What We’re Reading: Fauci Announces Retirement; Abortion Ban Affecting Medicine; Monkeypox Containment Passes

Fauci to Step Down

Anthony Fauci, MD, has revealed that he will be retiring as President Joe Biden's chief medical adviser at the end of the president's current term. Fauci was the primary medical voice during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, advocating for vaccinations and masks to help slow the virus' spread. He was also instrumental in advocating for HIV/AIDS response on a bipartisan level, including founding the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which the State Department estimates has saved 21 million lives. Fauci, who heads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that he believes now that COVID-19 is in a steady state and that there will be people to continue his work in HIV treatment and prevention.

Abortion Laws Affecting Medical Practices

The overturning of Roe v Wade has led to ramifications outside of abortion clinics. Reproductive medicine and other aspects of health care have been hurt by the overturning of Roe v Wade, including treatment of ectopic pregnancies and availability of medicine that could potentially cause miscarriages. For example, methotrexate is used to treat lupus and ectopic pregnancies, but it also can cause miscarriages and could theoretically be used to induce abortion. The Arthritis Foundation and American College of Rheumatology have both issued statements detailing their concern about the accessibility of the drug.

Monkeypox Containment May Have Passed, Gottlieb Says

Scott Gottlieb, MD, former FDA commissioner, warned that the window to get control of the monkeypox outbreak may have closed, with cases increasing nationwide. Gottlieb said that monkeypox is on the verge of becoming an endemic virus, which means that it will be a persistent problem for the nation to contend with. As of Friday, the CDC has identified 1814 cases in 43 states. A monkeypox vaccine is in the works but supply may be lower than what is needed to contend with the outbreak. Monkeypox spreads through close contact with an infected individual, mostly through bodily fluids, contaminated materials, and respiratory droplets.