Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Refusal To Review Moderna Flu Vaccine Application Came From FDA's Prasad
Stat: Prasad Overruled FDA Staff To Reject Moderna Flu Vaccine Application
Top Food and Drug Administration official Vinay Prasad overruled the agency’s reviewers when he refused to accept Moderna’s application for a new influenza vaccine, STAT has learned. (Lawrence, 2/11)
The Hill: US Participating In Influenza Vaccine Meeting: WHO
The U.S. will participate in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) upcoming meeting on the composition of the influenza vaccine despite officially withdrawing from the global group last month. The WHO will meet on Feb. 26 in Turkey to discuss the composition of the 2026-2027 flu vaccine for the northern hemisphere. “The vaccine composition meeting will be taking place later this month. The U.S. will participate in that meeting as far as I understand,” Maria Van Kerkhove, interim director of the WHO’s Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Management, said in a press conference Wednesday. (Choi, 2/11)
Also —
CIDRAP: Study Finds No Link Between COVID-19 Vaccines And Autism
A study today finds no increase in autism rates in babies born to mothers who received COVID-19 vaccines just before or during pregnancy, compared with children of unvaccinated moms. The authors of the study, who presented their findings at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine 2026 Pregnancy Meeting, told CIDRAP News they hope the research will help dispel myths about COVID-19 vaccines, which multiple studies have found to be safe and effective during pregnancy. (Szabo, 2/11)
CIDRAP: Annenberg Poll Shows Drop In Perceived Safety Of Vaccines
A new survey from the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania shows a small yet significant decline in the perceived safety of influenza, COVID-19, and measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccines among American adults. Though most Americans think all three of those vaccines are safe to take, there has been a decline over the past three years in perceived safety. (Soucheray, 2/11)
The Hechinger Report: Without School Vaccine Mandates, Many Kids May Never See A Doctor
Every December brings an end-of-year crush to Washington, D.C.’s pediatric clinics. In addition to the usual culprits — colds, the flu, RSV — that’s also the time when the city school district issues notices reminding parents of children who are behind on required vaccinations to get caught up by December 8, or risk being turned away from school. (Carr, 2/11)
