Disney Cruise Line will soon require all passengers age five or older to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, in today's bite-sized hospital and health industry news from Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

• Florida: Disney Cruise Line will require all passengers age five or older to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. The policy, announced Wednesday, will go into effect on Jan. 13, 2022. Disney is the first cruise line to require the vaccine for children. For passengers under the age of five, documentation of a negative Covid-19 test taken one to three days before their sail date will be required. The cruise line will allow no-fee cancellations before Dec. 1 for any individuals who do not wish to comply with the vaccine requirement. "As we set sail again, the health and safety of our Guests, Cast Members and Crew Members is a top priority," Disney Cruise Line said in a statement. "We are resuming sailing in a gradual, phased approach that emphasizes multiple layers of health and safety measures." (Reyes, Axios, 11/17)

• New York: March of Dimes on Monday published a report showing a decline in the overall rate of premature births between 2019 and 2020. This marks the first decline recorded in the United States in six years. According to the report, the rate of preterm births in the United States dropped from 10.2% in 2019 to 10.1% in 2020. However, the report noted an increase in preterm births among Black, Native American, and Alaska Native women during the same period—those women were 60% more likely to have a premature birth than white women. "I think it's really important to understand that around the issue of premature birth, we still have significant issues around health and equity, and we still have far too many women who are more likely to give birth prematurely than others," March of Dimes CEO Stacey Stewart said. (Saric, Axios, 11/16)

• Pennsylvania/New Jersey: Jefferson Health and Bayada Home Health Care on Tuesday signed an agreement to form a joint home health venture called Jefferson Health at Home. The agreement is expected to be finalized by spring 2022. The program will offer both in-home and virtual care to Jefferson Health's patients in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. "The pandemic heightened demand for hospital services delivered at home," said Jefferson Health president Bruce Meyer. "Now, with Bayada and Jefferson aligned, we're able to leverage their best post-acute-care practices across an expanded geographic footprint, while lowering the total cost of care without compromising access or quality." (Christ, Modern Healthcare, 11/16)