Federal actions on vaccine research, vapes, and drug access

It has been a busy week in health policy news. On Monday, the Supreme Court imposed a one-week stay on a lower court decision that had placed restrictions on access to mifepristone, a prescription drug used to terminate pregnancies. If the lower court’s decision is allowed to stand, patients seeking access to mifepristone would need to physically visit a doctor for the drug, rather than being able to access it via telehealth services or at a pharmacy. The decision would also have the practical effect of blocking access to the drug in states with abortion bans. 

On Tuesday, the New York Times reported that the FDA had blocked publication of several studies supporting the safety of vaccines for COVID and shingles. The FDA claimed the studies, which had in some cases been accepted for publication by journals, needed to be withdrawn because the conclusions were not supported by the underlying data.

The FDA also approved several fruit-flavored nicotine vapes for sale, a controversial move reported to have been caused due to pressure from President Trump. While vapes are supported by some health researchers seeking to wean smokers off of cigarettes, fruit-flavored vapes are known to appeal to younger users, potentially introducing teens and preteens to addictive nicotine products. 

Health reporter Julie Rovner joins Host Flora Lichtman to unpack the week in health policy.