Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
HHS Fires Top Official, A Vaccine Critic Who Says Coup To Oust RFK Jr. Is Afoot
The New York Times: Steven Hatfill, Covid Vaccine Critic, Is Ousted From H.H.S.
Steven J. Hatfill, a biosecurity expert whose views helped form the basis for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s decision to cancel funding for mRNA vaccine research, was fired over the weekend from his job as a senior adviser at the Department of Health and Human Services, he and a senior department official said. The official said Dr. Hatfill was let go because he had misrepresented himself as the “chief medical officer” for the assistant secretary for preparedness and response, and was “not coordinating policy-making with leadership.” (Gay Stolberg, 10/28)
More on covid, flu, RSV, and shingles —
San Francisco Chronicle: Moderna Lower-Dose COVID Shot Debuts For Seniors, At-Risk Patients
You may have seen ads for a new, lower-dose Moderna COVID vaccine marketed to “the senior class” — adults 65 and older. The new vaccine, which goes by mRNA-1283 or mNexspike, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in May, so this is the first fall respiratory virus season that it’s available for. It is approved for adults 65 and older and people 12 to 64 with an underlying medical condition that puts them at higher risk for severe COVID. (Ho, 10/28)
CIDRAP: Analysis: Last Year's COVID Vaccines Protected Well Against Severe Illness
The updated 2024-25 COVID-19 vaccines provided 57% protection against hospitalization and death, although their effectiveness waned over time, according to a study yesterday in JAMA Internal Medicine. The study assessed effectiveness against infection, emergency department (ED) visits, and hospitalization. Protection against infection and ED visits was 45%. (Soucheray, 10/28)
The Baltimore Sun: MD Releases Online Dashboard To Track Respiratory Illness
The Maryland Department of Health has released a public data tool to provide detailed information on three common respiratory illnesses — COVID-19, Flu, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) — that together make up the threat of flu season, which lasts through March. (Hille, 10/28)
The 19th: What’s Safe? How Do We Know? The Anxiety Of Pregnancy In America.
When Angela started looking for a COVID-19 vaccine in mid-September, she couldn’t find one. Her local pharmacies in Freeport, Maine, did not have them in stock yet, a scenario that played out across the country amid confusion over how broadly the federal government would approve the vaccine’s use. Two weeks later, Angela — who is set to have a baby around Thanksgiving — contracted COVID. Soon she was battling a 101-degree fever. (Luthra and Rodriguez, 10/28)
Bloomberg: Coronavirus Found In Brazilian Bats Expands Global Map Of Risk
A coronavirus carrying a genetic feature found in the viruses that cause Covid-19 and MERS has been discovered in bats in Brazil, expanding the known global range of batborne viruses capable of jumping into other species. The virus, named BRZ batCoV, was detected in Pteronotus parnellii — a small insect-eating “mustached” bat common across Latin America. The samples were collected in the states of Maranhao and Sao Paulo. (Gale, 10/29)
CNN: Common Viral Infections Like Flu And Shingles Can Raise Your Risk Of Heart Attack And Stroke, Analysis Finds
Covid-19 infections have been strongly linked with cardiovascular conditions like heart disease and stroke, but new research shows that other viral infections such as influenza, HIV, hepatitis C and shingles can also increase the risk of heart problems and cardiovascular disease. (Koda, 10/29)
The Washington Post: This Device May Reduce Viruses At Home — And It’s Not An Air Purifier
Humidifiers add moisture, which is like a ‘heavy blanket’ that brings viruses to the ground level, away from noses and mouths, an expert said. (Bever, 10/28)
On pertussis —
CIDRAP: Louisiana Officials Waited Months To Alert Public About Deadly Pertussis Outbreak, Investigation Finds
Louisiana officials waited 2 months after the state's first pertussis (whooping cough)-related deaths in years—which occurred by late January—to encourage vaccination and more than 3 months to issue a statewide health alert on May 1 this year, NPR, in conjunction with KFF Health News, reported today. Such delays for a record outbreak are not typical, according to Georges Benjamin, MD, executive director of the American Public Health Association. (Wappes, 10/28)
