Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
America Has Thrown Away More Than 1 In 10 Of Its Covid Shots
NBC News: The U.S. Has Wasted Over 82 Million Covid Vaccine Doses
Pharmacies, states, U.S. territories and federal agencies discarded 82.1 million Covid vaccine doses from December 2020 through mid-May — just over 11 percent of the doses the federal government distributed, according to data the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shared with NBC News. That’s an increase from the 65 million doses the CDC told the Associated Press had been wasted as of late February. Two retail pharmacy chains, CVS and Walmart, were responsible for over a quarter of the doses thrown away in the United States in that time period, in part due to the sheer volume of vaccine they handled. (Eaton, 6/6)
ABC News: Florida Threatens To Fine Special Olympics $27 Million Over Vaccination Requirement
The State of Florida threatened the Special Olympics with a fine of $27 million because of the organization's requirement that all athletes competing in the games in Orlando this weekend be vaccinated for COVID-19.In a letter sent to Special Olympics International, the Florida Department of Health informed the organization that its vaccine requirement conflicted with existing Florida law, which prohibits any business from asking for proof of vaccination. (Jay O'brien, 6/3)
New research on vaccines and covid treatments —
CIDRAP: FDA: Novavax COVID Vaccine Effective, But Cardiac Questions Remain
In a detailed review ahead of next week's advisory committee meeting, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) staff today said the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine will likely provide meaningful protection against the Omicron variant, but they raised concerns about the potential for rare cardiac conditions after vaccination. (Schnirring, 6/3)
CIDRAP: COVID Booster In NBA Cut Infection Risk 57% Amid Omicron
Booster COVID-19 vaccination was tied to a 57% reduction in cases among 2,613 National Basketball Association (NBA) players and staff who were regularly screened for infection during the Omicron variant surge, according to a research letter published yesterday in JAMA. (Van Beusekom, 6/3)
CIDRAP: Data Show Paxlovid Halves The Risk Of Severe Omicron Disease, Death
A study of 4,737 COVID-19 patients in Israel conducted during the Omicron surge concludes that Pfizer's antiviral drug Paxlovid roughly halves the risk of severe COVID-19 or death, according to findings published yesterday in Clinical Infectious Diseases. (6/3)
