Latest KFF Health News Stories
Subvariant BA.2 Found To Be More Contagious Than Original Omicron
Danish researchers also found that vaccinated people were less likely to transmit the virus than unvaccinated people. Other studies look at reinfection risks and natural immunity vs. vaccine-driven immunity.
Moderna’s Covid Vaccine Granted Full FDA Approval
Moderna’s two-shot mRNA covid vaccine, now branded Spikevax, is no longer being administered under emergency use authorization after the FDA fully approved it Monday for use in all 18 and older.
Novavax Applies For FDA Authorization Of Its Protein-Based Covid Shot
The Food and Drug Administration will next review the company’s data. Already in use in 170 other countries, Novavax’s covid vaccine is protein-based, rather than mRNA-based, and could give unvaccinated people who have been hesitant another option.
Kids Under 5 Could Start Getting Pfizer Vaccine By End Of This Month
Sources spoke to news outlets about a plan that could lead to FDA and CDC authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech covid vaccine for kids under 5 by the end of February.
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Covid Also Hurts The Environment, Thanks To Lazy Mask Disposal
WGCU reports on the “worldwide problem” of careless covid mask disposal, which is not only unsightly but also threatens wildlife and can block sewers. Meanwhile, in Hawaii the Navy continues to clean up a fuel spill that contaminated tap water, and military-used toxic foam worries rise.
14 People Hospitalized In Serious Carbon Monoxide Leak At Ohio Hotel
The source of the life-threatening gas leak is being investigated, but police responded to reports of people lying unconscious around the pool. In other news, data show the pandemic worsened San Francisco’s overdose epidemic, and a “litany” of mental health issues are found at a Vermont prison.
Drinking Alcohol Can Cause Cancer Directly, Study Says
A recent large-scale, gene-centric study found a direct link between alcohol consumption and “several kinds” of cancer. Also in the news, a link between Alzheimer’s and microglial cells; cognitive impairment from cannabis; bed rest is linked to poor recovery for older patients in the hospital; and more.
Analysis Shows Drugmakers Lifted Prices 6.6% So Far This Year
According to the Wall Street Journal, a survey of drugs for diseases like cancer and diabetes showed average price rises of 6.6% in 2022 — a “moderate” amount. Meanwhile, some senators are pressing to have the shelf life of short-supply prescription meds raised.
Varying Hospital Readmission Rates Not Explained By Socioeconomic Status
According to new research reported at Modern Healthcare, some of the issues “often” blamed for poor readmission rates to hospitals actually aren’t correlated: Socioeconomic status, care access and insurance coverage differences can’t explain why some hospitals have higher rates.
As Biden Weighs Choice For Court, GOP Senators Offer Their Thoughts
Some Republicans say that they are open to the president’s promise to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court, but others stake a hard line on any liberal nominees. Meanwhile, some news outlets look at the issue of abortion access, which the court is currently considering.
Covid Means 1,000 Wichita School Staff Out; Record Student Cases In Texas
The Wichita situation is thanks to a mix of actual covid illness or exposure, and affects nearly 14% of the state’s largest school district staff. In Texas, a surge is affecting schoolkids, but the governor’s rule bans mask mandates — so some students are reportedly turning to walkouts over limited covid rules.
Worries That 174,000 Utahns Weren’t Told Their Covid Test May Be Wrong
Testing at Timpanogos Regional Hospital is at the center of the Salt Lake Tribune report. Also: Tests will be sold in New Hampshire liquor stores and given out free in Detroit libraries.
Judges Uphold Local Vax Requirements In Minnesota, Ohio
Also in the news: a New Jersey gym owner who defied the state’s mandates says he is running for the U.S. House of Representatives.; U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., calls the vaccine mandate the “worst thing that has ever happened in America”; and more.
Third Dose OK’d For San Franciscans Who Got Johnson & Johnson Shots
The city’s Department of Public Health decided that people who’ve already had one booster shot for the J&J vaccine can now get a third dose. Separately, cheetahs at the Maryland Zoo are helping in a covid study, and Maine’s vaccine disparities are worse among younger kids.
At Missouri Hospitals, Desk Workers Are Scrubbing Rooms, Emptying Trash
Short-staffed hospitals have asked their administrators and office workers to pitch in with tasks that usually fall to the nursing or custodial staff.
