UK approves its first vaccine

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The UK has approved Pfizer and BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine, becoming the first Western country to give a vaccine an OK. The plan is to make the vaccine available next week. 

In the European Union and US, an official OK might still be a few weeks away as regulatory bodies analyze the data in different ways.

Also in healthcare news: US health officials set their recommendations for who should get vaccinated first, a bipartisan stimulus bill is on the table, and the checklist the head of Cigna’s venture fund uses to vet potential investments. 

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Healthcare workers and long-term care facility residents should get a coronavirus vaccine first, according to US health officials

• The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted on Tuesday to recommend that healthcare workers and long-term care facility residents should receive a coronavirus vaccine first.
• Vaccinating healthcare workers first would allow them to continue to respond to the pandemic.
• Those living in nursing homes and assisted living facilities have experienced high rates of COVID-19 cases and deaths.
• ACIP's recommendation will help the government decide who gets the first doses of a vaccine once it is authorized.

Read the full story from Andrea Michelson here>>

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Lawmakers just unveiled a $908 billion coronavirus stimulus deal that would boost unemployment payments and help small businesses. Here's what's in the package.

• A bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Sens. Joe Manchin and Susan Collins, just unveiled a $908 billion package to try to end the gridlock over a coronavirus stimulus.
• Their plan is almost double what Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wants to spend and less than half of what Democratic leadership — and President Donald Trump — have pushed for.
• Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, who was among the negotiators, said it would be "stupidity on steroids" for Congress to leave for the winter break without passing a stimulus.

Read the full story from Kimberly Leonard here>>

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The man behind Cigna's $250 million venture fund shares the 3-part checklist he uses to place his bets on healthcare startups, including how he judges founders' problem-solving skills

• Tom Richards, head of Cigna's global business development, shared his criteria for healthcare bets with Business Insider.
• Cigna likes to bet on companies that are tackling specific problems that Cigna is also facing. As a huge health plan, it's often a customer to the same vendors it bets on.
• When it comes to the leadership team, Richards puts a premium on their ability to respond to evolving problems and change their solution accordingly. 

Read the full story from Blake Dodge here>>

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More stories we're reading:

• UnitedHealth Group expects it will lose $2 billion because of COVID-19 in 2021 (Bloomberg)
• Trump's vaccine czar said he has 'no reason to believe' the FDA has altered how it reviews COVID-19 vaccines, amid reports of the president's frustration over how long the process takes (Business Insider)
• When should inmates get COVID-19 vaccines? (The New York Times)
• Pfizer and Moderna have both asked the EU to approve their COVID-19 vaccines — but first shots might not come until next year (Business Insider)

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- Lydia