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What We’re Reading: Panel to Hear J&J EUA Application; Senate Passes Relief Package; Heavy Metals in Baby Food
The FDA is scheduled to hear Johnson and Johnson's request for an emergency use authorization (EUA) for their coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine later this month; Senate passes economic relief package; heavy metals found in some baby food.
J&J Submits COVID-19 Vaccine EUA Application
Johnson & Johnson has asked the FDA to issue an emergency use authorization (EUA) for its investigational coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine, CNN reports. Should the single-dose vaccine be approved it will be the third to enter the US market. The FDA scheduled a meeting of its Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, comprised of an independent group of experts, for February 26. On that date the group will make a recommendation on the vaccine that the agency will take into consideration when it makes the decision, meaning an EUA will likely not be issued before the end of the month.
Senate Passes $1.9 Trillion Economic Relief Package
The Senate passed President Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) stimulus package early this morning with Vice President Kamala Harris issuing the tie-breaking vote, which split along party lines, The New York Times reports. The House will now have to approve the measure, although Republican support is not required for it to pass. The package does not include a federal minimum wage increase to $15 nor does it allow any stimulus money to be distributed to undocumented immigrants.
Report Finds Toxic Levels of Heavy Metals in Some Baby Food
A staff report from the House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy found dangerously high toxic levels of heavy metals in some baby food, according to The Hill. Specifically, arsenic, lead and cadmium were present in baby food made by HappyBABY, Beech-Nut Nutrition Company, Hain Celestial and Gerber, which are all owned by Nurture Inc. The report also found the FDA previously received a slide presentation from Hain, noting the company’s corporate policy is to test only ingredients and not final products, which lead to underrepresentation of the levels of heavy metals in the foods. In response, the company said it met with the agency in 2020 and taken steps to reduce metal levels in finished products.
Navigating Health Policy in an Election Year: Insights From Dr Dennis Scanlon
April 2nd 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with Dennis Scanlon, PhD, the editor in chief of The American Journal of Accountable Care®, about prior authorization, price transparency, the impact of health policy on the upcoming election, and more.
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The Federal Trade Commission's (FTC's) vote to ban most employers from issuing and enforcing noncompete clauses could have varying impacts on the health care workforce; federal regulators vastly under-enforced antitrust laws in the hospital sector during the last 2 decades, resulting in increased health costs; the FDA recently found genetic evidence of the H5N1 bird flu virus in pasteurized commercially purchased milk.
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What We’re Reading: Abortion Privacy Rules; Alzheimer Drug Hurdles; Nursing Home Staffing Overhaul
April 23rd 2024New health privacy rules aim to protect patients and providers in an evolving abortion landscape; some physicians express concerns about efficacy, risks, and entrenched beliefs in treating Alzheimer disease; CMS addresses longstanding staffing deficits in nursing homes.
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