Moderna combination Covid, flu vaccine shows positive data (cnbc.com)

• Moderna on Wednesday said its combination vaccine targeting Covid and the flu will move to a final stage trial after showing positive results in an earlier study.
• The biotech company is hoping its shot, mRNA-1083, can win approval from regulators in 2025. 

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Drugmakers agree to negotiate drug prices with government, White House says The manufacturers of 10 prescription drugs — including Eliquis, Xarelto and Januvia — will take part in the negotiations. NBC News

Major drug companies including Johnson & Johnson, Merck and Bristol Myers Squibb have committed to participate in Medicare drug price negotiations with the federal government, the Biden administration said Tuesday.

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COVID booster uptake hindered by prior infections, fear of side effects Ratana21/iStock CIDRAP

Only 20% of Americans eligible for COVID-19 boosters get them, and today in Vaccine, researchers published the results of a new survey of 2,000 US adults to understand why uptake is so low.

FDA signs off on updated protein-based Covid-19 vaccine from Novavax | CNN The US Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday authorized Novavax’s updated protein-based Covid-19 vaccine for people 12 and older. Amanda Sealy, Brenda Goodman CNN

This vaccine is effective against EG.5, the currently dominant coronavirus strain in the United States, and like Pfizer and Moderna’s mRNA vaccines, it has been updated to target the XBB Omicron subvariant.

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Dr. Joseph Ladapo, Florida’s surgeon general, spoke on camera to Fox News Digital about his concerns surrounding the updated COVID shot.

...they’re pushing the product on human beings. That is an anti-human approach … an anti-human policy."

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Britain’s COVID-19 response inquiry enters a second phase with political decisions in the spotlight LONDON (AP) — Britain’s inquiry into the response to the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the nation entered its second phase Tuesday, with political decision-making around major developments… PAN PYLAS, Associated Press WWTI - InformNNY.com

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Study: Paxlovid cuts hospitalization, death only in at-risk COVID patients with weak immune systems seb_ra / iStock CIDRAP

...in JAMA Network Open, an observational Canadian study ties the antiviral drug combo nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (Paxlovid) to a lower risk of hospitalization or death only in very high-risk COVID-19 patients with weakened immune systems.

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Parents of young children say kids are being left behind as updated Covid-19 vaccines roll out | CNN Parents of young children are scrambling to find still-scarce doses of the updated Covid-19 vaccine, which was recommended in mid-September for everyone ages 6 months and older. Brenda Goodman CNN

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UN authorizes a second malaria vaccine. Experts warn it's not enough to stop the disease spreading The World Health Organization has authorized a second malaria vaccine in a decision that could offer countries a cheaper and a more readily available option than the world’s first shot against the parasitic disease. AP News

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Sepsis associated with COVID-19 infections more common than thought Overall, SARS-CoV-2–associated sepsis was present in 28.2% of patients admitted with SARS-CoV-2. CIDRAP

...in JAMA Network Open, researchers provide new evidence that the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2–associated sepsis among hospitalized adults is higher than previously thought, but deaths from the condition became less frequent as the pandemic progressed.

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US judge refuses to block Medicare from negotiating drug prices | Reuters

Sept 29 (Reuters) - The U.S. government's Medicare health insurance program can begin negotiating prices for some prescription drugs this fall under a new program, a federal judge ruled on Friday, vindicating one of President Joe Biden's signature initiatives.

The order by U.S. District Judge Michael Newman in Dayton, Ohio, comes in a lawsuit brought against the Biden administration by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

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