Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
60 Kids Have Died From Flu So Far This Season; Most Weren't Fully Vaccinated
CIDRAP: CDC’s FluView Shows 8 More Pediatric Deaths As Flu Activity Drops
The most recent FluView report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows an additional eight pediatric deaths last week, raising the season’s total to 60 pediatric deaths from flu complications. Approximately 90% of the 60 children were not fully vaccinated against influenza. The CDC estimates there have been at least 22,000,000 illnesses, 280,000 hospitalizations, and 12,000 deaths from flu so far this season. (Soucheray, 2/9)
CIDRAP: New Analysis Links Flu Vaccination To 18% Lower Odds Of Heart Attack
Influenza vaccination is associated with significantly lower odds of myocardial infarction (MI), according to a large meta-analysis published late last week in BMC Public Health. (Bergeson, 2/9)
The Baltimore Sun: University Of Maryland Seeks Testers For Nasal Spray During Cold And Flu Season
With only a snort a week, a new drug might keep patients safe from several viruses — and the University of Maryland is willing to pay more than $1,000 for people willing to test it. The nasal-spray medicine called INNA-051 may boost immune defenses, reducing illness from respiratory viruses and researchers at the university’s School of Medicine have put out a call for testers. (Hille, 2/9)
On measles —
The Guardian: RFK Jr Misled Senate During Confirmation, Congress Members And Hawaii Governor Say
Three members of Congress say the US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, lied during his Senate confirmation hearings in response to newly revealed emails that undermine his testimony that a trip he took to Samoa ahead of a deadly measles outbreak had “nothing to do with vaccines”. The governor of Hawaii, a medical doctor who responded to the crisis, also spoke out – saying that the disclosure of the emails by the Guardian and the Associated Press show Kennedy misled the Senate and that he should step down. (Smith, 2/9)
People: Second Case Of Measles Linked To Disneyland
California health officials have confirmed a second measles case in a person who visited Disneyland in January, just one week after another case was reported. The Orange County Health Care Agency (HCA) announced that it had been notified about a confirmed case of measles in a person who visited Disneyland on Thursday, Jan. 22. (Phillipp, 2/9)
AZ Family: Measles Exposure Reported At Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
Health officials have identified Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport as a place where people may have recently been exposed to measles. The Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) confirmed that a measles patient traveled through Terminal 4 on Jan. 29.There have been three confirmed cases of measles within Maricopa County. (Petersheim Jr., 2/9)
AP: Mexico State Steps Up Health Screening In Schools As Measles Cases Grow
Mexico’s most populous state said Monday it was stepping up health screening at schools and recommended the use of face masks for students and staff as the country confronts a growing measles outbreak. The decision by Mexico state followed similar measures announced last week in the western state of Jalisco, site of the country’s largest outbreak, where masks are now required in the schools of its capital Guadalajara, Mexico’s second-largest city. (2/10)
On covid —
California Post: Long COVID May Be Triggering Alzheimer’s-Like Changes In The Brain: New Study
New research from NYU Langone Health might explain why some patients experience incessant “brain fog” and memory issues long after a COVID infection. The researchers propose that long COVID may trigger changes in the brain that resemble the biological processes seen in diseases like Alzheimer’s. (Swartz, 2/10)
Chicago Sun-Times: Former Prospect Sues White Sox, Claiming COVID-19 Vaccination Ended His Career
A former White Sox pitching prospect is suing the team, claiming he was pushed into taking a COVID-19 vaccination in 2021 that resulted in severe allergic reactions that eventually derailed his career. (Armentrout, 2/9)
CIDRAP: US Cancer Survival Rate Fell During First 2 Years Of COVID Pandemic
Patients diagnosed as having cancer in the United States in 2020 and 2021 had significantly worse short-term survival than those diagnosed before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a population-based cohort study published last week in JAMA Oncology. Analyzing data from more than 1 million US patients diagnosed as having invasive cancer in 2020 and 2021, a team led by researchers from the University of Kentucky looked at the patients’ 1-year cause-specific survival (CSS) rates and compared them with those of cancer patients diagnosed from 2015 to 2019. (Bergeson, 2/9)
