
Come for Your Eye Exam, Leave With a Band-Aid on Your Arm
Dentists and optometrists across the country are trying to join in the fight to get everyone vaccinated against COVID-19, the flu and other diseases.

How Pharma Money Colors Operation Warp Speed’s Quest to Defeat COVID
A Trump administration maneuver allows executives who are leading the federal effort to keep investments in drug companies that would benefit from the pandemic response.

Government-Funded Scientists Laid the Groundwork for Billion-Dollar Vaccines
Drugmakers will walk away with massive profits, but much of the pioneering work on mRNA vaccines was done with government money.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Transition Interrupted
Former Vice President Joe Biden is now the president-elect nearly everywhere but inside the Trump administration, where the president refuses to concede and has ordered officials not to begin a formal transition. That is a particular problem for health care as the COVID-19 pandemic surges. Meanwhile, there’s good news on the vaccine front, but it’s unlikely one will arrive by winter. And the ACA was back before the Supreme Court — again. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal and Shefali Luthra of the 19th News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health stories of the week they think you should read, too.

Dicen que hay que informar a los consumidores, para que se preparen para efectos secundarios que, en realidad, pueden significar que las vacunas funcionan.

Time to Discuss Potentially Unpleasant Side Effects of COVID Shots? Scientists Say Yes.
From the likelihood of achy, flu-like side effects to the need for two doses, weeks apart, consumers need to know now what to expect when vaccines to prevent COVID-19 roll out.

Cinco preguntas críticas sobre la vacuna contra COVID-19 de Pfizer
La farmacéutica anunció que en una muestra pequeña se comprobó que podría prevenir la infección en nueve de cada 10 casos. Pero se necesitan más respuestas.

Five Important Questions About Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine
The drugmaker says its mRNA vaccine worked in 90% of patients in its trial, but some observers question how long immunity will last and who will benefit.

As Nation Awaits Vaccine, Biden Is Under Pressure to Name New FDA Chief ASAP
It typically takes months to install new leadership, but with COVID deaths set to surge through the winter, many Democrats say Biden doesn’t have that sort of time.

VA Joins Pentagon in Recruiting Volunteers for COVID Vaccine Trials
The Department of Veterans Affairs hopes to enroll 8,000 people in advanced-stage trials of four leading vaccine candidates. The Defense Department earlier announced plans to enlist 3,000 volunteers in trials.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: As Cases Spike, White House Declares Pandemic Over
Former President Barack Obama says President Donald Trump is “jealous of COVID’s media coverage.” Indeed, Trump has complained at his rallies, attended by mostly maskless supporters, about how the media covers the pandemic — at a time when cases are rising rapidly across the nation. Meanwhile, open enrollment is about to begin for the Affordable Care Act in a year when many people need coverage, but the law’s future is not secure. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Tami Luhby of CNN and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, Rovner interviews KHN’s Anna Almendrala about the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” installment.

Scientists Warn Americans Are Expecting Too Much From a Vaccine
Some argue that vaccines capable of preventing any COVID-19 symptoms should qualify for widespread use, but others want much larger trials to prove the vaccines can reduce hospitalizations or deaths.

KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.

Análisis: el invierno llega para los bares. Cómo salvarlos. Y salvarnos.
Son lugares de alto riesgo de propagación. ¿Por qué no compensar a los propietarios para que cierren sus negocios para proteger la salud pública?

Analysis: Winter Is Coming for Bars. Here’s How to Save Them. And Us.
To stop the coronavirus, we need to stop super-spreader events.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Trump vs. COVID
President Donald Trump is one of at least two dozen people tied to the White House who have tested positive for COVID-19. Negotiations on the next round of COVID relief are off again — maybe. And the FDA and CDC continue to fight for scientific credibility. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Kimberly Leonard of Business Insider and Erin Mershon of Stat News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, Rovner interviews Amy Howe of SCOTUSblog about what the Supreme Court might do with the latest case challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act.

In Debate, Pence and Harris Offer Conflicting Views of Nation’s Reality
During this, the first and only vice presidential debate of the 2020 election season, the two candidates clashed over the coronavirus and other health care issues, as well as a range of other topics.

Distrusting Trump, States Plan to Vet COVID Vaccines Themselves. Bad Idea, Say Experts.
California and at least five other states have said they may independently vet any vaccines. Experts warn that could needlessly confuse the public.

5 cosas que debes saber sobre la vacuna para COVID. Primero: no será una “bala mágica”
Hay docenas de vacunas candidatas que se están probando, y 11 de ellas están en la etapa final de investigación, cuatro en los Estados Unidos.

5 Things to Know About a COVID Vaccine: It Won’t Be a ‘Magic Wand’
Approval of a vaccine will be an important step in defeating COVID-19. But it won’t immediately end the pandemic.