Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
NIH Director Contradicts RFK Jr.'s Theory That Vaccines Cause Autism
The Hill: NIH's Jay Bhattacharya Refutes Vaccine-Autism Theory In Senate Hearing
Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), said in a Senate hearing Tuesday that he has not seen any studies supporting the theory that any vaccines cause autism, a break from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has long speculated on a potential connection and has not discounted the possibility. In a hearing held by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, ranking member Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) pressed Bhattacharya on where he stood when it came to the vaccine-autism theory. (Choi, 2/3)
Politico: ‘Efficacy Will Be Secondary’: RFK Jr.'s Vaccine Advisers Have A New Mission
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired the government’s vaccine advisers, replaced them with skeptics of the shots like himself and is now giving them a new mandate: investigating the harms of immunization. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has for decades served as an impartial outside group of experts to advise the government and reinforce public confidence that decisions on the vaccine schedule are backed by science. (Gardner, 2/3)
In related news —
The Hill: Illinois Joins WHO’s Global Disease Network
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) announced Tuesday that his state is joining the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, becoming the second state to do so since the U.S.’s withdrawal from the organization became official last month. Officials said Illinois’s participation means the state will now be “directly connected to timely global alert, expert public health networks, and international response capabilities essential to protecting Illinois residents from emerging disease threats.” (Brams, 2/3)
On measles, flu, and covid —
NBC News: Measles Outbreak Linked To A Florida University As Cases Keep Rising In The U.S.
At least 12 people have tested positive for measles at Ave Maria University, a private Catholic college near Naples, Florida, NBC affiliate WBBH of Fort Myers reported Tuesday. Three people were taken to a local hospital. A student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison was confirmed to have measles after traveling internationally, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services said. In January, Clemson University in South Carolina confirmed a case of measles in an “individual affiliated with the University.” It takes only three cases of the extremely contagious virus to become an outbreak. (Edwards, 2/3)
The Hill: Measles Case At UW-Madison Linked To International Travel
A student at the University of Wisconsin–Madison has been confirmed to be infected with measles, making this the first case in Dane County this year. Health officials say the student contracted the illness during international travel and visited several UW-Madison campus locations. Health officials are now contacting all those who may have been exposed by interacting with the student. If you visited those locations, check your measles-mumps-rubella vaccine status immediately. (Walker, 2/3)
CIDRAP: Large Share Of Older US Adults Haven’t Had A Recent Flu Or COVID Vaccine, Poll Finds
Despite a severe influenza season and rising COVID-19 activity this winter, 42% of adults ages 50 and older remain unvaccinated, according to a new University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging. The survey also highlights gaps in understanding the vaccines’ ability to reduce the risk of severe illness. (Bergeson, 2/3)
CIDRAP: New Review Highlights Growing Evidence That Diabetes Drug Metformin Can Prevent Long COVID
Multiple randomized clinical trials and analyses of electronic health records (EHRs) suggest that metformin, a widely available diabetes drug, may reduce the risk of developing long COVID when taken during or shortly after acute COVID-19 infection, according to a literature review published last week in Clinical Infectious Diseases. (Bergeson, 2/3)
CIDRAP: Long-COVID Symptoms Persist For Years In Nonhospitalized Adults, Study Reveals
Persistent physical and mental health impairments remained common up to 2.5 years after infection among nonhospitalized adults with long COVID, or post-COVID-19 condition (PCC), according to a cohort study published today in BMC Public Health. (Bergeson, 2/3)
The Sick Times: The Largest Long COVID Pediatric Trial Will Launch This Year
Justin Lin’s daughter, Serena, developed long COVID in seventh grade. For more than three years, she has experienced postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome — causing rapid heartbeat, dizziness, and cognitive dysfunction as well as post-exertional malaise (PEM). (Spichak, 2/3)
