Health Care

Health Care — The GOP’s abortion messaging challenge

Starbucks’ fall drinks have officially returned as of today. Is it too soon? Does this mean summer is officially over? And most importantly, what will you be ordering?  

The Republican Party is reimagining its messaging on abortion as the overturning of Roe by the Supreme Court has energized Democratic voters in the upcoming midterm elections.

Welcome to Overnight Health Care, where we’re following the latest moves on policy and news affecting your health. For The Hill, we’re Peter Sullivan and Joseph Choi. Subscribe here.

Republicans scramble to tweak abortion messaging

Republican candidates are shifting their message on abortion after several recent elections have shown the issue energizing Democrats. 

Some candidates for House, Senate and governor have either reworked sections on their websites or released ads that have sought to downplay, reverse or clarify some of their anti-abortion stances. 

“I think the concept that for decades, you know, a Supreme Court fight energized the conservative base because they wanted to overturn Roe, right?” said GOP strategist Barrett Marson, who previously worked on Arizona Republican Senate nominee Blake Masters’s campaign. 

“I think you’re gonna see a flip on that, that the liberal base will get more energized about this issue because they got it taken away from them,” he added. 

Taken together, the developments have seemingly pushed Republicans to reassess how they approach an issue that has already shown it can help swing elections and for some to step back from support for outright abortion bans.

Read more here.  

Admin to boost monkeypox jabs at LGBTQ events

The Biden administration on Tuesday announced plans of expanding the response to the monkeypox outbreak by providing vaccinations and education at large LGBTQ-centered events around the country following a recent pilot program carried out in Charlotte, N.C.

Demetre Daskalakis, deputy director for the White House’s national monkeypox response, stated during a briefing that the administration was aiming to make its response more “intentional and targeted.” 

More targeted action: The White House also announced it was launching a new “equity intervention pilot program” that will aim to directly reach queer communities of color in smaller scale communities that may face obstacles to obtaining vaccines. This program will “earmark” an additional 10,000 vials of vaccines to be allocated to smaller equity intervention programs. 

“We know jurisdictions have already centered equity in their work, but we want to provide additional support to foster even greater innovation in vaccine outreach and education of the communities most at risk,” said Daskalakis. 

Read more here.

PREGNANT WOMEN EXPOSED TO CHEMICALS IN HOUSEHOLD ITEMS

Pregnant people are being exposed through various household products to toxic compounds that can increase the risk of cancer and harm child development, a new study has found. 

“These chemicals are of serious concern due to their links to cancer and developmental toxicity, yet they are not routinely monitored in the United States,” co-senior author Tracey Woodruff, a professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, said in a statement. 

Read more here.  

JILL BIDEN TESTS NEGATIVE FOR COVID AFTER REBOUND CASE 

First lady Jill Biden has tested negative for COVID-19 after a rebound case last week. 

The White House confirmed on Monday the first lady’s negative test, adding that she plans to return to Washington on Tuesday after being in isolation, her communications director Elizabeth Alexander said in a statement.

Biden had tested negative last week on Tuesday but ended up testing positive again the next day. President Biden tested positive for about a week after initially testing negative in his rebound case. 

Read more here

WHAT WE’RE READING

US death in person with monkeypox confirmed in Texas

Texas has confirmed what appears to be the first death of a person diagnosed with monkeypox in the United States.  

“We continue to urge people to seek treatment if they have been exposed to monkeypox or have symptoms consistent with the disease,” Hellerstedt said.  

Global context: The World Health Organization (WHO) has so far confirmed 15 deaths in the current monkeypox outbreak, mostly in the WHO’s African Region. Other deaths have been reported in the Americas, the WHO’s European Region. 

Deaths due to monkeypox are extremely rare, with most cases lasting about two to four weeks with no lasting effects apart from scars left over from the characteristic lesions. 

During a briefing Tuesday, officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said they have been in contact with both Texas and Harris County regarding the death. 

Read more here

STATE BY STATE

OP-EDS IN THE HILL

To preserve US contraception rights, lawmakers must step up now

That’s it for today, thanks for reading. Check out The Hill’s Health Care page for the latest news and coverage. See you tomorrow.

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