As bird flu outbreaks in dairy cattle are raising concerns about potential human infections, the Biden administration announced Friday nearly $200 million in funding to help contain the spread.
Why it matters: The virus has been detected in cows in in at least nine states this spring. The CDC has said the general public health risk is low, but the government and scientists are closely watching for changes in the virus.
The French drug giant Sanofi is taking a minority stake in Novavax and entering into a licensing agreement worth as much as $1.2 billion that includes selling a combination COVID-flu shot.
Why it matters: It's a major turnaround for Maryland-based Novavax, one of America's first big bets under Operation Warp Speed that lost out in the COVID-19 vaccine race and warned last year about its ability to stay in business.
For the second consecutive year, disproportionately fewer new doctors across all specialties applied to medical residency programs in states with abortion bans and restrictions, per a new analysis released Thursday.
The big picture: In the two years since Roe v. Wade was overturned, state-level restrictions are changing the way some medical residents receive training related to abortions and emergency pregnancy care.
To most Americans, COVID-19 now ranks with everyday risks like reckless driving, smoking and drinking too much. But the emergence of new variants called FLiRT is a fresh reminder that the coronavirus still is circulating and evolving, even with hospitalizations at record lows.
Why it matters: As much as the public wants to move on — and has moved on — from the pandemic, uncertainty about the coronavirus' evolution means those who remain the most vigilant can't fully shake the pandemic experience.
Why it matters: Classifying nursing as a STEM field would unlock millions in federal funding for recruitment programs and expand opportunities for international students.
Google DeepMind's AlphaFold AI model, which has already revolutionized scientists' understanding of proteins, has expanded its capabilities in a new version released Wednesday.
The big picture: The new AlphaFold 3 can predict what interactions between nearly all of the molecules that form the basis of life look like — and that could open roads to new drugs or more resilient crops.
