Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
FDA Says No Flu And Covid Combination Shots This Year
CBS News: Flu And COVID Combo Shots Won't Come In Time For This Year, FDA Official Says
Vaccines that offer protection against both COVID-19 and influenza with a single shot will likely not be ready in time for this year, a top federal official said Wednesday. However, tweaks to update the current COVID vaccines and drugs are expected soon. The Food and Drug Administration's top vaccines official, Dr. Peter Marks, had previously said in September that vaccines to cover both viruses could be deployed this year. (Tin, 3/2)
San Francisco Chronicle: Vaccines Will Hit Commercial Market With Next Virus Strain
In an update to the potential timeline for commercialization of COVID-19 medical countermeasures, including vaccines, the federal Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) said it expects that to happen once the doses are reformulated for the next coronavirus lineage. (Vaziri, 3/2)
CIDRAP: 35 Years Of US Investment In Research Led To Development Of MRNA COVID Vaccines
In the three decades leading up to the pandemic, the US government invested $31.9 billion in research that supported the development of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in 2020, $337 million of which was invested before the pandemic, finds a Brigham and Women's–led study published yesterday in The BMJ. The researchers searched public databases for government-funded grants on four foundational innovations that directly led to the development of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, including lipid nanoparticle, mRNA synthesis or modification, spike protein structure, and mRNA vaccine biotechnology from January 1985 to March 2022. (Van Beusekom, 3/2)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
San Francisco Chronicle: Long COVID Linked To Lower Brain Oxygen Levels
Long COVID is associated with reduced brain oxygen levels, worse performance on cognitive tests and increased psychiatric symptoms, according to a new study. In an analysis of two parallel studies — a laboratory study involving cognitive testing and imaging and a population survey — researchers from the University of Waterloo found that individuals who experienced symptomatic COVID-19 illness showed impaired brain function compared to those who had not been infected. (Vaziri, 3/2)
In other pandemic news —
Dallas Morning News: Ted Cruz Tells CPAC That Fauci Should Be Jailed Over COVID-19 ‘Lies’ And Mandates
Sen. Ted Cruz demanded prosecution for Dr. Anthony Fauci, telling conservative activists Thursday that the nation’s most prominent public health expert lied about COVID-19′s origin and “destroyed” lives by encouraging closure of schools and businesses and prodding Americans to wear masks and get vaccinated. (Gillman, 3/2)
The Boston Globe: How A Study Sparked Questions Around Masking And COVID — Again
You may have thought the question of masking was settled, or at least that we had all agreed to disagree, but no such luck. The debate over whether masks limit COVID-19 transmission recently reignited after a new review of the research came out, drawing out skeptics and defenders, and — as so often happens — leaving the ordinary citizen befuddled. (Freyer, 3/2)
