Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'August Is Solidly Covid Season': Public Health Experts Say It's Time To Take Precautions
CNN: The Traditional Respiratory Virus Season Hasn’t Started, But Covid Is Already Climbing
Are you coughing, hacking or feeling feverish? It may not be just a summer cold; you might want to consider taking a Covid test. Although the autumn respiratory illness season hasn’t kicked off, and flu and RSV activity remain low, there’s a growing summer wave of Covid-19. (Christensen, 8/20)
Discover Magazine: AI Reveals Why Some People Respond Better To The COVID-19 Vaccine Than Others
The team compared antibody patterns recorded before and after COVID-19 vaccination. They discovered that elevated levels of several preexisting antibodies were associated with stronger responses to the vaccine, including common microbes like Staphylococcus aureus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and human respirovirus 3. The scientists suggest these are “sentinel” antibodies because they are not necessarily helping the body attack the vaccine’s intended target. Instead, they may serve as signals of how prepared the antibody-producing portion of the immune system is to spring into action. (Edwards, 8/20)
CIDRAP: Researchers Probe Why 2 Indigenous Groups In Bolivia Had Lowest COVID Death Rates In World
Two Indigenous groups in Bolivian Amazon had the lowest COVID-19 death rates ever reported in the height of the pandemic—less than one-tenth of 1%—despite high rates of infection and severe disease—a finding that researchers say has implications for disease-mitigation efforts in future pandemics. For the study, published in Social Science & Medicine, a team led by researchers from the Universita di Corsica in France interviewed and took blood samples from members of the Tsimane and Moseten communities aged 17 years and older in July and December 2020 and March through May 2021. (Van Beusekom, 8/20)
More news about vaccines and measles —
Detroit Free Press: Michigan Holds Line On Vaccines For Kids Despite Trump Executive Order
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said it will stand its ground on childhood vaccines, leaving its recommendations unchanged despite the executive order President Donald Trump signed Aug. 10, declaring that the federal government now recognizes "gold-standard" guidelines that seek to trim the immunization schedule for kids by seven vaccines, from 18 to 11. (Shamus, 8/20)
KFF Health News: How Louisiana’s New Surgeon General Wants To Transform Public Health
Evelyn Griffin had led a life out of the spotlight until she testified at the Louisiana Statehouse five years ago and experienced what she called her “great awakening.” The state health department wanted to add covid vaccines to the school immunization schedule, a move no state has ever implemented. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., then known as a leading vaccine skeptic, had already claimed the covid shot was “the deadliest vaccine ever made” during a poster board presentation at the legislative hearing. (Westwood, 8/21)
CIDRAP: Each Measles Case In 2025 US Outbreak Cost Almost $60,000, Study Estimates, Or $134 Million Total
Each measles case in the 2025 US outbreak—the largest since the disease was eliminated from the country in 2000—cost $43,200, rising to $58,600 when including the public health response, Johns Hopkins researchers estimate in Vaccine. (Van Beusekom, 8/20)
Also —
The New York Times: How Moderna Nearly Tripled Its Stock Price In A Single Day
The company’s fortunes cratered as demand for Covid-19 vaccines plummeted. But it was busy working on something else. (Robbins, 8/20)
