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EU sets up new mechanisms to stave off medicine shortages The European Commission on Tuesday launched some short-term measures to prevent medicine shortages this winter and the next as a stop-gap while a proposed pharmaceutical rules overhaul is hashed out by the EU's key legislative arms. Julia Payne Reuters

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What will it take to end the crisis of Black deaths in the U.S.? Experts gathered at the #STATSummit in Boston to discuss the crisis of Black deaths in the U.S. and interventions that can help advance health equity. Anika Nayak STAT

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Tiny, Rural Hospitals Feel the Pinch as Medicare Advantage Plans Grow - KFF Health News More than half of seniors are enrolled in private Medicare Advantage plans instead of traditional Medicare. Rural enrollment has increased fourfold and many small-town hospitals say that threatens their viability. khnkytjaw KFF Health News

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'I'm a GP and these six unusual Covid symptoms need urgent medical attention' If you experience any of these lesser-associated Covid-19 symptoms you should seek medical advice, an expert said. Fiona Callingham Express.co.uk

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Dr Green pinpointed six symptoms that are worth seeking advice about.

Most US COVID markers show declines Deaths were up a bit, but hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and test positivity trended downward. CIDRAP

COVID metrics showed more declines last week, though deaths from the virus—one of its severity indicators—rose 4.2% compared to the previous week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in its latest data update. Deaths were up a bit in a number of states but were up more sharply in Oregon.

As winter nears, some parents are still searching for the new pediatric COVID shot In LA and elsewhere, some parents are having trouble finding the new pediatric COVID shot, especially for those under 5. Not all pediatricians or pharmacies have it, even if vaccines.gov says they do. LAist 89.3

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COVID-19 vaccine uptake in pregnancy linked to previous vaccine acceptance Advanced maternal age, obesity, Asian race, and private insurance were all correlated to COVID-19 vaccine uptake. CIDRAP

Pregnant patients who accepted recommended tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) and flu vaccines in pregnancy were more likely to also get vaccinated against COVID-19, according to a new study in the Journal of Infection.

Vaccine refusal linked to mistrust in health authorities Chinnapong/iStock CIDRAP

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In a new study in JAMA Network Open, authors review 28,000 interviews on vaccine uptake and hesitancy conducted in Hong Kong and Singapore from February 2020 through January 2022 to determine what was driving vaccine refusal.

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