Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Feel Sick After Your Covid Vaccine? That's A Good Sign, Study Finds
CNN: Covid-19 Vaccine Study Links Side Effects With Greater Antibody Response
People who reported experiencing side effects to the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines such as fever, chills or muscle pain tended to have a greater antibody response following vaccination, according to new research. (Howard, 10/24)
Is the bivalent booster better than the original monovalent shot? —
San Francisco Chronicle: Bivalent Booster No Better Against BA.5 Than Original Vaccine, Study Finds
When given as a fourth dose, the updated bivalent mRNA vaccine targeting the omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants does not induce superior neutralizing antibody responses in humans compared to the original monovalent vaccine formulation, according to a preprint study published Monday that has not yet been peer-reviewed. (Vaziri and Buchmann, 10/24)
More on the vaccine rollout —
Bloomberg: Biden To Get Booster, Push Businesses To Offer Vaccine Clinics
The White House is asking businesses to help employees get updated coronavirus vaccines by hosting on-site clinics and will initiate a new program providing some Americans with free home delivery of Covid-19 treatments before an expected surge of the virus this fall. (Sink, 10/25)
CIDRAP: New Vaccine Roadmap Eyes Future Threats Of Coronaviruses
Today the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) published a draft version of a Coronavirus Vaccines Research & Development (R&D) Roadmap (CVR), highlighting strategies to develop vaccines that are effective against new COVID-19 variants, as well as coronaviruses that have not yet emerged in people. The roadmap draft is available for public review and comment. (Soucheray, 10/24)
Stat: Here's What Experts Say About Timing Of Flu And Covid Shots
Over the past few weeks, cases of flu have begun to creep up across the U.S., with spikes in the southeast and south central part of the country. Flu hospitalizations are also on the rise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s influenza tracking team, all signs point to an earlier than usual flu season. (Molteni, 10/25)
In news about remdesivir —
The Mercury News: Patients Died From COVID-19 Drug Treatment At Two California Hospitals, Suits Allege
Two women have filed lawsuits alleging their husbands died from negligence at Inland Empire hospitals after doctors prescribed remdesivir to treat COVID-19 and then failed to tell them about dangerous side effects of the anti-viral drug. (Schwebke, 10/24)
