Axios

The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday authorized updated versions of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna that are tailored to be more effective against the Omicron variant.

Why it matters: The updated shots, retooled to target the BA.5 strain that accounts for most cases in the U.S. today, are expected to become available after Labor Day.

Life expectancy at birth in the U.S. declined nearly a year from 2020 to 2021, according to new provisional data from the CDC.

Why it matters: It's the latest evidence of the toll the COVID pandemic took on Americans' health and takes the U.S. life expectancy at birth to its lowest level — 76.1 years — since 1996.

Groups representing HIV and diabetes patients are trying to scrap a Medicare rule they say leaves sick patients stuck with higher drug costs, by preventing them from applying billions of dollars in assistance against their insurance deductibles.

The big picture: A federal suit filed by the groups on Tuesday takes up the bigger question of whether pharmaceutical companies can cover copays for expensive drugs, or whether covering patients' costs that way amounts to a bribe.

Planned Parenthood and other health care providers on Tuesday said they had filed a lawsuit challenging an abortion ban in Indiana that is set to take effect in approximately two weeks.

Driving the news: The Indiana legislature passed the bill earlier this month, making it the first state to pass a new ban since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

The flooding crisis in Jackson, Mississippi, is causing schools and local governments to shift their weekly plans as residents remain unable to drink fresh water.

The big picture: The Pearl River flood has caused water pressure issues in Mississippi's capital city, leaving many residents without running water. The crisis is now taking a toll on cities, residents and local sports teams.

Latinos are facing an onslaught of Spanish-language misinformation about abortion in the aftermath of the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, health experts and reproductive rights advocates say.

Why it matters: Groups working to counter these campaigns warn that the surge in false claims will have real health consequences for Latinos, who already face barriers to prenatal resources and reproductive health care.

Texas health officials on Tuesday confirmed the death of a person diagnosed with monkeypox, which, if confirmed as the cause, would be the first known death from the virus in the U.S.

Driving the news: The person was a Harris county resident who was "severely immunocompromised." An investigation is underway to determine "what role monkeypox played" in their death, the state's Department of State Health Services said in a press release.

Half of the health care facilities around the world lack basic hygiene services like water and soap, the World Health Organization and UNICEF said in a new report out Tuesday.

Why it matters: Poor hygiene conditions put the approximately 3.85 billion people who depend on the facilities at greater risk of disease and infection, WHO and UNICEF said.

Monkeypox cases may be slowing in the U.S., but the perils of communicating who is most at-risk and getting those people the resources they need is still challenging public health officials and providers.

Why it matters: Monkeypox infections are seen primarily among men who have sex with men, but emphasizing that transmission route risks stigmatizing gay and bisexual men.

A California bill designed to combat disinformation and misinformation 0n COVID-19 by medical professionals passed in the state Senate on Monday evening.

Why it matters: The bill could see doctors and other medical professionals who spread COVID misinformation or disinformation face disciplinary action for "unprofessional conduct" from the Medical Board of California or the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, which could include having their state license suspended or revoked.

First Lady Jill Biden has tested negative for COVID-19 and will return to the Washington, D.C. area on Tuesday, her spokesperson Elizabeth Alexander announced Monday night.

The big picture: Biden tested positive for a rebound case last week after first testing positive for COVID on Aug. 15. President Biden experienced a rebound case of COVID earlier this month, but tested negative following the first lady's recent positive result.

One of your most powerful tools — to improve health, bolster relationships and just feel better — is your smile. It's that simple.

• Why it matters: Americans tend to smile more and wider than folks in other countries, research shows. Those megawatt grins are actually good for our mental and physical health.

Zoom in: The science-backed benefits of smiling include stress relief, pain relief and strengthened relationships.

California's assembly advanced a bill Monday aimed at providing refuge for transgender youth and their families.

Why it matters: The "Refuge for Trans Kids" bill aims to protect families fleeing from states that criminalize parents who allow their trans children to receive gender-affirming care.