POLITICO's Pulse Check

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra told congressional appropriators in charge of crafting a supplemental pandemic funding package that the Biden health department needs at least $30 billion to keep its wide-ranging Covid-19 response work going, especially in the event that another variant emerges. Some Republican senators, however, are openly skeptical that more funding is needed, citing the country’s improving pandemic and economic outlook — and the multiple rounds of federal aid Congress pumped out over the last two years, which some lawmakers believe has contributed to soaring inflation. Alice Miranda Ollstein reports.

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When the pandemic began, Congress barred states from kicking people off Medicaid in exchange for additional federal funding. Enrollment surged nearly 20 percent over the next 16 months to 76.7 million, an all-time high. But state audits that happen when the health crisis is declared "over" could lead to as many as 15 million people, including 6 million children, losing their health insurance, according to an analysis from the Urban Institute.Now, states fear that winding down the expanded social safety net could prove messy — as many of the millions removed from the rolls may not know they’ve lost their health insurance or which options are available for new coverage. Megan Messerly reports.

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On Tuesday, Pfizer and BioNTech announced they’re seeking Food and Drug Administration authorization for the first two doses of a planned three-dose Covid-19 vaccine regimen for children under 5 — the last age bracket remaining witout a Covid-19 vaccine. The agency also announced that it would convene its independent panel of vaccine experts on Feb. 15 to consider the data and make a recommendation to regulators. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s advisers could quickly follow suit should the FDA grant the request, meaning these children could receive their first vaccines later this month. While many welcomed the new development, some pediatricians raised concerns that the companies were moving too quickly, before they had finished studying whether a third dose would provide the necessary protection to children.

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Republicans are accusing the Biden administration of racism — against white people. The FDA’s December guidance on the use of sotrovimab — the only monoclonal antibody proven effective against Omicron — notes people of color may be at higher risk for severe Covid-19 and said it’s one factor among several that doctors can consider when doling out the drug, given that Sotrovimab remains in short supply. But, it's now become the latest political talking point for Republicans, looking to energize their base ahead of the midterm elections, and the political backlash is already fraying patchwork policy at the state level. Megan Messerly reports.

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After more than a month of surging case numbers due to the Omicron variant, the Biden administration is responding with more testing and masking. On Wednesday, it launched covidtests.gov, a website that allows users to request four free at-home covid test and this week also unveiled a plan to distribute hundreds of millions of free N-95 masks through pharmacies and community sites. In a Wednesday press conference, Biden alluded to the late start, saying, "Should we have done more testing earlier? Yes. But we're doing more now." Adam Cancryn on where the administration is at, one year in.

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As we round into the third year of the pandemic and a surging wave of cases due to the Omicron variant, Democrats and Republicans alike raised sharp questions and complaints in the most recent Senate HELP Committee oversight hearing. Alice Miranda Ollstein reports.

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After days of criticism over new isolation and quarantine guidelines, the CDC doubled down Tuesday on its policy. Erin Banco reports on that decision, the current omicron surge and why booster programs may limit global vaccine supply.

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Robert Califf sailed through his Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday, despite some opposition from Democrats ranging from Bernie Sanders to Joe Manchin related to failures by the FDA (including under Califf) to reign in the opioid epidemic and industry ties. A confirmation vote in January would give the agency a permanent political leader for the first time during the Biden presidency. Adam Cancryn reports.

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President Biden on Monday nudged members of his party in Congress push through his signature Build Back Better plan, which includes provisions that would give Medicare the power to bargain on the price of a handful of the most expensive drugs; penalize drugmakers who raise prices faster than inflation for people; and cap out-of-pocket costs for insulin at $35 per month. Democrats’ ability to meaningfully impact drug prices, however, depends heavily on Congress passing the party’s $1.7 trillion social spending bill in the coming weeks. Alice Miranda Ollstein reports.

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POLITICO's Erin Banco breaks down how production problems at Novavax left the world waiting for a vaccine.

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