The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention late Thursday recommended reformulated Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 boosters that target the Omicron strain for people age 12 and up.
Why it matters: The recommendation came after an outside panel of vaccine advisors earlier Thursday endorsed the boosters in a 13-1 vote and marked the last regulatory hurdle before the updated shots can go into Americans’ arms.
Consuming a lot of ultra-processed foods can lead to a number of adverse health effects as well as early death, according to two large-scale studies published in BMJ medical journal Wednesday.
Driving the news: The studies, conducted in the U.S. and Italy, concluded that increased ultra-processed food consumption is associated with higher risk of cardiovascular diseases and overall mortality, along with higher colorectal cancer deaths in men.
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) signed an executive order Wednesday setting aside $10 million to develop a new reproductive health care clinic near the state's Texas border.
Why it matters: The new clinic will expand access in the state to the "full spectrum of reproductive health care" and help it prepare for a potential increase in people seeking abortions from other states that have restricted or banned access to the procedure in the wake of the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade.
San Francisco-based biotech Vaxart, an underdog in the COVID response that's developing a vaccine that would be delivered in a pill, is reporting promising Phase 2 clinical trial data today, the company told Axiosexclusively.
Why it matters: The two-dose vaccine candidate was "safe and well-tolerated" and produced immune responses against the wild strain of the virus, as well as subsequent strains including Omicron, officials said.
The first updated COVID-19 boosters are days away from going into the arms of Americans. But the expedited way in which they're being rolled out, and unknowns on how well they'll work, have left many people leery and full of questions.
Why it matters: Experts generally agree COVID vaccinations were in need of an update to target strains like Omicron that now account for the majority of U.S. cases. And the evidence suggests the reformulated Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna shots should protect those at greatest risk from hospitalization and death.
Pandemic-era reforms allowed more Medicare beneficiaries to use telehealth to obtain opioid-use disorder drugs, stay in treatment and avoid overdoses, a new JAMA Psychiatry study found.
Why it matters: The vast majority of people who need treatment for a substance-use disorder don't get it, and the researchers fear the addiction crisis could worsen if COVID-19 allowances on telehealth and prescribing aren't made permanent.
The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday authorizedupdated versions of COVID-19 vaccinesfrom Pfizer and Modernathat 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.
