Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Moderna Already Seeking FDA Authorization For New Covid Shots
The Hill: Moderna Requests FDA Authorization For Updated COVID Shot
Moderna announced Thursday it has submitted an application to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for authorization of its updated COVID-19 vaccine for this year’s inoculation campaign, meant to target the current dominant strain in the U.S. This latest version of the coronavirus vaccine, the second update to the original that was first authorized at the end of 2020, will have proteins designed to confer protection against the XBB.1.5 subvariant. Unlike the bivalent vaccine that was made available last year, this shot does not include protection against the ancestral Wuhan strain. (Choi, 6/22)
On long covid —
San Francisco Chronicle: Long COVID: 9 Mental Health Red Flags Highlighted In A New Advisory
Long COVID can affect the mind as much as it does the body, according to a new warning from federal officials. While many persistent symptoms of the illness caused by the novel coronavirus take a physical toll on patients, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services on Wednesday issued an advisory to assist health care professionals in recognizing the mental health symptoms and conditions most commonly associated with long COVID. (Vaziri, 6/22)
In other pandemic news —
CIDRAP: Survey: 1 In 10 Health Workers Had Suicidal Thoughts Early In COVID-19
As many as 1 in 10 UK healthcare workers (HCWs) had suicidal thoughts during the first year of the pandemic, according to a study yesterday in PLOS One. The findings contribute to a growing body of knowledge concerning the mental health strains experienced by health professionals over the past 3 years. (Soucheray, 6/22)
The Hill: Health Care Professionals Talk Continued Impact Of COVID On Highlighted System Shortcomings
At The Hill’s 2023 Future of Healthcare Summit, moderated by Editor in Chief Bob Cusack and National Political Reporter Julia Manchester, misinformation about COVID-19 and health literacy in general was the first of several common concerns among the speakers. (Kelly and Roseborough, 6/22)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Not So Fast: Missouri Abruptly Cancels Auction Of Excess Masks, Gowns And Face Shields
Three years after Missouri officials scrambled to stock hospitals and state health care facilities with masks, gowns and other protective gear in the face of the growing COVID-19 pandemic, state agencies are now trying to unload those items. But a planned auction of the Department of Mental Health’s inventory of personal protective equipment was abruptly canceled Thursday afternoon after the agency learned it couldn’t resell items purchased with federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act money. (Erickson, 6/22)
Modern Healthcare: Hospital-At-Home Providers Seek Partnerships
The hospital-at-home model, in which a patient receives acute-care treatment scheduled at home, has been around for decades, but the COVID-19 pandemic set off a swift wave of investment and growing utilization as inpatient beds became scarce. Healthcare research firm Chilmark released a report earlier this month projecting hospital-at-home to grow into a $300 billion industry by 2028, with much of that growth propelled by third-party companies offering turnkey services. (Hudson, 6/22)
On the flu —
CIDRAP: FDA Fast-Tracks Experimental Drug For Preventing Flu
Cidara Therapeutics, of San Diego, announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted fast-track designation for CD388, the company's novel drug for preventing influenza A and B in adults at high risk for severe influenza, including those for whom vaccines are either ineffective or not indicated. ... Cidara is developing CD388, a drug-Fc conjugate candidate, in collaboration with Janssen Pharmaceuticals. (Wappes, 6/22)
On mpox —
CIDRAP: New Data: Vaccinated Mpox Patients Have Less Severe Illness
A study today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report looked at a recent cluster of 40 mpox cases in Chicago and suggests that vaccine protection may wane over time, but vaccinated patients do well recovering at home, and vaccination protects against severe mpox. ... Patients who received only one dose of Jynneos or no vaccines had a higher prevalence of lesions affecting the genital (43% versus 6%) or ocular (29% versus none) mucosa, the authors said. (Soucheray, 6/22)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Atlanta Providers Feel Better Prepared For Possibility Of New Mpox Cases
Local providers are feeling more confident about containing mpox cases this summer, following an alert from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cautioning the possibility of new cases this summer. (Thomas, 6/23)
