Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
FDA Authorizes Roche Monkeypox Test; RSV Is Hitting Adults, Too
Reuters: U.S. FDA Authorizes Roche's Monkeypox Test
The U.S. health regulator on Tuesday issued an emergency use authorization to Roche's (ROG.S) test for the detection of DNA from monkeypox virus in swab specimens collected from people suspected of the virus infection. ... The Food and Drug Administration said testing will be limited to laboratories that meet the requirements to perform moderate or high complexity tests. (11/15)
CIDRAP: Jynneos Vaccine Not Linked To Hospitalization, Serious Adverse Outcomes
A non-peer-reviewed retrospective cohort study of 2,126 Jynneos monkeypox vaccine recipients identified 10 cardiac events that all had alternative explanations, and no hospitalizations or serious adverse outcomes were attributed to vaccination. The authors used vaccine recipients in the Kaiser Permanente Northwest system who were vaccinated with at least one dose of Jynneos between Jul 14 and Oct 10, 2022. (11/15)
On the spread of RSV —
CNN: RSV Hospitalization Rate For Seniors Is 10 Times Higher Than Usual For This Point In The Season
This season, about 6 out of every 100,000 seniors has been hospitalized with RSV, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s significantly lower than the rate for children but still uncharacteristically high. In the years before the Covid-19 pandemic, hospitalization rates for seniors were about 10 times lower at this point in the season. (Christensen, 11/15)
The Washington Post: Parents Are Missing Work At Record Rates To Take Care Of Sick Kids
A new round of viral infections — flu, RSV, covid-19 and the common cold — is colliding with staffing shortages at schools and day cares to create unprecedented challenges for parents and teachers. More than 100,000 Americans missed work last month because of child-care problems, an all-time high that’s even greater than during the height of the pandemic, according to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Bhattarai, 11/15)
On the spread of measles —
Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Measles Outbreak Grows To 15 Cases At Child Care Facilities
A measles outbreak confirmed last week has swelled from four cases to 15 among children. So far, 15 cases have been reported at five child care facilities in the Columbus area, said Kelli Newman, spokeswoman for Columbus Public Health, which is investigating the outbreak. All cases were reported in unvaccinated children under the age of 4. (Filby, 11/15)
