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What We're Reading: US to Ship 80M Vaccines; Cyberattack on Irish Health Care; Recall of Abbott Pacemakers
The United States will ship approximately 80 million excess doses of COVID-19 vaccines abroad; Ireland's health services system could be hobbled for weeks by a ransomware attack; the FDA recalls more than 60,000 pacemakers manufactured by Abbott.
US to Ship 80M Excess COVID-19 Vaccines Abroad
President Joe Biden announced that the United States will ship approximately 20 million doses of excess Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines to in need countries abroad. Reported by NPR, shipments will also include 60 million AstraZeneca vaccines currently in the US total reserve, which has yet to be authorized for use in the United States. Distribution is planned to be completed by the end of June.
Irish Health System Struggles in Aftermath of Massive Ransomware Attack
It could be weeks before the Irish health system returns to normal in the wake of a cyberattack, the Associated Press reported. The attack happened on Friday and a Russian-speaking hacking group has demanded $20 million, the report said. The ransomware attack has forced the disruption of care involving diagnostic appointments, cancer treatment, and surgeries; in addition, health care workers cannot get paid.
FDA Issues Recall on Abbott Pacemakers
Due to the risk of electrical shorts and reduced battery life associated with Assurity and Endurity implantable pacemakers manufactured by Abbott, the FDA issued a Class 1 recall, the most serious type of recall, of nearly 62,000 pacemakers that were distributed between April 2015 and February 2019. Reported by Fox News, the devices have been linked with 135 complaints and 135 injuries, but no deaths have been reported.
AI in Health Care: Balancing Governance, Innovation, and Trust
September 2nd 2025In this conversation with Reuben Daniel, associate vice president of artificial intelligence at UPMC Health Plan, we dive into how UPMC Health Plan builds trust with providers and members, discuss challenges of scaling AI effectively, and hear about concrete examples of AI's positive impact.
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Infertility Coverage Boosts ART Use and Pregnancy Success: Richard A. Brook, MS, MBA
August 26th 2025In this episode, Richard A. Brook, MS, MBA, discusses his study showing that infertility treatment coverage increases assisted reproductive technology (ART) use and improves pregnancy outcomes.
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