| | | | | | | Presented By PhRMA | | | | Axios Vitals | | By Tina Reed ·Jul 22, 2021 | | Good morning, Vitals readers! Today's newsletter is 1,028 words or a 4-minute read. Join Axios' Sam Baker and Caitlin Owens today at 12:30pm ET for a Vitals event on biosimilars and the future of care. - Guests include Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.) and Community Oncology Alliance President Kashyap Patel. Register here.
| | | | | | 1 big thing: COVID cases are up 55% |  Data: CSSE Johns Hopkins University; Note: Rhode Island and Iowa data is from CDC and from July 12-July 19; Map: Axios Visuals Coronavirus infections are rising dramatically all over the U.S., Axios' Sam Baker reports. Where it stands: New cases increased in 46 states, and many of those increases are substantial. Florida is now averaging just under 6,500 new cases per day — by far the most of any state, and a 91% jump from the week before. - New cases more than doubled over the past week in Mississippi — from about 320 per day to about 660 per day. The state has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country; just 34% of its residents are fully vaccinated.
"Breakthrough infections" — people who have contracted the virus even after being vaccinated — are getting a lot of attention as cases mount. But it's clear that those infections are not the primary driver of this new surge in cases. - 97% of people hospitalized for COVID-19 infections are unvaccinated, the CDC said last week, and federal officials have previously said that about 99% of people who die from the virus weren't vaccinated.
By the numbers: More than 160 million Americans are fully vaccinated. - Of those 160 million people, just 3,733 have subsequently been hospitalized for a severe COVID-19 infection, according to the CDC's most recent update, and 791 have died from the virus.
- Clinical trials showed both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine to be 94–95% effective at preventing serious illness and death. There will be people in the other 5–6%. That does not mean the vaccines don't work; those cases are noteworthy precisely because they are rare.
The bottom line: The vaccines are the most effective weapon against this pandemic, but they only work if we use them. Share the map. |     | | | | | | 2. GOP finds new enthusiasm for COVID shots |  | | | Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios | | | | Some GOP lawmakers and media figures have been making a point lately to publicly support coronavirus vaccines, Axios' Caitlin Owens writes. Why it matters: Vaccine resistance is much higher among Republicans than Democrats, and some party leaders have been openly hostile to the U.S. vaccination effort despite the effectiveness of the shots. Driving the news: Members of House GOP leadership and the GOP Doctors Caucus are having a press conference this morning to "discuss the need for individuals to get vaccinated, uncover the origins of the pandemic, and keep schools and businesses open," per a press release. - Attendees include Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and Steve Scalise (R-La.), who received his first shot of the vaccine last weekend.
- "Especially with the Delta variant becoming a lot more aggressive and seeing another spike, it was a good time to do it," Scalise told NOLA.com.
Other prominent conservatives have also spoken up about the merits of the vaccine this week, including Fox News' Sean Hannity and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who was also a proponent of masks and other safety protocols earlier in the pandemic. | | | | | | | | 3. Support grows for hospital vaccine mandates | | The idea of vaccine mandates for U.S. health care workers is experiencing a new groundswell of support. Driving the news: The American Hospital Association and America's Essential Hospitals released statements Wednesday saying they support health systems and hospitals adopting mandatory COVID vaccination requirements. | | | | | | | | A message from PhRMA | | People want choice and access to medicines in Medicare – not barriers | | |  | | | | In Washington, what politicians say and what they mean can be very different.
To save money, some politicians are willing to sacrifice access to medicines in Medicare. This could make it harder for seniors and those with a disability to get the medicines they need. There's a better way. | | | | | | 4. America's far from solving its opioid problem |  | | | Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios | | | | A group of states agreed to a $26 billion settlement Wednesday with three dominant prescription drug distributors and Johnson & Johnson — but the fight against opioids is far from over, Axios' Bob Herman reports. Why it matters: While state officials say this will get desperately needed money flowing into programs to address opioid abuse, the sheer scale of the problem means that cash might not go very far. - Overdose deaths involving opioids reached 69,710 in the U.S. in 2020, up from 50,963 in 2019, fueled in part by the proliferation of fentanyl.
By the numbers: The $26 billion settlement, announced by a group of state attorneys general, varies by company and will be paid out over time. What to watch: Already, Washington's attorney general rejected the proposed settlement, saying it "stretches woefully insufficient funds into small payments over nearly 20 years." - He's preparing to go to trial in a case again McKesson, Cardinal Health and Amerisource Bergen in September.
- Settlements also haven't been finalized with Purdue Pharma, other opioids manufacturers like Teva and pharmacies, although Purdue is working on a settlement through bankruptcy.
- Native American tribes also are pursuing legal action.
Read more. | | | | | | | | 5. Biden's order and hospital consolidation |  | | | Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios | | | | President Biden's recent executive order aimed at promoting competition could help control health costs if it addresses hospital consolidation, KFF's president and CEO Drew Altman writes. Why it matters: Consolidation in the hospital industry drives up costs, in some cases by as much as 50%. Consolidation generally does not improve the quality of care. State of play: The FTC and the Justice Department's Anti-Trust Division lack the staff, and, in some cases, the authority to ensure competitive markets. - Biden's executive order establishes a White House Competition Council, but it's vague on health care.
Of course, the hospital industry would fiercely resist efforts to promote competition to drive down prices. - Hospitals have happily watched policymakers go after drug costs. But drugs represent 10% of health spending, while hospitals represent 34%.
- It also might appeal to both Democrats, who favor regulation, and Republicans, who favor competitive markets.
Go deeper. | | | | | | | | 6. Hospital CEOs call for gun violence intervention |  | | | Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios | | | | More than a dozen CEOs of major health systems sent a letter to congressional leaders Wednesday calling for support of President Biden's proposal to fund $5 billion in hospital and community-based gun violence intervention programs, Axios' Marisa Fernandez writes. Why it matters: The plea from some of the top health systems in the country — including CommonSpirit Health, RWJBarnabas Health, Sanford Health and Intermountain — comes as gun violence reaches critical levels. - In 2020, there were a record 43,559 firearms-related deaths and more than 39,000 additional injuries recorded. The country on pace to surpass records again this year.
The goal is "keeping the pressure on Washington" Michael Dowling, president and CEO of Northwell Health, told Axios. | | | | | | | | A message from PhRMA | | People want choice and access to medicines in Medicare – not barriers | | |  | | | | In Washington, what politicians say and what they mean can be very different.
To save money, some politicians are willing to sacrifice access to medicines in Medicare. This could make it harder for seniors and those with a disability to get the medicines they need. There's a better way. | | |  | | It'll help you deliver employee communications more effectively. | | | | | | Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. If you're interested in advertising, learn more here.
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