Public Health

Florida official discourages use of mRNA Covid vaccines in older adults in another disputed claim

Mon, 2024-09-16 12:16 — mike kraft

Florida health director discourages use of mRNA Covid vaccines in older adults

Even as the Covid wave in Florida continues, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration is once again advising against the mRNA vaccines: this time in the most vulnerable residents.

In updated guidance for health care providers released Thursday, the Florida Health Department and state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo questioned the safety and effectiveness of the mRNA Covid vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, including for older adults and people with underlying health problems. “Any provider concerned about the health risks associated with Covid-19 for patients over the age of 65 or with underlying health conditions should prioritize patient access to non-mRNA Covid-19 vaccines and treatment,” according to the state guidance.high rates of immunity from prior infections and “currently available data.”

Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said the Florida surgeon general's guidance is unnecessarily alarming people about the Covid vaccines.

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Wastewater surveillance could be even better for detecting pathogens --National Academies report

Mon, 2024-09-16 12:04 — mike kraft

National Academies: Wastewater surveillance could be even better for detecting pathogens A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine report recommends five actions to transition the National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS)—developed as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic—to a forward-looking version for both endemic and emerging pathogens. CIDRAP

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The Academies recommended five steps to more robust NWSS that could better support public health, including better readiness for future pandemics:

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Analysis: Sweeps of homeless encampments are thwarting Medicaid’s goals

Mon, 2024-09-16 11:07 — mike kraft

Tossed Medicine, Delayed Housing: How Homeless Sweeps Are Thwarting Medicaid’s Goals - KFF Health News As California cities crack down on homeless encampments in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling authorizing fines and arrests, front-line workers say such sweeps are undercutting billions in state and federal Medicaid spending meant to stabilize people’s health and get them off the streets. khnkit KFF Health News

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The U.S. can, and should, do more on H5N1 bird flu, a top WHO official says

Mon, 2024-09-16 10:59 — mike kraft

Q&A: The U.S. can, and should, do more on H5N1 bird flu, a top WHO official says The world is watching how the U.S. is responding to the H5N1 bird flu outbreak in dairy cattle, a top WHO official said. Helen Branswell STAT

More work needs to be done by the agricultural sector to get to the bottom of — and put a stop to — transmission of H5N1 bird flu in dairy cattle in the United States, a senior World Health Organization official said over the weekend.

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Mysterious bird flu case in Missouri was similar to strain circulating in cattle--CDC

Mon, 2024-09-16 10:52 — mike kraft

Mysterious bird flu case in Missouri was similar to strain circulating in cattle, CDC says | CNN A patient in Missouri who was hospitalized after an infection with bird flu had the H5N1 strain of the virus, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Friday. Brenda Goodman CNN

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The viral sequence was uploaded Friday to the GISAID database, which makes genetic sequences of viruses publicly available for research and study. It shows that the virus is closely related to the strain that has been infecting dairy cattle in 14 states this year.

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Explainer about the vaccines available this respiratory virus season

Mon, 2024-09-16 10:26 — mike kraft

What to know about the vaccines available this respiratory virus season | CNN Covid-19 levels in the United States are high and rising, flu season is approaching quickly and RSV cases are already starting to tick up. Deidre McPhillips CNN

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New and more contageous Covid XEC variant starting to spread in Europe

Mon, 2024-09-16 10:10 — mike kraft

Scientists have warned that a “more contagious” variant of the Covid virus, dubbed XEC, is starting to spread more rapidly across Europe and could soon become the dominant strain.

“At this juncture, the XEC variant appears to be the most likely one to get legs next,” Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in La Jolla, said in a post on X on Sunday....

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U.S. COVID activity cases remain elevated but some indicators decline

Mon, 2024-09-16 10:03 — mike kraft

US COVID activity remains elevated, though some markers decline Wastewater levels are still high, but some indicators such as hospitalizations trended downward. CIDRAP

...Other indicators, however, showed small declines, including test positivity, which was at 14.9% last week, down 1.6% from the previous week. Levels are highest in the central states, which include Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Emergency department visits declined last week but are still at the moderate level in a few southeastern states.

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