Supreme Court Denies Worker’s Appeal Over Covid Vaccine Refusal
The Supreme Court rejected the case of a worker who was fired from her job at AstraZeneca after refusing to comply with the company's covid vaccine requirement. She was denied unemployment benefits by Minnesota.
USA Today:
Supreme Court Rejects Case From Fired Worker Denied Jobless Benefits After Refusing Vaccine
The Supreme Court on Monday rejected the appeal of a Minnesota woman who said she was wrongly denied unemployment benefits after being fired for refusing to be vaccinated for COVID-19 because of her religious beliefs. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development determined she wasn’t eligible for benefits because her reasons for refusing the vaccine were based less on religion and more on a lack of trust that the vaccine was effective. (Groppe, 4/1)
The Hill:
People In Red States Report More COVID Vaccine Side Effects: Study
A new study found that states with a higher percentage of Republican voters are seeing more reports of adverse side effects from COVID-19 vaccines. The study published in the JAMA medical journal looked at 620,456 vaccine adverse events reported to the federal Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) from adults 18 and older. (Choi, 4/1)
In other pharmaceutical news —
Stat:
Depression: FDA OKs Otsuka Pharmaceuticals Digital Therapeutic
The Food and Drug Administration has cleared Otsuka Pharmaceutical’s digital treatment for major depressive disorder, offering a new option for millions of people who struggle with the stubborn mental health condition. Called Rejoyn, the smartphone-based treatment for major depressive disorder symptoms was developed with digital therapeutics company Click Therapeutics, and it is intended for use by prescription alongside antidepressants. (Aguilar, 4/1)
The Wall Street Journal:
Why Ozempic Doesn’t Help Some People Lose Weight
Behind the blockbuster success of drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy is a less-noticed phenomenon: Some people don’t lose much weight on them. There is wide variation in weight loss on these types of drugs, called GLP-1s. Doctors say roughly 10% to 15% of people who try them are “non-responders,” typically defined as those who lose less than 5% of their body weight. These patients, doctors say, don’t experience enough appetite reduction to result in significant weight loss. (Reddy, 4/1)
USA Today:
Costco To New Offer Weight-Loss Program Possibly Including Ozempic
Costco and its low-cost healthcare partner are expanding into weight-loss management. Costco will begin offering its members in the U.S. access to a weight-loss program through Sesame, a healthcare marketplace, Sesame exclusively told USA TODAY. The service, which will cost $179 every three months, is scheduled to become available April 2. (Lin-Fisher, 4/2)
CIDRAP:
US Data Show Only 16% Of Adults 27 To 45 Have Received An HPV Vaccine
Only 16% of US adults aged 27 to 45 have received the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, with men, Hispanic respondents, and people with less education at even lower levels, according to a large survey study published last week in Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics. Although routine HPV vaccination was initially recommended for children aged 11 to 12 years, with catch-up vaccination through age 26, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded the age range in 2018 to adults 27 to 45 years, as well. (Wappes, 4/1)
