Covid vaccination among the youngest kids is low and uneven

Earlier in the pandemic, some parents were begging for Covid vaccine to protect their little ones while others wouldn’t even consider it. Here’s what happened after the CDC recommended vaccination for children 6 months to 4 years old in June: As of last week, only 6% of kids younger than 2 and 9% of kids 2 to 4 years old had gotten at least one dose. That compares to 21% among children 5 to 11 years old getting their shots in the first month they could. A new report from CDC tracks some of the differences, based on July interviews:

59% of unvaccinated children had parents open to vaccination.
37% of unvaccinated children had parents reluctant to vaccinate.
Parental openness to vaccination was higher among Hispanic, Black, and Asian children compared to white children.
63% of vaccinated children had parents who got a provider recommendation compared to 25% of unvaccinated children.

'No reason why not': Top U.S. addiction researcher suggests deregulating methadone

The U.S. government’s top addiction researcher is calling for broad deregulation of methadone, a key drug used to treat opioid use disorder. Currently methadone can be prescribed only at specialized methadone clinics where patients are often required to show up at the clinics every morning to receive a single methadone dose and participate in counseling. American doctors should “absolutely” be allowed to prescribe methadone directly to patients, Nora Volkow, the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said Wednesday at the STAT Summit in Boston, perhaps the strongest call yet from a high-profile government official in favor of allowing far broader access to methadone.

“There’s absolutely no reason why not,” Volkow said. “There are countries where physicians are providing methadone, and the outcomes are actually as good as those they get [at] methadone clinics.” STAT’s Lev Facher has more.

Studies highlight lack of diversity in dermatology

Attempts to increase diversity in dermatology have stagnated, according to a study published this week in JAMA Dermatology that shows Black and Hispanic medical graduates continue to be less represented in dermatology than in other specialties, despite increasing calls for diversity in the field, which remains one of medicine’s least diverse.

A related study found that the pool of students pursuing dermatology was also less likely to be diverse in terms of sexual orientation and that students pursuing dermatology were less likely to pursue caring for the underserved or public health. And related editorial said the lack of progress in diversifying the field showed the need for revisions in resident selection, including addressing individual bias, more consideration of candidates who have faced social and economic barriers, and avoiding “tokenism,” or the adding individuals from underrepresented groups to programs without meaningfully addressing issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Closer look: Learning from the ‘wonderful, majestic,’ and sugar-obsessed nectar bat

(COURTESY JASMIN CAMACHO)

Nectar bats may have nature’s biggest sweet tooth. Each night, the creatures scour the jungle for blossoming flowers in order to consume as much as 150% of their body weight in liquid sugar, without succumbing to a coma that would fell most mammals. Nectar bats push biology to the limit — making them “wonderful, majestic flying superheroes,” in the words of Jasmin Camacho (above), a postdoctoral researcher at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research who was recently named a STAT Wunderkind.

Beyond fascination, she also feels a special kinship with the animals. To her, nectar bats — who keep ecosystems thriving by pollinating flowers but are more associated with pandemics and misfortune — embody the misunderstood. “I felt that people judged me for where I grew up and what I wore,” said Camacho, a first-generation college student of Mexican and Native descent. STAT contributor Justin Chen has more.

The Theranos saga has another turn today

Today’s the day when Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes will appear for sentencing in federal court in San Jose, Calif., after her conviction on multiple felony counts for duping investors out of millions of dollars to fund her company. Her scheme falsely convinced these investors that her company had created an innovative blood-testing device.

Last week federal prosecutors asked a judge to sentence Holmes to 15 years in prison. She faces up to 20 years in prison for each of three felony counts of wire fraud and one felony count of conspiracy to commit fraud. Calling the case “one of the most substantial white collar offenses Silicon Valley or any other District has seen,” the Associated Press reported, prosecutors vehemently rejected defense attorneys' characterization that Holmes had been unfairly victimized, in part by media coverage.

Doctors around the world diagnose themselves with burnout and worse care for their patients

Doctors beset by pandemic stress fear they are providing worse care to their patients because of their burnout, a new survey of primary care physicians from 10 wealthy countries has found. Younger doctors reported higher rates of distress — a finding consistent across the countries included, according to the survey from the Commonwealth Fund. While the results echo other soundings taken throughout the pandemic, they also show a striking similarity from country to country, including places with vastly different experiences during the pandemic and types of health systems.

Clinicians of all stripes are reporting increased rates of anxiety, depression, and burnout. Many have considered leaving the field. “The pandemic is taking an alarming toll on the well-being of our primary care workforce,” said David Blumenthal, president of the Commonwealth Fund. STAT’s Andrew Joseph has more.

What we're reading

Covid almost broke this hospital. It also might be what saves it, New York Times
Is it Alzheimer’s? Families want to know, and blood tests may offer answers, Washington Post
Mental crises excluded from some state abortion exemptions, Associated Press
Why doesn't the U.S. have more Black doctors? STAT
Too many Black babies are dying. Birth workers in Kansas fight to keep them alive, KUMW
Vertex revolutionized cystic fibrosis treatment. Its executives say that’s just the start, STAT