Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Study Finds Covid Shots Do Have Temporary Impact On Periods
The Washington Post: Do Covid Vaccines Affect Periods? A New Study Says They Do
Not long after the rollout of coronavirus vaccines last year, women around the country began posting on social media about what they believed was a strange side effect: changes to their periods. Now, new research shows that many of the complaints were valid. A study of nearly 20,000 people around the world shows that getting vaccinated against covid can change the timing of the menstrual cycle. Vaccinated people experienced, on average, about a one-day delay in getting their periods, compared with those who hadn’t been vaccinated.(Morris, 9/27)
The New York Times: Covid Vaccines Temporarily Affect Periods, New Study Shows
“Menstruation is woefully understudied, which is troubling considering it is a key indicator of fertility and overall health,” said Dr. Alison Edelman, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine and the paper’s lead author. “We hope our findings further validate what so many individuals reported experiencing, and allow health care professionals to provide patients with better care and clinical recommendations.” (Sheikh, 9/27)
In other news about covid treatments and vaccinations —
CIDRAP: SARS-CoV-2 Mutation Leads To Resistance To Remdesivir In 2 Patients
A report published yesterday in Clinical Infectious Diseases describes a new SARS-CoV-2 mutation that confers resistance to the COVID-19 antiviral drug remdesivir in two persistently infected kidney transplant recipients treated with immunosuppressive drugs. ... One patient was in his or her 60s and had received two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine before being infected with the Omicron subvariant BA.1.1 6 months after transplant and receiving a 5-day course of remdesivir. ... The other patient was in his or her 50s and had received two doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine before becoming infected 14 months after transplant. (9/27)
The Washington Post: All Major Cruise Lines Will Soon Allow Unvaccinated Travelers
Disney Cruise Line will no longer require vaccinations on most of its voyages beginning in October, the company announced Tuesday, marking the final major cruise line to ease its vaccine requirement on most U.S. sailings. ... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ended its covid program for cruises in July. Since then, all major cruise lines serving the U.S. — including Norwegian, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Princess and MSC Cruises — have dropped their vaccine requirements for all but a few voyages, according to their websites. (Bikales, 9/27)
Bloomberg: Covid, Flu Shots Offered To 30 Million To Avert UK ‘Twindemic’
UK health authorities are offering flu shots and Covid-19 boosters to more than 30 million people as the government attempts to avert a hospital crisis amid worries that the two illnesses will cause a so-called “twindemic” this winter. (Lyu, 9/28)
More on the spread of covid —
NBC News: Mounting Evidence Shows Autoimmune Responses Play A Significant Role In Long Covid
Dr. Manali Mukherjee, the study’s senior author and an assistant professor of medicine at McMaster University, said her team plans to follow up with the patients up to two years post-infection to see if their symptoms resolve or they develop diagnosable autoimmune diseases. "There will be a subset of patients who will end up with a diagnosis for life," she said. (Bendix, 9/27)
Reuters: U.S. FDA To Review Fewer Emergency Use Requests For COVID Tests
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it will now review only a small number of emergency use authorization requests for COVID tests that are likely to have a significant benefit to public health, including fulfilling an unmet need. The agency is revising its COVID-19 test policy in light of the current manufacturing status and number of cases, it said, adding companies seeking EUA for their COVID tests will have to now apply for the agency's traditional premarket review process. (9/27)
