US FDA authorizes Novavax's updated COVID shot, shares rise The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it authorized an updated version of Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in individuals aged 12 years and older, and the company's shares closed 8% higher. Sriparna Roy,Michael Erman Reuters

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Biden world at a loss over how to stop the growing anti-vax movement - POLITICO

As conservative views collide with science, doctors find themselves navigating political landmines Physicians are increasingly at the center of a widening cleave between conservative America and science writ large. Sarah Owermohle STAT

...Scores of practicing physicians and the national groups that represent them are increasingly at the center of a widening cleave between conservative America and science writ large. The gap has doctors young and old questioning how to navigate political landmines and limits in their communities — or whether they should at all.

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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.

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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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 COVID markers show more declines

Most of the measures the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) uses to track COVID-19 activity declined last week, except for deaths, which are often a lagging indicator, according to the group's latest data updates. The levels reflect a recent drop in COVID activity, following several weeks of a slow summer rise from very low levels.

...the World Health Organization (WHO) posted its latest monthly update, which it cautions is based on limited data, with cases and deaths reported from only 96 countries and even fewer countries regularly reporting hospitalizations and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions. It also said its assessments are limited by reduced testing and delays in reporting.

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Why It's Too Soon to Call It Covid Season | WIRED

...experts on the front lines and doing data analysis say it’s too soon to declare that Covid has achieved seasonality. Looking back over the previous three years, they do see patterns: a spike at some point in the summer, such as the arrival of the Delta variant in 2021, and a spike sometime in the late fall or winter, such as the Thanksgiving surge of Omicron later that year. But those spikes haven’t occurred at the exact same time from year to year, and it’s possible they didn’t all arise for the same reasons.

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