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A federal appeals court on Thursday upheld a lower court decision to block the government from enforcing its COVID-19 vaccine requirement on federal employees — reversing a previous ruling from a smaller panel of its own judges. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in a rare en banc rehearing that a preliminary nationwide injunction on the vaccine mandate should remain in place while the case proceeds. (Shapero, 3/23)

Any COVID-19 vaccine requirement by public schools, state agencies or local governments would be blocked under legislation given final approval by the Georgia House on Thursday. The House voted 99-69 in favor of Senate Bill 1, which would make permanent what had been a one-year ban enacted in 2022. The measure now goes to Gov. Brian Kemp for his signature or veto. (Amy, 3/23)

Alabama lawmakers on Thursday advanced legislation requiring hospitals and nursing homes to allow in-person visits, even during a pandemic. The Alabama Senate approved the bill on a 33-0 vote after members shared stories of people being separated from loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill now moves to the Alabama House of Representatives. Lawmakers in several other states have also moved to limit restrictions on visitations such as those imposed during the pandemic. (3/23)

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., on Thursday said he would not vaccinate his children against Covid, citing concerns over potential heart inflammation. Paul, a doctor and an outspoken opponent of Covid mitigation measures, said he is concerned about the risk of myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, from taking the vaccine. (Concepcion, 3/23)

KHN: Sen. Sanders Shows Fire, But Seeks Modest Goals, In His Debut Drug Hearing As Health Chair 

Sen. Bernie Sanders, who rose to national prominence criticizing big business in general and the pharmaceutical industry in particular, claimed the spotlight Wednesday on what might at first seem a powerful new stage from which to advance his agenda: chairmanship of the Senate health committee. But the hearing Sanders used to excoriate a billionaire pharmaceutical executive for raising the price of a covid-19 vaccine showed the challenges the Vermont independent faces. (Allen, 3/23)

Women, overweight people and those above age 40 are among the groups that have a greater risk of developing long Covid, according to a report published Thursday that makes the case for better pandemic treatment and support. (Peng, 3/23)

The pandemic experience varied sharply from state to state, with some of the highest adjusted death rates reported in Arizona, the District of Columbia and New Mexico, according to an analysis published in The Lancet. It's among the first deep dives to explore the social and economic factors at play during the pandemic in the U.S., and found a nearly four-fold variation in COVID infection and death rates between states. (Reed, 3/24)