News Room

As the Trump administration pushes ahead with its Covid-19 vaccine distribution plans, state health authorities are expressing concerns that the government hasn’t resolved critical issues, complicating their efforts to deliver any shots that get cleared for use to those most in need. The federal government released two vaccine-distribution plans this week, but state health officials, who will play a key role in immunization campaigns, say much work still needs to be done.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker brought in two medical experts to act as his pulling guard and his tackle — using scientific reasoning to defend his decision not to allow contact youth sports. The governor has stood his ground in the pocket, unmoved by a vocal and persistent opposition. On the other side of the line are the coaches, parents and players that are part of the Let Us Play movement, who want fall football (and other sports) and they’re rushing in with rallies scheduled for Saturday in Chicago and Springfield.

Just like a fresh piece of fish, vaccines are highly perishable products and must be kept at very cold, specific temperatures. The majority of COVID-19 vaccines under development – like the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines – are new RNA-based vaccines. If they get too warm or too cold they spoil. And, just like fish, a spoiled vaccine must be thrown away. So how do companies and public health agencies get vaccines to the people who need them?

Managing money has traditionally involved more art than science. Investment managers would rely on instinct and experience to decide which opportunities are the best match for the needs of each client. This worked well enough for decades, but in the age of Big Data, we can certainly do better. Thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), the industry has, within its grasp, the potential for a powerful expansion in capabilities. Now, all it takes is the will to embrace the cultural change needed to convert possibility into reality.

Kansas may spend $50 million to provide residents easier, faster access to coronavirus testing in the months ahead — an expansion that will take place as people grapple with the twin threats of COVID-19 and the flu. Kansas has continued to struggle to establish the kind of quick, broad testing that some states have largely achieved more than six months into the pandemic. Kansas has one of the highest rates of positive tests in the country, a possible sign the state isn’t testing enough.