Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Research Roundup: Covid Vaccines; Preterm Labor; Anti-Aging; More
CIDRAP: Vaccine hesitancy may not be root of US COVID vaccine uptake disparities
Vaccine hesitancy was not the strongest tie to vaccine coverage. For example, political party affiliation had the strongest link to vaccination rate, but was not even in the top 10 in its correlation with vaccine hesitancy. And median household income had the greatest tie to vaccine hesitancy, but ranked seventh in its link to vaccination rate. (8/10)
CIDRAP: Mix-N-Match COVID Boosters May Produce More Durable Immunity
A single-center study today in JAMA Network Open finds longer-lasting humoral and cellular immune responses in US adults given a Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine booster rather than a Pfizer/BioNTech booster after receiving two doses of the Pfizer vaccine at least 6 months earlier. (Van Beusekom, 8/10)
CIDRAP: Study: In-Class College COVID Spread Rare Amid Public Health Mandates
At Boston University (BU), which mandated COVID-19 vaccination and face coverings for students, faculty, and staff in fall 2021, only nine cases of SARS-CoV-2 transmission were identified among more than 140,000 full-occupancy, in-person class meetings. None were confirmed to be the result of in-class transmission. The findings were published late last week in JAMA Network Open. (Van Beusekom, 8/8)
Also —
ScienceDaily: New Target For Therapies To Treat Preterm Labor
Researchers have identified a cause of preterm labor, an enigma that has long challenged researchers. New research suggests a protein, called Piezo1, is responsible for regulating the behavior of the uterus. Piezo1 keeps the uterus relaxed ensuring that it continues to stretch and expand during the 40 weeks it takes a fetus to grow. (The Physiological Society, 8/8)
CIDRAP: Study Shows Early Acquisition Of Antibiotic Resistance Genes
A new study of mothers and babies from developing countries in Africa and South Asia suggests carriage of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in gut microbiota is prevalent, with some ARGs appearing in newborns within hours of birth, likely transmitted from the mother or the hospital environment. (Dall, 8/9)
Stat: As Billionaires Fund Anti-Aging Projects, A Long-Delayed Study Is Overlooked
Beating back the diseases of aging has become something of a pet project for many of Silicon Valley’s tech titans. But many researchers in the field of longevity science say there’s one project they wish these billionaires could find a little pocket change to fund: Nir Barzilai’s TAME Trial. (Molteni, 8/9)
Houston Chronicle: How Houston's Nonprofit Funds Early Research That Leads To Breakthroughs Like The COVID Vaccine
Jason McLellan was confident he was on his way to creating the first vaccine for human metapneumovirus, a respiratory disease that is common among children and the elderly, and could be dangerous to those with weakened immune systems. One small problem: He had some data, but likely not enough to grab the attention of federal funders like the National Institutes of Health. (Carballo, 8/8)
