsuit on emergency abortion care
WASHINGTON — Attorneys general from 20 states and the District of Columbia filed a brief in federal court on Tuesday, challenging Texas’ assertion that states shouldn’t have to comply with a federal law that protects doctors who end a pregnancy to save the patient’s life. The brief argues the judge in the case shouldn’t grant […]
Abortion should be a kitchen table conversation
My mom began dating an obstetrician-gynecologist when I was in high school. While she always spoke openly about reproductive health care with me, our kitchen table conversations quickly turned into question and answer sessions with her new partner. When asked about his day, he described the differences in birth control methods, new technology for hysterectomies, […]
Biden administration proposes changing how monkeypox vaccine is administered
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration began encouraging health care providers Tuesday to change the way they’re administering vaccines to protect against monkeypox, in an attempt to stretch out doses fivefold. The latest shift in strategy comes as the administration races to curtail the spread of the virus, which jumped from 778 cases one month ago […]
How Medicare prescription drug coverage would change under U.S. Senate Democrats’ bill
WASHINGTON — A major spending bill from U.S. Senate Democrats would allow Medicare for the first time in its history to begin negotiating the prices of certain high-priced prescription drugs — a proposal that’s been around for years but has never come so close to the finish line. Under the legislation, Medicare would start negotiating […]
Colorado public health officials administer close to 10K monkeypox vaccine doses
Colorado is expanding its monkeypox vaccine distribution as federal allocation increases and the disease becomes a public health emergency. As of Aug. 3, the state has received 9,665 monkeypox vaccine doses. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment says it has administered, scheduled to administer, redistributed or planned to redistribute all of those doses. […]
Federal officials declare a public health emergency for monkeypox
WASHINGTON — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra announced Thursday a public health emergency for the monkeypox virus, which means the federal government can more quickly assist states with distributing vaccines and conducting testing and public health campaigns. “We’re prepared to take our response to the next level in addressing this […]