Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Moderna Pulls Combo Flu-Covid MRNA Vaccine Licensing Request For Now
CIDRAP: Moderna Pulls Licensing Submission For Combo Flu-COVID Vaccine
Today vaccine maker Moderna announced it voluntarily pulled its licensing submission for the combination seasonal influenza–COVID-19 mRNA vaccine candidate, mRNA-1083, so that it can submit efficacy data. The news comes a day after the US Food and Drug Administration announced that seasonal COVID-19 boosters would now be recommended only for adults ages 65 and older or for those who are at risk for severe COVID-19 because of underlying health conditions. (Soucheray, 5/21)
Stat: MRNA Vaccines Face Senate Scrutiny In A Mix Of Politics And Science
Messenger RNA vaccines fueled the response to the worst pandemic the world has faced in a century and led to a Nobel Prize. This week, they’re set to face intense scrutiny from critics doubtful of the safety and efficacy of these shots. (Wosen, 5/21)
MedPage Today: These European Countries Give The Chickenpox Vaccine
During a hearing before the House Appropriations Committee last week, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. stopped short of answering whether he would vaccinate his own child against chickenpox. "Again, I don't want to give advice," Kennedy said. "I can tell you, in Europe, they don't use the chickenpox vaccine specifically because the preclinical trial shows that when you inoculate the population for chickenpox, you get shingles in older people, which is more dangerous." While it's true some major European countries have not included the chickenpox, or varicella, vaccine in their childhood immunization schedules, others have. (Henderson, 5/21)
Measles updates —
NBC News: A Surge Of Texas Parents Fought Measles Outbreak By Stepping Up Vaccine Effort
New data from Truveta, a health care and analytics company, shows that the percentage of 6-month-old babies in Texas getting their measles vaccination in April increased by more than 30 times the prior year’s average. “That means parents aren’t just getting the vaccine early, they’re getting it as early as they can,” Nina Masters, a senior scientist at Truveta and part of the research team, said in an interview with NBC News. (Edwards and Murphy, 5/21)
Bloomberg: CVS Vaccine Shots Push Means Bonuses, Drugstore Profits
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is questioning vaccines and the Food and Drug Administration just set a higher bar for Covid booster approvals, but CVS Health Corp. is pushing hard to make sure people get their shots. The pharmacy chain is giving bonuses to some staff whose stores exceed vaccination goals. And earlier this month in Rhode Island, CVS offered some pharmacies an extra incentive — raffling off a pizza party, taco lunch, donuts and ice cream for staff, according to an email reviewed by Bloomberg News. Another prize is a day off at the beach for the pharmacy manager. (Swetlitz, 5/21)
The Texas Tribune: New Lubbock Parents Fear Measles Spread
When Kelly Johnson Pirtle was counting down the days to her due date last year, she pictured her future as a new mom. She thought of family visits, friends becoming her village, and a healthy child. She never considered that she might have to shield her newborn son John from a once-eradicated disease. (Carver, 5/22)
The Hill: Officials Warn Of Measles Exposure At Shakira Concert In New Jersey
New Jersey officials warned of “potential exposures” to measles after a new case was identified in a non-state resident who was infectious while attending a Shakira concert at MetLife Stadium last week. The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) issued a statement on Tuesday telling residents “to be aware of the symptoms of this highly contagious virus and to ensure they are up to date with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) shots.” (Fortinsky, 5/21)
Regarding covid and flu —
CIDRAP: After Hospitalization For Pneumonia, COVID-19 Patients Report Lasting Symptoms
A multicenter study published yesterday in Emerging Infectious Diseases shows significant long-term symptoms among adults hospitalized for pneumonia during acute COVID-19 infection a full year after hospitalization. (Soucheray, 5/21)
CIDRAP: Risk Of Getting Flu By Touching Contaminated Items Likely Low
An experimental evaluation of the risk of influenza transmission from contaminated objects finds that viable virus was rarely transferred to fingertips from tainted floors, tables, or door levers, even when the viral loads far surpassed those occurring in real life. Expanding on a previous study involving face masks, researchers in Japan assessed the likelihood of flu spread from a floor or table placed within the trajectory of artificial coughs, stainless-steel door levers exposed to simulated coughs, and door levers exposed to a contaminated hand. (Van Beusekom, 5/21)
