A successful fall COVID-19 vaccine booster campaign could prevent 90,000 deaths and over 936,000 hospitalizations this fall and winter, and $56 billion in spending on medical care could be prevented if 80% of eligible Americans get booster shots by year-end, according to revised data from the Commonwealth Fund and the Yale School of Public Health. About one-third of the US population had received a booster dose as of Tuesday, according to the CDC, and the analysis estimates that if the pace of booster administration continues to lag, the US could see a winter surge leading to 1,200 daily deaths and 16,000 hospitalizations by March.

Ninety percent of Americans believe there is a mental health crisis in the US, with more than half identifying severe mental illness in adults and mental health issues among children and teenagers as crises and more than two-thirds saying the opioid epidemic is a crisis, according to a survey conducted by CNN and the Kaiser Family Foundation. Out of 2,000 respondents, more than 20% described their mental health as poor or fair, over 20% said they often or always felt lonely or depressed over the past year, and about 50% said a family member had experienced a severe mental health crisis.

HHS allocated more than $266 million in American Rescue Plan funding to help expand community and public health workforces. The Community Health Worker Training Program awarded $225.5 million to 83 organizations for training and apprenticeships for community health workers, and the Public Health Scholarship Program awarded $40.7 million to 29 organizations to encourage students to pursue public health careers.

The US mortality rate from breast cancer fell by 43% from 1989 to 2020 driven by improvements in screening, awareness and treatment, according to an American Cancer Society report published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. However, disparities persist, as the risk of dying from breast cancer remains 40% higher among Black women compared with white women, even though Black women have lower incidence of breast cancer and similar disease severity.

A survey by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases indicates that while nearly 70% of respondents said they realize a flu shot is the best protection against flu-related hospitalization and death, just 49% plan to get the vaccine for the 2022-2023 season. Top reasons for avoidance included a belief that the vaccine doesn't work well and fears that it may cause side effects.

American Sign Language users have higher risks for mental health issues and substance abuse than people without impaired hearing, but 41% of mental health care facilities that take public funding and 59% of substance use disorder treatment facilities provide inadequate access to ASL interpreters, despite federal mandates, according to a study published in Health Affairs. The lack of ASL access "compromises rights-based mental health care and can lead to a lack of informed consent and loss of opportunity for shared decision making, as well as coercion, misdiagnosis, neglect, abuse, and health care-associated trauma," researchers wrote.

Catalyst Pharmaceuticals' Firdapse, or amifampridine, received expanded FDA approval as treatment for Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome in children ages 6 and older. The approval was based on safety data from an expanded access program involving 21 pediatric patients.

Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority has awarded Vir Biotechnology with a $55 million multi-year contract that will back the development of its influenza-focused antibody drug that targets individuals who don't generate an adequate immune response, such as people aged 65 and older. The drug is slated for assessment in midstage trials this year, and the contract also gives BARDA the option to invest up to $1 billion for the development of candidates to combat emerging infectious diseases, including flu.

A bill that will penalize California doctors for spreading false information about COVID-19, vaccines and treatments has been signed into law by Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom. Under the law, doctors in the state could face disciplinary action, potentially including medical license suspension, if they are found to have spread false information related to COVID-19.

Average payments to Medicare Advantage plans are 7% less than original Medicare spending -- saving Americans billions of dollars every year, according to a new study from the Wakely Consulting Group conducted on behalf of AHIP. "Medicare Advantage is a prime example of government and the free market working together to provide millions of Americans with the care and coverage they need and deserve." Learn more.

Join us on Monday, Oct. 24 from 2 to 3 p.m. ET for "Impacts of Payment Fraud on the Health Care Industry" as Change Healthcare discusses mitigating the consequences of fraudulent payment attempts; and Tuesday, Oct. 25 from 1 to 2 p.m. ET for "Ensuring Equitable Engagement in Health Care" as Vitality Group discusses helping people overcome barriers that keep them from engaging in their health care.

Target more efficiently. Make your marketing budget work harder. Get in front of the people you need to reach. Discover how AHIP sponsorships can deliver results for you. Consider a targeted conference or focused webinar. We'll work with you on customized package that fits your budget, your initiatives, and your 2023 sales goals. Contact AHIP's Business Affairs Team.