Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Paxlovid Rebound' Caused By Robust Immune Response, Not A Weak One
Reuters: COVID Rebound After Pfizer Treatment Likely Due To Robust Immune Response, Study Finds
A rebound of COVID-19 symptoms in some patients after taking Pfizer's antiviral Paxlovid may be related to a robust immune response rather than a weak one, U.S. government researchers reported on Thursday. They concluded that taking a longer course of the drug - beyond the recommended five days - was not required to reduce the risk of a recurrence of symptoms as some have suggested, based on an intensive investigation of rebound in eight patients at the National Institutes of Health's Clinical Center. (Leo and Steenhuysen, 10/7)
In updates on the vaccine rollout —
Fierce Healthcare: How Much Commercial Plans Could Save If COVID Vaccines Increase
If 80% of eligible Americans got fully vaccinated between now and March 31, 2023, the medical cost savings would come to $34 billion for those who receive the treatment through commercial insurance plans, according to a new Commonwealth Fund report. If the uptake of bivalent and other COVID-19 vaccines matched the uptake for influenza vaccinations, the medical cost savings would come to $27 billion for individuals in commercial insurance plans. (Diamond, 10/6)
FiercePharma: Pfizer, BioNTech Enlist Marvel's Avengers In COVID Booster Push
Just like how the Avengers have repeatedly kept the world safe from Ultron, people need to protect themselves by updating their COVID-19 vaccination with the latest booster. That’s the message Pfizer and BioNTech are trying to get across in a new custom comic book partnered with Marvel. The companies unveiled the project Tuesday. (Liu, 10/6)
The Boston Globe: 2.2 Million Fully Vaccinated Mass. Residents Have Not Received Any Booster Shots, Officials Say
The DPH said in a report released Wednesday that about 5.5 million of the state’s 7 million residents are fully vaccinated. But only about 3.3 million of them have received at least one booster dose, leaving around 2.2 million still waiting to get their first booster. (Finucane, 10/6)
Los Angeles Times: Doctors Uneasy About California Law Aimed At COVID Misinformation
But critics of the law, including many mainstream doctors who have advocated passionately for masks and vaccines, say it could end up curbing well-intentioned conversations between patients and physicians about a disease that’s still changing from one month to the next. (Purtill, 10/6)
PolitiFact: Fact Check: JJ Watt's Heart Problem Not Because Of COVID Vaccine
On Sept. 28, Arizona Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt revealed on Twitter that he had experienced atrial fibrillation, an irregular and rapid heart rhythm that can cause blood clots in the heart and increase the risk of stroke and heart failure. An image shared on Instagram suggests it happened because Watt received the COVID-19 vaccination. (O'Rourke, 10/6)
In global news —
Reuters: COVID Wave Looms In Europe As Booster Campaign Makes Slow Start
A new COVID-19 wave appears to be brewing in Europe as cooler weather arrives, with public health experts warning that vaccine fatigue and confusion over types of available vaccines will likely limit booster uptake. Omicron subvariants BA.4/5 that dominated this summer are still behind the majority of infections, but newer Omicron subvariants are gaining ground. Hundreds of new forms of Omicron are being tracked by scientists, World Health Organisation (WHO) officials said this week. (Burger and Grover, 10/7)
