The U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed Dr. Robert Califf as Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Senate narrowly confirmed his appointment on a 50-46 vote with six Republicans supporting his appointment and five Democrats voting against his appointment. Califf was identified as a candidate by the Biden Administration last year. Dr….
Read More »The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced it is seeking feedback on topics related to health care access, such as enrolling in and maintaining coverage, access health care services and supports, and ensuring adequate provider payment rates to encourage provider availability and quality. According to CMS, the request for information (RFI)…
Read More »The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced today it is postponing the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) meeting originally scheduled for Monday, February 15 to review the emergency use authorization (EUA) request from Pfizer and BioNTech for the COVID-19 vaccine in children six months through four years of age. The FDA…
Read More »Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for a new monoclonal antibody for the treatment of COVID-19 that retains activity against the Omicron variant. The new monoclonal antibody bebtelovimab has been authorized for treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in adults and pediatric patients with a positive COVID-19 test…
Read More »The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) this week released a report entitled, “COVID-19: Federal Efforts to Provide Vaccines to Racial and Ethnic Groups” as part of its ongoing oversight efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. GAO examined COVID-19 vaccination efforts by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Health Resources and Services Administration…
Read More »The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced this week it has awarded $66.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to eight grantees to expand outreach efforts in 38 states and the District of Columbia to increase COVID-19 vaccine confidence and vaccinations. According to HRSA, nearly $390 million has been issued to…
Read More »The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center for Injury Prevention and Control is in the process of updating the 2016 CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain. This week, the draft updated clinical practice guideline for prescribing opioids is available for public comment in the Federal Register. The public comment…
Read More »The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week unveiled new steps aimed at fostering the development of non-addictive alternatives to opioids to manage acute pain and decreasing exposure to opioids and decreasing exposure to opioids. The agenda issued draft guidance to provide recommendations to companies developing non-opioid analgesics for acute pain lasting up to…
Read More »The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) this week released a new report highlighting the economic impact of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), specifically the role ARPA played in reducing poverty. The report, issued by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), projects that economic relief efforts –…
Read More »The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) recently announced it is accepting applications for the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) COVID-19 Respond, Innovate, Sustain, and Equip (RISE) Awards. The awards are intended to provide resources to the MRC network to support COVID-19 response efforts. RISE awards will prioritize building capacity for the MRC…
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