Health Care
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Health Care
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Federal dollars aim to boost cattle testing for avian flu |
Federal officials will reimburse farmers for some of the costs associated with keeping their herds protected from an outbreak of the avian flu virus that’s rapidly spreading among dairy cows.
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The funding announcement on Friday includes up to $28,000 over the next 120 days to help individual farms test cattle and bolster biosecurity efforts to further limit the spread of the H5N1 virus between herds.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture allotted $98 million in incentives to support the actions of states with affected herds to restrict interstate movement of cattle. Federal officials are trying to determine the risk to humans as well as how the virus has spread since it was first detected in dairy cows in late March. Farmers have been reluctant to allow federal health officials onto their land to test potentially infected cattle amid uncertainty about how their businesses would be impacted. Farmworkers have also been reluctant to participate in screening because of potential immigration and employment fears.
To date, the virus has been found in 42 herds across nine states, with one confirmed case in a human.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said federal authorities want to give states an incentive to act.
“We don’t necessarily have jurisdiction today over what happens inside the state. States are now considering and thinking about the possibility of preventing movement of sick cows or movement of cows without negative tests. We obviously encourage that and support that,” Vilsack told reporters.
At the same time, the Department of Health and Human Services said it will spend $101 million on prevention and treatment of H5N1, which is the virus that causes avian flu. That figure includes $93 million for testing and contact tracing.
The announcements Friday come amid calls from infectious diseases and public health experts for a clearer picture on how the virus is spreading. They have expressed concerns that agencies are not testing enough, and farmworkers are at risk every time they are exposed to potentially infected cattle.
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Welcome to The Hill’s Health Care newsletter, we’re Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health.
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How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: |
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Almost two years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, most Americans still support abortion access. About 6 in 10 Americans think abortion should be legal in all or most cases, according to a new Pew Research Center survey of 8,709 adults released Monday. The share of American adults who believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases has increased by 4 percentage points since 2021, according to Pew. … |
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| Former President Trump’s campaign team hit back at the Biden campaign for posting an ad on Mother’s Day that attacked Trump for his abortion and family separation policy positions. “Donald Trump wants to separate mothers from their children and allow laws that rip away IVF access and monitor women’s pregnancies,” the Biden-Harris HQ account posted Sunday on the social platform X, when posting the ad. “This Mother’s Day, do … |
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The number of fentanyl seizures by law enforcement more than quadrupled between 2017 and 2023, with researchers finding the drug has continued to entrench itself in the country’s illicit drug supply. Seizures of fentanyl in the U.S. have followed an exponential upward trend since 2017, according to data from the federal High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program. Researchers on the study, funded by the National … |
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Upcoming news themes and events we’re watching: |
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HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra will testify Wednesday before the House Education and the Workforce Committee
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The House Oversight and Accountability Committee holds a Wednesday markup of several bills, including one that essentially prohibits Chinese biotechnology companies from operating in the U.S.
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Lawrence Tabak, a top NIH official, will testify before the House select subcommittee on the coronavirus pandemic on Thursday
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Branch out with a different read: |
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Mississippi governor signs law restricting transgender people’s use of bathrooms and locker rooms |
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Monday that he has signed a new law regulating transgender people’s use of bathrooms, locker rooms and dormitories in public education buildings, making Mississippi at least the 12th state to restrict transgender students from using facilities that align with their gender identity. … | |
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Local and state headlines on health care: |
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Louisville judge hears arguments in Jewish women’s challenge of Kentucky’s abortion ban (States Newsroom)
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How Medicaid became a battleground between Biden and DeSantis (Tampa Bay Times)
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Moms Matter: Closing the Maternal Mental Health Gap Thursday, May 16 at 8 a.m. ET — Top of the Hill, Washington, D.C. |
In person and streaming nationally.
Why is postpartum depression so often undiagnosed? What can health care providers do, and what breakthrough therapies and treatments are available? Join The Hill on May 16 as we discuss important questions concerning maternal mental health. Speakers include: Stacey Brayboy, SVP at The March of Dimes; Adrienne Griffen, Executive Director at Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance, and more Speakers include: - Adrienne Griffen, Executive Director, Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance
- Stacey Brayboy, Senior Vice President, Public Policy & Government Affairs, March of Dimes
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Health news we’ve flagged from other outlets: |
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Hospitals’ new message for patients: Stay home (Politico)
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Cancer drug price-cutting pitch mulled by HHS as industry waits (Bloomberg Law)
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After decades fighting Big Tobacco, Cliff Douglas now leads a foundation funded by his former adversaries (Stat)
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Most read stories on The Hill right now: |
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Senate Republicans see some warning signs flashing after an embarrassing week for former President Trump, despite his strong poll numbers in battleground … Read more |
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Michael Cohen testified Monday that it was then-2016 candidate Donald Trump’s wife, Melania, who cast her husband’s comments on an infamous … Read more |
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You’re all caught up. See you tomorrow! |
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