What We’re Reading: COVID-19 Boosters for Vulnerable Populations; Telehealth Abortion Gaining Coverage; Hospital Nurse Gig Economy

FDA Permits Additional Bivalent Boosters

The FDA amended emergency use authorization terms for the Pfizer and Moderna bivalent COVID-19 vaccines Tuesday, permitting people 65 years and older and certain individuals with weakened immunity to receive additional doses prior to this fall’s vaccination campaigns, reported CNN. The bivalent vaccines have been available in the United States since September under emergency use authorizations that restrict how the vaccines are dispensed. The FDA also issued updates to simplify the recommended vaccine doses for unvaccinated people.

Insurers Are Beginning to Cover Telehealth Abortion

Telehealth is becoming a more accepted and established method of care, including care for abortion, simultaneous with the legal battles around mail-order abortion pills, according to The New York Times. Some new virtual clinics have started contracting with major health insurers for coverage. Insurance coverage for abortion varies, and plans that do cover abortion coverage usually don’t include new telehealth providers such as the virtual clinics in their networks. The inclusion of some telehealth abortion providers by insurers is a recent sign that virtual abortion clinics are starting to be considered a safe and in-demand option, the article notes.

Nurse Shortage Spurs Hospitals to Enter the Gig Economy

Some of the largest hospital systems in the United States are using apps to entice scarce nurses to book shift work, reported The Wall Street Journal. One app helps hospitals adjust pay to match supply, lowering or raising rates depending on the need of the hospital and shift popularity, while another allows workers to bid for shifts. Proponents say the adoption of gig work puts hospitals in more direct competition with temporary staffing agencies and helps them extend their labor pool outside of their employees to other nurses who value flexible schedules.