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In South Africa — where the BA.4 and BA.5 sublineages of the covid omicron variant are taking hold — researchers find that those subvariants can evade antibodies from an earlier infection. But they're less successful at dodging vaccine protection. Meanwhile, a former U.S. official warns of the likelihood of a summer surge.
Moderna's chief medical officer said the drugmaker will have "large amounts" of its bivalent covid booster shot by then, and that its vaccine for the youngest kids would be ready for FDA review in June. Meanwhile, pressure grows on the agency to move quickly toward approval.
Some experts told Stat that they were disappointed, but not surprised by the results of the 3,000 person clinical trial studying Pfizer's antiviral drug's ability to prevent infection. In other Paxlovid news, U.S. government researchers are looking into reports of relapses.
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers weigh in on covid, prescription issues and overdose prevention.
Editorial writers delve into these public health topics.
Restrictions on gay men donating blood are set to be lifted in Canada after the government spent C$5 million researching the change's impact on the safety of the blood donation system. Separately, Denmark made the bold decision to halt its covid vaccine program after controlling the virus.
Each week, KHN finds longer stories for you to enjoy. This week's selections include stories on the Affordable Care Act, covid, infertility, tick bites, body image, anorexia, and more.
Los Angeles mayoral candidates reportedly agree tackling homelessness is critical, but cannot agree on how to do it. Also, an appeals court has given Caltrans permission to clear a homeless camp in Berkeley, and in Houston the new federal homelessness head touted the region's progress.
The new drug, called Mavacamten, tackles hypertrophic cardiomyopathy which affects about 1 in 500 people and is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death in young people. AstraZeneca, Baxter International, Merck and shareholder reluctance at opening covid patents, and more are also in health industry news.
A study into excess mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that a disproportionate number of deaths happened in Southern states. Separately, a study finds initial vital signs are a good indicator for covid severity during hospitalizations, and successes from an opera-singing experiment may help long-covid sufferers.
The impact of covid "profoundly" impacted mental health of children and adolescents, a meta-analysis of other medical studies found. Meanwhile, the CT Mirror reports that a bill focussing on boosting children's mental health support advanced in the Senate after gathering broad support.
A union leader representing the servers at the Washington hotel where the White House Correspondents' Dinner will be held this weekend told Axios that the staff hasn't been told about any special testing or vaccination requirements. Meanwhile, former Trump administration covid adviser Deborah Birx says in her new book that her first meeting with President Donald Trump lasted 30 seconds and he dismissed her concerns about the virus.
The child death in Wisconsin may be the first in the U.S. linked to the ongoing global outbreak of hepatitis, which is reported spreading across the states and the world. An algorithm to predict child neglect, Prescription Drug Take Back Day, drug overdoses in adolescents and more are in the news.
The inspector general’s office urged HHS officials to increase oversight of the private insurance plans.
The Oklahoma legislature sent two abortion bills to Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, that would take immediate effect if signed — as he is expected to do. One is modeled after Texas' ban on the surgical procedure at roughly 6 weeks, with a private enforcement provision that has proved difficult to challenge in court. Abortion providers have already asked the Oklahoma Supreme Court to block the likely law.
The CDC says that the infected person was working to destroy birds believed to have a version of H5N1 bird flu, and that the risk to the public is believed to be low. The virus strain is currently affecting millions of American birds in around 30 states.
The FDA released its long-awaited proposed rule that could end sales in the U.S. of menthol cigarettes and cigars. The plan also includes other flavored cigars as well. It's estimated that 18.5 million Americans use such products, including 3 out of 4 Black people who smoke.
In Los Angeles, hospitalizations are also starting to creep up -- a more worrisome trend that has tended to follow surges in covid infections. With cases also on the rise in the Bay Area, San Francisco is bringing back some precautions.
Media outlets follow up on Moderna's FDA request for approval of its low-dose, two-shot covid vaccine for children younger than six years old. If given approval, Moderna's shots would be the first to go into the arms of the nation's youngest unvaxxed age group.
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