Texas House approves ban on COVID-19 vaccine mandates by private empl… Violations could bring a $50,000 fine under an amendment adopted Wednesday. The bill’s sponsor said the ban would be the strongest in the nation. Karen Brooks Harper The Texas Tribune

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Statin linked to improved outcomes in COVID-19 patients, vitamin C shows no benefits - UPI.com Clinical trials show vitamin C was not beneficial in critically ill COVID-19 patients, but the statin drug simvastatin had a 96% likelihood of improving outcomes. UPI

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US CDC recommends routine use of Bavarian Nordic mpox vaccine for adults at risk Danish pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic said on Wednesday a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel has voted in favor of recommending the routine use of Jynneos vaccine for adults at risk of mpox. Reuters Reuters

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White House wants more than $23 billion from Congress to respond to natural disasters The White House is asking lawmakers for more than $23 billion in emergency funding to help the government respond to the natural disasters that have ripped through the U.S. this year. AP News

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AstraZeneca, maker of FluMist, seeks to allow at-home administration of vaccine People eligible to use the only needle-free flu vaccine available in the United States may be able, next year, to give it to themselves or to eligible children at home. Helen Branswell STAT

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Moderna doses 1st participant in phase 3 clinical trial of combo flu, COVID vaccine Moderna announced the first participant has been dosed in the company's phase 3 clinical trial of its combination flu and COVID vaccine. ABC News ABC News

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In a press release, the biopharmaceutical company said the combination vaccine has "the potential to efficiently reduce the overall burden of acute viral respiratory disease" by giving simultaneous protection against flu and COVID in a single dose.

Health workers face mental health crisis, CDC says | CNN Researchers from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are sounding the alarm on a mental health crisis for health workers around the country. Giri Viswanathan CNN

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Using nationwide survey data between 2018 and 2022, a new report from the agency found that nearly half of health workers reported feeling burned out in 2022, up from under a third four years prior. Health workers’ reports of being harassed at work more than doubled, as well.

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‘On track’: 3 percent of Americans have gotten the new Covid shot, but the CDC director remains confident By contrast, 33 percent more people have had their flu shot. POLITICO

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Biden’s NIH nominee set to advance with GOP votes, but not Bernie Sanders’ Mitt Romney and Susan Collins plan to vote for Monica Bertagnolli when the Senate’s health committee votes tomorrow. POLITICO

President Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the National Institutes of Health is set to advance with Republican votes — but not that of Sen. Bernie Sanders.

People with HIV at higher risk of COVID reinfection: CDC A new CDC study found people with HIV were more likely to be reinfected with COVID than those without HIV. ABC News ABC News

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Rates of reinfection were higher among people with HIV (6.7%) than among people without HIV (5.2%).

People with HIV are more likely to have completed a primary COVID vaccine series plus a booster before their reinfection -- 31.8% versus 27% for those without HIV.

Study: Kids with COVID shed virus for median of 3 days, supporting school-isolation policies iStock CIDRAP

Children who tested positive for COVID-19 in 2022 were contagious for a median of 3 days, regardless of vaccination status, suggesting that 5-day school isolation policies are sufficient amid Omicron variant predominance, University of Southern California (USC) and Stanford University researchers report today in JAMA Pediatrics.

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Covid vaccine during pregnancy offers infants immunity for up to 6 months (statnews.com)

As RSV cases tick up, CDC warns that a key drug to keep babies safe is in short supply The CDC's alert says the highest dosage of the drug, called Beyfortus, is in limited supply. NBC News

... The agency told doctors to prioritize getting those doses to infants at the highest risk of severe RSV, including infants younger than 6 months and those with underlying conditions. The CDC also advised doctors to preserve 50 mg doses for infants who weigh less than 11 pounds.