Retail companies are facing challenges in disrupting primary care, as evidenced by Walmart’s decision to close its Walmart Health centers in five states and virtual care services. This move raises concerns about sustainability, profitability, and operational costs. The closure of all 51 health centers marks a departure from the retailer’s prior plans to expand its healthcare services, mirroring similar struggles experienced by retailers like Walgreens as they downsize their primary care clinic chains.
Meanwhile, US federal health officials have announced preparedness to deploy vaccines in response to concerns over a strain of bird flu potentially spreading from dairy cows to humans. While there is currently no evidence of person-to-person transmission, the virus is prevalent in dairy herds across multiple states. Vaccine candidates are ready, with plans to distribute hundreds of thousands of doses if the situation worsens.
In other news, Arizona lawmakers have voted to repeal the state’s historic Civil War–era abortion ban, preserving abortion access for millions of women. This marks a significant change from previous efforts to uphold the 1864 ban. Democrats had used the ban as a rallying point leading up to the November election, but Republicans, concerned about potential electoral repercussions, joined Democrats in passing the repeal.
