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Health Wire

Pandemic rift seen widening mortality gap between Republicans and Democrats

June 8, 2022, 8:26am Health

Republican-leaning counties in the U.S. experienced higher rates of premature death even before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, a study found, and researchers fear politically polarized responses to the virus could widen the gap. Read story

FILE - Pre-loaded syringes with COVID-19 vaccine are ready as medical staff vaccinate students at KIPP Believe Charter School in New Orleans, Jan. 25, 2022. More than $10 billion in coronavirus relief funds is being diverted from orders of at-home rapid tests and other pandemic-related efforts. The White House on Wednesday blamed the move on a funding crunch and said it's trying to come up with money to secure the next generation of vaccines and treatments for some high-risk Americans.

U.S. diverts COVID-19 funds to secure vaccines amid stalemate

FILE - Pre-loaded syringes with COVID-19 vaccine are ready as medical staff vaccinate students at KIPP Believe Charter School in New Orleans, Jan. 25, 2022. More than $10 billion in coronavirus relief funds is being diverted from orders of at-home rapid tests and other pandemic-related efforts. The White House on Wednesday blamed the move on a funding crunch and said it's trying to come up with money to secure the next generation of vaccines and treatments for some high-risk Americans.

June 8, 2022, 8:25am Health

The Biden administration said Wednesday that a funding crunch is forcing it to divert more than $10 billion in coronavirus relief from test procurement and other efforts as it tries to come up with money to secure the next generation of vaccines and treatments for some high-risk Americans. Read story

FILE - In this Dec. 15, 2020, file photo, a sign for Moderna, Inc. hangs on its headquarters in Cambridge, Mass. Moderna's experimental COVID-19 vaccine that combines its original shot with protection against the omicron variant appears to work, the company announced Wednesday, June 8, 2022.

Moderna says updated COVID shot boosts omicron protection

FILE - In this Dec. 15, 2020, file photo, a sign for Moderna, Inc. hangs on its headquarters in Cambridge, Mass. Moderna's experimental COVID-19 vaccine that combines its original shot with protection against the omicron variant appears to work, the company announced Wednesday, June 8, 2022.

June 8, 2022, 8:19am Health

Moderna’s experimental COVID-19 vaccine that combines its original shot with protection against the omicron variant appears to work, the company announced Wednesday. Read story

FILE - In this image provided by the Serum Institute of India, vials of freshly manufactured Novavax COVID-19 vaccines wait to be labeled in 2022, in Pune, India. The more traditional kind of COVID-19 vaccine moved a step closer to the U.S. market Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration voted to back shots made by Novavax for U.S. adults. If the FDA ultimately agrees, Novavax's option could become the nation's fourth COVID-19 vaccine.

FDA advisers back Novavax COVID shots as 4th U.S. option

FILE - In this image provided by the Serum Institute of India, vials of freshly manufactured Novavax COVID-19 vaccines wait to be labeled in 2022, in Pune, India. The more traditional kind of COVID-19 vaccine moved a step closer to the U.S. market Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration voted to back shots made by Novavax for U.S. adults. If the FDA ultimately agrees, Novavax's option could become the nation's fourth COVID-19 vaccine.

June 7, 2022, 2:35pm Health Free

American adults who haven’t yet gotten vaccinated against COVID-19 may soon get another choice, as advisers to the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday backed a more traditional type of shot. Read story

(Associated Press files)

With 600 COVID hospitalizations and rising, Washington medical leaders worried about another surge

(Associated Press files)

June 7, 2022, 8:47am Health Free

The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations is growing more concerning, state hospital leaders said Monday. Read story

FILE - This undated fluorescence-colored microscope image made available by the National Institutes of Health in September 2016 shows a culture of human breast cancer cells. A study discussed at the 2022 meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology suggests some low-risk breast cancer patients can omit radiation after lumpectomy.

Some cancer patients can skip treatments, 2 studies show

FILE - This undated fluorescence-colored microscope image made available by the National Institutes of Health in September 2016 shows a culture of human breast cancer cells. A study discussed at the 2022 meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology suggests some low-risk breast cancer patients can omit radiation after lumpectomy.

June 7, 2022, 8:25am Health

After surgery, some cancer patients can safely skip radiation or chemotherapy, according to two studies exploring shorter, gentler cancer care. Read story

While the state Legislature allocated funds to expand nursing programs at schools statewide, the funding wasn't distributed equally.

Washington nursing programs see new funding from Legislature but some were left out

While the state Legislature allocated funds to expand nursing programs at schools statewide, the funding wasn't distributed equally.

June 7, 2022, 7:40am Health

As the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated a health care staffing shortage in Washington and nationally, the state Legislature this year provided more than $38 million to nursing programs statewide. Read story

Widely available antibiotic helps prevent bacterial STIs in certain populations, UW clinical trial finds

June 6, 2022, 7:38am Health

New research has found an antibiotic that’s been around for decades could help prevent sexually transmitted bacterial diseases, according to a recent University of Washington clinical trial that proved so effective in certain populations it ended early. Read story

Washington health insurance providers request rate increases

June 6, 2022, 7:37am Business

Fourteen of the state’s major health insurance providers are asking Washington state regulators to approve an average 7.16% increase in health insurance premiums in Washington for 2023, according to a press release from the Washington state Office of the Insurance Commissioner. Read story

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson speaks March 23, 2022, at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. Months into a complex trial over their role in flooding Washington with highly addictive painkillers, the nation's three largest opioid distributors have agreed to pay the state $518 million. Ferguson announced the deal Tuesday, May 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Ted S.

Washington cities, counties await shares of big opioid settlement

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson speaks March 23, 2022, at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. Months into a complex trial over their role in flooding Washington with highly addictive painkillers, the nation's three largest opioid distributors have agreed to pay the state $518 million. Ferguson announced the deal Tuesday, May 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Ted S.

June 6, 2022, 6:02am Health

In many places across Washington, the opioid epidemic is far from over. Read story