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One of Washington’s coolest museums

Hot Topics | August 27th, 2021

Are you hungry for some culture? You could head to the National Mall and visit one of the Smithsonian museums, or you could head to The Fridge (capital “T” capital “F”). Located in Southeastern D.C.’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, The Fridge is a gallery specializing in street art. Before you can visit The Fridge, you first have to find it. The museum is located at 516 ½ 8th Street SE, which is halfway down a back alley. You’ll know you’re in the right place if the alley is covered in wall-to-wall street art. Once you’ve located The Fridge, you’ll find exhibitions such as a street art sticker show.

Finding The Fridge might not be easy, but you’re exactly where you want to be if you’re looking for the healthcare public policy stories that were making headlines this week:

Pfinally approved

  • The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted full approval to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine (Comirnaty) in people aged 16 or older on Monday. The approval came about nine months after the FDA granted the shot Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). Public officials are hopeful the full approval will help persuade unvaccinated Americans to get vaccinated. (FDA, STAT, POLITICO, Roll Call)

A multitude of mandates are materializing

  • A new wave of vaccine mandates came crashing down on the heels of Comirnaty’s approval. Public sector employees including New York City public school employees and all services members under the Department of Defense are now required to be vaccinated. (Axios, The Hill) The American Medical Association also issued a formal recommendation that both the public and private sectors mandate COVID-19 vaccinations. (The Hill)

How low will guidelines go?

  • Revised screening guidelines are recommending that Americans be screened for certain diseases at ever younger ages. Under new recommendations from the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued earlier this week, Americans should now be screened for Type 2 diabetes starting at age 35. (Axios) Earlier this year, the USPSTF issued updated screening guidelines which lowered the age at which certain Americans should be screened for lung cancer. For a quick refresher, check out our newsletter from March 12.

Doubling down on drug pricing reform FTW

  • The White House is going all-in on drug pricing reform as it seeks to help shepherd a $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill through Congress. Officials in the Biden Administration are touting the popularity of a proposal that would allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices to help ensure Democrats fall in line behind the larger bill. With the White House confronting a number of policy challenges from Afghanistan to COVID-19, drug pricing reform is seen as an issue that can help shore up support for Democrats who are running for re-election in 2022. (POLITICO)

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