Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Vaccine Skeptics Garner More Attention Than Credible News
The Washington Post: These Vaccine Skeptics Are Outperforming News Outlets On Facebook, Twitter, Study Finds
Two prominent sources of anti-vaccine information drew massive engagement and grew their audiences on Facebook and Twitter last year, in many cases outpacing a slew of news organizations, according to a new study shared exclusively with The Technology 202. The report, produced by the German Marshall Fund (GMF) think tank, zeroes in on the reach of the popular conservative media site the Daily Wire, founded by Ben Shapiro, and of the Children’s Health Defense, a group founded by longtime anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Lima, 2/24)
Anchorage Daily News: Only About A Quarter Of Alaskans Have Received Their COVID-19 Booster Shot, Despite Data Showing Its Effectiveness
Getting a vaccine booster shot significantly increases protection against a COVID-19 infection — especially from the omicron variant. Despite that, only about a quarter of the Alaskans 5 and older are both vaccinated and boosted. The rate of shots also has slowed considerably in recent weeks, health providers say. (Berman, 2/24)
The Hill: Air Force Officers Sue Over COVID-19 Vaccine Religious Exemption Denials
A group of Air Force officers is suing the service in an Ohio federal court after being denied religious exemptions to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The lawsuit, which names Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall as a defendant, alleges that the service employs a double standard when approving exemption requests that favors medical and administrative exemptions. The plaintiffs are asking the court to declare the mandate unconstitutional, and bar the Air Force from taking “enforcement/punitive action” against them while the case is underway. (Williams, 2/24)
The Texas Tribune: Texas Foster Children Have Been Allowed To Refuse COVID-19 Vaccines
Over a thousand Texas foster children — some as young as 5 years old — have been allowed to refuse a COVID-19 vaccine, despite not typically being allowed to make their own medical decisions, according to a new report from protective services watchdogs. Around 40% of the foster children in the state’s care who are 5 and older have not received a COVID-19 vaccine despite being eligible. This is due, in part, to guidance from the Department of Family and Protective Services that “may be confusing,” leading to caseworkers unnecessarily “querying even very young children as to whether they would agree to vaccination,” court-appointed monitors say. Nearly half of those children have been identified as having medical needs, meaning they could more easily contract COVID-19. (Oxner, 2/24)
On boosters for younger people in Europe —
Reuters: EMA Backs Pfizer COVID Booster For Teens, Moderna Shot For Ages 6-11
The European Union's health regulator on Thursday backed giving a booster shot of Pfizer (PFE.N) and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine to adolescents aged 12 and over, as well as the expanded use of Moderna's (MRNA.O) shot in children ages six to 11. The recommendations by the European Medicine Agency's (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use will be followed by final decisions by the European Commission. (2/24)
In Canada, a novel covid vaccine is approved —
Reuters: Canada Approves Medicago's Plant-Based COVID-19 Vaccine For Adults
Medicago's vaccine on Thursday became the world's first plant-based shot approved against COVID-19 after Health Canada cleared it for use in adults. The two-dose vaccine, which uses an adjuvant from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK.L) to boost immune response, is the sixth COVID-19 shot to receive regulatory clearance in the country. The Quebec-based privately held company has an agreement to supply up to 76 million doses of the vaccine to the Canadian government. Medicago said on Thursday it was committed to fulfilling the order as soon as possible. (Khandekar, 2/24)
AP: Canada Authorizes First Plant-Based COVID-19 Vaccine
Canada has become the first country to authorize use of a plant-based COVID-19 vaccine. Canadian regulators said Thursday Medicago’s two-dose vaccine can be given to adults ages 18 to 64, but said there’s too little data on the shots in people 65 and older. The decision was based on a study of 24,000 adults that found the vaccine was 71% effective at preventing COVID-19 — although that was before the omicron variant emerged. Side effects were mild, including fever and fatigue. (2/24)
