Scientists Find Twofold Rise In Long Covid Risk In Kids After Reinfection
Evidence indicates that over a six-month period, 1,884 per million young people developed long covid after two infections, twice the rate of 904 per million for young people with one infection, The New York Times reports. Plus, states have not been able to order updated covid shots for low-income children.
The New York Times:
Long Covid Risk For Children Doubles After A Second Infection, Study Finds
Children and teenagers are twice as likely to develop long Covid after a second coronavirus infection as after an initial infection, a large new study has found. The study, of nearly a half-million people under 21, published Tuesday in Lancet Infectious Diseases, provides evidence that Covid reinfections can increase the risk of long-term health consequences and contradicts the idea that being infected a second time might lead to a milder outcome, medical experts said. (Belluck, 9/30)
MedPage Today:
Mom's COVID Shot Aided Baby, Too, Large Review Confirmed
COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy conferred benefits for mother and baby without increased risk, according to an umbrella review of meta-analyses comprising more than 1.2 million women. Vaccination during pregnancy was associated with lowered maternal risks of COVID infection .... stillbirth ... and preterm birth ... reported Nikan Zargarzadeh, MD, of Harvard University in Boston. (Henderson, 9/30)
Stat:
Covid Shots For Low-Income Children Stymied By Approval Delay
Two weeks after a federal committee of vaccine advisers approved new recommendations for who should get Covid-19 shots, neither Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. nor his deputy have signed off, leaving states unable to order updated shots for low-income children. (Oza and Cirruzzo, 9/30)
The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer:
Ohio Health Department Wins Legal Battle To Restrict COVID Data Access
The Ohio Department of Health was justified in refusing to provide data on COVID-19 deaths and vaccinations in the state to a critic of Gov. Mike DeWine’s coronavirus policies, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled Tuesday. (Pelzer, 9/30)
On norovirus, measles, HPV, and screwworm —
The Hill:
Norovirus Outbreak Sickens Over 70 On Royal Caribbean Cruise
A norovirus outbreak has sickened over 70 people aboard a 13-day Royal Caribbean Cruise, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas departed from San Diego on Sept. 19 and is scheduled to arrive in Miami on Thursday, Oct. 2. (Kaplan, 9/30)
CIDRAP:
States Log More Measles Cases As New Mexico Outbreak Winds Down
Health departments in Minnesota and California have reported new measles cases, part of a record rise in cases since the United States achieved elimination status in 2000. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has recorded three new cases, pushing the state’s total to eight for the year. (Schnirring, 9/30)
CIDRAP:
Evidence Of Herd Immunity 17 Years After HPV Vaccination
In a new study in JAMA Pediatrics, population-level effectiveness and herd immunity were robust 17 years after human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine introduction, even in sexually experienced adolescent girls and young women at relatively high risk for HPV who may not have received the full vaccination series. (Soucheray, 9/30)
CIDRAP:
FDA Conditionally Approves Drug For Prevention, Treatment Of New World Screwworm In Cattle
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said today that it has conditionally approved a drug for the prevention and treatment of New World screwworm (NWS) larval infestations in cattle. The FDA said Dectomax-CA1 is eligible for conditional approval in cattle because it addresses an unmet animal health need, and demonstrating its effectiveness would require complex studies. (Dall, 9/30)
Also —
CIDRAP:
Gavi-Supported Immunizations Saved Record Lives In 2024
In a progress report covering its activities in 2024, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, today reported that Gavi-supported vaccines saved a record 1.7 million lives, 400,000 more than in 2023. In a statement, the group also reported major progress in boosting vaccine campaigns in some of the countries experiencing some of the biggest humanitarian challenges. Beyond just public health benefits, the group estimated that Gavi-supported countries gained nearly $20 billion in economic benefits from having healthier populations, reducing healthcare costs, and boosting productivity. (Schnirring, 9/30)
