$2M in COVID funds cut from Shelby County Health Dept.
The Shelby County Health Director, Dr. Michelle Taylor, says she was shocked by the decision.
'My immediate reaction was, what do you mean that we were supposed to stop work yesterday? In what world does that make sense?' Taylor said.
Two million dollars of federal COVID-19 grants were cut abruptly from the organization on March 24, removing 13 roles, from an epidemiologist to community outreach specialists and preventing the health department from purchasing more equipment.
Shelby County Health Dept. starts at-home HIV testing program
And while Dr. Taylor says she is used to federal grants being taken away, she says she's never seen them taken away so abruptly.
'We get this letter saying work was supposed to have stopped as of yesterday. It was that abrupt. And normally like I've explained before, we would have a much longer glide path if we were having a grant that ended,' Taylor said.
The US Department of Health and Human Services released a statement in March defending the cuts saying, 'The COVID-19 pandemic is over, and HHS will no longer waste billions of taxpayer dollars responding to a non-existent pandemic that Americans moved on from years ago.'
Dr. Taylor says while COVID-19 isn't the same problem it was in 2020, the Health Department was using the COVID grants for other good in Shelby County.
'We had been able to flex that funding to do more than just COVID — to tackle Mpox, to tackle other infectious diseases, to do vital community outreach work that we need in this community to reach hard to reach populations,' Taylor said.
Read it and eat: Restaurant Report Card
Going forward, Dr. Taylor believes her department could challenge the decision, as these grants were passed by Congress. She questioned the US Department of Health and Human Services' authority to cut them.
'I'm confident that Mayor Harris and our county attorney are really considering doing that because we believe in protecting the resources we are rightfully entitled to, given what was already appropriated,' Taylor said.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
20 minutes ago
- The Hill
Novo Nordisk, GoodRx selling Ozempic at half cost for customers paying cash
Novo Nordisk and GoodRx announced a partnership this week to sell products Ozempic and Wegovy at half their normal cost to patients who pay for the medications with cash. Starting this week, customers will be able to buy a month's supply of Novo Nordisk's semaglutide pen products for $499 through GoodRx. The list price for a monthly supply of a product like Ozempic is normally around $1,000 or more without insurance. 'Demand for GLP-1 medications is at an all-time high, but too many Americans still face barriers accessing them,' GoodRx CEO and President Wendy Barnes said in a statement. 'By partnering with Novo Nordisk, we're taking a significant step forward in making these innovative brand-name treatments more accessible for millions of people who need them,' added Barnes. 'It's a powerful example of how the GoodRx platform can deliver savings at scale—bridging gaps in coverage and ensuring more people can get the care they deserve.' This is the most recent in similar moves Novo Nordisk has made to make its popular diabetes and weight loss medication more widely available. Earlier this year, the company announced a direct-to-patient program called NovoCare® Pharmacy for uninsured and underinsured individuals who can pay $499 a month for Wegovy. Novo Nordisk also partnered with online telehealth companies like Ro and LifeMD to sell its pens at the same price point. The telehealth company Hims & Hers was also originally included in the partnership, but Novo Nordisk ended it after accusing the company of illegally selling compounded versions of semaglutide. Hims & Hers maintains it is providing personalized, compounded products within regulatory guidelines. 'Improving access to effective FDA-approved treatment is central to our mission, and our collaboration with GoodRx allows us to reach those who seek savings and support from their trusted and established platform,' Dave Moore, executive vice president of U.S. operations of Novo Nordisk, said in a statement. 'This initiative enables us to meet GoodRx patients where they are with our authentic GLP-1 medicines in addition to supporting the launch of the new Ozempic® self-pay offer for type 2 diabetes patients at an unprecedented price.' Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a prominent critic of high drug costs, called the announcement a 'modest step forward.' 'Novo Nordisk's move to cut the price of Ozempic to $499 for the uninsured is a modest step forward, but let's not forget,' Sanders said on the social media platform X. 'Ozempic costs just $59 in Germany while it costs less than $5 to make. The U.S. must no longer pay the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs.
Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
U.S. pediatricians' new COVID-19 vaccine recommendations differ from CDC advice
NEW YORK — For the first time in 30 years, the American Academy of Pediatrics is substantially diverging from U.S. government vaccine recommendations. The group's new COVID-19 recommendations — released Tuesday — come amid a tumultuous year for public health, as vaccine skeptics have come into power in the new Trump administration and government guidance has become increasingly confusing. This isn't going to help, acknowledged Dr. James Campbell, vice chair of the AAP infectious diseases committee. 'It is going to be somewhat confusing. But our opinion is we need to make the right choices for children to protect them,' he added. The AAP is strongly recommending COVID-19 shots for children ages 6 months to 2 years. Shots also are advised for older children if parents want their kids vaccinated, the AAP said. That differs from guidance established under U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which doesn't recommend the shots for healthy children of any age but says kids may get the shots in consultation with physicians. Children ages 6 months to 2 years are at high risk for severe illness from COVID-19, and it was important that recommendations continue to emphasize the need for them to get vaccinated, said Campbell, a University of Maryland infectious diseases expert. Vaccinations also are recommended for older children who have chronic lung diseases or other conditions that put them at higher risk for severe disease, the AAP said. In a statement, Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Andrew Nixon said 'the AAP is undermining national immunization policymaking with baseless political attacks.' He accused the group of putting commercial interests ahead of public health, noting that vaccine manufacturers have been donors to the AAP's Friends of Children Fund. The fund is currently paying for projects on a range of topics, including health equity and prevention of injuries and deaths from firearms. The 95-year-old Itasca, Illinois-based organization has issued vaccination recommendations for children since the 1930s. In 1995, it synced its advice with recommendations made by the federal government's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There have been a few small differences between AAP and CDC recommendations since then. For example, the AAP has advised that children get HPV vaccinations starting at age 9; the CDC says that's OK but has emphasized vaccinations at ages 11 and 12. But in 30 years, this is the first time the recommendations have differed 'in a significant or substantial way,' Campbell said. Until recently, the CDC — following recommendations by infectious disease experts — has been urging annual COVID-19 boosters for all Americans ages 6 months and older. But in May, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that COVID-19 vaccines are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women. A few days later, the CDC issued language that healthy children may get the shots, but that there was no longer a 'should' recommendation. The idea that healthy older kids may be able to skip COVID-19 boosters has been brewing for some time among public health experts. As the COVID-19 pandemic has waned, experts have increasingly discussed the possibility of focusing vaccination efforts on people 65 and older — who are among those most as risk for death and hospitalization. A CDC expert panel in June was set to make recommendations about the fall shots. Among the options the panel was considering was whether suggest shots for high-risk groups but still giving lower-risk people the choice to get vaccinated. But Kennedy bypassed the group, and also decided to dismiss the 17-member panel and appoint his own, smaller panel, that included vaccine skeptics. Kennedy also later excluded the AAP, the American Medical Association and other top medical organizations from working with the advisers to establish vaccination recommendations. Kennedy's new vaccine panel has yet to vote on COVID-19 shot recommendations. The panel did endorse continuing to recommend fall flu vaccinations, but also made a decision that led to another notable difference with the AAP. The new advisory panel voted that people should only get flu vaccines that are packaged as single doses and do not contain the preservative thimerosal. The AAP said there is no evidence of harm from the preservative, and recommended doctors use any licensed flu vaccine product that's appropriate for the patient. Stobbe writes for the Associated Press. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
US pediatricians contradict US government for first time in 30 years over Covid vaccine advice for babies
For the first time in three decades, the American Academy of Paediatrics has significantly diverged from official US government vaccine recommendations, issuing new guidance on Covid-19 shots for children. The move comes amid a tumultuous year for public health, as vaccine sceptics have gained influence within the current US administration and government guidance has become increasingly confusing. "It is going to be somewhat confusing. But our opinion is we need to make the right choices for children to protect them," acknowledged Dr James Campbell, vice chair of the AAP infectious disease committee. The AAP is now strongly recommending Covid-19 vaccinations for children aged six months to two years. Shots are also advised for older children if their parents wish for them to be vaccinated, the organization stated. This contrasts sharply with guidance established under US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which does not recommend the shots for healthy children of any age, instead suggesting they may receive them in consultation with physicians. Dr Campbell, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Maryland, emphasized that children aged six months to two years are at high risk for severe illness from Covid-19, making continued vaccination recommendations crucial for this age group. Vaccinations are also recommended by the AAP for older children with chronic lung diseases or other conditions that elevate their risk for severe disease. The 95-year-old Itasca, Illinois-based organisation has been issuing vaccination recommendations for children since the 1930s. In 1995, it aligned its advice with recommendations from the federal government's CDC. While there have been minor differences since then – for instance, the AAP advising HPV vaccinations from age nine, while the CDC emphasized ages 11 and 12 – this marks the first time in 30 years that the recommendations have differed "in a significant or substantial way," according to Dr Campbell. Until recently, the CDC, following expert advice, had been urging annual Covid-19 boosters for all Americans aged six months and older. However, in May, US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that Covid-19 vaccines were no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women. Days later, the CDC adjusted its language, stating that healthy children may get the shots, but removing the previous "should" recommendation. The notion that healthy older children might skip Covid-19 boosters has been discussed among public health experts as the pandemic has waned, with increasing focus on vaccinating those aged 65 and older, who face the highest risk of death and hospitalization. A CDC expert panel was set to make recommendations for autumn shots in June, considering options such as suggesting shots for high-risk groups while allowing lower-risk individuals the choice. However, Mr Kennedy bypassed this group, dismissing the 17-member panel and appointing his own, smaller panel, which included vaccine sceptics. He subsequently excluded the AAP, the American Medical Association, and other leading medical organizations from collaborating with these new advisers on vaccination recommendations. Mr Kennedy's new vaccine panel has yet to vote on Covid-19 shot recommendations. The panel did endorse continuing to recommend autumn flu vaccinations, but also made a decision that led to another notable difference with the AAP. The new advisory panel voted that individuals should only receive flu vaccines packaged as single doses and free of the preservative thimerosal. The AAP, however, stated there is no evidence of harm from the preservative and recommended that doctors use any licensed flu vaccine product appropriate for the patient. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
