News: Axios Vitals: We've got a new HHS secretary

Friday, March 19, 2021

Axios Vitals: We've got a new HHS secretary

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Vitals

By Caitlin Owens ·Mar 19, 2021

Good morning.

The good news: My mom got her first coronavirus shot yesterday!

The bad news: My dad went with her and sent another photo essay, but he compared my mom to a horse the whole time, so alas, you cannot see/read it.

Today's word count is 863, or a 3-minute read.

1 big thing: We've got a new HHS secretary

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. Photo: Michael Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images

With Xavier Becerra's confirmation yesterday as Health and Human Services secretary, the Biden administration's health care team is clicking into place — not that it's been sitting around waiting, Axios' Sam Baker writes.

The big picture: Many of the most important health care jobs in the executive branch right now aren't the Senate-confirmed leadership roles, but the management advisers and rank-and-file civil servants in charge of the vaccination effort.

That effort has already yielded one new product and 100 million shots since Inauguration Day — and it will remain the most important part of Biden's health care agenda for months.

But it's not just vaccines. The stuff that fell under our pre-pandemic definition of health policy is also moving fast.

HHS has begun rolling back Medicaid work requirements — one of the most significant policy changes of the Trump administration. It revoked the waivers that allowed work requirements in Arkansas and New Hampshire, and the Supreme Court recently scrapped oral arguments over the policy at the Justice Department's request.
HHS and the IRS also will soon administer the expansion of Affordable Care Act subsidies included in Biden's coronavirus stimulus package.

The bottom line: This administration made an awful lot of health policy even before it had an HHS secretary, and more contentious debates over cost and coverage will be back on the front burner as the pandemic recedes.

Go deeper: We covered the policy fights awaiting the Biden administration — and the key personnel who will be fighting them — in our recent deep dive on health care in the new Washington.

2. Long COVID can happen in kids, too

Like adults, children can suffer from long-term symptoms after having the coronavirus, the Washington Post reports.

The big picture: Cases are rare but growing, doctors told the Post.

Of the more than 3 million U.S. children who have tested positive for the virus, few have been hospitalized and even fewer have died.
"But some children — whether they had mild or severe cases, or no symptoms at all — are developing problems that last for weeks or months after their initial infection," the Post reports.
Symptoms include fatigue, headache and heart palpitations.

Between the lines: Early on in the pandemic, when many children were staying home, long COVID seemed to be a condition reserved for adults. But as schools and sports reopened, more children became infected, and it became clear that children are also vulnerable.

3. Where the vaccines are coming from

The Biden administration yesterday took a modest first step toward sharing coronavirus vaccines with the world, announcing that it intends to send 1.5 million AstraZeneca doses to Canada and 2.5 million to Mexico, Axios' Dave Lawler reports.

Why it matters: The vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University hasn't been approved in the U.S., and the White House has faced growing criticism for sitting on doses that could be used elsewhere.

The deal comes in the form of a loan, with the U.S. sending doses to Canada and Mexico now with the expectation that they will return doses to the U.S. later this year.

The big picture: The world has four major sources of coronavirus vaccines: China (33% of all doses produced), the U.S. (27%), the EU (19%) and India (13%), according to data shared with Axios by Airfinity, a science information and analytics company.

While China has exported around 60% of the vaccines it has produced — in part due to a low sense of urgency in China, where the virus is largely under control — the U.S. has exported 0%, focusing instead on covering all U.S. adults.
India has exported 65% of its production to date, per Airfinity, but the CEO of the country's largest producer said last month that he'd been "directed to prioritize the huge needs of India."
The EU is having a vigorous debate about whether to more tightly control exports, lamenting what it sees as an imbalance with the U.S. and U.K.

A message from PhRMA

Biopharma is committed to being a part of the solution

As we usher in a new administration and Congress, there are many things on which we can all agree, like building a more just, equitable society.

The biopharmaceutical industry remains committed to addressing systemic racism on behalf of our communities, the patients we serve and our employees.

4. Catch up quick

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Map: Axios Visuals

The European Medicines Agency on Thursday declared that the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine is "safe and effective," giving a nod of approval for European nations to resume using the inoculation.

There have been reports of 126 House and Senate members infected with or exposed to the coronavirus since last March — 70 Republicans and 56 Democrats, according to data collected by GovTrack, Axios' Stef Kight reports.

The EU unveiled its proposal for vaccine passports this week, offering the most detailed picture yet of how international travel might resume in the coming months, Dave reports.

Paris and other regions within France will enter a month-long lockdown starting Friday as coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths across the country spike, Prime Minister Jean Castex announced Thursday, according to Le Parisien.

5. Dog of the week

Odin. Photo: Lyena and Austin Birkenstock

Meet Odin!

He's "a fearless adventurer with an endless love for sticks! Odin is a white shepherd mix who kept our spirits up during the long winter months with his boundless excitement for walks and fetch," write his parents, Lyena and Austin.
"While we're excited to see spring coming around, we know Odin's counting down the days until it's snowy once again!"

Yes, but: I faced an accusation of pet discrimination this week that I take very seriously, so here is a bonus.

Georgie. Photo: Peter Ashkenaz

Meet Georgie!

"While I enjoy your Friday puppy feature, I am disappointed that you give such short shrift to us cat lovers," writes his dad, Peter.
"This is Georgie, who we rescued three months ago. He has become really comfortable in his new forever home, but sleeps in positions to make sure he won't miss anything, like a meal."

A message from PhRMA

We are committed to being a part of the solution

As we usher in a new Congress and new administration, we can all agree that people need quality, affordable health coverage that works when they need it.