What the Health? From KFF Health News: New Flu Vax? FDA Says No Thanks

The Host

Julie Rovner
KFF Health News

@jrovner

@julierovner.bsky.social

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Julie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KFF Health News’ weekly health policy news podcast, “What the Health?” A noted expert on health policy issues, Julie is the author of the critically praised reference book “Health Care Politics and Policy A to Z,” now in its third edition.

The Food and Drug Administration is back in the headlines, with a political appointee overruling agency scientists to reject an application from the drugmaker Moderna for a new flu vaccine, and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary continuing to take criticism from anti-abortion Republicans in the Senate for alleged delays reviewing the safety of the abortion pill mifepristone.

Meanwhile, in a very unlikely pairing, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts Democrat, and Sen. Josh Hawley, the conservative Republican from Missouri, are co-sponsoring legislation aimed at breaking up the “vertical integration” of health care — when a single company owns health insurers, drug middlemen, and clinician practices.

This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Health News, Jackie Fortiér of KFF Health News, Lizzy Lawrence of Stat, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico.

Panelists

Jackie Fortiér
KFF Health News

Read Jackie’s stories.

Lizzy Lawrence
STAT News

@LizzyLaw_

@lizzylawrence.bsky.social

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Alice Miranda Ollstein
Politico

@AliceOllstein

@alicemiranda.bsky.social

Read Alice’s stories.

Among the takeaways from this week’s episode:

• A top FDA official overruled agency staff in refusing to consider Moderna’s application for a new flu vaccine. The rejection, which Moderna is challenging, comes after the company consulted with the agency under President Joe Biden on how to develop the clinical trial for the vaccine and then spent considerable time and money. Clear, consistent federal guidance is important to maintaining the drug development ecosystem, and the decision stands as a warning to other companies developing new treatments.
• With measles cases rising and trust in federal vaccine recommendations falling, the Vaccine Integrity Project, based at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy, and the American Medical Association are launching their own vaccine review process — a parallel vaccine recommendation project offering an alternative to what are seen as ideologically driven federal recommendations.
• President Donald Trump unveiled the new TrumpRx website, billed as helping people save money on prescription drugs. But the site’s offerings are limited and offer limited benefits: It serves only those trying to buy drugs without insurance coverage, and some of the biggest savings are on popular obesity drugs rather than other commonly needed treatments. Nonetheless, it offers Trump a chance to stamp his name on an effort to lower drug prices.
• And more reporting is illuminating the health-related side effects of Trump’s immigration crackdown, including infectious disease outbreaks at detention centers. While at least some of the problems are not new to immigration enforcement, the large numbers of people being detained are intensifying the problems.

Plus, for “extra credit” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too: 

Julie Rovner: ProPublica’s “The Children of Dilley,” by Mica Rosenberg.  

Alice Miranda Ollstein: Politico’s “Why Washington’s All-In on Smart Rings,” by Amanda Chu.  

Lizzy Lawrence: KFF Health News’ “US Cancer Institute Studying Ivermectin’s ‘Ability To Kill Cancer Cells,’” by Rachana Pradhan.  

Jackie Fortiér: Stat’s “The New Childhood Vaccine Guidelines Have a Paid Leave Problem,” by Ariana Hendrix.  

Also mentioned in this week’s episode:

• Stat’s “Prasad Overruled FDA Staff To Reject Moderna’s Flu Vaccine Application,” by Lizzy Lawrence.
• KFF Health News’ “Public Health Workers Are Quitting Over Assignments to Guantánamo,” by Amy Maxmen.
• KFF Health News’ “‘I Can’t Tell You’: Attorneys, Relatives Struggle To Find Hospitalized ICE Detainees,” by Claudia Boyd-Barrett.

Credits

Francis Ying
Audio producer

Emmarie Huetteman
Editor

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KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.

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