Two States OK Boosters for All; Lockdown the Unvaxxed? New Hospital Safety Grades

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President Biden will nominate cardiologist and former FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, MD, to again lead the agency, sources close to the decision told Politico.

Colorado and California both made COVID-19 booster shots available for all adults 18 and up residing in those states. (New York Times, Los Angeles Times)

Top officials in the Biden administration are pushing to do the same, though not everyone is on board. (Washington Post)

So far, boosters appear to be gaining more traction in states with lower vaccinated rates. (Washington Post)

Two of the largest hospital systems in Albuquerque, New Mexico activated crisis standards of care due to “unsustainable” spikes in COVID-related hospitalizations. (ABC News)

Detroit is once again becoming a COVID-19 hot spot. (Detroit Free Press)

With cases hitting record levels, the Austrian government is threatening a lockdown for unvaccinated citizens, while Dutch officials are implementing a 3-week partial lockdown in the country. (Reuters)

As of 8 a.m. ET on Friday, the unofficial COVID-19 toll in the U.S. was 46,855,488 cases and 759,678 deaths, increases of 63,350 and 616, respectively, from the same time yesterday.

Johnson & Johnson announced it will break into two separate companies — splitting the consumer products away from pharmaceuticals. (AP)

Bariatric surgery was linked with reduced risk of major adverse liver and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and obesity. (JAMA)

In an amendment to an old lawsuit, two Californians are claiming Subway’s tuna fish actually contains trace amounts of chicken, pork, and cattle DNA. (Wall Street Journal)

Switching seniors to Medicare Advantage plans may be costing taxpayers tens of billions of dollars extra versus standard Medicare. (Kaiser Health News)

Latin Americans who opted for Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine are being denied entry to the U.S. as the shot has not received a thumbs up from the World Health Organization. (NBC News)

The latest Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade analysis gave a third of U.S. hospitals an “A” — with Virginia, North Carolina, Idaho, Massachusetts, and Colorado leading the way with the most top-ranked hospitals; fewer than 1% of all hospitals flunked with an “F.”

Marking Veteran’s Day, President Biden ordered the VA to sift through research to see if there’s a link between rare cancers and burn pits. (Stars and Stripes)

A Utah radiologist was accused of lying about sick members of his climbing party in order to secure a government helicopter for a mountain-top rescue after a failed climb. (AP)

A 22-year old woman in critical condition due to injuries from Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival passed away on Wednesday night, bringing the concert’s death toll to 9. (CNN)

Nearly 100,000 pounds’ worth of Trader Joe’s raw ground chicken has been recalled due to possible contamination with extraneous materials. (ABC News)

A ProPublica investigation found that many families seeking treatment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital are still facing major financial burdens, despite the institution raising $2 billion in fundraising last year.

Last Updated November 12, 2021