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The latest on the CDC's banned words controversy

CDC director Brenda Fitzgerald fired off an email to alarmed staff over the weekend to address concerns sparked by a Washington Post report that the Trump administration has banned CDC from using words including “fetus,” “evidence-based,” and “diversity” in its budget submissions. Fitzgerald assured the staff that the agency is committed to its mission as a science- and evidence-based institution. But her email didn’t refute the Post’s reporting that staff had been given a list of seven banned words, which also included “science-based,” “vulnerable,” “transgender,” and “entitlement.” The report spurred swift criticism within the science and public health communities.

An HHS official who asked not to be named told STAT it wasn’t accurate to say that CDC had been ordered not to use the seven words. Instead, he said, analysts were told that some phrasing might be more likely to win support for the CDC’s budget in the current Congress. “This was all about providing guidance to those who would be writing those budget proposals. And it was very much ‘you may wish to do this or say this.’ But there was nothing in the way of ‘forbidden words,’” he said. More here.

How one state cut down on vaccine exemptions

New research finds vaccine exemptions in Washington fell 3 percentage points after the state legally mandated counseling for parents. Now, parents who want to opt out of having their kids vaccinated must submit a certificate, signed by a licensed health care provider, saying they’d discussed the risks and benefits of immunization. That kind of legislative tactic could be a way for other states to improve their vaccination rates. An analysis released last week found that vaccination rates still vary dramatically from one state to the next — just 31 percent of girls ages 13 to 17 have received the full HPV vaccine series in South Carolina, compared to 73 percent in Rhode Island.

What will 2018 bring in health and medicine? Tell me your predictions

I’m collecting your predictions for what 2018 will mean for health and medicine — whether that’s a new drug in the pipeline, a health policy fight, or a disease the world should be watching. Send me your predictions at [log in to unmask], and I’ll share some of your responses after the new year.

Measures of success: How value-based pricing may change the pharmaceutical industry

As the pharmaceutical industry moves away from traditional pricing models, manufacturers are looking for new ways to engage with customers while managing legal and financial risks. Alice Valder Curran of Hogan Lovells and Bob Spurr of Novartis Oncology outline the challenges and share the potential solutions to consider when entering into value-based arrangements. Watch here.

Inside STAT: Pressure builds on the DEA to stem prescription opioid supply

(mike reddy for stat)

A dozen government scientists have spent the last year crunching numbers to decide that in 2018, drug makers will be allowed to produce no more than 95,692 kilos of oxycodone, 38,047 kilos of morphine, and 1,342 kilos of fentanyl. Those precise limits are part of a little-known annual process at the DEA to regulate the volume of controlled substances that can be produced in the United States. The system was started nearly five decades ago to make sure drug makers made enough medicines to avoid shortages. But as the opioid epidemic continues, Democratic lawmakers are pressing the DEA to use the quota system to help stem supply. But many experts aren't sure that's actually a good idea. STAT’s Lev Facher has the story here.

South Sudan is still battling a massive cholera outbreak

Health officials in South Sudan have carried out another round of cholera vaccinations as the country continues to battle an outbreak that has sickened more than 21,000 and killed 462 people since it began in June 2016. The outbreak has been exacerbated by severe famine and a lack of access to clean water amid a devastating drought and ongoing conflict. The WHO says just 60 percent of people in South Sudan can access safe drinking water, and far fewer have access to clean sanitation. That’s created the perfect storm for cholera — which is usually found in contaminated water or food — to spread.

Special gum can't help soothe a sore throat

It’s sore throat season — but probiotics and chewing gum that promise to ease the pain of a sore throat don’t actually seem to do so, according to a new study. There’s been evidence that probiotics and xylitol gum — which is made from a kind of sugar that can prevent bacterial growth — can reduce the recurrence of upper respiratory tract infections. Doctors thought they might be able to soothe a sore throat, too. So they tried it out on 689 patients with sore throats — some chewed no gum, some chewed xylitol gum, and some chewed good old Wrigley Extra. Within those groups, half took probiotics and half took a placebo. Patients kept a diary of their gum and probiotic use along with their symptom severity. The takeaway: Neither did much to control the symptoms of a sore throat.