HERE WE GO AGAIN? Manufacturers are cutting back on Covid-19 test production as case numbers plummet in the U.S. and demand for the tests dwindles. At the same time, cases in Europe are surging. Biden Administration officials are eyeing Europe’s numbers and making preparations for another U.S. wave, warning Congress that if it doesn’t approve another $15 million in Covid-19 funding, the White House won’t be able to buy new drugs, vaccines, masks and tests. Testing manufacturers have told administration officials demand has fallen so precipitously that without existing investments — like the government’s commitment to contract for 1 billion at-home tests — they would already be shutting down lines. The number of tests shipped each week by major manufacturers in the U.S. has fallen by more than 50 percent over the last month, POLITICO’s David Lim reports. “If we get to a point where companies really are turning off lines or laying off people — are not making investments in the Covid test market — and we have another surge, then we will not be ready to go,” Tom Inglesby, White House senior adviser for Covid response, told POLITICO. “We will be in a situation that is potentially much worse than what we had with Omicron.” The appetite on the Hill for rallying around more Covid-19 money is low, with lawmakers frustrated over the lack of transparency on how money has been spent and being asked for more when the CDC says most of the country can now relax and unmask. “We’re seeing numbers decrease, and so I think because of that, people on the ground don’t really understand why we need to keep purchasing this stuff,” one Senate Democratic aide said. “It sounds terrible, but people are just over it. And nobody wants to talk about it.” HEALTH CARE SECTOR ON ALERT FOR CYBERATTACKS — Russia is “exploring” possible cyberattacks against the United States, President Joe Biden said Monday, POLITICO reports. Though Biden didn’t single out the health care sector as a potential target, experts say it’s vulnerable, with the industry lagging behind in cybersecurity measures. The sector is an attractive target for hackers given the trove of sensitive information in health records and health care organizations’ perceived willingness to pay ransoms to unlock systems, given that disrupting care delivery can be catastrophic. Some health care cybersecurity experts tell POLITICO’s Ben Leonard they’re already seeing an increase in cyber threats potentially tied to Russia in recent days. “People are just seeing more traffic, more email bombs, so to speak,” said Mac McMillan, CEO of the cybersecurity firm CynergisTek. “They’re more of a nuisance at the moment — not full-fledged attacks that are doing anything — but clearly, there’s stuff going on now.” Hospitals and health care organizations have been bracing for the impact of potential Russian cyberattacks during the Ukraine invasion. Particularly, the American Hospital Association has been warning of threats from the conflict since December. The threat also has escalated at Ukrainian-based vendors of health care organizations. Carter Groome, CEO of the health care risk management consulting firm First Health Advisory, said malware attacks on Ukrainian targets have risen about 10 times in the past two weeks. FDA TO MEET ON ADDITIONAL BOOSTERS — The FDA said Monday it will meet on April 6 to discuss additional Covid-19 booster shots for adults, POLITICO’s Katherine Ellen Foley writes. Last week, Pfizer and BioNTech asked the FDA to authorize another booster of its Covid-19 vaccine for people 65 and older and Moderna asked the agency to authorize another booster of its shot for all adults. Immunocompromised adults are already authorized to receive a fourth mRNA Covid-19 vaccine dose. The committee won’t vote on a vaccine application but will discuss considerations for boosters and how select strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus for future vaccinations. Members from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health will also be present.
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